After what seems like years (but has actually been a few months) of planning, the @goodwithtravels project is live and I start my journey across the world.
(At least) 6 months of travel, living out of a rucksack across a number of countries, starting with New Zealand. I’ve been looking forward to this day for some time!
For those that aren’t aware: I’ll be blogging, sharing experiences, putting together videos to share with the Steemit community. 50% of all my digital earnings from this trip will be given away to charity. The bigger the reach we can achieve, and the more support we gain, the more we can do to help others at the end of it.
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Flight #1: LHR-AUH
Miles travelled: 3,430
Movies watched: Crazy Rich Asians (better than expected) & Ocean’s 8 (had potential, but slightly missed the mark).
It’s funny how 7 hours on a weekend flies by like the speed of sound, but the same time spent on a plane directly behind a wailing baby while also next to an aggressive snorer seems to crawl by.
This was followed by 3 hours in Abu Dhabi to stretch my legs (or not, as everyone seemingly wanted to sit straight back down again). No time to leave the airport sadly, though I’d like to revisit it some day.
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Flight #2: AUH-SYD
Miles travelled: 7,490
Movies watched: Night School (a predictably feel-good Kevin Hart comedy that just about worked), Life Of The Party (a similar storyline executed by Melissa McCarthy), Birdman (a bizarre, dark and artistic film about an egotistical theatre director, made to look like it was filmed in one take) and Tag (a true story of a group of friends that played a 20+ year game of Tag. A decent film, I liked it).
Honestly, what did I do to deserve this? Two screaming babies directly in front, and a trio of children of various ages in the two rows behind me. The first couple of hours were rough but thankfully they piped down.
That being said, if I had thought 7 hours seemed long, the 13 hours from Abu Dhabi to Sydney felt like a LIFETIME.
Nap, eat, watch a movie. Nap, eat, watch a movie. That was the routine which eventually got me through it.
The stopover felt nice and quick; I didn’t feel the need to eat and used the opportunity to stretch my legs and start thinking about my plans in Wellington.
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Flight #3: SYD-WLG
Miles travelled: 1,380
Movies watched: None
And so, finally, I arrived in New Zealand!
My girlfriend and her family, who are from Wellington, greeted me on arrival and it was great to see them all for the first time in quite some time. I hadn’t seen much of her family in well over a year, so that was a nice reunion.
Time to crack on with a few things; more to follow soon.
Thanks again for your support and readership; this blog would be nothing without you.
Peace.
Franck / @goodwithtravels