I’m world famous! …in New Zealand.

A few months back, when it was technically summer here in New Zealand, I jumped at the chance to be on TV. I was hanging at my hostel when the owner asked what everyone was doing the next day and who would want to get free admission into a local amusement park for a couple hours of sitting in the stands while a crew shot a commercial. I was excited; I would be on TV and get to go into the park without paying? I figured it was a “score” moment if ever there was one.

The next day I took extra care with I outfit and put on makeup for the first time in weeks, I wanted to make sure I looked the best that I possibly could, you know, in case this was my big break and I was “discovered.”

We arrived and made our way to the new bird show stadium where we were directed to sit within a certain section and pretend we had just seen a fantastic show with exotic birds flying all around. I placed a huge smile on my face, not hard with how excited I was to be there, and made sure I sat straight (shoulders back, chest out).

It was really interesting watching the film crew do their work and set up the camera and other film equipment, I have never seen a production like this performed. I tried to pick out the director, producer, and figure out what roles the other people were there for.

I wasn't discovered, but I’m ok with that. You can clearly see me with my bright teal sweater showcasing my brightest smile, to the right of the words over the bird man’s shoulder. 

Ready? Ready!? Jump!

I have been remiss in keeping up with some of my more exciting adventures here in New Zealand (I blame this on poor internet access, see previous blog post for a better explanation).

Back in January I was traveling around the South Island, which has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. Before I left on my year long OE (overseas experience) I had a few things I knew I wanted to do while I was here. Towards the top of the list was to skydive.

While in Franz Josef I went out to the local bar with a group I had been traveling with. A promotion was going on that night, buy a pitcher and enter to win a two for one sky dive with a local company. I thought this was great and had one of my new friends enter with me. We sat there enjoying the company, me anxiously waiting to hear the results and hoping to win, my friend praying our ticket wouldn’t be picked.

The end of the night came, they pulled the first ticket and disappointment rolled through me when my number wasn’t called. But, as luck would have it, you had to be present to win, and the first number wasn’t there. Again I had my ticket clutched in my hot little hand and waited to hear what the next number to be called would be. The next winning ticket was called out and I sat in silence for a split second before jumping up with a huge smile on my face to go collect my prize. I was ecstatic, my friend was not. It was a good thing the sky divers were there to talk her into it.

I'm really excited we won!

The next afternoon the company came and picked us up. I was surprisingly calm and quiet as we drove the half hour to the airport. On arriving we watched the crew set up and take another group up before we dressed and got ready to go up. My nerves started jumping around and I was having a hard time staying still. We were instructed on what was going to happen and before I knew it, we were strapped to experienced divers and climbing up into the sky.

We were dressed and ready to go.

The plane circled at 1200 feet and the man on my back started to make his way to the open door, careless of the sudden upheaval happening within my stomach. And before I knew it, we were out of the plane and falling towards the earth through the clouds. Some might think having your free fall through the clouds is not ideal, but I beg to differ. Having it so lets you concentrate more on the feeling and excitement of falling and not on the ground that you are quickly coming to meet.

Almost as soon as we were out of the clouds, and the ground came into view, I was told to pull the release and the parachute jerked us into a glide. The serenity that came over me from floating through the sky was so unexpected and breathtaking. Being able to see for miles and miles on end was an experience I will always remember, the quiet of just your heart beating after the excitement of your free fall. There is something very peaceful about seeing the world from above and slowly coming back to it.

You really can't help but smile :)

When we got back to the ground I was exhausted. It was such an adrenaline rush that I had nothing left for the ride home and fell asleep on the couch waiting for my ride back to the hostel. Once back, everyone asked how it was, and the only way I could describe it was that it was the most exhilarating and calming experience I have ever had. 

If you build it, they will use it.

As my time in New Zealand starts to wind down there are a few things I am excited to get back to in the States. Pizza, the rest of my wardrobe, my family and friends. But there is one thing that I have missed the more than I miss watching Jeopardy!

Wi-Fi. Or internet access in general.

It was cultural shock coming from the US, where I can go just about anywhere and get a wireless signal, to New Zealand where Wi-Fi is still a hotly treasured commodity. I found there was rarely a place I could go and get a free connection. If I bought a muffin at Starbucks I could get a half hour, but that would most likely be extremely slow due to everyone using their free thirty as well.

So how did I post my blog entries and keep up with email and Facebook? I, prepare yourself for a major shock, paid for internet access! And it wasn’t easy getting it. There are various internet providers and I found that when I went from one hostel to another they wouldn’t all have the same one. This had me opening accounts with at least three different companies.

The a la carte options for internet are great for travelers though. What isn’t great is the amount of money these options cost. Not having paid attention before to the amount of gigabytes I use on a regular base, I foolishly thought I would be able to get by with 560 megabytes a month. I went through that in a day uploading pictures. In the two months I was traveling around the country I tried to find the places I could get some free Wi-Fi, which turned out to mainly be McDonald’s. I’ve never eaten so many Big Macs in my life. When I couldn’t get to a Macca’s (as the Kiwi’s call it) I paid for the service at my hostel…I don’t know how much I spent for internet in just two months and I’m scared to think about it.

And you would think the situation would improve at a residence, but not if you live in certain areas. Where I have been living for the past 7 months we have yet to have Wi-Fi connection at the house. I was told they ran the lines, but for some unknown reason, have not yet offered the service to the locals living in the area.

So, New Zealand, what gives with this whole lack of access to the inter-webs? After a bit of research (a news segment) I learned there is only one under seas connection cable in which all of the countries internet access comes from. For a nation that wants to keep a breast with the change of times and keep with modern technology it has to improve their connection to the rest of the world and a second cable would help with this, create competition and hopefully bring the cost down to something people don’t have to take a second job to fund.

I hope, for all Kiwi’s and visitors sake and sanity, a second cable will soon be funded.

Keeping up with the Maori

The Maori culture is alive and strong in New Zealand. The Maori are the native people who were the first to settle here in Aotearoa sometime in the 1200’s. Due to the extreme remoteness of the main two islands, the Maori were able to create their own distinct culture that was uninfluenced by another society until the Europeans came over three hundred years later, in the mid 1600’s. Even after another three hundred years it is obvious how the first people to live off this land still influence the culture of the nation.

In the past months I’ve been living in New Zealand I have seen the Maori influence in many ways, not just in the souvenir shops. They are very proud of their history and make a point in keeping their traditions strong in the community and the nation. In protection of their own interests there are two Maori parties in the political system, the Maori Party and the Mana Party.

It is a new concept for me, coming from the States, to see an indigenous population have so much weight within their native land. Back home I have learned about our Native Americans, what they ate, where they lived, and how they lived. But I cannot tell you my country has adapted certain aspects of their culture as our own; the Native Americans practice their traditional way of life on the reservations the government gave the tribes in compensation for taking their land without thought to whom might have been living off it first. In New Zealand I see the Maori continuing to fight to keep their customs from becoming tourist attractions.

In schools the language and customs are continued to be taught.  The children learn through songs and the national anthem, use the language when learning to count. Noodle necklaces are not made and popcorn not used for holiday decoration at Christmas time because the Maori do not believe in using food as a play object, this includes play dough because it is made from flour.

It is true New Zealand is the only place Maori is and ever was spoken and some wonder if the time should be spent on continuing to teach children a language no other nation speaks (I’ve seen the debates on the news). There are also those who argue the culture shouldn’t be taught in the schools, it is not every child’s heritage so why should they need to learn it? But I disagree with this, to an extent. It is part of the history of the country, and that the children should learn and take pride in that.

There are aspects of the Maori culture the country has whole heartily embraced. The most famous would be the Haka performed before each rugby match. The Haka is a challenge, used when tribes would meet a new tribe or group of people and they wanted to know if they were friend or foe. It was designed to be intimidating, which it fully excels at.

It is wonderful to see a country that still remembers and celebrates the traditions of a nationality that makes up about fifteen percent of the population; it would be a shame to see the extinction of the Maori’s rich and unique culture. 

Second Breakfasts and Round Entry Doors

I went to what may eventually turn out to be my heaven. A few weeks ago my friend, Lisa, and I took a day trip out to the site where Peter Jackson filmed part of the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies, Hobbiton. What an exciting experience!

On arriving, we examined the gift shop and tried on the Invisibility Cloak (I think it has to be given to you from the Elves, because we could still be seen in it). And how can you visit Hobbiton and not have Second Breakfast? So up we went to the cafe where we enjoyed a delicious meal of bacon, banana, and pancakes with warm maple syrup. As we were sitting there talking and waiting for our meals the owner of the farm came over and asked where we were from. It was nice to hear the story of how the films came to be shot on his land from the man who green lighted it.

After examining the surrounding yard and landscape, a scene that cannot fully be appreciated through a photo, we were called to the coach bus that would take us to the location. On our way the guide pointed out the vegetable patch, catering area, and where the makeup trailers were located. He also asked us some questions about the movies, the prize to be a leaf from the tree above Bilbo’s house. I won, which surprised me, as I thought others on the tour would know as much as I did. I was wrong and continually proved my geekish obsession with the LOTR movies by correctly answering all the trivia our guide shot at us, though much quieter so as not to come off as a know-it-all.

Hobbiton was much larger than I was expecting. My thought was there would be a few Hobbit holes placed here and there, which maybe I would be able to recognize. 

Nope! The place a huge with Hobbit holes tucked here and just visible over there. 

Our guide directed our group through the neighborhoods, giving us time to check out and take as many pictures we could of the detail given to each property. 

We were lucky to have visited on a day when it was not raining, but there was still mud all around, making the trek up and down the Hobbit hills a little difficult at times. But we had an enthusiastic group eager to see all that we could and were able to do just that.

Each house had their personal accessories scaled to a certain measurement, one set just for that house and none other. This was done so each filming shoot would look correct to the eye and pieces wouldn't look too big or too small. The attention to these small details was very impressive.

At the very top of the hill was where we found Bags End, the family residence of Bilbo Baggins. Here we could see just a smidge of the entry way into the house, the only one where more care was taken to finish the interior. This was the closest we were allowed to get to the door, the gate was closed and we weren't there on party business.

We learned the tree above Bilbo's house was not a living one, but a tree made just for the movies so the leaves would constantly be green like in summer. 

Just after visiting Bags End we were able to step into the next Hobbit house. I have to say, it wasn't what I was expecting, but fun all the same. I knew it was just a shell, an exterior designed just for shooting scenes, but the inside was nothing but dirt and strategically placed items that could be seen from the window. It was a great place to have a photo opportunity though.

Since we were on a working sheep farm, our tour ended with the chance to feed some lambs. They were lopping and playing in the paddock next to the gift shop when we arrived back from the site location, looking very cute and ready to eat. A bottle was handed to me and over ran a lamb. They were so funny and had everyone laughing at their antics. 

It was one of the best activities I have done here in New Zealand, I could hardly contain my excitement before or after my trip and took over a hundred pictures to remember the fun I had that day. Hobbiton is definitely one place I would recommend visiting.

It's Premiere Night!

I’ve always enjoyed going to the theater and watching movies on the big screen. When the lights dim and the previews start playing there is little that can divert my attention from the images streaming from the projector. It’s not an activity I do all the time, only when a movie comes out that I think is going to be great or, for one reason or another, one I really, really want to see. It’s just something fun to do when there is nothing else going on.

Here in New Zealand, going to the movies is not just something to do, it is an experience!

I have always remembered when I was last here and went to the theater to see Mission Impossible. I was so impressed with the look of the theater; it was a visual throw back to the days when live theater was still king and moving pictures were just gaining in popularity. Best of all they had a room sectioned off for families with young children and babies, so you didn’t have kids running around and babies crying while you were trying to enjoy the film you paid good money to see. I didn’t think theaters could get any better than that and was a little disappointed to go back home to my typical movie theater.

This trip around my expectations have been blown away. New Zealand theaters have really raised the bar for a great movie experience. They have put in comfortable seats with armrest large enough to share and isles wide enough for people to walk past without you having to angle your legs to the side. The theater also assigns your seat, or allows you to choose your own at the kiosk, so you don’t have to worry about arrive 20 minutes before the start time to get a good view.

The snack selection beats anything I would find in my hometown theater. At one theater you walk through the snack area and pick up the items you want then just wait in line to pay, a much quicker way of getting the treats you want. They have an area where someone will make you an ice cream sunday, you can pour your own soda or pick up a bottled drink, and the popcorn is already packaged and ready for you to grab a box.

The thing I really find awesome about going to the movies is the LA Premiere viewing option. The tickets are a bit more expensive, but I think you get a really neat experience for your money. I never thought I would spring for the fancy LA Premiere ticket, but the other day found myself shelling out the money for a ticket. And I have to say it was worth it.

Our night started off by entering the theater through a separate entrance, taking a set of stairs leading to a private area above, able to look down at the snack area. We walked up to the bar and placed our snack orders and were then directed to have a seat on one of the couches. When our movie was set to start, an usher approached and leads down the hall to the theater and showed us to our seats.

Our seats were in a completely different section of the theater, set in the back with a lower wall to separate us from the cheaper seats. Why were our seats separated? Because they were Lazy Boys. That’s right, you get to prop your feet up and lean back just like you would if you were home. And you have armrest all to yourself, no sharing here.

Included in your ticket price is a non-alcoholic drink and popcorn that will be delivered to you at your seat. There is also a whole food menu with gourmet pizzas and burgers for to select from and selections of wine, beer, and adult drinks to go with it. And it will all be brought to you either in the first half of the film or second half, your choice. Oh? So your ordered dinner and are worried about eating it in your lap? No worries, they have a little table you can place everything on with a low light to see what you are eating.

It was really cool being able to watch a movie in the theater and have the chance to put my feet up and stretch out a little. Having my food delivered right to me and when I wanted was downright awesome. Is it something I’ll do again? Probably, but only as a special treat and outing for an important movie. Other than that, I am perfectly fine with the usual movie going experience here in New Zealand.

In fact, I think it is one of the things I’ll miss the most when I get back to the States. 

I am All Black

It takes a lot to get me excited to watch any sort of sport. I spent my high school years going to basically every football game…and not because I had a crush on one of the players or because I enjoyed watching the game. I was one of those band geeks, so I didn’t have a choice on whether or not I went to the game, it was mandatory. After so many years of watching live sport, I became apathetic when it came to watching any sport on the television.

While here in New Zealand I have seen a lot of rugby on the telly. Notice I’ve said “seen” and not “watched”. I just happen to be in the same room as when these matches are playing and have picked up how the game is played. Knowledge of the game still doesn’t make me want to sit down and follow every play.

My lack of interest in watching the game in no way hindered my interest in actually going to a match, and when I heard the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national team, would be playing in a town near me I actually got excited to see to see them.

Ok, so I was actually excited to see big, fit men do the Haka. But what hot blooded female wouldn’t?

We didn't have seats, but our view wasn't half bad.

Turns out, I missed the opening festivities, including the Haka, but surprisingly this didn’t dampen my excitement at seeing a live match. We were “seated” in the Green Zone, which meant we were standing. I tried to follow the game, but jumping and standing on my tip toes to see anything that was going on down on the pitch meant I missed a lot of what was happening.

And still this didn’t dampen the experience. There I was in the middle of the excitement, the crowd going wild with every point the All Blacks scored, cheering on their home team to a killer victory over Ireland, 60 to nil! Being from Irish heritage, I was conflicted over who I should root for, earlier in the night I saw all the Ireland fans dressed in their green, white, and orange regalia and wished I had my own, they looked like they were having typical Irish fun. But standing in the middle of the Green I figured it would be best for my own protection I kept my those thoughts to myself.

The energy flowing through the stadium as the teams battled on the pitch was electric and infectious and I wasn’t immune to it. When the wave came around, I threw my hands up; when the All Blacks scored, I jumped up and down and waved my flag; when half time came around I pushed my way down closer to the pitch to get a better view. And when Ireland was absolutely creamed at the end of 80 minutes of play, I yelled in joy with the best of them.

This in no way means I will now sit down and watch every match that plays on the TV. In fact, I don’t see myself ever enjoying watching a game unless I am physically in the stadium (I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials). What this does mean is I can’t wait to go to my next rugby match!

Mount Doom, I conquer you!

Let me preface this by saying I’m not an experienced hiker. I could pretend that I’ve been a hiker my whole life, but let’s face it, I lived on the East Coast and a hike for me was walking down Market Street to get lunch. I lived a lame hiking existence.

So what was I thinking I would be able to do a 19km hike over Mount Doom? It was just a fleeting thought while I was talking to a girl from my hostel who had walked it the day before. And then a growing idea when I saw the weather forecast and saw it was going to be bright and warm the next day. A confirmed plan once I made my deposit for the shuttle, the shuttle that was picking me up at 5:40 am. I seriously must have lost my mind.

Of course this meant I had to watch a preview of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King so I knew exactly what I was getting into. Five other people from my hostel were going the next day, and we piled into the TV room, preparing ourselves for the hike with images of battles in Mordor. I was siked to go.

The break of dawn came and my room awoke with activity, dressing in layers and preparing meals. The shuttle came promptly at 5:40am and we were out the door and on our way. An hour later we were saying “Good Morning” to Mount Doom.

I started out at a good pace, just kept trucking along, making sure not to stumble on the rocks while getting blinded by the early morning sun my sunglasses couldn’t block. I stopped and took pictures, looked around at the landscape around me, and took in the beauty of just being there.

Then I hit the stairs. Those hundreds and hundreds of stairs, one after another, seemingly never ending. I vowed about half way up to add the Stairmaster to my exercise routine when I get home.

But I just kept moving on, watching others breeze right by like it was a walk in the park. Which, if we get technical, it was a park.

A while later I made the half-way point and the trail to head up Mount Tongariro Summit, aka Mount Doom. I looked at the sign, I looked at the trail, and then I sat and had a bit of lunch to think over the possibilities.

Did I really need to go up? Was the view going to be worth it? Would I last making the extra hour and half? In the end I finished my PB&J sandwich and decided I was going to be smart and continue on without going up, which I figured was a smart move seeing as this was my first real hike ever. Plus, I already had my picture that I was there.

The views of the top were something else, just expanses of open sky and fields below. I had to be careful I didn’t get too close to the edge, as I was worried about sliding down. But this did come to pass when I started to follow the trail down the summit onto the Emerald Lakes. 5 times I slide and landed on my bum, twice so hard I’m surprised I don’t have worse burses!

The walk is considered one of the best in New Zealand and I can understand why once I got further along the trail and into more lush landscape. The contrast from the start of the day, with barren ground and absolutely no wild life, to the end of the trail which finished in a rainforest, was truly something I had never experienced before. And though I did find some parts really trying and tough, I’m proud I pushed myself to keep on going…just like the Little Engine That Could!

Week in Wet Suits

I didn’t plan it this way, it really is just the way it happened to work out, but somehow I found myself in a wetsuit three separate days in a weeks’ time. I think this is what happens when you are traveling on a bus that plans out activities for you.

My second day on the Stray travel bus brought us into the town of Raglan, known as the best surf town in New Zealand, and I must say, I agree. We drove onto the lodge grounds, were told to hurry check in and change so that we could get in a land lesson about surfing before heading out to the beach and getting in the water. I had a lesson earlier this year, but still found myself nervous as I walked with the rest of the group up the hill to the lesson building. We were shown a 1, 2, 3, 4 stepping up method that had me thinking too much and I found that once we got out into the water I was worrying too much about my balance instead of just letting it happen. Though I did stand up and ride a couple waves, I do think the best thing about that day was the picture of me doing my best Pamela Anderson beach run.

Less than a week later I was back on the travel bus and onto the Waitomo Caves, which I think was the coolest thing to be in a wet suit for. The area has underground caves; systems I don’t even want to know how people figured out were there and set up the route visitors would take. Through the company, Waitomo Adventures, you were able to take different adventures, such as TumuTumu Toobing, Haggas Honking Holes, and Lost World. I went with the 8/10 Rambo rating Haggas Honking Holes, and even though I’ve never done any sort of abseiling or rock climbing, I felt I was up for the challenge. And again in a wet suit, I was making my way down with the group to caves, which we discovered were very much needed after saw the waves of steam rising from our bodies. This is not an adventure for people who are: scared of heights, fearful of water, timid of the dark, or in any way claustrophobic. I am stupid enough not to worry about any of those things and thus I found myself propelling down a 20 meter waterfall, crawling through a narrow tunnel in water up to my up to my wrist, and climbing my way up a rock wall. It was the most tiring thing I have done in that amount of time, but well worth it in the end when I climbed out on the ladder into the light and didn’t collapse on the ground due to exhaustion (mainly because I knew I wouldn’t have been able to make myself get back up and walk up the hill if I did).  

The next morning’s activity was white water rafting, and this time I had putting on the wet suit like a pro. This time it wasn’t needed as much as the first two times, I kinda just put it on because it was there and I could. Plus you never know when it will be better to wear one than not.

Rafting was so awesome, a rush I can’t wait to experience again! A quick tutorial and we were in the raft floating down a class 5 river. Our group picked it up fairly quickly, though I will say there were some scary points, such as when one girl found herself going head first into the river…and this was after we went over the 6 meter drop and had no one fall out.

All in all, it was a great and adventure packed week of wet suit fun. And even though the whole pull, tug, and shimmy of getting in and out of the suits is time consuming and a little embarrassing, I look forward to getting back out there and trying my hand at perfecting the fastest and least humiliating way of getting into a wet suit.

Stay to the left, stay to the left... Opps! Stay to the left!!

I had to get out of Auckland, out of the city, and wasn’t ready to get on a bus and travel with other people. So I hired a car (because that is what they call it here) and then worried for a couple days about driving on the wrong side of the road.

The night before I was to leave I packed back up and said bye to my new friends then was a little melancholy about leaving my hostel…which I thought was strange and bizarre, since just the day before I was saying how much I couldn’t wait to leave. But I had started to enjoy looking out my window and watching the cars drive along Queen Street and the people coming and going. It was my own private TV.

But Monday morning I was up and out waiting for my pick up from the car rental, nervous about not really knowing the driving rules and such. I ended up paying the extra insurance per day on my car because, one I didn’t know exactly how I was going to do, but mainly because I didn’t want them to charge my credit card and then have to pay the fee at the end of the month (I’m trying to be frugal with my limited funds at the moment…). So they packed my things in the car, I adjusted the seat and creeped out onto the road, then onto the SH1 north.

After about 30 minutes I was fine, driving along with everyone else out of the city and out into the country. What was I worrying about?

I stopped for coffee, at a park with a settler’s house, and a couple beaches along my way, never really getting lost, and only once did I pull to the wrong side of the road. All in all I think that day of driving was a success.

This one's for you Antoinette!

Ha! How cool and random?

It was a couple days later when I traveled to the west coast to the Kauri Forest that I ran into a bit of trouble.

Care free tracking through the Kauri forest...

I drove out of town with a little more than half a tank of gas, thinking it should be enough to get me by for the day, or I would stop and get more. No. One thing I learned about New Zealand and back roads is that there are not a lot of gas stations around. There I was after visiting the Kauri Forest, thinking I was driving the right road to get back to Piahia when the “I need gas” light blinks on. I started praying to God, blessing myself and telling him I will never leave town again without a full tank of gas if he would only help me find a station. I kept driving until I came across a truck picking up the mail on the side of the road and when I asked where the closet gas station was I was directed in the opposite direction of which I came. A few choice words popped into my head at that moment. If not for the kindness of this Kiwi woman and her children, who took pity on a stupid American girl, I am sure I would have had to walk quite a ways just to get to the closest station.

So the lesson I learned that day? Always know where your gas stations are, know how much and fast your car guzzles gas, and never leave a town without filling up if you plan to drive aways.

The British Empire lives on.

I have had two British roommates in my room at my hostel for the past three nights or so and they have been kind enough to tell me every word I pronounce wrong, tell me about shows I have never heard of, and basically make fun of my American ways. I put up with this because I find them genuinely delightful and funny and know they are only kidding around.

I thought they were kidding around when they told me about having a chocolate flake in their ice cream. No, they were not.

When I first heard of this, I confess, I was extremely confused and had no clue what they were talking about. Why would you put a single flake of chocolate in your ice cream? Wouldn't it be better to have it covered in a hard shell or with sprinkles?

Yes, it would. I am sad to say I was very disappointed with my chocolate flake. From the way my new friends were talking, it should have been the best thing I ever ate, with little bits of chocolate falling off as I ate. This did not happen and I found it didn't flavor the ice cream either. But some how this fade reached all through out the British Empire, which includes New Zealand, and I am learning is a very popular treat.

So popular, in fact, you can get a double flake or a double flake dipped!

I think I'll just stick to my boring American ways and go with dipped...or sprinkles!

Yes, Virginia, there is time travel.

You can’t die from re-circulated air. I am now living proof of that after spending 24 hours without any form of fresh outside air. I left Philadelphia around 12:30 in the afternoon Friday, after hanging around the airport for a couple hours, and proceed onto Chicago and then San Francisco. 12 hours after leaving home I boarded the plane for my Auckland, New Zealand flight. I was lucky and slept most of the way. 

13 hours later I walked through customs and out into the first fresh air I had in 24 hours. I also had completely passed from Friday into Sunday without a stop in Saturday.  

Arriving so early in the morning as I did, I wasn’t able to check into my hostel until later in the day. So I checked my bag, bought some Internet time (because internet is rarely free in New Zealand), and then headed out to the Domain to enjoy the fresh air. It was a little bit of a walk, or “a good stretch of the legs,” but worth it being outside. The Domain was also where the Auckland Museum is located.

This building holds a wide variety of exhibits from the Maori culture to natural history. I was impressed with the depth of information located in one building…even if I didn’t read a thing, it was still nice to view the objects and feel like I was learning a little about the locale area.

On my walk back I discovered the street was blocked, bandstands had been erected, and a mass of people were gathered on the street out in front of my hostel. I had no clue why they were there, but was happy to be able to cross the street and get into the building to check in. 

 I later learned it was the annual Santa Parade. Care to compare it to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

After unloading my bag in my new room, I met up with my friend and headed for a tour around Auckland. That;s the Sky Tower behind me to the right, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere and about a block away from my hostel.

Since I did completely skip over Saturday and into Sunday, I was pretty tired and forced myself to stay out and about until after 7pm. It was still light out when I fell asleep, it being summer here and all, but I didn't care, I had been awake since 3am Auckland time and couldn't hold my eyes open another second.

Travel, no matter what kind, is very tiring...

Where did my room go?

It is way less then a week until I leave on my trip to New Zealand. I'm excited, I'm stressed, and I'm still not packed.

In my head I thought I would be further along then I am. There were piles building for the past week, items I didn't want to forget, piles for my carry on, things to give to people, and I figured a pile for my pack would emerge in there. It didn't until this morning.

I went through my clothes and packed my bag. Then remembered I needed shoes and unpacked. I put in a few items, take one out. It reminds me of the phrase which goes something like "To not look over done, look in the mirror and remove one item before leaving the house." I keep looking in the mirror.

My room looks like my dressers and closet spewed all my clothing everywhere! But it makes me ask, what would you not be able to leave behind?

The start of a new adventure!

A few months ago I decided to make a huge change in my life and move clear to the other side of the world for a year, specifically, to New Zealand. I will not take the credit for coming up with this idea...no, that belongs to my friend, I'm just piggy-backing off it. But after this previous year of little direction, and no career advancement, I felt it would be good to shake things up and try something new.

How to explain my reasoning behind this...can I tell you I just have a good feeling about it, that it feels right? No? Yea, I didn't think you would buy that. What I can tell you is that when what you are doing isn't working it is time to try something new. As my other friend repeats to me, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So I have decided to leap off that insanity merry-go-round and go in search of those different results.

Why New Zealand? (Which I would then say "Why not?" if I wanted to be a smart-ass...)15 years ago I traveled with a student ambassador group to both Australia and New Zealand, and though, when I mention this trip, I always say Australia first, it was New Zealand that stole my heart. With just over a week to travel there, we only saw the north island, but that was enough for me. Of all the places I have been, that has been at the top of my list to visit again. And who wouldn't want to chase summer?

Everyone asks what I'll be doing down there when I tell them I am leaving. You see the disappointment and confusion when I tell them I have very little planned and basically that is the point. In the past I have never made a step without knowing exactly where I will be landing my foot next. This trip is a way for me to expanded my horizons and see what I can do when I just let go and let life happen, rather then follow a plan.

But it will be hard not to plan somethings...like activities I want to do, such as skydive, surf, sail, and snowboard. Maybe I'll start telling everyone that is what I'll be doing when they ask.