I was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand and by the age of 3, was living in the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula town of Whitianga.

I grew up riding horses, spending weekends and holidays camping with my family, and completing my schooling at Mercury Bay Area School.  My favourite childhood memory is saddling up and riding along the beach and over the hills with Mum to find button mushrooms to pick.  As a kid I never liked mushrooms, but these rides will forever be my happy place.

At 17 I moved to Hamilton, New Zealand and began my working career, mostly in the administrative field.  The highlight of this time was when I was with New Zealand Red Cross.  Just a small team making a difference gave me a true empathy for people’s situations and always appreciating my own.

I moved to Queensland, Australia in my mid 20’s where I spent the next decade until my Dads passing in 2015.  This is when I relocated back to the Waikato, New Zealand to be closer to my family and friends.

I decided I would compete locally in bodybuilding and for 3 years I weighed out each gram of food, measured my water intake and had an incredible time getting on stage and showcasing the dedication I had given to the sport.

Late 2019, Gavin and I decided we would venture back out into the wide world and travel, seeking international humanitarian work.  By mid-January 2020 we had sold everything we owned (excluding our beautiful Harley Davidson, Forelsket which is safety stored and awaiting our return), packed our bags and bought our tickets.

After a few weeks in Malaysia we went onto Ireland for a road trip around the south with Gav’s kids and then onto Koh Phangan, Thailand.  By March, the world had shut its borders and our work opportunities had vanished.

Never to let life get in the way of our adventures, we changed our focus.  We used the time to map out a new plan, always towards the goal greater happiness.  Living in such a stunning place surrounded by locals and expats also seeking their happiness, we developed the idea of exploring what happiness meant from a global perspective – thus, “Our Happiness Journal” was born.