August through October. Spring has finally arrived. These past few months have been surreal.

My best friend, Lauren, came to New Zealand to see me in the beginning of August for ten of the most memorable days of my life. I had been anticipating her visit before I even left to come on this trip.

She finally arrived after 26 hours of traveling and when we reunited in the airport I felt like she had just brought a piece of home to me. She was all smiles and excitement, even after the long journey. It was great to finally see her.

During her ten days, we managed to truly live it up!! First on the list was Skydiving over Queenstown and one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I’ll never forget sharing that experience with her.

It was Lauren’s first jump, which only amped my adrenaline and fear. We finally reached 15,000 feet and when they slide the door of the plane open, I’ll never forget Lauren’s voice as she repeated, ” Oh Shit. Oh Shit. Oh Shit.” I got to watch her slide to the edge and be rocked out of the plane. My anticipation was building. Knowing what to expect didn’t relax me, if anything I was more nervous. The jump was better then the first time and when I reached the ground I couldn’t wait to see Lauren!

New Zealand is the adventure capital of the world so during her visit I packed as many activities as I could into ten days. We went ski/snowboarding at Coronet Peak and Cardrona during the Burton Open, took a helicopter to the peaks of the Remarkables mountain range, relaxed in hot pools, shopped in Queenstown, sipped cocktails in Minus 5 Degrees Ice Bar, went off roading in a Land Rover to an old gold mining town, and partied like rock stars!!

It was one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand. After Lauren left, it was back to work, snowboarding and living on a tight budget. I was beginning to plan my return home. I had been planning to come home for the holidays but while I was on this side of the world, I had been hoping to see Australia before I came back to the states. A plan to travel to Australia with my friend Tom slowly started developing and has led me to decide to spend my first Christmas without my family and come home at the end of January. I definitely need some summer sun before I head back to winter at home!

I lost my job. It came as a huge shock. Very unexpected. So much for it being like a little “family.” I was sadly mistaken. I was fired unfairly and it’s just one more lesson learned on the books. Luckily for me New Zealand has so many laws to protect employees. I think it will come as a surprise to my boss that I am standing up for myself and not letting him get away with treating someone the way I was treated. I have learned so much from experiences similar to this and it’s nice to have the confidence to not just walk away from an uncomfortable situation.

So after loosing my job it really broke my spirits down. But in the end it has given me a chance to really enjoy the rest of my time in Queenstown and New Zealand. It it truley going to be hard to say goodbye to all the AMAZING people I have become so close to here.

I haven’t written a blog in awhile and part of that is I have really settled down and no longer feel like I am traveling. I have started a life here and it has been difficult to get motivated to write about the things that feel like everyday life to me now. But I am still far from home and now I am on my own in New Zealand. Ali and Caitlin have gone home. It’s really given me the strength and motivation I needed to know that I can start a life anywhere. The endless possibilities and the unknown are driving me everyday.

I’ve settled into life living in Queenstown. After three weeks of being turned down everywhere for a job I was finally lucky enough to snag the perfect job for me at a surf-snow-skate shop called True Grit! It’s a great shop and being that there are only four employees we are like a “True Grit family”!! The recession has really hit Queenstown hard and our store has taken a big hit. Quenstown is dependent on tourists for majority of it’s business and the number of tourists this year has been down.

I have also experienced an incredible reality check for commercialized businesses taking out the little guys. True Grit is a small surf shop and we have been selling Quicksilver and Roxy gear for years. This year, right as Queenstown’s winterfest (a huge festival that lasts 2 weeks and brings in a lot of tourists) began, the Quicksilver-Roxy store opened. Now we have to work even harder to stay afloat.

I have been working there for almost 2 months and can proudly say that my hard work for the store has paid off and I have just received a RAISE!! My boss has also told me that I have been one of the best sales people in the store and really appreciates all the hard work I have been putting in. What a difference this job has been in comparison to shooting weddings and events but sales has always been one of the things I have struggled with so it really goes to show how you can take any job and really improve yourself and learn something that may help you in the future. I’m proud to say that I never want to do any job half way and it’s paying off in Queenstown!!

So enough about my fabulous job. On to the really important stuff. AKA SNOWBOARDING!! I have always despised winter but when I decided to stay in NZ for the entire year,  I wanted to make the best out of the situation. Queenstown is a ski town and thankfully with the help of some amazing friends in college, I had already began to fall in love with the snowboarding. I never had much opportunity to excel at the sport being that we would only hit a mountain a couple times a year and last season I had a broken foot to top it off, so I wasn’t able to go at all.

This was my chance to really get into it and prove to myself that i could do it. It’s one of those sports that is very mentally challenging. It takes more confidence and vision to really get it down. Everytime you fall, it can be challenging to force yourself back up especially when the falls are painful. You have to overcome your fear of getting hurt and really go after it. But nothing compares to that moment when it all comes together and your riding better then you ever thought you had it in u to do. For some people it may come easy,  but it was something I really had to work hard to get good at. It is something that goes along with my ideals of being in New Zealand and the ideas I am coming home with about going after your dreams and not letting things, especially fear hold you back. It’s never to late to learn something new and by the end of this season, with the help of some truly amazing boarders I will hopefully come home with some skills that I will have forever.

So, I have finally found a reason to look forward to winter. I still hate being cold, but it’s all worth it when you get to the top of the mountain, strap into your bindings, free your mind, let go of your fears and shred some snow!!

Team America. The Bug Backpackers. The southern sky. Hostel Life. Camping. “Party Girl” Searching and finally finding gummy bears. Learning to cook. Counting change. Job hunting. Packing fish-sticks. Unbelievable Views. Getting used to the taste of milk. Backpacker’s closet. “Cannonball!!” Breath taking landscapes. Keeping warm by the fire. Tramping. Driving J-Dub. Meeting people. Making friends for life. Short walks. Long Hikes. “Get involved” Making Fiejoa Vodka. Running out of phone credit. “My little chickens.”  Couch Surfing. Eggy bread. Watching tractors get stuck in the ocean. Abel Tasman walk. Water Taxi’s. Teaching Levi to shotgun a beer. Being woken up by chainsaws. Ali pumping me up and not letting me give up. Dancing under the stars. “Your cool like the other side of the pillow!” Spooning with Ali and Caitlin. Hokitika Wild Foods Festival. The Alchemist. J-Dub struggling up mountain roads. Crampons. Eating worms. Flour-less chocolate cake. Learning to open beer with a lighter. “You know the score.” Champagne for breakfast. Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane on V-day. Staring contest champion. Telling jokes on the beach. Cave photo-shoot. Best fish and chips ever. Being homesick. Petrified forests filled with penguins. Switching lenses. Being chased by a sea lion. “Zat is zee best” Dodgy people in the McDonald’s parking lot screaming at us. Throwing bottle caps at the wall. Give Way. Watching Kung Fu Panda in German. Caitlin’s terrified screams while jet boating. Not being allowed to eat the fresh bread at The Bug. Nashi pears..ummm. “Never above you…never below you..always beside you.” Ma Poole. Standing in a line of 500 people competing for 50 jobs. Jumping in Lake Hayes from a sketchy rope swing. Taco night. The camper-van of love. Gertrude Saddle hike. “Drink like it’s water” Throwing rocks to make sparks. Making up constellations. “Pay it forward” Fireplace at the DuxLux. Living in the Chicken Coop. Friendship bracelets. Chasing shots with real honey comb. Running in the rain in 5 degrees Celuis. Sandflies. Following my legend. “Rahdy Rah.  Fearless. “Hey Bro. Chip for a chop bro?” The sound of the Waves rocking the cliffs of Curio Bay. OCD Boss. Cleaning toilets, scrubbing ovens, mopping floors, making countless beds…Ahhh the hair! Hoover not vacuum. Being roped into an ice cave on Franz Joseph Glacier. Shoes freakin’ me out! Picnic by the lake. Teaching Ali how to drive manual. Making a pyramid at the lookout. Making Sushi. Kayaking through a river of rocks and no water!  Road trips. “Good effort mate” Salvation Army shopping. Saying goodbye with tears streaming down my face. Getting drenched in Milford Sound by the waterfall the boat drove us into. Discovering connections. Mick’s questions.   Simplifying English. “I mop.” Laughing until I can’t breath. Sand sweeping across the beach and stinging our bodies. Running full speed into the ocean. Flying down the dunes. Breaking a vodka bottle with a knife to get the fruit. Ping-pong doubles. Being called the “Golden Girls” in Golden Bay. Waking up to photograph the sunrise. Watching everyone skip around The Innlet. Piling massive kayaks on J-Dub. Rum and Raisin ice cream. Sleeping in the car. Being chased by cows. Living it up in the sunniest city in New Zealand! Tripping out of the car to open the gate. “Always a pleasure, Never a chore.” Catch Phrase. Attempting to throw a rugby ball. March Fest. Caitlin’s glow when she talks about Marcus. Countless rainbows. Learning to speak spanish.Pull-tab beer caps. Ali’s unlimited energy. Girl’s nights in the Chicken Coop watching chick flicks. Being sent a package of champagne and hell’s paste.  Epic mountain mission for a 2 minute run. Feeling like a fashion photographer again. Proper English breakfast… AKA plate full of protein. Sugar Plum- Bran Muffin. Kuss Mich Bitte. “Your the most colorful thing that I’ve seen” Almost getting killed looking the wrong way to cross the street. Zeitgeist. Discovering new vocabulary.Watching Ali cross the finish line in Gore. Hans & Lars. Schnuckiputz. Wet fire wood. My Burton Secret. Rocking hiking boots everywhere! Hippie skirts courtesy of Caitlin designs. Cheap wine. Watching hundreds of fish-sticks fly past me on a conveyor belt not being able to put them in piles fast enough. ”Cheers Mate.” Making Ali laugh until she cried. Kiwi generosity. Gary’s 200 GB music library. Worm sushi. Searching for the Southern Cross. Counting countries.  Sharing a cell phone. Learning Ceroc dancing. The most amazing six course dinner EVER! Ohhh the accents.! Drinking tea with honey. Sharing the best PB&J at the top of Ben Lomond hike. Snowboarding. Kings of Leon. “Sweet As” Getting lost. Being lost. Letting go. Being found. Wishing some things didn’t ever have to end.

erse

I just wanted to post some old photos of me and a couple friends, Emilliano and Gary,  doing a blues dancing photoshoot. I just found a dance class in New Zealand. It’s called Ceroc dancing and it’s similar to swing dancing. There’s still nothing quite like blues dancing but  either way it gets me out dancing!! Realizing my true passions and true joys in life has been an amazing journey. I can’t wait to come home and start dancing again but until then I have found something to keep me smiling ;-D

So much to share about my new jobs… So many stories… more to come soon!!

Hi Hannah, Emma, and Sara. I hope you guys have a great time in Jekel Island. It’s one of my favorite places!! Just wanted you guys to know I was thinking about you all the way in New Zealand!! Maybe I can say hello through a web cam chat. I would really like that :-D

Every day something makes this trip more unbelievable then the next day. I know I can’t write about everything. No time, but the last couple of days have to be documented. Where to begin…hmm. We left Queenstown and headed back to Wanaka, which is where we went skydiving. A very beautiful small town that was on our way up the West Coast.  So our adventure on the West Coast of the South Island began.

We had been living it up in Queenstown but knew we would have to put in some hard days of camping. Or maybe not right away…! We called our friend Brett who we had met the last time we were passing through. We met up for dinner and then decided to take in Wanaka’s famous huge monster cookies and went back to watch a movie and chill. After hanging out we were getting ready to leave and Brett offered us his two big, beautiful, soft, squishy couches!! We of course said yes. A couch can become your best friend after sleeping in a tent. Trust me! So another night of couch surfing. Thank you Brett!!

We left Wanaka fresh and ready for the West Coast. We stopped at Fox Glacier for an afternoon hike to a viewpoint of the glacier. We had seen Rob Roy Glacier but this glacier was incredible. (I’m really having trouble finding better ways to describe New Zealand and I’m running out of adjectives because everything truly is amazing.) We saw the glacier and decided that we could easily make the drive up to the next glacier along the West Coast, Franz Joseph. So we hit the road and planned to camp there instead. Well, Ali had a friend from home that knew someone who was working in New Zealand in Franz Glacier as a glacier guide. We had e-mailed him and our luck was with us again when we caught up with him just two days shy of him leaving to go back to the states. We met Johnny that afternoon and he invited us out on the town. He graciously offered to take us up on a private guided tour of the glacier the next day. It’s one thing to see a glacier from a distance but entirely different to become one with it. We had a great night but nothing would compare to the adventures of day two in Franz Glacier.

We met up with Johnny and he hooked us up with the gear we would need to climb on the ice and off we went. We had to race in front of a 20 person guided group so we wouldn’t get caught behind them and slowed down.  He took us through the woods on a short-cut trail. We had to literally hike up a waterfall. It wasn’t huge but slippery and difficult to climb at points. We came out the other side and had managed to create a nice distance between us and the other guided group. Score! As we approached the glacier, every step made you feel smaller and smaller in comparison.  Only in New Zealand can you find a glacier that spills out into a rain forest….

Every morning the guides come out and carve steps into the ice to aide in climbing up the glacier. What an intense job.We reached the bottom and put on our crampons, which are things you strap on your boots to help you climb the ice, and received some words of wisdom from Johnny about the best way to climb the ice and walk up and down the ice safely. The stairs were upon us and learning to step into the ice so the crampons would grip it was difficult at first but really fun. Johnny described it perfect when he said it was like stomping around the ice like a four year old throwing a fit. What’s not fun about that?

We climbed all over the glacier and Johnny was giving us the full-day guided tour in four hours. We were booking it up the glacier. We strayed from the track to find some exciting Carvines and ice caves along the way. We could only hope and trust Johnny with our lives as we climbed on edges with at least 40 ft drop-offs and holes in the ice that if you fell into, you would never be heard from again.

Johnny found an amazing ice cave and screwed a rope into the top and explained to us how to descend safely into the cave. At first I wasn’t sure this was something I was willing to do. I have been facing so many of my fears but this really felt crazy. I watched and listened intently as Johnny explained what we needed to do. Then I watched him disappear. I had no idea where the cave ended and where it would take us but I took a deep breath and just made the decision that this was going to be worth letting go of the fears creeping up inside me and just do it.

Caitlin went first and all I knew was I didn’t want to go last. Caitlin had been really nervous about climbing the glacier and Johnny had been great about making sure she felt ok and gave her a hand when she needed it. Ali and I took to the ice like naturals and eventually were running around like we had been doing this forever. Johnny took Caitlin into the cave but that also meant Ali and I would have to do it without his direct guidance.

I grabbed the rope and stepped into the hole. One stomp…digging my foot into the ice, descending each foot behind the next making sure each step was gripping into the ice. Following Johnny’s instructions was key. I was half way down to the bottom and decided I would feel a lot better if Johnny came back to help make sure I reached the bottom in one piece. I probably could have done it on my own but I called out to him and when Johnny appeared at the bottom, all my confidence was restored.  With Ali watching from above I reached the bottom.

Now this cave wasn’t dark and was probably only a 10-15 ft descend but looking back up you knew it would be far harder to go back up the ice the same way you came down. I knew we would be able to walk through the cave and come out the other side but not being able to see, gave me an uneasy feeling. I made it to the bottom and Johnny and I watched Ali make her way down. Melting ice falling all around me, I found myself between two walls of shear bright blue ice. The path on the way out was very thin. Some places were so tight you had to walk through sideways. We climbed out the other end and I looked back. Deep breath. That was beautiful and terrifying and really gave me a new appreciation for life and nature!

We continued our hike up to the middle of the glacier. When we finally reached the top of our journey, we all just took in the spectacular view.  I’m so happy I had Ali and Caitlin to share this with. That moment will stay with me forever.We made our way back down the glacier with our new found bond. Another day in New Zealand, another great adventure. Thank you Johnny! You rock!! It was amazing being able to share this experience.  See you back in the states!!

With blisters on my heals and sore muscles, we decided to go to the the hot springs to relax and recover.  Alex, another great guy we had met who actually went to University of Delaware (small world), was life-guarding and was able to get us in under his”friends and family” discount. Perfect end to a perfect day.

We were relaxed and exhausted as we headed back to our campsite. All we could think about was closing our eyes and having a peaceful sleep in the tent. Did I say Peaceful? What could have been my first great night’s sleep in the tent, quickly took a turn for the worse.  And when I describe worse, what I really mean is a nightmare! Literally!  I zipped myself into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I was awoken by people screaming and a loud motor. Wide awake… thoughts racing. “What was that sound? It came again…and again. What kind of motor is that? Maybe a motor bike? What was that guy screaming about?”

The unrecognizable motor kept stalling out. All of a sudden, the sound was unmistakable. It was a chainsaw!! I sat up. More yelling. “Are they serious right now?” As the fear crept up, I couldn’t decide between my blood boiling with anger and fearing for my life. It really was a chainsaw and the sound didn’t stop. I got out of the tent and discovered a bunch of crazy people in the campsite across from us having a party and cutting wood for their bon fire. What selfish jerks. There goes trying to sleep. I wasn’t about to go talk to some crazy guys in the woods with a chainsaw, so I locked myself in the car and attempted something that faintly resembled sleep. Worthless.  Poor Ali and Caitlin. At one point Ali said she couldn’t tell if she was awake or having a nightmare. Needless to say, none of us slept that night.

When morning finally arrived all I wanted to do was get out of that horrible campsite and head up the West Coast. We all felt awful and needed to get somewhere that would cheer us up again. We set out on the road. We skipped passed a couple hikes knowing none of us were in the mood after our night to do much hiking.

Not to worry our luck returned and we finally made it Hokitika. Usually a quiet town, we pulled in on a Saturday afternoon. This was not any ordinary Saturday afternoon. We had just found the Hokitika Wild Foods Festival!! We had discussed trying to make it to the festival earlier in our plans for the west coast but had thought we missed it.  You can only imagine our excitement as we discovered we had arrived just in time!!

“ Hokitika’s population literally quadruples for the occasion with up to 18,000 people attending the festival. ”The Wild Food Festival is famous for the special West Coast food that is on offer. At the festival you will find possum pies, huhu grubs, ows’ udders, Chatham Island seagulls, paua titties (roe), bull, lamb and goat testicles, gorse flower wine and gourmet garden snails, and magpie pies. There is also plenty of West Coast whitebait for those not so keen to try the interesting wild foods. ” www.Destination.nz.co

Ali had a crazy idea to eat a grub. The first tent we came to had men chopping up rotting wood and pulling out these little white grubs. People were actually waiting in line to pay for and eat these gross little creatures. I could feel my stomach drop. Ali, of course, was all over this idea. I couldn’t believe she was actually going to eat a grub. The woman next to me explained to us that when you eat the grub you have to bite off his head so he doesn’t bite your throat the whole way down. Not for me! It was finally Ali’s turn. She did great, made some classic faces and the video I have of this moment will describe it better than I ever could.”

Well, we were at the Wild Foods Festival and I should have known Ali wasn’t going to let Caitlin and I get by with out eating something crazy. I was not at all about this, but when we passed the table with worms in shots of red bull Ali wouldn’t take no for an answer. I swallowed a worm in red-bull!! Gross!! And Caitlin ate worm sushi ( even more gross…blah) I almost threw up but hey one more thing I have done in NZ. It’s still hard for me to think about eating worms without feeling nauseous.

The rest of the festival was filled with dancing until all hours of the night to amazing bands and trying out tons of new things. Did I mention all the locals were dressed up n crazy costumes. It was like Halloween with dunk people eating freaky foods.

Now we’re in Nelson, the sunniest city in New Zealnd! A beautiful town. And it’s finally time to find some work. I talked to a girl about getting a job packing fish sticks. Haha! She said she hated it but the money wasn’t bad. I think I might actually do this for a couple weeks. How bad can it be? Another day in New Zealand… another day finding myself…

More to come soon. Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile!! So much more to share! And ohhh soo many photos!!

Hope everyone has an amazing St. Patty’s Day!! It’s always been one of my favorite holidays!! I will be posting my new blog in a couple days but I have been backlogged on editing photos and finally had some time to get to them. I am posting a bunch from some of the things we have done in the past couple weeks. Enjoy! Also, the best way to look through the photos is when you click on the flickr link to the right of the blog, go to the view in slide show. I know there’s a bunch but this will help you look through them faster!!

I have been truly inspired by the introduction in the book Ali and Caitlin have recommended I read, The Alchemist. The introduction in and of itself is very thought provoking and has really had a profound impact on what I would like to accomplish here in New Zealand and when I return home. 

It’s been difficult to keep up with the blog this past week because I have been living it up in Queenstown enjoying the most beautiful, sunny, warm days that make it impossible to stay inside on my computer. Today it rained. Finally taking a second to catch my breath and describe some of the things I have expierenced.

We have finally completed traveling around the East Coast of the South Island and as it happens were able to meet a new friend along the way who has given us his home to use while he is out of town. I have countless stories to return home with about how amazingly generous and down to earth people are here.  And it’s only been a month. Our friend, Gary, has given us the opportunity to stay and take in Queenstown and feel very much at home. Because of him we are able to stay here awhile longer and soak up as much of Lake Wakatipu. I feel like we are staying in a five star hotel with access to internet and did I mention the deck overlooking the mountains and the lake? Or Gary’s best friend, another Gary, who graciously took us jet boating on the lake. Sometimes life truly can come together in a very spectacular way! 

Today has been an amazing day. Even through the rain, the girls and I have had a great time. We popped a couple bottles of red wine and as we watched the rain pour down outside with our unbelievable view of the lake and mountains, wouldn’t you guess that the sun finally came out and the most incredible rainbow show appeared. Sweet As…(so far the best Kiwi saying and I don’t think you can fully understand the meaning until you witness this awesome country and the people who live here!)

The View from Gary's Deck

So to go back through some of the things that have happened to us in the past couple weeks, I have to start with our amazing time in the Catlins. I finally had my moment with the most amazing creature ever created, the penguin!! The penguins here are an endangered species of penguin called Hoiho (yellow eyed penguin) and can only be found in NZ. Surrounded by the bay and petrified forests, I spent an entire afternoon watching three penguins in their natural habitat. I was so content to sit and watch them bounce around. Super adorable. When I first got to Curio Bay there was one penguin hanging out all alone on a hill. I hung around studying him for almost an hour when another penguin hopped down the hill to join him. They both climbed up this huge rock  and began to nozzle. It was amazing watching them interact with each other. Ali and I both agreed that it was one of the most incredible things we’d ever witnessed. I was so happy as I left my little penguin buddies at dusk.

Yellow-Eyed Penguins!!

Tuck, he was my favorite <3

While traveling around the Catlins, we stopped at several bays and beaches. Walking down the beach in the Catlins, we came across sea lions, seals and dolphins. There was so much wildlife to take in. The pictures will explain and be far more interesting than my descriptions of them. Caitlin and I did happen to have a terrifying run in with a sea lion chasing us down the beach. Did I say chasing?  I mean hobbling very slowly  toward us. Although that didn’t stop us from running away like we were under attack! In reality they resembled an oversized slug more then anything terrifying and even knowing that didn’t keep me from having visions that a sea lion was attacking our tent all night when it was actually just the wind. I swear a huge gust of wind hitting the side of your tent can truly feel like a sea lion ramming you! I swear…! We did have the most fabulous campsite I’ve ever seen. We camped on the edge of a cliff where you could hear the waves crashing into the rocks below us.

Sea Lion

We arrived at a holiday park called, The Singing Frog, to camp for the night. We got there pretty late in the afternoon and set up our tent. We decided to use the opportunity of being at a holiday park, which is a campsite with amenities such as a kitchen, laundry facilities, hot showers, ect, to get some laundry done. This holiday park even had a tv lounge, so we all cozied up on the couch and watched the first movie I had seen in three weeks.  

 Just then a french guy, Levi,  showed up and we recognized him as the chef from the cafe. We all became fast friends and promised our new friend we would stop in and see him at the cafe in the morning. We came by and Levi offered to make us a six course dinner if we would be up for staying one more night. He wanted to share his skills and was unhappy with the cafe’s menu so it would be a joy for him to cook a great meal for us. He even promised a glass of wine with each course. After living on PB&J and soup for the past five nights we took him up on his offer!

Right before our six course French dinner!

We spent the afternoon in Cathedral Caves and arrived to enjoy an unforgettable meal! “Zat is zee best!” Compliments to the chef! After dinner, Levi managed to get off work early and we grabbed a box of wine and headed to the beach to see the sunset. Best part, we were on a deserted beach with no one in sight for miles as we all watched the sun fall away and the southern sky of stars take its place. Truly magical.

Our compliments to the chef. Thank you Levi!!

We jumped out of a perfectly good airplane!! Hands down one of the greatest experiences of my life. I had the option to have the entire experience filmed by a person who would jump and follow us with a video camera and film the entire jump. Of course this was something we all decided was a good idea. Looking back at the video is hilarious!! Especially my video!!

We wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a bang and I have been dreaming of skydiving for at least the last ten years of my life. As the day approached I couldn’t help but think, “Wow. This is finally going to happen and I get to skydive over one of the most beautiful places in the entire world!” It was definitely a dream come true for me.

I had been really sick for last couple days and the night before Valentine’s day I couldn’t fall asleep just anticipating what was to finally come!! If the weather is too cloudy or overcast they will not let you dive. I awoke to probably the best weather I had seen since I was in New Zealand! Blue skies. 70 degrees. There was nothing that was going to hold us back!!

We drove out to the airport at Lake Wanaka and walked into the skydive office. When you walk in they make you sign your life away and the only instruction you get is a 20 minute DVD that basically describes your body position as you are falling out of the plane. Nothing else.

As I was reading the papers everything came crashing to a halt. It said not to go if you had a cold. Damn. I knew something would cause me to not be able to go. I could tell Ali was also really nervous because when I talked to her about what I should do about having a cold she was overly willing to wait and go another time. I was super bummed. There had to be another way. Or maybe it wouldn’t be that big a deal. I asked one of the instructors and she told me that I would be fine if I could pop my ears. Of course she wouldn’t tell me that she recommended me to go but she didn’t think my head would explode if I could pop my ears. Great news. Haha. Well I figured I needed to get somewhere quiet so I could fully evaluate my final decision. I went to the bathroom and after a few moments I came running back agreeing that I would go. Cold? What cold? I wasn’t going to let that hold me back. No way. I was doing this and I was doing it today!

My tandem skydive instructor was  a fun and goofy Kiwi!!  By the way I don’t now why but I also thought it would be a great day for pig tails?!? What was I thinking. I look like I’m freakin twelve in my video, ;-D especially after the added the ridiculous hat and goggles.

We all piled into the smallest plane I have ever seen and began our journey to 15,000 feet.  All of our expressions are priceless as we sit nervously in the plane. The views from the plane were glorious! When we reached the altitude we were diving from the door opened and one of the guys who was with us and just jumping by himself for fun, dove out of the plane. Next Ali. Her instructor took her over and hung her over the edge of the plane and seconds later she was gone. My turn. Strapped securely (hopefully) to my instructor we crawled to the open door. He dropped me off the edge of the plane and I had to hang there with my head and legs back. One last breath of low oxygen air and seconds later we were tumbling away from the plane!! I opened my eyes and it was amazing.  So exhilarating!! The free-fall was 60 seconds and when the parachute opened my life went from adrenaline rushing through my veins to the most peaceful, calm decent back to the ground. The views as we flew past the lake were unbelievable.  I felt completely at peace and at ease with the world around me as the ground become closer and closer. Landing successful. I jumped up gave my instructor a hug and ran to see Ali and Caitlin.

Amazing experience. I can’t wait to do it again! I would recommend it to everyone!!! Let go of your fears and just do it!!

After our insane Valentine’s Day experience we decided it would be nice to let our heart rates return to normal and enjoy lunch and some beers by the lake. The weather as I mentioned was gorgeous and we laid around in the sun for a couple hours. We stayed in Wanaka and took in the party scene. We even attended a stop light party where I won a T-shirt for being on the best Suck and Blow team..!! The Kiwi’s really know how to party…haha!

We spent Sunday hiking up to Rob Roy Glacier. It was a two hour hike straight up a mountain. I had to keep up with Ali, an amazing athlete and Caitlin, who just completed her first Marathon in November. The hike was all worth it when we came to the top and I saw the ice glacier pouring over the side of the mountain!! It’s hard to find words to describe it. It looked like the ice was spilling off the side of the mountain but froze there. Photos soon to come!

Lake Wanaka behind us, we were on our way to the Catlins!!