About me
Welcome…I’m Arnika Willow Knight, hippy love child of my lovely parents Jane and Paul. Usually residing in Christchurch NZ, which is actually a great city in a great country despite what it may seem as I am either a) not there, or b) trying to leave. I decided to take a year off from uni and travel around the world in 2006/2007. Not sure how I came up with this idea, probably came about getting carried away with planning a short trip to France where I thought (wrongly it seems now) that I could learn french. So through that, reading too many travel blogs and watching too many travel doco’s I ended up with a round the world ticket and an entire year ahead with little to nothing planned. I’d never travelled on my own before, had done a fair bit of overseas travel though….Fiji, Zambia, England, France and also lived in Indonesia for a bit (you can read more about my previous travels pre-blogging days here). But this trip was obviously a bigger undertaking. What resulted what the beginning of a travel addiction, a failure to learn French, and lots of crazy fun and sometimes slightly dangerous adventures.
Like all travel I’m now even more determined to travel more and this trip has probably started some sort of addiction and will result in never owning a house, being in a long term relationship, having pets and being constantly in debt…but hey, it cant be all that bad when I’m trekking in the Andes, easting waffles in Belgium, sunning myself in southern France, getting lost in souq’s in Morocco. The world is too big to stay in NZ!
(eating out China style)
So this blog began as a documentation of my travels and now will hopefully keep going as I continue to travel further afield and do more exciting things.
Since beginning this blog way back in 2006 I have compleated uni which qualifies me for not much really, but looks like I have been making use of the last few years. Now I am in the process of finishing my masters in the lovely little country of the Netherland (so I don’t have to get a job for another year) and in the far future get a real job which involves saving the world in more interesting places (something along the lines of policy, NGO, UN type stuff when I actually am qualified enough to be able to do something useful)
Other than being addicted to travel I am 25, I like people, like studying in a love-hate type way, like music that isn’t cool, love movies with subtitles, places where the sun always shines (except Australia), mountains, beaches and most of all food and cooking. While I realise NZ is an amazing country I still think there is way more to the world to see… maybe I will come and retire here.
My advice for anyone thinking of travelling alone is to just do it, you can’t be ‘experienced’ or know what you’re doing until you do it for the first time. So don’t listen to your mother (unless she’s like my mother), buy a ticket and join the world.
Tags: About me, Before: Christchurch, Before: Christchurch, NZ, introduction, NZ
admin
Hey Arnika
Iv heard so much about your wonderful blog and also that yr lonely for some feedback from the whanau down under, so here goes!!! Yes Iv heard heaps so thought I better check it out myself, I was especially drawn to the menu containing ‘fried crap’ I hope it was yummy. Well the world certainly is your oyster (hope u love them) and youre devouring it at a great rate of knots, and I say ‘good on yer girl’. I’m extremely jealous and will one rejoin the ranks of ‘backpackers’ although I may be too old to carry my own…..mmmm, hope not. So glad yr searching the world for adventure and yet still appreciating what you have left behind, because yes the sleepy land of the long white cloud is certainly precious. You will have to write a book to help fund yr addiction! I’m so glad yr chosen addiction is a healthy one! Although it may be more expensive than some other options. Your cuzzie Ruby has also taken off overseas, however the sea was only the cook strait. Her and some hardcore intrepid travellers have landed in the big C (Wlg) and having a great ol time doing the touristy trip and celebrating her 19th birthday. We had the whamily up the other night before she left and my sister Tarn, greeted Sarita “hi Arnika”!!!! She hasnt seen either of u for a while.
Well keep up the great blog and wel keep watching. Good on yer. lots a love from the down under Aunty Kim
Hi Arnika,
Just wandering if you fancied emailing me those Americans email addresses please (and yours if you want), I didnt manage to remember their second names!! Your name is much more memorable…Hope you’re flight hasnt been bumped.
Stuart
Hi,
my name is Arash and i am from Tehran/Iran.I was searching for some tips to travel to Venezuela and i found your blog.
It seems that you have plan to come here in my country .feel free to send me email for getting any information and tips about Iran.
Regards,
Arash