It’s been quite hectic since my last blog post. It feels like so much has happened already and I wanted to get this post done as another update as we head to the middle of this year. It’s also a place for me to store the great memories from the past few months before I go on my overseas adventure. This is like a wrap up of the first half of 2023 for me and I’m hoping the second half is even much better!

If you follow me on Instagram and Tiktok, you’d know that I’m about to leave for a huge trip! I’m off to Europe for a few weeks so I’ll be back in July. This is the longest trip I’ll be on so far and I have been quite anxious and stressed about it all. This week though I feel excited! I’m sure I’ll share this trip here later on when I get back. This post is about what I’ve been up to the past few months since my last blog post back in March.

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Health

So I started my last blog post with a health update so I’ll do that here too. I’m still dealing with high cortisol and high copper levels and so far I don’t have answers or solutions. I’ve had another blood test since then and we’re currently figuring out if some things are working to reduce my levels. I’ve been struggling with so much anxiety for the past few months and it was something I haven’t really had an issue with before. When I come back from my holiday, I’ll get tested again and hopefully I’ll have a proper path to manage this. Fingers crossed I’m able to sort this out before the year ends!

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Moving on to more exciting things, these are some highlights:

Glass blowing workshop

Back in March, Max and I drove up to Whangārei to attend the Grinter Glass glass blowing workshop. It was Max’s birthday gift to me and something we both haven’t done before. This workshop was awesome!

Inside the Grinter Glass workshop is this massive furnace. There is actually two. The big one where the melted glass is in and then a smaller one called the gloryhole where we heat up the glass. I can’t describe how hot the furnace is but it is amazing.

We had 3 hours to create 3 things and he helped us the entire time. We started off small by creating a clear glass blob, then a paperweight and then a choice of either a bowl or cup/tumbler. It was quite a process and I didn’t really know what to expect before this workshop. Handling glass is hard work but it was fun. We chose the colours too and there were so many to choose from.

It was so fascinating learning how to handle molten glass and how quickly it hardens too. I ended up making a bowl and Max made a tumbler/drinking glass. After the workshop, our creations had to dry in the oven but we could pick them up the next day.

On the left are my creations and on the left are Max’s. I really love my bowl! I eat my breakfast in it and it’s a great reminder of this workshop. Overall, it was such a cool experience. I highly recommend it and we both enjoyed it.

We stayed in Ruakākā because it’s close to Whangārei. We got to chill at the beach after our workshop.

The next day, we picked up our glass creations then met up with my friend Kendel at Astroboy. She recommended this place and they have great cocktails and food! I highly recommend going there.

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Taipa and Cape Reinga

Another exciting thing was our long weekend up in Taipa. My bf had a work event up there so I tagged along and spent a few days up North.

Taipa is on the southern side of Doubtless Bay in Northland. It’s a small town and the beach is beautiful and serene. I managed to do a few morning beach walks while we were up there and there was barely anyone at the beach.

It was a busy few days in Taipa with events but I still managed to chill by the pool and finish my book for a few hours though.

We also checked out the famous Mangōnui Fish Shop. It was pretty good and it’s such a good spot over the water. It gets pretty busy though so I suggest coming early for dinner.

Cape Reinga

Before this trip, the furthest north I’ve been to was Hokianga back in 2020. This time around we drove all the way up to Cape Reinga as Taipa is only 1hr and 30mins away.

Cape Reinga is the northernmost tip of the North Island of Aotearoa / NZ.

It has a lighthouse and also where you can see two oceans meet. On the right photo is where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. It’s fascinating to watch the water and the view there was spectacular.

Of course we had to take photos by the lighthouse!

We also quickly checked out the Te Paki sand dunes on our way back.

I’m so glad to have finally made it to the most northern point of the North Island. Last year we went to the southernmost point of the North Island, Cape Palliser which is also another beautiful place but such different landscape to Cape Reinga.

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Noho marae

This year I’m continuing with my te reo learning journey. At the start of May, we had our first noho marae for my class.

I’ve been enjoying this year’s te reo course. Our kaiako is great and we’re learning sentence structures. Our noho marae was good. Very tiring staying at a marae but it was a soul-enriching experience.

Not related to my te reo course, I also went on a 2 day workshop called Te Pumaomao which is a cultural competency and decolonisation workshop. I really enjoyed the course and it was different to other Te Reo and Te Ao Māori courses I’ve attended. I recommend going to something like this especially if you didn’t grow up in NZ to learn about Māori history.

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Dans Le Noir – Dining in the dark

Max booked us in at Dans Le Noir – dining in the dark experience. I had my first Dans Le Noir experience back in 2018 but Max has never tried it before. This year, it’s in Rydges Hotel in the city. I don’t have any photos to show but we had a 3-course meal and it was another cool experience.

The food was good and it’s hard to describe what it’s like eating in complete darkness. It’s something you just have to experience yourself. At one point, you get used to the darkness and you don’t even think about it. It’s fun guessing the food and it’s hard to get it spot on. You find out what the dishes are afterwards. They also employ visually-impaired staff that guides you inside and serves your food. I recommend it if you’re into trying something different and are not afraid of the dark!

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Shows

I’ve watched 3 different comedy shows. The first one was Daniel Sloss a few months ago. I’ve seen him live a few times and he’s hilarious. I got Max to watch his Netflix specials so he was also keen to watch him.

Then in May, I watched 2 NZ Comedy Festival shows: The Best Show on Earth and Last Laughs. Last Laughs was the last official comedy fest show and they awarded the Billy T and Fred awards. I’m glad I managed to squeeze in some shows before I go on holiday.

On Mother’s Day, we had lunch at our favourite place in Takapuna Nanam and then we watched the Auckland Symphony Orchestra Love show. This was a free show. ASO do a series of free shows in Auckland. You just have to get your tickets through moshtix. I highly recommend it!

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Takapuna sunrise

One morning, I also managed to catch the sunrise in Takapuna. It was absolutely beautiful. My camera roll was full of sunrise shots that morning. I really should do it more often but it’s harder in winter.

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Yoga

Last month, I also tried yoga. Since my high cortisol/copper levels, my doctor recommended to stop high intensity exercises (goodbye spin) and to try walking and yoga more. I went to Golden Yogi in Takapuna and did their special of 5 classes for $10 which was such an awesome deal. I tried different classes but I enjoyed the Yin & Yoga Nidra the most. It was so relaxing.

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City adventures

We’ve had a few afternoons and weekends spent in the city the past few months. It’s been nice to enjoy the city again.

Back in March, there was the Korean Culture Festival in the city. There were performances and food stalls. We enjoyed watching the Kpop dance performances especially in High Street. If you know, my sister and I got into BTS during lockdown. BTS really saved us during lockdown and we now love and appreciate their music but also other Kpop music.

I also went to one Auckland Writer’s Festival show/talk which was Bill Hayes, author and photographer. That was quite interesting and in the end, I got one of his books and got him to sign it.

A hidden gem in Auckland city is Ten-hana. It’s located inside Crowne Plaza and they do amazing tempura. Their mega tempura bowl is good for 2-3 people and it’s such great value. I highly recommend it for lunch or dinner.

I love rooftop bars and my fave has been The Churchill which I’ve featured many times. Sunset bar is another one which is at the top of the Sudima hotel. Unfortunately we’ve been there when it’s not nice and sunny so we can’t see the sunset views. However, it’s still a great place for a drink.

My latest find is Dumpling Hours across the road from the Auckland City Library. Everything on the menu is $12 so pretty good value. The place is cute and ‘grammable but the food is also nice and tasty. We even had dessert! Highly recommend for cheap eats.

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Gel Nails

In my last blog post, I shared that I got a gel nail kit. I’ve been meaning to make a separate post about it but I haven’t had the time to draft it up. I have zero regrets getting the kit and my bf was keen to try doing my nails. He’s done it twice and his last one was much better than when I did my own nails! He did so well.

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Opshopping

I’ve done quite a bit of opshopping the past few months. I had a big declutter of clothes I don’t wear anymore and also my taste in clothes changed too so I wanted to update my wardrobe. Then I also wanted to get a few things for my Europe trip.

My best finds so far have been my vintage YSL blazer I got for $25 and a Giorgio Armani suit I found at the men’s section. I’ve shared my opshopping finds in my IG story highlights. I’ve also shared my opshop hauls and where I opshop over on my Tiktok.

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This blog post is pretty long so if you’ve made it here, thank you! I’ll end this post with cute cat photos:

Turbo had to wear a collar for a week when he had a gash on his leg. He wasn’t pleased but it was cute.

My bf’s cats Bucket and Pubble are such cuddly cats. Turbo isn’t a lap cat but I get the snuggles from these two.

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That’s all for this mid-year update. In the next few days, I’ll be off to my European adventure and I am so excited! I’ve been anxious and stressed (thanks high copper/cortisol) but this week I feel much better. I’ve packed and feel prepared to go on this big trip. My next blog posts will probably be all about them!

Thanks for reading! Xx