âA journey is best measured in friends, not in miles.â â Tim Cahill
February marks a year of this adventure in beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand.
February 2024 also marks the end of it.
We arrived in Auckland about a year ago, at the end of the Southern Hemisphere's summer, amidst floods and the cyclone Gabrielle. Our plan was to stay for up to two years in these lands. Now, as this lovely summer comes to an end, it's time to go back home. This summer has been entirely different from last year's - it has been drier and warmer, with mild weather perfect for swimming and exploring. We've made the most of it.
This is the post I wrote last year about us moving to Auckland:
When moving from London I had to make the call of packing all of my books in boxes and choosing only a few favourite ones to take here to the antipodes with me. Itâs interesting to look back and realise that out of the 10 books I brought (some were tiny in size), I only re-read and revisited a few of them. I guess some books you want to have close, even if you donât read them again or often; having them on the shelf must give a sense of companionship, reassurance, perhaps a reminder of something. Of something one is or can be.
In the post about the books I packed to New Zealand a year ago, I reflected on the concept of attachment. I wrote:
Attachment is a strange beast. (âŚ) I realised that the attachment I felt for the books wasnât that strong after all, that in reality, what was important to me wasnât the thing or the product, but the process of reading. (âŚ) Donât get me wrong - I still love my books, but I am starting to see the benefit of using both media [Kindle].
A year later, I still think there is a benefit to carrying some titles digitally on a Kindle, but I have strongly reaffirmed my love for physical books. Something I have been missing this year here in New Zealand is to have a bookshelf full of books I can go back to. Because we were going to stay here temporarily, we decided to keep our lives as light as possible to make it easier on the way back. Reading on the Kindle, however, is not the same experience as grabbing a book from your own library.
Perhaps I am attached to the books after allâŚ
The only books I purchased while here in the antipodes were those special ones about local artists and designers that are hard, impossible, or very expensive to get on the other side of the world. These have been the ones I enjoyed reading the most:
One Year Drawn by Pete Bossley. I love how I find some books by pure luck. Or rather, they find me. I came across this one at an art fair.
Hunderwasser for Future and The Yet Unknown Hunderwasser. I discovered this Austrian artist who made Aotearoa New Zealand his second home on an early trip to WhangÄrei, after visiting his art centre.
Louise Henderson: From Life has been a recent discovery. I met her art at Christchurchâs Art Gallery, on our first trip to the South Island after Christmas.
The end of this adventure (and chapter) is coming to an end. The books are all packed in suitcases now, and soon we will be making our way back home to London, traveling to some exciting places before heading back.
I close this post revisiting the quote at the beginning: a journey is best measured in friends, not in miles. We have indeed traveled thousands of miles here in New Zealand, but the joy in the journey came from the friends we made along the way and the sharing of these trips and adventures. I am extremely grateful for that.
A journey is best measured in friends. In connections. In people.
People, itâs always about people.
Happy reading! đâ¨
Ana
đ What Iâm reading in February 2024:
Rita Angus. An Artistâs Life by Jill Trevelyan. I came across Rita Angus in Christchurchâs Art Gallery, and I purchased her book in a little bookshop by Lake Tekapo, during our second trip to the South Island. Itâs a pleasure to see Aotearoa New Zealand through her eyes, her particular bold style, and her striking colour palette.
Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom. This was a book that intrigued me from the moment I read its recommendation. Itâs a reminder to each one of us of the important things in life. A quote that summarises the book:
âThe truth is, Mitch,â he said, âonce you learn how to die, you learn how to live.â
Books make wonderful companions for sure. Have a good journey back to the UK, Ana!