It’s finally happening. I’m on my way to the South Island for three months. Anyone who has been following my journey for a while knows that I’ve been talking about that since the day I got the van. I dreamed about it, planned for it and I almost went last September, just to change my mind last minute cause somehow the timing didn’t feel right. There were too many things happening in Auckland that I wanted to be around for.  

Well, the timing feels right now, and it’s definitely happening – I’m actually on the ferry as I write this. 

I’ve travelled on the South Island twice before, each time for about three weeks, but that was before I had my campervan. Both times I had a great time, but it also felt rushed. So when I bought my campervan, I promised myself that as soon as I can, I will go down for at least two months. Looks like I might even get three months.

What’s the plan? I don’t really have one – at least not as far as destinations go. I want to take it slow and just go with the flow. If I like it somewhere, I stay. If not, I move on. There are a few places I want to see, but I also know that I can come back if I don’t get to all of them this time. I will start by taking the long road from Picton to Nelson, stopping at the DOC sites along the coast. From there, I will probably head south. I would love to go through Molesworth Station, but the road is closed at the moment due to fire risk. If it doesn’t open in time, I will go there on my way back north in May and head straight down the coast to Kaikoura. But that’s about as far as my plans go right now. 

While I don’t have much of a plan as far as my travel itinerary is concerned, I do have some self-improvement plans. Looking back, the last few months have been intense for me in a number of ways. I often feel like in life, you go through growth phases where a lot changes (internally as much as externally). The last few months have definitely been a growth phase for me. While growth is good, it’s also challenging. I’m looking at this road trip as a chance to reflect, reconnect with my values and to pay more attention to the things that I know are important to my long-term happiness. And because I know I’m more likely to actually do so when I set and track specific goals, I’ve come up with five. 

1.     Eat Well 

Well, what can I say about this one other than; “Hello, I’m Lisa, and I’m a sugar addict!” I’ve always had a massive sweet tooth and, unfortunately, I’ve never figured out how to enjoy sugar in moderation (let’s just say the concept of re-sealable cookie and chocolate packaging is completely lost on me). But I know that eating well is the number one thing I have to do to feel good. When I eat well, everything is better. And for me, eating well mainly means avoiding sugar. So, the goal is to be almost sugar-free for the three month ­– I’m allowed one exception per week (as long as the exception is a piece of cake and not a whole cake). 

2.     Be Active 

This one usually comes automatically with eating well (energy) and visiting new places (wanting to explore), so I don’t think I’ll have to put too much effort into it. But, I thought I’d give myself some extra motivation by setting a goal. That goal is simple: At least 10,000 steps a day or 90 minutes of exercise/activity ­– as measured by my Fitbit. 

3.     Stick to a (Tight) Budget

I chose this goal more out of curiosity than necessity. I often feel like I’m still spending too much money on things I don’t really need and that I don’t always fully appreciate the things I do buy. I hope that by setting myself a tight budget, I will appreciate money more. And I also think it will be interesting to see how little I can get by on. Mind you, my budget will still look generous to some. Here is an overview of the weekly budget I’ve set myself:

• Diesel and RUC – $70 

  • Based on driving 300km per week

• Groceries – $110

  • This might seem generous, but it includes food as well as things like shampoo and cleaning stuff, and I also want to be able to buy free-range/organic produce, especially meat and eggs.

• Campgrounds – $20

  • I have a DOC pass and mainly plan to use their sites as well as the NZMCA ones ($3/night), with a commercial campground once a fortnight on average. 

• Other – $50

  • I am travelling so I might want to see the occasional attraction or do an activity. Or go out for dinner. 

Total: $250 per week

This budget does not include ongoing expenses like insurance, my phone bill, subscriptions and memberships, etc. This ‘experiment’ is about tracking my everyday spending, so to keep it simple, I’ll focus on that. 

I’m also allowed to make one exception per month, but only if it’s for something I either really need or that will enrich my life. 

4.     Appreciate the Little Things

I’ve realised that when I’m travelling, I’m often the ‘get from A to B as quickly as possible’ type. I don’t often stop for random sights along the way or to enjoy the views. I’m not sure why I do that; it’s not like I’m in a rush most of the time. So I’ve decided on this trip, I want to stop for and appreciate the little things. 

I decided on two specific goals:

1. Every time I drive for more than an hour, there needs to be at least one random stop (even if it’s just to enjoy the view)

2. I want to watch the sunrise every morning (I’ll aim to share each sunrise via my Instagram stories so follow me there is you want three months of sunrises) 

5.     Start Work on Book #2

I have had an idea for my second book for a while now, but I haven’t ‘allowed’ myself to start working on it because I think I should focus on promoting the first one (which is partly true). But, to be honest, the first book has been a bit of a cause for frustration lately more so than happiness. Anyone who knows me won’t be surprised to hear that I struggle with not being in control of what’s happening with the book. It’s all in the hands of the publisher and, unfortunately, they seem to have more important things to do than keeping me in the loop on what’s happening on the promo/marketing front, so I’ve been feeling a bit left out and frustrated.  

I feel like I’ve done most of what I could do from my end to promote the book. I will keep pushing it every chance I get, but I’ve decided to also allow myself to start working on book #2. I know I will love the creative process of researching and conceptualising another book, but I also know I need to make time for getting myself in the right mindset – hence making it a goal. 

I don’t want to give away too much yet, but there is one specific section of the new book that will be really important. It’s about defining types and creating an exercise to help people identify which type they are most like. My goal for the next three months is to have a draft of this section and exercise that I can then test with friends when I’m back in Auckland. 

So there you go: a sugar-free, active, low-cost South Island road trip with extra creativity and appreciation for the little things. Sounds a bit like ordering one of those fancy coffees at Starbucks. 

And because I know I’m more likely to achieve my goals when I see them and my progress all the time, I made a tracking sheet and put it up in the van. I’ll let you know how I get on with it all.