I would love to blame my lack of updates on this blog on something awesome. Unfortunately I have just been really slack.
Well to give me some credit, I have just moved to New Zealand so it has been pretty hectic catching up with family and friends in the last three weeks! I have been travelling all over the North Island of New Zealand and have finally managed to settle in Wellington.
So what I am doing back home in New Zealand?
Well, after 3 years, 10 months, 2 weeks and 1 day of travelling to 44 countries, I was exhausted.
2013 has been one of the toughest, but strangely exciting times of my life. When I started this blog I called it Four Jandals because at the time Adela and I were still together. Unfortunately, Four Jandals became Two Jandals in April and we broke up. Some readers don’t seem to notice even though it is one of my most popular posts. But it isn’t something I am too public about either.
Luckily we are still friends and talking to one another. I would have hated to throw away everything after nearly 5 years together.
Since April I have travelled nearly the length of Africa from Nairobi to Cape Town overland. I also spent 6 weeks in Thailand frantically trying to catch up on all the work I had neglected over those three months in Africa.
Why have I returned home?
Everyone keeps asking me why I have returned and why would I want to? Quite simply the answer is because I wanted to. I was always going to return to New Zealand. It is my home and the one true place where I have always been 100% happy.
Plus I have missed so many important events over the last 4 years because of travelling. Family birthdays, friends weddings, births and deaths. All missed because I was selfishly travelling the world.
I don’t regret what I did for an instant. But I am so glad that I am finally home. It is time to make a fresh start. A time to laugh, love and live again.
So what am I doing?
Luckily I have picked up a job really quickly and I am working for a website in New Zealand as one of their content creators here in Wellington. Basically I get to help promote New Zealand brands and businesses online. Something that I am really passionate about because there is a lack of small local companies online in New Zealand.
Plus it allows me to write on a daily basis (probably one of the reasons I have been so slack here on the blog) and follow my dreams.
What about the blog?
Well this is far from being my last blog post.
I still have hundreds of stories to share with you. I have hardy scratched the surfaces of all my experiences, let alone edit my thousands of photos that I have accumulated over the past 4 years.
However, while I don’t expect to stop writing or blogging, you may see a shift in the sort of content that I do write. As well as a re-branding over the next couple of months. Obviously Four Jandals has been very successful, but it is a bit hard to call myself “Four” when I only have Two Jandals.
So for now nothing is changing. But I wanted to write this update as an apology to you because I have been so slack. As always I am extremely thankful for my followers on social media and my readers of this blog. I would not be where I am today without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Safe Travels,
Cole