Travelling was my passion, I’m all about travelling, that's why I was working as a flight attendant of Air New Zealand in the first place. But due to COVID, I lost my beloved job. During the Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand, I had a whole month doing nothing but feeling depressed and trapped at home. That’s when I picked up my very first house plant cuttings. It was a marble queen potho and a monstera Swiss cheese Vine. They were so tiny and fragile just one single leaf with no roots. I didn’t know what to do, other than leaving them in the soil and hoping for the best.

Time goes so slowly, I would take the leave out of pot every second day to see if they are rooted.

1 week gone, nothing happened but the leaves are still green.

2 weeks gone, leaves are still green but still no roots in sight.

Then I got a contact centre job in Tauranga, it was a very stressful role. People yelled, screamed and cried at me over the phone. I was overwhelmed, I was emotionally drenched, and questioning myself what I am doing with my life, hating life, hating covid, hating being trapped in a box. However, at that devastating point of my life, I found my plants just shoot out a baby leaf. All of sudden, I was excited for something again, I saw a new life was happening. I saw some hope. I saw myself in my plants, being buried in life, but one day, when the time was right, I could get to shoot my shot and grow out of the dark space and see light again.

 

That’s when I shifted my mindset - if I couldn’t go anywhere I wanted to be, why not creating a place where I enjoy to be. I wanted to live in a jungle, so I started buying plants, especially the dying ones that’s heavily discounted in shop.

 I bought quite a lot of different plants and did a lot of research on their habitats, and tried my best to bring their life back, and learn to trust the process. 

After 6 months, guess what, I have my little jungle with all healthy and thriving plants. I’m in a much happier and fulfilling life.

 

Tony. S