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Becoming a Traveler

By kendallpaynenewmedia

Kendall Walking

In late August, I took a ten day backpacking trip to New Zealand. Over the years I have had the good fortune of being able to go on family vacations and school trips, but in the land of the Kiwis I learned the difference between being a tourist and a traveler. Gilbert Chesterton once said, “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”

When we found out that I would have 10 days off of school, a few friends and I decided on traveling to New Zealand. We were all on a budget so we spent a few days mapping out potential ideas on the cheapest way to see the most things.

Kendall TreeWhen we got to New Zealand we rented a campervan, which was first intended just to save us money, but ended up giving us an incredible amount of freedom, for which I am so grateful. Throughout our trip we encountered so many wonderful locals, who guided us towards breathtaking views and crazy adventures, that no travel site could have ever shown us. Our campervan allowed us to change plans, make detours, and find more beautiful routes. Our Australian phones didn’t work, so we often found ourselves completely off the grid. We pulled out our good old fashioned maps and stopped at cafe’s and gas stations to ask for directions. There was never a dull moment. Over the course of ten days: I went wine tasting on Waiheke Island, explored incredible rock formations at Cathedral Cove, went Zorbing, learned the cultures of the Maori people, hiked in a Redwoods Forest, visited the set of the Hobbit films, bathed in a hot spring, bungee jumped off a bridge, hiked in the snow, went black water rafting in caves, walked across black sand beaches, and drove a campervan on the wrong side of the road in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I often find myself worrying about plans. Whether it’s school, work, sports, etc, I always fear nothing will work out and my plans will be ruined. And I’ve learned that they will. But, some of the best parts of life are not planned. This trip wasn’t all perfect. We spent numerous hours lost or panicked about one thing or another. One night the heater even caught on fire. Some days we didn’t even know where to start, but this trip was full of spontaneity and adventures that I will never forget.Kendall Snow