About Us
Hi!
This blog exists mostly to keep track of family travel that's just too big for elsewhere. Also, there's the hope that the travel blog posts might prove useful to someone wondering what it's like at *your-chosen-destination-here*. This is not a comprehensive blog of all travels, just select travels that I've somehow found the time to record in the digital space.
We're called the Jellies due to our surname, Jelsma. It's a Dutch name (Fresian to be exact) and should be pronounced with the 'J' sounding like a 'Y'. Due to Noël's parents emigrating in the 1960s, he was born and raised in New Zealand - his nickname at high school in New Zealand was Jelly. Clearly, he got off lightly. Those of us who know him from those rose-coloured days still call him Jelly, the natural extension of which - we have become the Jellies.
In their early 20s both Noël and Teena left the safe shores of New Zealand for their OE. They left separately, one heading to Europe (Holland in particular), the other working in Japan for a year before arriving in England. To cut through all the travel stories, they married in 1995. Although they married in New Zealand, they were living in Switzerland at the time. Within four years, we had two kids.
From 2002 - 2010 we decided to give the kids the joy of growing up in the best country in the world. We were back in New Zealand and happy to give our kids stability with their friends and schooling. Then, in 2010 we decided the kids were old enough (13yrs and 11yrs) to actually remember and appreciate travel so we took them out of school, put our careers/businesses on hold and drove around Australia for five months living in a caravan and exploring. Highly recommended! That's when Teena started blogging.
While travelling round Australia, Noël was offered work in Singapore. After quick deliberations, we decided to replace the joy of 'high school years in New Zealand' for the joy and opportunity of 'high school years at the Australian International School in Singapore.' So, yes, our kids went to Singapore against their will. But they survived. And then returned to New Zealand as soon as they could. Go figure.
We're called the Jellies due to our surname, Jelsma. It's a Dutch name (Fresian to be exact) and should be pronounced with the 'J' sounding like a 'Y'. Due to Noël's parents emigrating in the 1960s, he was born and raised in New Zealand - his nickname at high school in New Zealand was Jelly. Clearly, he got off lightly. Those of us who know him from those rose-coloured days still call him Jelly, the natural extension of which - we have become the Jellies.
Fair warning: any Jelsmas in New Zealand WILL be directly related.
Travel is integral to our family's life. It wasn't planned, its just turned out that way. I blame the parents.
From 2002 - 2010 we decided to give the kids the joy of growing up in the best country in the world. We were back in New Zealand and happy to give our kids stability with their friends and schooling. Then, in 2010 we decided the kids were old enough (13yrs and 11yrs) to actually remember and appreciate travel so we took them out of school, put our careers/businesses on hold and drove around Australia for five months living in a caravan and exploring. Highly recommended! That's when Teena started blogging.
While travelling round Australia, Noël was offered work in Singapore. After quick deliberations, we decided to replace the joy of 'high school years in New Zealand' for the joy and opportunity of 'high school years at the Australian International School in Singapore.' So, yes, our kids went to Singapore against their will. But they survived. And then returned to New Zealand as soon as they could. Go figure.
We arrived in Singapore, February 2011. The kids left after their respective senior years at high school, leaving us as empty nesters in Singapore for a while. Noël and I finally said goodbye to Singapore in December 2019. The same month that COVID-19 became a thing. Four months before countries locked borders. So glad to be back in New Zealand.
Feel free to read, to comment and to laugh. Someone clever once said 'Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.' So, while we try not to make mistakes, we know we will, and come what may, we'll try and enjoy the journey anyway.
