You can't even imagine.

IM SO SORRY IVE BEEN AWAY!! I can't say that it has been hectic or stress has averted my attention from blogging...it's more that i've have been enduring relentless relaxation here in Raglan. Buuuut, to humor you, I am now sitting indoors on a sunny day to update you on the going ons.

Where was I? Did I tell you about Queenstown? Yes...yes, well. Kessy and I stayed in QT for about a week...and what a fabulous week it was. She was in search for a van (with a bed in the back), and through this ordeal, we met some truly amazing people. We spent the beautiful days hanging out on our balcony, looking up at the Remarkables (a vast expanse of mountains covered with snow), slacklining in the sun (sort of like tight rope walking a foot off the ground), going to bbq's and all sorts of other adventures. But, individually, I DID skydive from 12000ft. I simply cannot describe the experience...the freedom completely enraptured me. My heart was beating a million miles an hour right before we (the tandom guide and I) jumped from the plane...only downer: SO COOOLLLDDD!!! My face felt it was about to fall off...but! for all you lucky folks near the SF region when I get home...you will be able to see an epic epic DVD of my jump. Hold onto your shorts kids.

Driving up the west coast was a bit of a pain, considering the four day long, non-stop rain storm that seemed to follow us no matter how fast or slow we drove. Let me tell you what...sleeping in a small van whilst the rain beats against the glass and the wind wreaking havoc blowing the van back and forth...not a fun thing. Those four days, I simply had no sleep. Not that I got a lot of sleep anyway, but those four days were brutal.

Finally, we make it through the clearing in Tekaka, a small little hippy artisan town on the northern tip of the south island. There, inspired by such artistic vibes, we bought paint and proceeded to paint the van. My side complementing my personality, and Kessy's hers. We also painted quotes on the sides of the car that we felt best represented our feelings of our trip.

My quote was :

"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." -Lord Byron.

We also went to a local bar called the Mussle Inn in Tekaka, where was met ALL locals. One local (or his family) owned a camp ground called Hang Dog, which was primarily for rock climbers. Just my luck! AND it was only $5 to stay there!!...AND...we desperately needed showers (which, in case you were at all interested, were practically outside...and COLD!). But the family that ran the place (different from the family that owned it), were sublime and the husband took Kessy and I rock climbing the following day at Paynes. It felt good to hold desperately onto rock again...even the sharp bits. We then made our way, slowly, to Nelson (where we went to a pretty cool reggae show), then to Picton. This is where I leave Kessy, for she was running out of money and needed a job (which she got very easily...at a 5 star resort that can only be accessed by boat...). The following day, I hopped on a boat to Wellington, where I stayed for a night. I can honestly say, after being "in the wild" for an extended period of time, being back in a big city was daunting and uncomfortable. I'm not saying i'm Chris McCandless or anything, but the moment I stepped off the boat, I desperately wanted to be back in the van, sleeping next to a lake, surrounded by mountains, underneath a vast blanket of millions of stars, peeing in bushes and taking baths in glacier runoff. But, I was making my way towards Raglan once again, and to do so, I had to make sacrifices, such as staying in a dorm room in Wellington with 30 other people. Serious bummer, brah. BUT, about a week and a half ago, I finally made it to Raglan. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Sunshine (for the most part) - though the rain wasn't unfortunate...the plants need drinks too!! I surfed a bit too...until my surfboard knocked me upside the head under water, resulting in my fear of water to come crashing back...needless to say, I haven't been back in the water (surfing) since...but this isn't entirely a bad thing...OH! we had an amazing mudfight the other day...at low tide, we found an ideal mud patch, and wrestled and played volleyball. The little rocks and shells were of no concern to us, really....that is until we got into the hot tub. Little scrapes and cuts EVERYWHERE...burning! So...when you see me next time and I'm bruised and bloodied...don't be alarmed. This is simply proof of my amazing New Zealand experience. See you soon!

xo

West Coast NZ

Kessy and I have been driving up the west coast of the south island in new zealand for the past few days. She bought a van (whom we named SYD for Syd Barrett) with a bed in the back (which we have decked out in zebra print)....so we've been driving and driving, seeing the sights, and at night, finding ideal camping spots, usually next to a lake or some sort of body of water, and mountains surrounding us...and the best bit: on a clear night, when there are NO clouds in the sky, and no lights from cities..you can see the endless amount of stars glimmering above you. It is the most breath taking sight you will ever see...more than glaciers millions of years old, more than towering mountains covering in snow, more than ice blue lakes...to realize how small we all really are. yet not insignificant..only small; but, as said in lord of the rings: "well, you are very small...perhaps you're right"

Right! well..an update: KEssy and I stayed in Queenstown for a little less than one week. IT's a cute little ski town that realized its summer potential. It is situated on a lake, surrounded by mountains...and simply beautiful . And the people!? Can I even mention the people there? It still amazes me how NICE and genuine everybody is here...I keep on thinking a trick is being played on me. But alas..this is not the case. There is kindness in the world when you look hard enough. After kessy bought her van (and I agreeing to be navigator and gas payer in return to hitch a ride with her)..we began our journey north. We passed Wanaka (the clear night with a million stars), Haast (cannot remember much about it) Fox and Franz Josef glacier (Fox was spectacular but we were unable to visit Franz due to the ongoing rainstorm..that is STILL going on!!!) , then we stopped by Shantytown, a gold mining and logging town fromt he 1800s that still holds in old charm...and buildings. Kessy and I panned for gold, dressed up in old dresses and took old photos (with a gun and cocktail..typical)...
Now, as the rain continues to pour we are in Greymouth, and hope to quickly move upwards towards Nelson, where we will stay a few days before I head up to Raglan again for some surfing!!! :)
PS...if you can find it...check out the current issue of Kiwi Surf Magazine..apparently I'm in it :) SWEET AS

PPS.did i mention i jumped out of a plane at 12000 ft?!?! YUP and it was AMAZING! could most definitely indulge in such a sport more than simply once :)

Caving and Obama

I've left Raglan :( It's like a cooler San Diego. Quiet surfer town...small cafes, beaches, nice (and good looking) folks...just an all around awesome place. I have a feeling i'll be back.

Kessy (my German friend I'm traveling around with) and I went to Waitomo Caves the other day. We both slept in my one person tent, which was a bit cozy, considering I put the tent on a hill and she kept on rolling on top of mE!! But, it was beautiful there (yet a bit on the boring side)...but we were there for one reason and one reason alone...to go CAVING! So the next morning, we wake up VERY early to head on over to Waitomo Adventures for a 10 am blast off. The adventure we partook in was called Haggas Honking Holes...why? I have NO idea...i think some guy by the name of Haggas discovered the cave. Anywho...for four long and cold hours we abseiled down three waterfalls, going further and further underground. Then we turned off our headlamps and looked up to see a spectacular array of glowworms right above our heads. To get back up and out of the cave, we had to rock climb up up up. My specialty!

After our little adventure, we took a bus to Taupo. Unfortunately, this is the moment where Kessy and I fall sick; she a sore throat, I a bad headcold...but this will not deter us!!!! It was quiet fortunate for us that today is election day in the US, because we needed our rest. So, with the wonderful view of Taupo lake resting in front of us, we watched the election unfold, and to our unending happiness, discover OBAMA IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT!!!! ahhhh what a day...What...a...day...

so...new zealand so far!

This is my fourth day in new zealand. i have thus far spent three of them in auckland, which was amazing. its a big city...of course, with the big city feel: shopping, eateries, bars and such...And something like the space needle in Seattle called the Sky Tower. Walking around, I was a little bored, so i decided to jump off it. Something like base jumping, but with a wire...so wire jumping. It was AMAZING!! My body thought it was going to die, but my mind, knowing i was attached to the wire, calmed my body down, for the the 11 second free fall, i enjoyed the view. Preparation for the imminent sky dive :)
I have met alot of people here thus far...most of them from Germany. So I have learned some German which i will undoubtedly forget by the trip back home.
The weather has been pretty eh...cold...and sometimes wet. But my friend and I hiked, in Auckland, up Mt. Eden, which looks over all of the city. It was amazing. The city is simply sprawling. And GREEN GREEN GREEN! I was hoping to also see a Maori ceremony there as well, but I just missed it by 10 minutes :( no worries though, there are many others. It sounded fascinating though...we heard the drumming and chanting through the closed doors. But we did go to the Auckland museum, which kind of looks like the White House , and studied the amazing Maori carvings and artifacts. It is a truly incredible culture. Unfortunately, it is being forgotten, but New Zealand is doing all they can to aid in the protection and rehabilitation of the culture and language.
Today, I traveled two hours south to Hamilton. The ride on the bus was through undulating and sprawling green hills. Hamilton itself is VERY small, and honestly, not much to do here. I am hoping to go an hour west of here to Raglan, a beautiful coastal surfers town...with, so i'm told, very good looking surfers...here's to hoping :) heh
That is that thus far...but I will update my blog every few days!! Thanks for reading!! xoxo

I'm off on another whirlwind adventure

Just a minuscule blurb: I'm off to New Zealand today. It has been that one place i've ALWAYS wanted to go, and now i'm finally going! See...dreams DO come true :) Anyway, I'll be writing blogs periodically on my 7 week adventure. Hope you check in and check out what I'm doing and where i'm going...and be jealous. be verrrrrrrrrry jealous. I would be...if I were not myself. heh.

many x's and o's

Learning Thai

Though Thai doesn't have conjugations for tenses, plural or gender, it is a tonal language. So take away one hard thing about learning a new language and replace it with something even MORE difficult. Not that it's a complaint. Just...another mountain.

I'm not frustrated by it. Simply nervous. Apparently, after the three months of training in Thailand, if the Peace Corps does not think you are ready, they can send you home. So, not matter what, I am preparing my butt off to learn Thai, and Thailand's customs and culture...there is NO way they are sending me home.

ma y-sa-baay for the moment, but i'm sure everything will be fineeee

All you need is...?

The current dream, which is to turn into reality within a month or so...: Go to New Zealand. Perhaps work as a ranch hand for part of the time.

Most people lives incredibly boring lives. By the time they're forty, they have nothing to say for themselves. "I have worked hard, gotten paid...lived in the same damn place for 10 years...Haven't met anyone new outside my group of friends i've known since, practically, infancy..."

Boring.

I refuse to give into boring.

For a large part of my life, I have done what people expect me to do, and think in terms that follow those closest to me. And though I felt quite individual, for the most part, I have quickly realized that I am a product of so many things outside of myself, that has nothing to do with who I actually am, or will be. So my conclusion is such: adventure. I have come to realize myself at least that much. That is all I need. Adventure. And all the realization, soul searching, and whatever else...that will follow in its own time. So screw politics, screw attitudes, screw cynicism, screw boredom, screw lingering love, screw the Ma-Chine...just eff it, eff it all. Just give me LIFE

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire" Aristotle

boom de ah dah!

I love the whole world
I'm off to discover it!

The beginning and end

'I want to make a revolving door that says "PULL" on it'



So I'm leaving New York City. Adios my friends. You have been my lifeline, my lobsters, in this daunting city of 'ours'.
I have 7 more days left. What will I do? Finish my internship at Urban Climber Magazine. See a meteor shower. Run around in pretty dresses. Kiss. Love. Drink. Perhaps find Demetri Martin and tell him I love him. I hope he hasn't cut his hair.
San Francisco, here I come. For how long, I don't know. Before ending up in the peace corps...I have a few ideas. Perhaps a 24 day trek around Everest in the Nepal region. Or, if I am convincing enough, to work for Tico Times in Costa Rica. We shall see my friends.

Ciao for now.



"No stone throwing regardless of housing situation...unless you're trapped in a glass house and have a stone, throw it. In fact, it's PEOPLE in glass houses that should throw stones...given that they are trapped"