The Lockdown Log | Interview with Abbay

Last updated on 20 June 2020

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Welcome to The Lockdown Log!

In this new series, The Lockdown Log, I’m going to be interviewing some of my friends from New Zealand, to hear a little about what their experience was like during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Lockdown that our country went through in April (and continues, in some degree until we’re told otherwise). For some of my friends, life has radically changed, for others, it’s only a little different. But whatever has happened in the last few months, whatever their situation has been or will continue to be, they have a story, and one that I believe is worth sharing, if not for now, then for the future.

In this instalment of The Lockdown Log, I chat to my friend Abbay, who is the Owner & Travel Advisor at Abbay’s Escapes currently based in Auckland.

Hey Abbay! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me. You’ve recently launched your own travel advisory business, Abbay’s Escapes. What does a ‘usual’ week look like for you, outside of lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions?

Hi! Yes, I officially launched my new travel advisory business at the beginning of March this year, so I’m still figuring out what a ‘usual week’ looks like for me, whether on lockdown or not. In an ideal and Covid-19 free world, my week would look like working remotely from an over-water bungalow in Bora Bora. I’d be sipping refreshing cocktails with tiny umbrellas while planning out-of-this-world trips for my clients! Instead, I’m sipping on tea in Grey Lynn (which I also really enjoy).

That sounds amazing! So, Bora Bora and tiny cocktail umbrellas aside, what does reality look like for you at the moment?

Because my work is 100% remote, I had already converted the small spare room in my flat to an office. It’s not like Bora Bora, but I do have some travel-inspired artwork which helps – crashing waves in the South Pacific, a colourful African elephant, and lake scene (which makes me happy because it looks like Nelson Lakes here in New Zealand). Sometimes if I’m starting a fresh task, I’ll move around the house for a change of scenery.

As I mentioned, because my business is new, one of my biggest challenges right now is learning how to schedule my week to manage my time well. I’m trying to batch my time, and so this is how I try to plan my day:

8am – 10am: Catching up on emails and communication (because my parent travel agency is based in Alabama, this allows me to catch the very end of the business day on the east coast of the USA)
10am – 12pm: Work on client trips (this involves communicating with my clients and suppliers and doing research!)
12noon – 1pm: Lunch (on my deck if the weather is nice)
1pm – 3pm: Marketing & Marketing Strategy (launching my business and creating content for now and the future)
3pm – 5pm: Training (from learning about business and marketing to destinations, cruises and hotels)

It sounds like you’ve really got your days sorted! Looking at my ‘usual’ day, it’s nothing like that, and a bit all over the place. The one constant is lunch, haha. You mention clients’ travel plans – I imagine that’s changed quite a bit in the last few months?

When the world begins travelling again, I’m hopeful that working on client trips takes up most of my day because this is the part I love! However, it’s worth noting that people are dreaming about travelling right now and are even planning international trips as early as 2021. While tourism creates one in every ten jobs worldwide right now, I highly encourage everyone to consider postponing, rather than cancelling. Not only will it help individuals in the industry, but it will also give you something to look forward to!

I’m a big fan of postponing, eh. I actually have a travel voucher at the moment, and I hadn’t booked anything yet for this year. I’m glad I didn’t now, but still dreaming of the places I could go when I can.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rMNWGBLyL/

You’re working on your travel business between 8am and 5pm; what have you been getting up to outside of those hours?

I’ll admit that I think about work often, which I’m trying to work on. I think lockdown exacerbates this, given I know that I can keep working because I have nowhere to be. The best way for me to avoid thinking about or doing work outside of work to make appointments with myself outside of ‘working hours’. In the morning I set aside 10 or 15 minutes of quiet time before work (and before I open my email or social media). Every day after work, I go for a walk, sometimes short and sometimes long, just to make sure I leave the house – I notice a big difference in my mood if I skip this. Otherwise, I usually cook, catch up on Netflix, or talk about how I’m going to start an art project (but don’t actually do it).

Haha! Yes to the art projects; lots of ideas, not a heck of a lot of motivation. Speaking personally.

What have you found hardest about Lockdown?

I miss having the option to go places. I’m a bit of an introvert, so I love a good excuse to stay home. However, I want to have my cake and eat it too – meaning I want to be able to stay home but also have the option to go somewhere if I want.

Oh, I so get that! I’m a bit of a mix of introvert and extrovert; I love being a home and blogging, reading, dreaming, but I equally love getting out and going on adventures, or just heading into the city for a drink. Suddenly not being able to do the latter, of course, made me want it more.

I found it really helpful over the course of Levels 3 and 4 here in New Zealand to make lists of the things I’m grateful for. Is there anything you’ve been especially grateful for over the past few months?

Yes, mostly I’m really grateful that all of my friends and family are safe and healthy. As an ex-pat, I’ve always found comfort in the fact that I could be at home in Alabama in about 2 flights and 24 hours if an emergency arose. However things are more complicated now, and I’m grateful more than ever that everyone at home is well.

On a lighter note, I’ve also been really grateful for all of the online exercise classes. This is one of the best things I’ve been doing for myself in lockdown. My favourite has been streaming Sweat Yoga’s live HIIT Pilates sessions (in Newmarket, Auckland). These are TOUGH, but I’m feeling much more fit just after doing these about 2x a week.

Love that. My Zumba instructor at the gym I go to (okay, the only reason I got to the gym is for Zumba) held classes via Zoom for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was actually so much fun to get back into it after so many weeks when there wasn’t anything happening at the gym.

My other favourite lockdown activity has been Zoom’ing with my family and friends who live in America. Through COVID-19, I’ve been so much better about keeping in touch with my faraway friends. I’ve also found it really nice to not feel guilty about staying home. I often feel like if it’s a beautiful day out, that I need to be at the beach or playing outside. Lockdown has absolved me from this guilt which has been interesting. After lockdown, I hope I can tell myself it’s OK to not go anywhere (even if it is a gorgeous day), and that I can still enjoy a beautiful day from home.

Is there anything that you’ve started or picked up in levels 4 and 3 that you might actually keep doing when we go down levels, and eventually get back to ‘normal’ (whatever that will look like)?

Yes, I think I’ll continue my online Countdown grocery deliveries because it’s WAY too easy.

Ha! That is a brilliant idea! It’s definitely easier, isn’t it!? Do you have any other tips or final thoughts for those people who are still in isolation around the world?

Good snacks. I discovered my grocery store carries dark chocolate Digestive biscuits (I originally discovered these on my last trip to England), and I’ve consistently eaten one to two every day. It’s such a cheap treat!

Good snacks are key to success, I agree. And last, but certainly not least, in fact possibly the most asked question about Lockdown … did you do anything drastic to your hair?

Not my own hair, but I did cut my partner’s hair. He was a fantastic sport (probably because he knew that no one was going to see it afterwards). When I showed him a photo of the back of his head, he said: “no, that’s not my hair.” We both hadn’t laughed so hard at something in ages.

That is brilliant. Thanks, Abbay, so much for talking with me today! I wish you all the best for your new business; it’s already looking and sounding so great!

As Abbay said, you have a lot more time at the moment for travel dreaming. If you want to get in touch with Abbay, you can find her here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Stay tuned for another edition of The Lockdown Log coming soon!

To learn more about New Zealand’s alert level system, check out the COVID-19 website.