Kia Ora 2022

Kia ora koutou, I'm Nikki, the Director and owner of Taputapu Ltd. Ngā mihi nui o te tau hou Pākehā. Karanga mai 2022, karawhiua! A huge mihi to you all; I hope that you all are out there enjoying summer, and a big welcome to any new subscribers or followers reading this, kia ora.

The word I have for 2022 is 'expansion'. I don't know how this will manifest yet, but some ideas have popped up recently. We'll see how we go, but I feel that expansion is coming for Taputapu.

Since clocking out of mahi on December 22nd (strange but bliss feeling), I camped, travelled, played card games, flew down south and ate way too much. I spent Christmas with my whānau in Gisborne, and we spent a few days off the grid in Uawa/Tolaga Bay. Uawa is a beautiful tiny rural town on the East Coast on SH 35, approx 30mins north of Gisborne.

The highlight of my time off was spending some quality time with my Mum and her dog (Diva) in Te Waipounamu. We ventured for the first time in a campervan- it was epic and it was easier than I thought. We commenced our journey all excited in Christchurch, traversed through Arthurs Pass over to Hokitika. We made our way down the West Coast to Queenstown, Bluff, then up the East Coast back to Christchurch. Approx nine days of living and travelling on the road.

I enjoyed seeing new sights, eating out at different local spots, staying in Moeraki (a beautiful location) and having the time to chill with no distractions; and Milford Sound!

Milford Sound has been on my hit list for a few years now, and I finally got to experience it. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park; the sights are unreal. It was a long day, but it was worth it—a 4hr van ride from Queenstown, a 2hr boat cruise, and a 4hr van ride back.

In Queenstown on January 1st, I went for a short walk and jumped into the awa. I took that brief time to let go of things from 2021 and set good intentions for 2022. This is where I felt tau for the year; I didn't feel anxious, fearful or stressed; I felt excited to take it on.

I'm now back in Hamilton, in the studio, and I've felt eager to get back on the tools, although my brain is still trying to be on holiday. Last year was about finding our footsteps with our graphic design services, and this year, it's time to run with it.

In terms of my personal life, I want to be more intentional about loving myself fully. It sounds self-absorbed, and I feel weird writing this, but I've come to realise that if I truly love myself, then the right vibes and intentions will come my way.

I want to get out more, go on more adventures, even if it's on my own. I want to meet new people, see places I haven't seen and push myself away from my home since I work and live there 24/7. Home is comfortable for me, so I actively have to get myself out of the house. I've taken the first step by signing up for a new gym; go me!

So here's to 2022, a year of truly loving myself to live a life I love and manifesting expansion for Taputapu. I've got a good feeling for 2022.