Pushkar felt different.

From the moment I arrived, it felt unlike anywhere else I had visited in Rajasthan. This is one of the oldest cities in India, and one of the holiest on the planet.

And yet, it felt so laid-back — laid-back for India, anyway. Pushkar is a beautiful small city, situated around a sacred lake, and has long been a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus. In the 1960s, however, Pushkar developed into a popular spot on the infamous Hippie Trail, and attracts just as many spiritual visitors today.

Many choose to stay for weeks at a time.

Because of that, Pushkar has a reputation for being touristy and full of faux-hippies, so I originally planned to just spend one night in town. I wanted to see as much as possible and then flee for somewhere less popular. In the end, though, I found myself with a few extra days to spend in Rajasthan and decided to allocate them to Pushkar.

It was the best decision ever.

G’day, mates!

G’day from, uh… lockdown.

Yup.

As I type this, Melbourne’s currently dealing with an unexpected COVID outbreak and we’ve been placed into lockdown until it’s under control.

Dave’s been vaccinated! I have shingles! My birthday’s been cancelled!

It’s been a rollercoaster of a month.

Taupo is one of my favourite spots on New Zealand’s North Island.

I’m fortunate to have visited this bustling lakeside town three times now and each time, I’ve come away promising to return. There’s just something about New Zealand’s lakes that feels so healing for me.

Recently, I decided to visit after completing the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk (there’s another lake!), and Taupo provided the perfect place to recover, unwind, and start getting back to reality.

I loved it so much, in fact, that I returned four months later to spend another couple of days hanging out beside the crystal-clear waters of Lake Taupo.

Hands in the air if traveling more is your dream but money stops you from making it come true.

That’s what I thought. How annoying is that?!