This week's Binspi is a truly special one for me. As it reflects so many feelings within.

First of all I really love this quote. :) I find it absolutely inspiring. Lao-Tze really got it right back then... Probably he liked walking, too :)

Second, it's been a month now that BinspiratioNZ is up and running on the World Wide Web :) and thanks to you all, it received over 3200 hits already!!! It makes me feel super happy, excited and even more inspired to share more with you :)

Third, it reflects my plunge into a REAL REAL journey - step by step. A journey of discovering the most amazing place in the world - a true little gem in this globe, amazing beaches, breathtaking nature, sunrises/sunsets, friendly people and... yes, one of the most interesting and yet toughest of all, a little bit more... about myself. 

In the midst of a new beginning. New experiences, new impulses, new adventures. Yet looking for something familiar. Something that makes you feel home. Secure. Cozy. Loved. Installed. Surrounded. Attached to bits and pieces of your past, yet in the present. Something you know... Something that is so deeply imprinted in your memories... Something you recognise the smell of... Something that makes you feel AT home. 

Departure. Arrival. Settling in. Starting from scratch.

It's good to have a place you can call home. Or at least, if it's not your home yet, you know it will become your home soon. And if not even, to have a temporary home. Where at least your vanity bag can cosy up on the shelf while you are having a bath. :)

But what is home? Where is home? Is it where your family is? Is it the place you lived for the past few years? Is it where you made friends? Is it where you know where to buy bread? Is it your nicely decorated room?
Can you have several homes? Or home is within?

Home is where you make home... isn't it? Or home is where you feel a bit home even though you are not at home yet?

Some years ago, a friend pointed out that once she moved to a new place, she liked to identify and name certain buildings or points of interest that reminded her of similar things back home. This is how her soul found shelter. It made adaptation a lot easier. I liked this point of view a lot. 

I found a bit of home. My toiletries are nicely lining up next to the sink in the bathroom. I discovered the local Tour Montparnasse next to the French bakery in Takapuna. The croissant tastes good. And the best, I spotted the local Badacsony that I see every day - the Rangitoto. Even though the setting is totally different, the shape of the volcano in the pinkish sunset, the wandering sailboat and the smell of fresh fish make me feel like I was by the Lake Balaton again... A bit of home.

What makes you feel home?

One week ago we were still in Europe. Unbelievable. I am not sure if I am fully aware of the situation yet. We really made it! We DID move to New Zealand!!! After all these months of dreaming, planning, preparing, here we are. Enjoying the views of the most beautiful beaches of the world. 

The first days flew by. Arrival. Jet lag. Trying to sleep. Trying to sleep back. Traveling a bit. Organizing our new life. Getting around. Phone. Bank. And the others... And we still have some big challenges ahead - finding a car and a place to stay. To call it a new home. Far away from home...

I find this quote very relevant at this moment of my life. Traveling and moving to a new place opens your eyes, opens your soul. It gives you a new perspective. It gives you wings to fly, to discover. The world, the others, yourself... And... sooner or later, it also places you out of your comfort zone. To contemplate, meditate, reflect. And thus make you grow.

I have been traveling all my life. Moved to a new place, to a new country several times. I learned to cope with change, although it was very hard at the beginning. Changing homes, changing environments, changing lifestyles, changing school, changing work, changing colleagues, changing friends, changing basically everything. You leave things behind that make you feel secure. Not easy at all.

But it made me stronger. Now I just love it. In a way it sets me free. It makes me stretch my boundaries. And learn something new every day.

Settling in. Adjusting. It takes time. Energy. Effort. First joy and then pain (or vice versa). First, everything is super exciting, new, full of new impressions. Then comes the time when you realize you have a culture shock, you are homesick, you miss your environment that you are so used to. You get frustrated and don't find your place. It happens to everyone, I would think even to the most experienced travellers. Just a question of time. 

Many people asked us how are we so brave (or "crazy") to make this big move. How on earth? To leave to the other end of the world. In kilometres and time. Far from home, family, friends. Plunging in to the unknown and insecure and undefined.  Leaving a relatively comfortable life behind. With a small baby. 

We just wanted to follow our dreams. Not to wait until we grow old and regret that we have never done it. We fell in love with this country some years ago. The nature, the laid back lifestyle, the love for outdoors, work-life balance, the people. And it is a perfect time in our life to make this move. Now or never.  We planned it. Prepared it. Saved for it. Drew up the pros and cons. Weighed the scale and made some tough compromises. And yes, ultimately followed our dreams!!!

...

This moving really put me out of my comfort zone. I spent the last few days trying hard to reflect upon it... I knew it will be like that. And I wanted it. I just didn't think it will come so fast. Maybe it is because I am also traveling an inner journey of deeper self discovery. Maybe it is also because it is the first time that I am moving abroad as a wife and a mother, not as "me". Maybe it is because of the huge jet lag. 

I wonder where this dream, this journey will take me. Exciting, isn't it?

All inspired by a cup of tea...

4. I simply love the restroom signs here. They speak for themselves, the way they see things and what is important in their life!

We had the most amazing vacation in New Zealand some years ago. Ever! We LOVE to travel, and are lucky enough to have been to some places already, but this one was just THE ONE! And somehow we knew it right from the start... We knew that one day we will come back...

So how come we fell in love so much? 
The nature is just fascinating, should you be a beach bum, a lake lover or a mountain hiker. Or all of the above. A stunning view and perfect colors wherever you look. (And sheep. Cute white sheep.) It simply takes your breath away. It's literally like in the Lord of the Rings. Or even better. (Surprise surprise, I became a fan after our visit to Mount Doom :D ) Perfect place for nature and outdoor lovers. Tons of opportunities if you love water sports. Yummy fresh food, tasty fruits and vegetables, and ohh those special green-lipped mussels. Nice wine! Great climate. Very special, extremely well protected flora and fauna. A LOT of space. The relaxed, jandal aka Kiwi flip-flop lifestyle. Perfect work-life balance. Practical and customer friendly environment. Enjoyment of life. And to top all that, the people. The Kiwis, the people from New Zealand, are super friendly and laid-back. They tend to say with their special Kiwi accent: "It's such a lovely country, isn't it?" :) Well, I could keep on with this list for a long long time...

So yes, the unique chill and atmosphere of NZ impressed us. It could be great to live here, we thought... Ever since we got back to Europe, to our fast and full of happenings big city life - and yes, I have to admit that I loved this lifestyle till a certain point, as I am definitely a Big City Girl :) - we kept secretly longing for the blissful, yet peaceful feeling this place in the other end of the world has left in our hearts. Longing for this beautiful nature to surround us. To make a dream come true and live by the most amazing beaches of the world. On a (quite a big, but still...) island :) 

I have been thinking of creating this website ever since. First, just to share the pictures I took during the holidays. Those fascinating memories and enriching experience. Then more and more ideas popped up, especially once we decided we are making the big move. But THE time was never appropriate... at least I thought so... My perfectionist self always found a barrier, a little detail - I am not a professional photographer to publish my photos. I am not an IT expert to build a page. I am not a travel blogger to share my stories. Blabla.  So I always put it off the agenda. Sounds familiar?

However, the feeling has grown stronger and stronger day by day, I got more and more convinced that I don't have to be an expert to start it, and YES, finally I cleared out the way and here we are now! :) BinspiratioNZ is up and running! A BIG special thanks to all my friends and family who encouraged me and motivated me to make this happen! I am excited, and can't wait to share my moments of inspiration from the most beautiful place in the world. Let's Love & Live New Zealand. I am so happy you come along! :) ENJOY :)