A lovely day for kayaking and a BBQ!

Woke up around 9 o'clock – 11 hours of sleep!! Yay me! haha. Then worked from 10:00-11:30 or so...J

I applied for my tax ID number at the Post Office today too. The lady behind the desk was super friendly and helpful. I had to go across the street to get a few things copied and printed off a few copies of my resume as well. There were two Germans working in the “copy centre” and they were super nice too! I realized after I handed out my resume to a couple places, that I've been spelling “Paihia” wrong...This whole time too!! Sheesh, well, at least I figured it out sooner than later...

So, I just walked around the town for a good couple hours and walked into practically every restaurant and cafe asking for the manager and then seeing if they had work available. almost all of them have people leaving but not for another 3 weeks or so. Although, I did pretty much get offered a waitressing job...but it doesn't exactly sound like something I want to do...It's a a restaurant called Esmae's and I actually spoke with Esmae the owner! She is a sweet older woman, super cute. I could pretty much start working there next Friday, but it would be 6 days per week (not Sunday), 5:30-10:00pm, $13.50 (ish) per hour, but here's the bummer...I would be the only one on staff. Plus, she wants me longer term (like at LEAST 2 months I'm guessing) so I just don't think it's a good fit. I'll keep looking.

After not much luck on the job front, I asked Mark if the Bay Adventure kayak was available. And it was!! So, I went down to the beach and went kayaking for about 45 minutes or so – it was so great!! I got some good thinking done out on the water...thought about how the ability to kayak, swim on the beach, lay on the beach, and meet new people at the hostel was just exactly what I was looking for. I figured maybe I would treat myself to one “adrenaline rush” activity each month – so in the end, I would have 12 awesomely thrilling things to go with a year's worth of daily awesome. :-)

I went for a good swim after I finished kayaking, the headed back to the hostel. Sarah was collecting money for Loic's BBQ birthday dinner and I was all about BBQing!

I hung out in the courtyard where people were drinking and visiting. John gave me the rest of his crocodile wine (sheraz) yum!! and I met – Scott from Canada, Jerry and Ari from Holland, and Matt (another worker at the hostel who has already been skydiving 4 times!!). We just chatted and joked around to pass the time before they were back with the food and would start up the grill. We played another game of Shithead and I lost again! Seriously, not my game... The temperature had definitely gotten cooler, and eventually, I had to go and put my fleece on. It was actually chilly!! I told Scott if I wanted to wear pants and a fleece I would have just stayed in Wisco ;-)

First day on the job and being dubbed "shithead"

Couldn't believe how LOUD one of my dorm mates was last night...holy snoring!! It was insane. Luckily, I fell asleep fairly quickly...

I woke up, had a nice long shower, and ate breakfast with my new English friend John. When I was packing up my stuff, I found a card that mom had left me with two calling cards in it! What a lovely surprise :-) Thanks mom! John and I both checked out and he went down to the beach and I went to work! Like, literally, right to work...I dropped off my pack in the office and Mark goes, “Okay! Come with me – I'm just showing another girl how to clean the bathrooms.” Alrighty then! Ended up teaming up with Paula, a girl from Scotland who is here for about 3 weeks. She helped to show me the ropes and figure out what to do and how things should be cleaned. We cleaned two of the BIG suites in the Resort and together it took us just over 2 hours. So, from 10-12pm every morning, I'll be cleaning for my keep! :-)

I was sweaty and hot after working, so I figured it would be a great time for a swim in the ocean! So, I hit the beach. It was a gorgeous sunny day – perfect for the sand and sun. It really is beautiful here. There are islands to be seen from the shore and you can see the town of Russell on the other side of the bay. Lots of sailboats in the water too! There were lots of people out to enjoy the beach but it wasn't too crowded by any means.

When I got back to the hostel, I made myself some lunch and chatted with James, an English guy from Liverpool. He told me that he is a professional football (soccer) player in NZ. I found out from him that I can take out a kayak for free from the hostel so I am definitely excited about that!! Tomorrow perhaps?

It started raining like mad when I was eating lunch and didn't let up for a good couple hours. So, I stuck around the hostel and learned a game of cards called “Shithead” from Paula and her friend Davina (also from England!). And, I lost – thus being rightly dubbed “Shithead.” Crap. :-)

The room that I was put in is great! There is actually no one else in the room at the moment. Really nice to have my own space for a while. I even snagged a double bed!! Wahoo!! Hopefully I get to stay in this same spot for the whole time I'm here. We'll see though.

I read for a while from my current book, “The Mermaid Chair.” and then started watching “Two Weeks Notice” with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock in the hostel lounge with a bunch of others. The rain made it a perfect night for movie watching.

Is the manager available? I'm looking for a job...

So, I wasn't so keen on having to pay for my accommodation while I was staying in Piahia. $25/day was definitely going to add up! I talked to Katie at the reception desk at YHA Piahia (the hostel I was staying at) and she recommended that I walk to the backpackers right next door and see if they had any work for accommodation. So, at 9:00am (one hour to check out...) I walked to Bay Adventures Backpacker Resort and talked to the manager, Mark. Turns out, he had about 5 of his workers leaving and one was leaving tomorrow! So, he told me to stop back around the same time the next day and he would fix me right up. I was stoked!! But, that also meant that I would need to book one more night at YHA Hostel so I scurried back over to Katie, thanked her for the suggestion, and booked night number two.

The bathrooms at this hostel had the tiniest sinks. Like, itty bitty! Probably a good thing though, cause the bathrooms were pretty small to begin with... John left that morning to drive to the South Island. He was eager to start his trout fishing part of his trip!

I decided to go for a walk around Piahia and check out the town a little bit. See where I'll be living for the next couple weeks, I think! Not long after I started walking, I saw a sign to the Public Library (yay! Library! Free internet!) I grabbed a copy of the local newspaper to see if there were any jobs being advertised in Piahia. I found two that looked alright – one for a housekeeper at a hotel and another for a cleaner at a laundry mat. No exactly what I had in mind, but it would work. I was just still so glad that I found the work for accommodation gig at Bay Adventures! Made me start to debate whether I wanted to find another job...or just enjoy the work for stay thing and spend the rest of the warm summer days at the beach!

I must have needed some catch up on sleep, so I took a wonderful nap back at the hostel. Gosh I love naps. Totally rejuvenating! :-) I decided to head to the hotel that was looking for a housekeeper and apply there and then stop into some of the restaurants to see if they had jobs available as well. Most of the places said they had people leaving in the next 2-4 weeks, but no one at the moment. At one place though, a Tapas Cafe, I spoke to the barista and she said she was leaving soon, so she figured the manager would be looking for a replacement soon! I said I would bring in my CV tomorrow and speak with the manager.

I stopped at the 4 Corner store for groceries and decided to get some actual food for a real meal! Bread, hummus, spinach, tomato...mmm!! Got the usual carrots, granola, and yogurt too, but I was way excited about making a sandwich for dinner. I even bought myself a bottle of white wine – New Zealand's finest! ;-) Okay, well it's made in NZ but since it was $6.99 it might not be the country's finest... ~grin~

After I finished my wonderful dinner, I took my wine glass and asked to join these two girls (they had moved into my dorm earlier that day) and a guy who I hadn't seen before. They fully welcomed me into their conversation, which was super nice! And they all happened to be from England!

We chatted and ate some cheese and crackers and some sort of brownie something or other...haha. We sat around the kitchen table for ages. It was really fun! Then we had the idea to go down to the beach and walk on the sand. Much more chill and conversation friendly than having a couple drinks at the bar down the road. So, the four of us wandered along the beach with out toes in the sand and out legs getting splashed by the ocean. What a perfect end of the night :-)

The wonders of Cape Reinga

I was really surprised by how well I slept in the car for the rest of the night...I kind of folded myself into a shape that fitted into the curve of the seat – and it was actually quite comfortable! John was still sleeping when I woke up. And it was 9:00am! (So much for watching the sunrise...)

John had gotten eaten alive by sand flies during the night. His whole upper arm and chest were full of bites! I, however, got out relatively unscathed. Must be my Wisconsin blood :-)

We decided to take a dip in the lake and wash up. It was so refreshing to go for a swim and shampoo my hair!! Really got us ready for the day. But we were both extremely thirsty (water had run out during our drive...) and made it a top priority to find – a.) water b.) gas c.) breakfast (and in that order...) I even debated brushing my teeth with beer...but decided (and hoped!) we'd probably find water sooner than later.

Sure enough, we found a camp ground where a guy filled our water bottles and we got to brush our teeth. Then, no more than 5 minutes from there we hit a petrol station. And then 5 more minutes away was a mini supermarket where we got stuff for breakfast and lunch. Sweet as! (*Kiwi term here meaning “Cool” or “Awesome”...pretty self explanatory). It was nice to drive during the daylight again – the scenery was beautiful. Lots of farm land and cows and sheep. Every now and then we would see the coast and the water but we were on a mission to get to the Cape. We did stop to take pictures of a sickly looking Emu tho, and we even came across a cattle crossing! Kinda neat :-)

We arrived at Cape Reinga around noon, I think. There weren't too many people around so it was kind of nice that the place wasn't swarming with tourists. The combination of the mountains, Tasmin Sea, and the ocean was absolutely breathtaking. The water was a turquoise blue/green and the beach was completely deserted and stretched on for a good 2 miles or more. It was just awesome. The path had these little signs with historical facts and information about the are which was interesting to read up on. We walked to the lighthouse and took pictures under the sign that pointed to the major world cities – like LA!

John and I decided to make the trek down the mountain and see if we could get to the beach. I hiked the whole thing in my white sandals...again, not very conducive for tramping...I'd be waaaay impressed if these sandals made it to the end of the year. But I wouldn't bet money on it...

We made it all the way down to the beach and Jthen strolled with our feet in the sand and the waves splashing our toes. That has got to be one of my favorite sensations ever – love it!! About halfway down the beach we decide to turn around – this is a loooong beach! I couldn't get over how we had the whole thing completely to ourselves... But, we both wanted to go for a swim first :-) The waves were great and we body surfed some good ones! The water was cool and refreshing, but not too cold. Just perfect.

The wind had picked up on our walk back to the mountain. The sand skidded across the beach and our packs were covered in sand when we went to retrieve them. The tide was coming in as well, so we had to dash across the sand quickly at one point so as not to get splashed too much by the waves and avoid the shell covered rock.

The hike back up to the top was definitely a workout! I am excited to get in some more tramping so I can build up my steep climbing stamina! I was about ready for another dip in the ocean when we got back up to the top!!

We just decided to cruise back to Piahia and John would decide whether to drive on from there or stay the night. We chose to take a bit of a different route back, taking us through the center of the Northland, verses the east coast. In the car, I read something in my “New Zealand – Lonely Planet” book about some hot springs in Kaikohe – it said that it wasn't as well known as the ones in Roturua and that it was mostly used by the locals. I was like, awesome!! We should definitely go! So, I talked John into it and we eventually located the pools after asking a local how to get there.

The pool facility was not what I expected at all. It was actually kind of ghetto looking with this black, plastic fencing surrounding the entire thing. And there were a bunch of individual pools, all different shades of green or milky white...pretty disgusting looking actually, hehe. yet it was still called “Healing Waters.” Hmm... Oh, and smell...it was pretty potent! Rotten eggy, sulfury goodness.

I dipped my toes in a couple of the pools and couldn't even stand it, it was so hot. I kept testing different ones – one was too cool, and the rest were boiling! John came over and tried to get in one too and was having difficulty too! It didn't help that our feet were sunburned... John had the brilliant idea of going in butt first – any part of our body that hadn't been exposed to the sun could tolerate the heat. So, here we sat – in a pool with our legs and feet perched on the edge and our bums in the green water...haha, we must have been quite a site to see.

When I looked down to see how red my arms were from the water, I noticed the ring on my hand. Typically, it is silver with black leaves but the silver was turning black by the second! But, it's doesn't look half bad being black – gives it a bit of character I think :-)

So, eventually we got smart and went over to the worker fellow and asked him which ones were hot but not unbearably hot. he pointed us to a few other pools that we hadn't tried yet, and we finally found one that we could stand!! Haha. And, minus the smell, it felt awesome. After soaking for a bit, we decided to go visit with the worker guy. We found out that the pools were different colors because of the different minerals from the water sources.

It was about 7:30pm by the time we left. John decided he wanted to stay in a hostel for the night in Piahia and then drive south in the morning. So, once we got into town, we searched around for a hostel with open beds and got lucky to find a reception office that was still open after hours.

A shower after a sulfur bath and a bed after sleeping on the ground is so not overrated... ;-)

Hitchhikers and wet sleeping bags...

I woke up fairly early this morning – around 8 or so (that's early in vacation terms :-) Checked my email with fingers crossed that I had gotten some positive response from my CS requests. But, no luck.

John asked me again if I was interested in going to the Bay of Islands and then on to Cape Reinga with him, and I figured, well, what the hell, no reason to stay in Auckland if I don't have a place to stay. Plus, he was thinking of camping for the night, so I was up for using my sleeping bag and not paying for accommodation. Its the backpackers way :-)

So, this time I took the navigators seat on the left side of the car...pretty weird at first to be in the American “drivers” seat but not steering...hehe. But, John seemed pretty comfortable with the driving on the other side of the road thing already. It was hilarious though, because, every once in a while, he would go to put his turn signal on and would hit the windshield wipers instead – they're switched! I cracked up every time. :-D

It felt good to finally be getting out of the big city. Not long into the drive we hit beautiful landscapes. The trees and mountains are incredible - lush and green. I can't even imagine what it would look like if it rained a bit. The Northland of the north island is in a drought right now – we kept seeing signs for Very High or Extreme Fire Danger the farther north we got. Rain is definitely an asset up here!

We chatted and munched on food as we drove. Got to know John a bit better. And of course, every now and again one of us would exclaim...Wow!! Look at that! Or, Cows!! Sheep! Haha, not much wildlife up here except for the frequent dead opossum on the side or middle of the road...yuck. I learned about opossum hunting in NZ too. Just take your car late at night, and drive down a dirt road. The opossums practically leap out in front of the car and consequently, smash into your grill...sheesh! Apparently, it's a fun hobby for some kiwis...lol.

We continued on driving north up the east coast of NZ. The sun was shining bright, the windows of the car were rolled all the way down, and the radio was blasting. Ahh, I love road tripping in the summer :-)

As we rolled on through a smaller town, we saw a guy on the side of the road walking with a backpack on. I told John that he was probably hitchhiking and that we should give him a ride! But John goes, “Maybe...but he doesn't have his thumb out...” I figured you can only stick your thumb out for so long before your arm gets tired. hehe. So, we pulled off on a side street and yelled out to the guy to see if he needed a ride. Sure enough, he was heading to Piahia – where we were going! So, he jumped in the backseat, and we were on our way!

Jamie (the hitchhiker from Canada), John and I decided to check out the Whangarei Falls in Whangarei (pronounced “Fengarei” - the “Wha” is actually an “F” sound.) It was a very pretty falls that people used to jump off of, but they no longer allow it. Looked like a fun jump though!

We hung around there for a bit and took some pictures, then filled up our water bottle and headed out again. We became very intrigued when we passed by a sign that said “Famous Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa.” We're like, we have got to see these toilets!! The facilities were actually really cool, kind of mosaic like with glass bottles and lots of color. Pretty! :-)

We dropped off Jamie in Piahia and then found a place to park by the beach. We strolled around the town for a little bit. My first impression was that it was pretty quiet with lots of hostels, hotels, restaurants and the like. Which was kind of a good thing because this is where I hope to find work and live for a while – there are a lot of adventure things going on in town, like kayaking, skydiving, tours, swimming with dolphins, and deep sea fishing. So, looks like there are plenty of things to do! Plus, it is on the water with beautiful views, so that's a definite plus.

For dinner, we went with Fish and Chips. (Or “Fush and Chups” as the kiwi's say). We found a place to sit by the water front and I ate my first “real” meal since arriving here! Thus far I have been surviving off apples, bananas, trail mix, bread, carrots, peanut butter, and yogurt and cheese when a fridge is available. Pretty simple, but it works and it all travels pretty well too.

John wanted to head farther up north to get closer to the Cape, so I said I was in. Plus, he was planning on coming back through Piahia the next day so I figured it wouldn't hurt to put off job hunting for another day. :-)

We got to see a little bit of the sunset, but it got dark pretty soon after we started driving. John was doing the hand out of the window thing, riding the air and all of a sudden I heard this “Thuap!” I thought a bug had hit the windshield, but John goes “Ow! That damn bug hit me!” Hahaha, I couldn't stop laughing. Just the combo of the sound and his reaction was too much...lol.

After a couple hours of driving, I spotted a sign for lake, so I told John we should check it out and see if it would be a good place to set up camp. It was really dark out but when we pulled in we saw a camper van and a tent in the same area, so we figured, good place to stop! I was exhausted, so we both pulled out our sleeping bags and brought them outside to lay on a gaze up a the stars. It was so beautiful! I told John I was just going to sleep outside in my sleeping bag. It was a clear night so I wasn't worried about rain.

Not sure what time I woke up, but it had started to sprinkle...man!! So, I woke John up and we grabbed our sleeping bags and headed to the car. We were both swapping away bugs the whole night too, so it was good to get into the car. No sooner had we closed the car door then it completely started down pouring! I am so glad I woke up! I didn't think I was going to be able to fall asleep in the car, but I eventually found a comfortable position and drifted off.

Day at the beach? Yes please!

Once again, woke up and had a leisurely morning. John from Montana had invited me to go to Piha beach and then up to the Bay of Islands with him (he had rented a car for his entire time here) but I had already booked a room at Freeman's for one more night. So, I asked Seema about it, and she was so cute! She told me that she didn't want me to not be able to go because I had already book a bed so that I should go and have a great time! Aww :-) And, as it turned out, this girl Kellie, who is from England but is working in Melbourne, was in Auckland for just a day and planned to go to Piha with John too! And me, being the indecisive person that I am, could decide whether to go or stay and explore the city...but, eventually, with Kellie's persuasion, Seema's understanding, and John's gunghoe attitude, I decide to go! And, after the day's end, it was an excellent decision. :-)

I took backseat in the car and Kellie took passenger and navigator. Other side of the road driving too! John was on day 3 of his other side driving experience.., oh boy! Seatbelt fastened! It took us a bit to find our way out of the city...I hadn't a clue on what to do or where in the world we were going actually...so I just kinda sat back and let them figure things out...

We took an unexpected turn off when we saw some incredible scenery...then stopped every 10 feet to take pictures of something else we saw that was beautiful and spectacular. :-) We drove into this carpark and discovered we were in Karekare – a beach that is known for it's good surfing waves. But, unfortunately, the surfing conditions were “messy” so...dang.

The beach at Karekare was awesome!! Black sand and huge rock cliffs...it was stunning, It was a bit overcast at first, but that made for much cooler sand and a bit cooler temps. The sand felt so great to walk on too! As Kellie said “It's like walking on a brownie!” And it totally was... :-)

We noticed a group of Maori dressed up in grass skirts and flowery tops and a camera crew and the like surrounding them. I thought for sure they were shooting a movie! But...it wasn't a movie...it was a taping for the Biggest Loser!!!! Cool, right!!? I was pretty stoked about seeing that. We kept at a distance, but I think we still might have been closer to the scene then the crew would have liked...but it was the Biggest Loser!! What else were we to do?

Next, we drove to Piha beach on a mission for – beer. It was hot, we were thirsty, and it was beer:30 time as John liked to say :-) But, apparently there is no beer to be had before 5:30 on the Piha beach, so John and I decided to climb Lion's Rock (This GINORMOUS rock in the middle of the Piha beach.) Also, I'd like to add that I am climbing this thing in white, thong sandals...not exactly ideal for hiking up a massive stone structure...

At the top was another incredible view. Piha beach was much more crowded and the landscape was dotted with houses nestled in amongst the mountains. So, the scenery wasn't nearly as serene and starkly nature at Karekare, but beautiful, nevertheless.

We decided the beer drinking would have to commence back at the hostel. So, when we got back to Freeman's, we cracked open a drink and sat down to play “Pairs” with Sarah, Steven, Suguru, and a guy from Finland (who was now one of my new dorm mates). “Fin” went for a shower and both Kellie and I gawked when he walked past us to his room with his shirt off. “Appreciating the beauty,” Kellie said. Yes indeed :-)

We played more cards and made/ate guacamole and hummus with spicy blue chips...yum!! I was all tuckered out from the day at the beach, so by 10:30pm, I crawled into bed...sooo sleepy! And a bit sunburnt... John and Kellie tried to wake me up at one point to go downtown with them, but I was completely out...But, I woke up around 1:30am when they got back from the bars and then couldn't fall asleep again! Kellie was snoring and the guy next to her kept saying “Excuse me, shhhh!! Excuse me!!” So, I got up and went up to the lounge and sent off about 10 CS requests since I figured I would stay in Auckland for the next couple days and sort out my tax ID number and bank account. Plus, I still hadn't seem much of Auckland, so I thought it would be good to explore the city a bit before I left.

Food + Wine + Festival = darn good fun :-)

I slept in late, had a leisurely breakfast, and checked my email during the morning. Seema greeted me and told me that she loved the way I had made my bed! Haha, she is such a sweetheart... Sarah came into the room at one point and started talking again about her and her brother going to the Food and Wine Festival over on Devonport Island for the day. After I found out they were coming back for the night and that it was only $11 for the bus and ferry ride there and back, I was all in! So, they were great and waited for me to shower and get ready. When I got back up to the lounge, I found out that Ben and Suguru were coming along too! Excellent :-) It took a little while for everyone to be ready and in one place, but eventually, we were out the hostel door and on our way.

We arrived in the center of Auckland city and found the ferry. The ride over was short and it was looking to be a beautiful, sunny, blue skied day! Perfect :-) We kept noticing loads of people dressed in 70's style hippy outfits too...haha, not really sure why, but we assumed it was part of the festivals festivities!

When we arrived at the Food and Wine Festival gate, we discovered it would be $30 to get in... eh???? A bit more than we were hoping to spend, but we thought we'd get a free glass of wine out of it – turns out, only those who purchased tickets ahead of time got the free wine... Krikee!! Lame beans... But, we soon got over the fact the the festival was more $ than we had originally thought (we had to buy our drinks once we got in the festival too...) and decided to have a grand ol' time. Funny thing was, I ended up not even having a single glass of wine...just beer! But I tried their Summer Ale and 2 x Golden Lager, all of which I throughly enjoyed :-)

There were pirates on stilts, a comedian, several live bands, and loads of people. It was all held in a fairly small space, but it didn't feel too crowded. Plus, it was right by the water so that was really nice.

We ended up staying till almost the end and danced and sang along to a live cover band – they totally had my attention when they started playing “wagon wheel.” Such a great tune!!

We decided to walk up the mountain on the island in order to see an incredible view of the city. Instead of walking the roundabout way, I surged straight up the hill, shortest (and steepest) way possible to get to the top! I thought Sarah was going to keel over and die...haha. But the view from the top was amazing. Beautiful mountains and water and the city-scape was awesome too.

We took the ferry and the bus back to Freemans where I met one of my new dorm mates. I asked him if he wanted to run to the supermarket with me and get some food and he said he was in. Found out his name was John and he was from Montana! He was here for a month and wanted to see and do as much of NZ as he possibly could – but he's also super into trout fishing, so that was a key part of his travel too.

Got back to the hostel, ate a late dinner, and then hit the pillow. It was a long but really fun day!

PS. No word on any of the jobs I applied for...dang it! This might prove to be more difficult than I thought...

A whole 'New World'

Well, it's half past nine and here I sit on my hostel bed along with the rest of my four dorm mates...apparently we all that the same idea to just chill and relax in the comfort of our rooms.

But, I did have a lovely afternoon. The weather here in Auckland today was gorgeous. It was sunny and breezy and just the perfect temperature. I could definitely get used to this! I was in a tanktop, jeans and sandals when I walked to the grocery store. Beautiful!

The super market, “New World,” has a fitting name for travelers, don't you think? I was pretty hungry by the time I went there but I managed to do pretty well and get some good essentials for the next day or so – bread, cottage cheese, apples, peanut butter, carrots, cereal, yogurt, and some trail mix. Mmm mmm!

On my walk, you couldn't help but notice the sound of the Cicadas!! My goodness are they loud. I actually got a good close-up picture of one in the backyard of the hostel. Big fellas!

When I ate lunch, I visited with two of the Asian workers at the hostel. The girl is here to go to university and study English. The guy, Suguloo, had just graduated but was continuing to work at the hostel for some hand-on English practice. He was like, “You are helping me study!” Lol, awesome :-) I taught him what “book exchange” and “odd” meant.

I went online to check out the SEEK.com website for jobs. There is one through the US Postal Service as a “Postie” - cycling around and delivering mail! Sounds like fun!! It's in Gisborne which is still in the North Island, so I am going to fix up my resume and send it in.

I really have a different feel about this trip (trip? work vaca? work holiday?) then I have about my travels in the past. Since I have such a long time here, I am just taking it easy and going at a slower pace. It is really nice! I don't feel in this super rush to “get everything done and see everything asap!!” because I'm leaving in a month. I much prefer this pace.

After browsing for jobs, I visited with Wan, my Australian dorm mate. He showed me some cool pictures of the Carnival in Rio that he was at last weekend. Looks like quite the party! I am excited for Cate and I to go to Brazil together after she graduates!!

I read for a little bit and was actually feeling pretty good as far as sleep goes. But, my eye started to droop a little, so I figured I'd sleep for a bit. Well, 5 hours later...I woke up to cats running past the door and Wan making odd sighing noises in his sleep! haha. I felt so rummy after waking up - like I had been drugged or something! I was really hoping that because I got quite a bit of sleep on the plane, that my jetlag wouldn't be quite as intense. But, apparently there's no avoiding it... Aww shucks, hehe.

On Kiwi turf!

I AM HERE!!!! The rest of the flight went splendidly. I actually was able to sleep quite a bit. I watched another hilarious movie called “The Invention of Lying.” Totally recommend it if you get the chance to watch it. Breakfast came – omelet with fruit and yogurt. Delish! I got lucky with no one sitting next to me – gave me plenty of space to put my stuff and not feel like I was sleeping on the person next to me. And I never had to move for anyone to get out and pee!

I got through customs just fine – had to ask the customs officer to repeat himself though. Haven't gotten used to the Kiwi speak yet. I had a beagle sniff out my bag at baggage claim. The dog smelt my fruit and nuts that I had in it from the plane ride. Smart pup! I felt a bit “suspicious” though... ~curling up the mustache~

I went straight to the information desk at the airport to find out the best way to get to my hostel. There was this other girl there with a backpack so I go, “Where are you headed?” “Freemans Lodge” “No kidding? Me too!” And the lady behind the desk goes, “Well that's lucky, you two can split the shuttle fare.” Nice!! Come to find out, she is a nurse from England, quit her job, spent a couple weeks in California on a group tour, will spend 3 weeks in a campervan with her other English friend in NZ, and then plans to find a job as a nurse in AUS for four months. Her name was Leanne.

We arrived at the Freemans Lodge a little after 7am. The hostel lady in charge wouldn't arrive for a while, I hit up the free internet and chatted with Leanne and Anna her friend. Read a bit of my book, free asleep, read some more...

The woman, Seema, is the lady who owns the hostel. She was so helpful and friendly! Told me about how I should apply for a Tax ID number and open a bank account. Gave me a map and showed me all the hot spots near by and how to get to the city center. Pointed out the super market down the street. Definitely hitting that up soon!!

In the hostel lounge alone, I met Ben from England (going to study at Uni of Auckland), Sarah and her brother Steven (might go to a festival with them for the weekend), Pip from England, and another dude from England. Crap ton of Englanders!

I was finally shown to my room (5 bed mixed dorm)...but apparently I am the only part about it that is mixed, lol. We've got Pip, a guy from Brazil, a dude from Australia just coming from South America, and I think another guy from the states...but I haven't introduced myself to him just yet. So – me and four guys. Good deal ;-)

Okay, time for me to get some eats!! It's just past noon, so I figure I'll try to get on Kiwi schedule asap. Trick will be to not pass out around 6:00pm...

Giving up America for Lent

Location – LA terminal

Okay, you know when you always HOPE that there will be a stunningly attractive person on your flight? Well, wish granted! Hot, tan, rugged looking European man at 10 o'clock. Awesome :-)

Mom made me a yummy breakfast of polenta and raspberries! We got on the road at 9:00am – giving us just enough time to get to the MSP airport and arrive about an hour and 15 minutes before take-off.

At the check in counter, I find out that I need a visa to get into Australia since I have a flight there in October from Christchurch to Sydney. But, the nice lady says that as long as I apply for that visa before I go to AUS, I should be fine. Phew!

I had to take the shuttle to Terminal 2 in LAX. The weather in LA was beautiful!! Heat wave I tell ya! I spent a little time walking around outside and even saw the airplane as it taxied to the gate.

Apparently I needed to apply for a visa BEFORE I left the USA to get into Australia – and it cost $25! :-( So, NZ is free, but Aus charges it's visitors...already, New Zealand has one up on Australia *wink.

I went to exchange my $ for NZD. The lady at the counter just goes, “So, $183.20 to New Zealand dollars then?” And I'm like, “yeah! How'd you know?” She goes, “Didn't you say NZD? And I'm like, “Nope! You must just be able to tell.” Apparently, I am glowing “NEW ZEALAND” or something... :-D

~~~~~~~~ FAST FORWARD!! ~~~~~~~~

I AM ON THE PLANE TO NEW ZEALAND!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Oh man, I don't think anything could happen to bum me out...just can't stop smiling!! I think about where I'm going and all the fun I am going to have and I just have a perma grin on my face :-D

I have a couple things making this flight even more “grin” worthy :-)

1.) You know when I mentioned that there was this rugged, sexy man on my flight? Well, as luck would have it, he is sitting right in front of me to my left. I KNOW!!! Lucky me!

2.) I have always wanted to have a drink on a flight, but have never done it because either a.) I was underage... or b.) it was too crazy expensive! But, apparently Air New Zealand is AWESOME and has complimentary alcohol during the flight! So, I got a Bloody Mary (to ease my headache...) and woah...strong little guy it was!! I guess my meal didn't register as vegetarian, even though I requested it, so the attendant had to fix something different/special, but it was going to take about 15 min. But, about 45 minutes later, I was tipsy and really hungry! Hehe, I think they just got busy with other things and forgot. No worries... Dinner was really yummy – Queesh, asparagus, roll, crackers and cheese, and a tasty berry dessert. Now my tummy is filled! Nap time :-)

3.) Watched a movie via my personal tv in front of me :-) It was a NZ flick called “Shark vs. Eagle.” So cute!! And the main singer from “Flight of the Conchords” played the main guy! Not sure if they have NZ flicks in America, but if they do and you get a chance to check it out, I would recommend it! Gives you a little Kiwi flavor :-)

Well, as I listen to techno music and glance over, on occasion, at the beautiful man next to me, I start to get sleepy. I think it's time for a little shut eye. G'night!

There must have been something on my mind...

Chuck Taylors? check.
Toothbrush? check.
Sleeping bag & novel? check & check!

Today was a whirlwind of last minute errands and goodbyes. As I drove to the mall, I pondered which clothes I would be getting rid of when I went through my backpack for round two...stoplight...stop...go. HOLD UP!! Still a red light! Sheesh...there must be something consuming my thoughts today... Arrive at the mall, all in one piece (phew!) and proceed to buy two shirts and two tanks tops. Definitely something I need more of for the trip...oh lord...

I bypass getting a haircut and a bikini wax...maybe I would have had enough time had I actually took the time to start the packing process last week instead of two days before departure...yep - Madame Procrastination is not my friend right now.

As I cruise on through my neighborhood, it starts to hit me a little...the fact that I'm leaving. For a year (+?). Holy shit. A WHOLE YEAR?! How will I have changed in a year from now? Where will my friends be living? How many buildings will be built or torn down in the next 12+ months...? *Deep breath*

I spent the entire afternoon unpacking, repacking, rethinking, unpacking, rolling clothes, packing...and finally ZIPPING! My life in a backpack equals 33 lbs. Wow!

Played a fun, family game of Pedro before my Bon Voyage dinner with a group of Eau Claire friends at the festive Mexican restaurant "Azul Tequila." This goodbye business is definitely not easy stuff! Yet, it still doesn't seem to be quite sinking in...this bittersweet feeling of leaving the comfort of the known for the glorious adventure of the unknown is...well...a bit unsettling - but exciting as hell! I say, "bring it." :-)

Too excited to sleep but too exhausted not to...it's time for the full effects of, yep, you guessed it - jetlag. Alarm set for 6:30 AM. Night all!

The woes of packing...

Well, it's coming down to the wire! My best intentions of packing this weekend were to no avail. I kind of feel like I'm procrasting studying for a huge exam, but once there's enough of a pressure from Father Time, I buckle down and do it!

My packing list is loooong. So, I decided that I would pack everything that I need and also WANT to pack today - then sleep on it. Then tomorrow, unpack everything, ask myself, "Now, do you reeeeeally need this???" and take out more stuff. Bear in mind that I am only bringing one travel backpack with me plus a purse. Packing light is the name of the game! But for a whole year's worth of stuff?? Ei-yi-yi...

I also booked my hostel today! Figured I'd find a place to stay for my first three nights in Auckland and recover from the two days of stale airplane air, airport food, and time zone changes. Hopefully, get my bearings and meet some fellow travelors :-)

Kiwi's know what I'm talking about...

I thought I would put in a quick note about some of the words and titles I've used to create my new blog! Since I've just learned what they mean, I am assuming it would be a good idea to fill in the rest of you! So, here goes:

"Kiwi" - Actually, a flightless bird living in New Zealand; today, New Zealanders are also called "Kiwis" - so, I'm planning to meet a lot of them :-)

"Tramping" - Stop you're worrying, I will not be selling my body all over New Zealand to fund my travels... "Tramping" is a word used by the Kiwis to refer to hiking, along with backpacking and camping too - something I hope to do a whole lot of!

"Aotearoa" - This is the native name for 'New Zealand' used by the Maori people. The Maori are indigenous population of New Zealand. Aotearoa means "the land of the long white cloud."

Inspiration via a silence bath

I had the absolutely wonderful pleasure of meeting one of my all time favorite writers on Thursday - memoirist extraordinaire, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray Love." This book has been an inspiration to women (and a handful of men ;) world-wide and certainly made an impression on me during the spring of 2006 when I was a freshman in college. Liz writes brilliantly and has a superb way with both the written and spoken word! She was a delight to talk to, listen to, and enchants the soul of all those in her presence.

Liz asked the whole troupe of people who had made the trek to see her one of her favorite questions - "If you had no responsibilities, limitless funds, and an entire year, where would you travel too?" Well, if you're reading this blog, you probably already know that I asked myself that exact question (minus the "limitless funds" part...) a few months ago and decided that it would make my heart immeasurably happy to travel to New Zealand and spend a year wandering, working, meeting, introducing, and playing throughout the country. So, late one night in November, while browsing travelocity.com, I found it. The flight. The departure date, arrival time... Destination - Auckland, New Zealand!! And, at midnight, I clicked the "confirm" button on the screen with a shaky and FLIPPIN' EXCITED!!! finger. One step closer to the adventure of a lifetime. Holy crap.

Despite having over two months to do research on places I want to visit and things I want to do (ummm...everything.), I simply haven't. I've taken the "flybytheseatofmypants" approach to planning. My "plan" is to meet some awesome travelers and locals, find random work doing random things with random hours, and just living in the moment. A fellow traveling friend of mine said "If you plan too much, you'll just set yourself up for disappointment" and I have to agree. So, for all of you who are thinking "Go, Anna, go!!" - right on! :-) And, for those of you who think I'm nuts...you might have something there...lol. And mom, I'll spend the $14 USD per night to stay at a hostel for the first couple days in Auckland. xx

But, although I haven't done much physical planning, my mind has been on the move with the mental stuff. Leaving home and everything that's familiar to me will pose definite challenges. But, I'm excited for this voyage of self-discovery and feel so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to take a year of my life to go off the beaten path and hack, tramp, and lose my way through the weeds and bush and what have you. I look at this next year as a time to discover and develop the person that I am and want to become. It's going to be incredible, terrifying, thrilling, and normal all at the same time. And I cannot wait!!

So, today's Saturday. I leave...Wednesday. Sheesh, I better start packing!

*Note - "Silence bath" is a phrase coined by Liz Gilbert for the time you should take each day for mental and physical renewal. Whether it's an actually bathtub soak, meditation, petting a cat, or a snooze, silence baths do wonders for the psyche and all in all, make you a much more pleasant person to be around. "The shit works." :-)