Fiona Jackson
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fionakiwi.bsky.social
Fiona Jackson
@fionakiwi.bsky.social
30 followers 21 following 28 posts
eLearning designer. Back in New Zealand after 6 months as a digital nomad, travelling around the UK, EU, and USA.
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fionakiwi.bsky.social
21. Having some of your favourite people and places 6,500 miles away is tough But the best friends are the ones you see after 20 years, and it feels like no time has passed at all.
I also learned that I'm terrible at remembering to photograph my most favorite people.
Lakehouse at Lake Arrowhead, taken from the end of the dock. My teenager is making some kind of gesture from the beach, no idea what. There's a steep staircase up to the path, and another that goes up to the house, and another that goes from the house to the parking deck/street. Also two wooden flights of stair inside the house. It is truly the house of stairs. And I LOVE it.
December 29, 2024 at 7:49 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
20. Travelling in a country where disagreeing with someone’s political views might get you shot really makes you appreciate small talk—and the art of averting your eyes and keeping your head down. And made me appreciate New Zealand a LOT more. Kia ora e te Whānau!
This is a painted 50s style (maybe) poster of a boy and his dog in a green wooden boat, attached to the side of a wee boat house on the edge of Lake Arrowhead, California. The text on the poster says "Come to relax". Ironically it was here that I felt the presence of political adversity the most. I've never felt so conspicuous or that the people around me were so hostile and on the edge of cracking as I did in Blue Jay. This was about a week before the '24 elections. I was really glad to fly back to New Zealand the day before the election.
December 29, 2024 at 7:41 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
19. I know loving the whole experience of Amazon Prime is basically a moral failing and admitting it won’t win me any friends or followers, but I CAN proudly say that Trader Joe’s is the absolute best, and I miss it like crazy.
#TraderJoes we need you in New Zealand!! #DarkChocolatePeanutButterCups
I don't have a photo of Trader Joes, that would have been weird. This is a pic of Lake Arrowhead through some pine (I think) trees, from the trail around the south edge of the lake. The sun is setting and the sky around it is red due to the forest fire nearby. Most people evacuated because of the poor air quality. I don't get a lot of opportunities to go there, and my friend's lake house up there is my favourite place in the world, so we went anyway, and had the whole lake to ourselves! 10/10 would recommend that approach!
December 15, 2024 at 8:31 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
18.Airports are a strange blend of excitement, frustration, exhaustion and insanely overpriced snacks. But I've learned I can sit and do absolutely nothing for an alarming length of time without feeling bored or unproductive. And Trader Joe’s snacks make the wait a whole lot better.
#TraderJoes #LAX
View of a forest fire in the San Bernadino mountains from the airplane. Huge billowing clouds of smoke are rising into the air. It was near Lake Arrowhead, where we were heading that weekend so I was a bit concerned it would be evacuated, but to my relief it wasn't. However, pretty much everyone who lives there left as the air quality wasn't great... upside, we had the whole lake to ourselves. #lifehack
December 14, 2024 at 3:24 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
17. The idea of a peanut butter sandwich might make you ill at 8am when you’re making it, but you’ll be glad to have it as you sit on the banks of the River Tyne, after 5 hours of walking & not seen a soul, except for seagulls and an exhausted greyhound who are currently giving you wistful side-eye.
A black greyhound with a greying muzzle runs along the wide concrete path on the edge of a beach wall. Its tongue is hanging out and its feet look like they are all off the ground like it was standing and just floated into the air. It looks both happy and derpy.
December 12, 2024 at 9:20 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
16. I highly recommend Digital nomading. Oddly, being on the opposite side of the world from my work was easiest—explore all day, then clock in at 6 p.m. to catch up with colleagues. It’s like being Batman, except you’re swooping in to save the ‘day’ in Teams, in your pyjamas.
#digitalnomad #Bristol
A Mum and her wee (maybe 4 years old) daughter looking at a wall of black and white photos in a museum. They were discussing them and it was so lovely to watch. I realise this is another image that seems to have little to do with the post, but was something I wouldn't have seen if I was working a 9-5 job every day I was in Bristol.
December 9, 2024 at 5:54 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
15. Technology let me work while traveling, but it was like running a mobile command centre. MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, AirPods, hard drive, power bank, cables, and adapters to connect it all. Then came the art of carrying a 20kg tech-filled carry-on while pretending it weighed 7kg.
#DigitalNomad
I'm sitting in the backyard of a housesit with their sweet orange cat. I'm reading the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which I can't remember at all, but the movie was good. This has nothing to do with the text in my post because a photo of my technology and cable set up isn't very interesting.
December 9, 2024 at 5:41 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
14. I now realise New Zealanders are the friendliest people in the world. Londoners? Not so much. Even their dogs have mastered pretending you don’t exist when they pass on the street. Kiwis, on the other hand, will drive you across town in rush-hour traffic if you even hint you need a lift
My daughter taking a photo of my phone as I take a photo of us in front of the Big Ben clock tower in London... It's summer but she's still wearing a thick knitted sweater she picked up in San Francisco.
December 7, 2024 at 9:11 PM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
13. Long, painful experiences can make for excellent social media stories—assuming you ever make it off the trail (aka stinging nettle/holly/rose/thistle/blackberry patch) Wales: come for the views, stay for the improved circulation, potential anti-inflammatory effects, and immune system stimulation
A yellow and black waymarker arrow on a fence post. The gate opens to the 'path', which is actually a thick patch of mostly nettles with some blackberries and dock. Interestingly, they say dock is a good anti-inflammatory for the stings you'll inevitably get from the nettle nearby. I did not try this as I found out after I ran all the way back to my housesit to get actual medication.
December 7, 2024 at 9:03 PM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
12. Cats are a breeze to sit. Dog owners, however, tend to forget to mention their dog's less than appealing traits, like their talent for trying to turn themselves inside out to escape the leash in order to “greet” a stunned, way better-behaved pup (and their judgmental owner) during a walk.
The look on this pup's face says it all, which is that he would gladly sever my jugular if he had an opposable thumb to get himself in and out of the apartment and serve himself dinner. I know he was a rescue, and I understand he wanted his people there, and not me, but a little warning before I took on the house/dog sit would have gone a long way to making this sit semi-bearable.
December 6, 2024 at 7:58 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
11. Figuring out foreign washing machines is a challenge. Add a once-a-week wash rule, an absent machine card, and just one clean pair of underwear, and I'm entering crisis mode. Also, showers. Every single one worked differently. And they don't have instructions, at all. #Basel #Wickelfisch
Scantily clad people watch other scantily clad people float down the Rhine as it passes under the bridges in Basel. They are holding brightly coloured waterproof Wickelfisch swim bags, which are filled with belongings (clothes, shoes, cell phone) then rolled down to seal, giving the holder more buoyancy. This is hands down the most fun thing to do in this city if you're there in the summer.
December 6, 2024 at 7:50 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
10. I’ve learned I can be happy with a lot less—fewer clothes, toiletries, paid streaming services, wheels on my luggage… But I absolutely need a jug and a toaster to be happy.
#Capsulewardrobe #ShampooBars #NoNetflix #Backpacking #Aberystwyth?
A curved stairway down a brick seawall that leads straight into inhospitable water. I think this was Aberystwyth, a picturesque town that I found really hard to photograph.
December 5, 2024 at 9:46 PM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
9. Foreign supermarkets are the highlight of some towns. Even if the town’s a bit rubbish, wandering the aisles, guessing at mystery products with unreadable labels, is always a thrill. It’s like grocery roulette—will it be snacks or soap? Who knows!
#Jambo #Aldi #Lidl
December 5, 2024 at 4:16 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
8. Ditch the things you don’t need. You may slightly regret it 6 months later when you’re getting on a plane without your neck pillow, but at least you didn’t schlep that oversized (and flavourless) marshmallow on and off 50 trains/buses/ferries in the mean time.
#London #Banksy #Backpacking
December 3, 2024 at 7:00 PM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
7. Flitting from country to country, some days, I’m Google Maps; other days, I get lost trying to find the bathroom in a studio apartment.
#WanderingWisdom #London #Travel2024
Regent’s Park Road bridge over Regent’s Canal, taken from the tow path (I think). There's graffiti on the side of the bridge. In the distance are long flat boats that people seem to live in. Which might be kind of fun, unless you're taller than about 5 foot.
December 3, 2024 at 6:43 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
6. You perfect the art of describing where you're from, why/how you’re travelling—and which place was your favourite. Mine? Dunbar, Scotland: charming town, coast is both rugged and sandy, and the end of the 215km John Muir trail (and his birthplace). Special mention: The European Land Art Festival❤️
The European Land Art Festival sand art competition. A bunch of people dressed in winter jackets are making sand sculptures or designs on the beach at Dunbar (in summer). At the front is a green and black koru (swirl) design made from green seaweed and dark bark found on the water's edge. Deserves "honorable mention", in my humble opinion.
December 3, 2024 at 12:03 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
5. Feeling ‘cathedralled/museumed out’ is real. Even in London. Especially when you’re travelling alone. But a lot less when you’re with someone who also appreciates pootling around museums for a day (thanks Tom!)
#WanderingWisdom #London #Travel2024
The cast courts in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In the centre of the image is Michelangelo's David, looking pretty aloof and superior, in my opinion. Especially for a naked guy.
December 2, 2024 at 9:37 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
4. I traveled with two pairs of shoes: trusty Teva sandals and scruffy Hokas inherited from Isabella, likely veterans of a thru-hike. I figured they'd last a few weeks. Instead, they conquered cities, Welsh trails, and the Grand Canyon. Now patched, orange-tinged (the canyon), and still going strong
Three people on the sidewalk overlooking either Waterton National Park or Glacier. Who knows. There are trees and mountains in the background, with a sprinkling of snow. Two people are wearing puffer jackets and wide hiking shoes, which are insanely comfortable. The other is wearing slippers and is wrapped in a blanked. I have no explanation for this.
December 1, 2024 at 11:14 PM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
3. For ease of having the right currency a Wise card is worth its weight. Which is zero as you pay with your phone for everything in the UK/EU. But not the USA, which goes out of its way to make everything difficult and then claim it’s because the population is high. Er… what??
#Travel2024 #Wales
A woman walks over a bridge on a rainy day in Newtown, Wales. Her jacket is yellow and looks so warm and snuggly you wish you were there to ask her where she got it.
December 1, 2024 at 3:55 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
2. Figuring out a foreign transport system can feel like a puzzle—or playing a game where every else knows the rules but you’ve only got part of a cheat sheet, handwritten on a damp napkin in a foreign language.
#WanderingWisdom #London #Travel2024
Two London double-decker buses beside a sidewalk filled with pedestrians. It looks like a game of Where's Wally, but when you think you've found him you realise it's just a woman in a black and white striped dress with a red sweater tied around her neck.
December 1, 2024 at 1:36 AM
fionakiwi.bsky.social
1. You never get used to waking up and not knowing what time zone you’re in—let alone which pets you’re minding and which way it is to the bathroom—and on top of that, having to calculate what day/time it is in NZ to connect with coworkers.
#WanderingWisdom #Scotland @housesitting.bsky.social
Preston Mill, 16th century watermill featured in Outlander. On the John Muir Trail. The sky is blue with white/grey clouds that look like they are cotton wool ripped into pieces and stuck on by an impatient kindergartener.
November 30, 2024 at 11:20 PM