We had been saving to go to Europe in 2021 but I fear, even if the borders open, the cost of flights will be astronomical and the exchange rate won't have recovered so the likelihood of us still going is slim.
Though, while I do lament the days of exploring different countries and cultures, there has been a big positive to being NZ-bound.
Our honeymoon in Bali back when we were allowed to travel. Photo / Supplied
In our pre-baby days, one of our favourite things to do was spontaneous weekends away.
We'd jump in the car and go camping in Taumarunui, wine tasting in Martinborough or chase the sunshine to Gisborne.
Some of my most cherished memories have stemmed from times we've gone off the beaten path and found hidden gems across our countryside - rugged beaches, beautiful waterfalls and secret bush walks.
Even moments that were stressful at the time, like when we accidentally ended up on the forgotten highway with a quarter tank of gas and no station in sight, I now look back on and laugh.
So it's not as though we had never explored New Zealand before 2020 but knowing we have nowhere else to go has put a different filter on our outings.
For the first time in a decade, we're not saving for an overseas trip so we have more money to spend at local establishments.
Every week, we have one day we dub our "family fun day" and we make it our mission to do something fun and different.
More often than not, it's about giving our son new experiences, so some days we go to the pools, other days we find a new playground we haven't been to before.
