After a week of packing, seeing friends and swinging between excitement and nervousness, I am finally at Gatwick Airport ready to head out on my adventure!

My bag is checked in, I have been through the rigorous security (I forgot to take my toothpaste out as a liquid and they put it through the scanner a second time!) and I am now eating salad and waiting for 7:40 to roll around so I can go to my gate.

Today has been fun, but quite emotional saying goodbye to people I won’t see again in person for the next six or seven months. Many thanks to the beautiful Sam for accompanying me to London and helping me walk across the city to catch me train to Gatwick!
There has been a lot of build up to this and in around 28hrs I will be landing in Auckland!