It’s impossible to work and travel abroad without having a few big goodbyes. As you move between jobs and destinations, you’ll become well-practiced at the art of farewells. And you’ll quickly learn that ‘goodbye’ is far too permanent a word; after all, who knows where you’ll be tomorrow?

As you may have heard, Beth, our peerless Wanderlust leader, is taking the site in a thrilling new direction. And this means that I am heading out on an exciting course of my own.

Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of GoneWorkabout over the last three years! I hope these stories have given you an excuse to take that overseas job or apply for a working holiday visa.

Now, I look forward to re-launching Too Mutch For Words, an on-growing library of books, films and music that will convince you to travel every day. If not on foot, at least in words. . .

Please join me on the journey: Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook and Google+

~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli

Bucket Lists may motivate us toward big dreams, but they can also distract us from smaller treasures. As I wrote on my personal blog, sometimes the best accomplishments don’t require a passport, a pool of money or some dramatic declaration

So I rounded up 2016 Bucket Lists that will take you to all sorts of new places, though not necessarily very distant ones. The sort you can bring on ‘stay-cations’; the sort that encourage you to be a bold explorer in your own neighborhood. From bikram yoga to voting, swapping houses for a holiday and celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, these entries are guaranteed to add adventure to your year in surprisingly simple ways.

• The Totally Achievable Bucket List – Marie Clarie has taken that sense of achievement from New Year’s resolutions and applied it to things that are wholesome, healthy, and actually easy to tick off. The craziest entries are ones you’ve probably considered a hundred times, yet never attempted – like ‘Crash a party’ and ‘Sleep in a treehouse.’
• Special Anniversaries In 2016 – If you do want to celebrate something slightly more grand this year, incorporate one of these unique anniversaries into your list. Lonely Planet supplies the extra special occasion, you decide on the must-do actions. Maybe read Frankenstein, to commemorate the character’s 200th birthday? Or applaud 100 years of National Park Service by hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome? The scale of activity is entirely up to you!
• National Parks Bucket List – With nearly 400 parks across the country, it makes sense to dedicate a separate list to America’s awesome environment. This list gives you important tips for camping and hiking, unique activities within the parks and special dates to mark on your outdoor calendar.
• Bucket List Mini Ideas – Peri10k stresses happiness and creativity with its compilation of little gestures that will leave a big mark on your overall 2016 well-being. They suggest picking just a few of the 52 ideas – such as keeping a journal every day for a week, or meditating for 5 minutes a day – and focusing all your energy on these.
• Adventures To Add To Your Bucket List – Dogsledding in Alaska might not be the easiest of achievements, but it’s one of several grand journeys on Outside Magazine’s 2016 agenda. These adrenaline activities will tear your attention away from the to-do list and toward the great outdoors.
• Make 2016 Resolutions Stick In The Sharing Economy – Shareable has revamped the traditional yearly bucket list, turning popular resolutions into opportunities for communal sharing. Don’t just “Lose weight” – lose weight by running with elderly neighbors, or join a neighborhood cooking network. And that common entry, “Be happy,” will be a thousand times easier when you get others involved.

Ready to work and volunteer your way around the world? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and RSS/email. Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli

Perry Como was right: there’s no place like home for the holidays.

Especially if you live and work abroad, moving your home to somewhere halfway across the globe means festive events will never be quite the same.

However, Santa still delivers presents down here in New Zealand – though he does it in board shorts (and gets a beer for all his hard work, not a healthy dose of milk).

Here are a few other ingredients that make Christmas in New Zealand different from anywhere else:

Decorations: Several types of non-native pines grow wild in New Zealand, and the easiest way to find your perfect Christmas tree is to chop one down or buy one that’s been recently cut. Permission is supposedly needed, but these are considered invasive weeds; no one’s going to fault you for removing one from the list of local flora. Other household ornaments include:

• Christmas crackers, candy canes and balls (baubles) to deck the tree.
• Wreaths and miniature trees woven from dried grape vines. This is an artsy tribute to New Zealand’s successful and famous wine-making industry.
• Pillow case stockings. (“For being greedy,” as it was explained to me).

Food: While many snacks and dishes are shared with the country’s British settlers and Commonwealth connection, there’s a proud serving of regional delicacies and only-made-here treats to try:

• Scorched almonds and buckets of Cookie Time. Nuts coated in chocolate, chased by the iconic mini-cookie (biscuit), make a “moresies” snack between Christmas Day meals.
• New potatoes – the very first harvest – dug up from the garden and served for Christmas dinner.
• Barbecued whitebait patties, lamb cutlets or venison steaks. Whatever is in season locally and tastes good on the grill.
• Pavlova. The traditional Kiwi meringue desert, piled in fresh fruits and cream.

Costumes: Festive dress matches the local spirit: enthusiastic, but understated. You’ll find few celebrants in antler headbands or light-up jewelry here. Save your ugly sweaters for the annual themed ‘Christmas in July’ parties, and instead wear something light and comfortable:

• Flipflops (jandals).
• Swimming gear (or togs).
• Cotton dress or shirt and shorts.
• Lots of sunscreen! Most families get outside for a Dec. 25th activity; a burn from the extra-thin ozone will earn you Rudolph jokes for the rest of the day.

Activities: Yes, the summer bbq is fact, not just cultural stereotype. But along with the outdoor family meal, Kiwis participate in a few other must-do activities:

• Set out a cold beer for Santa, carrots for his reindeer. If you don’t do this on Christmas Eve, Santa may only leave coal in your pillow case. . .
• An outdoor activity on December 25th. Most New Zealanders live within a few hours’ drive to the coast; so, maybe everyone meets at the beach, or gathers in the park, or takes fishing rods down to the river for a chance to change the evening dinner menu.
• Open gifts. This is usually done on Christmas Day, either in between brunch and dinner, or after dinner – while all that pavlova is digesting.

Wonder what other special traditions make up the Kiwi holiday? Check out my personal blog for the full Kiwi Christmas recipe.

Ready to work and volunteer your way around the world? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and RSS/email. Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli