What Happens Once You Complete the Trip of Your Dreams?

Can you “peak” when it comes to travel?

The Making of a Dream.

Wanderlust has always had a home in my heart. Even as a young child, I didn’t simply watch movies to escape into other realities, I watched movies to map out where I wanted to go when I was bigger. I have kept each of these places near and dear to my heart. France, from the Hunchback of Notre Dam, Austria, from the Sound of Music, India, from the Little Princess. I started dreaming of faraway lands and never stopped.

But…

No filming location struck me quite as hard as one I witnessed sitting in a movie theater back in December of 2001. I watched in wonder as a group of mystical beings traveled around the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I was in awe of the rolling green hills, the mist covered mountains, and the enchanting forests that engulfed the screen.

I remember tugging on my mom’s shirt whispering a little too loudly, “Mom, mom, mom! Where is this?”

“Middle-earth.” She said, keeping her eyes on Galadriel as she bid the fellowship farewell.

“Yes,” I said impatiently, “But where is it!”

“I don’t know Melissa.” My mother responded, trying not to sound impatient. “Watch the movie.”

And so I did; many, many times. I became whole-heartedly obsessed, and only requested the extended edition DVDs of each movie for the next few birthdays to come. After watching the Special Features multiple times, I finally got my answer. I can’t specifically recall anything else Peter Jackson said during his interview, but I do remember him stating, “…filming in New Zealand…”

That was all I needed. At that moment I made a vow, that one day I would visit the spectacular country of New Zealand. I would stand where the characters stood, I would have an adventure of my own, and I would soak in all of the magic these incredible movies left behind.

This dream stayed alive within me through childhood and into adulthood. It evolved and shifted as I grew older and my interest changed. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a deep love for The Lord of the Rings movies and now, the books, but as I started to travel and learn more about New Zealand, new editions were made to the itinerary.

The Execution of a Dream

Originally, my dream trip was planned for 2020, and I don’t believe I need to explain why that ended up not working out. However, this long-awaited trip did finally come to fruition this past spring, in May of 2024. It required the longest day/s of travel and the biggest time change I have ever experienced, but nothing could dim my flame of excitement, not even severe jet lag.

We spent 14 full days exploring both North and South Island in a camper van, allowing us to come and go as we pleased, change plans as necessary and remove the stress of finding accommodations. There was something so freeing about it. I now understand the appeal of van life and fantasize about it often.

But I digress.

For the next two weeks, we explored filming locations such as Hobbiton, which can only be described as whimsical. We then visited The Forbidden Pool and Mount Doom, both located in Tongariro National Park. One of the best parts of New Zealand for me was how we often found ourselves driving along, only to catch a glimpse of a sign that informed us that we were in a National Park. Coming from the US, where there’s typically a line up to the main gate where you pay a fee to get in and then fight for parking, the simplicity of it was incredibly delightful.

We were also able to visit Mound Sunday, the filming location for Edoras, the home of the Horse Lords. I couldn’t help but be taken by a wave of emotion while we were here. Not only was this two weeks after Bernard Hill’s death, (the incredible actor who played Théoden, King of Rohan), and a small memorial was left for him at the top, but the beauty of this place matched the extremely high expectations I had created in my mind. I will never forget how I felt while I was there.

Beyond frolicking through Middle-earth, we also embraced some awe-inspiring hikes. These trails immersed us in the raw natural beauty of this country. I was able to truly form a connection with my surroundings, with no artificial light or sound to impact the experience.

It took me back to what made me first fall in love with hiking, the realization of how small I am in comparison to what nature has built. I find comfort in the fact that I am small in the grand scheme of things. There’s a beauty in my insignificance that takes pressure off of me, at least for a moment. This is a feeling I only experience when I’m out hiking.

This trip was heavily focused on the outdoors for us, I believe that there is no real reason to go to this country if you do not plan to spend the majority of your time outside. After visiting, my opinion has not shifted. To continue with this outdoor theme, we primarily made our meals in the van, finding the perfect spots to sit and enjoy our food while soaking in more views.

Although the mountains were primarily the stars of the trip, there is much to be said about the bodies of water in New Zealand. We made stops to see Hahei Beach, Lake Rotoiti, and Milford Sound. Each created a permanent place for itself in my long-term memory. I don’t know if it was the big picture of the landscapes surrounding the water, how immaculately clean and clear the water was, or maybe the light just hits the water differently there. They may not get as much credit as the mountains of New Zealand, but they most definitely deserve our attention and appreciation.

The most thrilling adventure of all though, was canyon swinging.

This 60-meter freewill still makes my palms and feet sweat every time I think of it. And I mean that in a good way. I waited after our trip to tell my mother that I allowed myself to be strapped to some cords, and thrown off a platform with nothing but rocks and a river below me. I don’t think she took much comfort in the fact that I have never felt so free in my life. After the initial 3 seconds when nothing but panic floods your system, and your only awareness is your heart beating loudly in your ears…it truly is peaceful. It was just me, alone, swinging through a canyon. The adrenaline coursing through my veins informed me “This is what life is all about.”

Honestly, watching the sun begin to cascade over the canyon, the cold air nipping at my exposed skin, and my heart singing a pleasantly unfamiliar song from this new experience, I believed it.

So, what happens after?

I obviously can’t speak for everyone. We all process emotions and experiences differently, and we also seek different things from traveling. I can admit on the flight to New Zealand, I was definitely excited, but I was also nervous.

For me, there was this looming “what if” that I was anticipating when it came to my trip coming to an end. I know how absurd it is to cloud the very beginning of my trip with fears for the end, but I’m a human who only has so much control over where her mind wanders.

There’s something somewhat scary about fulfilling dreams. We work and research and plan for these dream trips, but what happens after we’re able to check them off our bucket list?

The first week back was rough for me. I struggled to be present in my daily life, my mind always wandering back to the things I had seen, and done and the way I felt while in New Zealand. The post-travel blues hit me hard.

If you are unfamiliar with post-travel blues, it is described as a period of time after a trip where you feel melancholy and/or a sense of grief as you return to your regular life. It is said that people who experience post-travel blues may also find themselves feeling a lack of motivation, fatigued, anxious and/or irritable.

I personally experienced a major lack of motivation in work and my social life. Nothing back home seemed to excite me for at least a 10 days. I also constantly felt fatigued, this could be due to the fact that it was just taking me longer than usual to adjust to the time difference. But my mind and body constantly felt heavy. It just felt like I would never achieve the level of happiness I felt while in New Zealand.

On a positive note, after these symptoms of post-travel blues subsided, the fog did start to clear. I wasn’t permanently stuck in the belief that no life experience would ever be as good as this one. It was unique in a way I’ll never experience again, but all trips are. It was more in that I had just moved to a small town, and it was much harder to find things that brought me such effortless joy that I had experienced while we were traveling.

I don’t feel like something has ended, it’s quite the opposite. I feel a new sort of fuel has been added to the fire. There’s no sense that I have “peaked” when it comes to traveling or my only goal is to return to New Zealand. If the opportunity arises, I would love to go back one day, but there are still so many places I want to see.

I’ve experienced a sense of fulfillment, deep reflection and now a new-found nostalgia when I think back on it all.

My wanderlust only continues to increase as the days pass, and the adventures I had only add to the library of experiences that make me, me.

I feel freshly inspired by the knowledge that there are still plenty of stunning places out there in the world that I have yet to see and my journey continues to evolve.

I sense that one day soon, I’ll be standing before something that radiates such magnificence that I’ll be reminded of how small I am in comparison.