When a Place Actually Lives Up to the Hype

You know that feeling when you've seen a destination so many times on Instagram that you expect to be disappointed? Queenstown in winter wasn't that. Standing there last February, watching snow dust the Remarkables while Lake Wakatipu stretched out like black glass, I actually understood why people call places 'heaven on earth.' Not because it was perfect—because it felt real. The cold bit through my jacket. My phone died trying to capture it. But for once, a place that gets photographed to death still managed to stop me in my tracks. Some destinations survive their own hype. This was one of them. #Travel #TravelExpectations #QueenstownWinter