Finding and Engaging the Flow

 I was at my sister's house on my visit to America and low and behold, I saw the familiar cover of a copy of my most favorite book "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield sitting on her bookshelf. I had given it to her years ago as a gift, and now, it called out to me, it looked me straight in the eyes and almost leapt off the bookshelf and into my hands. It was telling me that it was time to re-read it.

That's what it does, this book. It comes to you when, and only when, you are ready to receive it's gifts. Sometimes it sits on your bookshelf or your bedside table for months or years, and sometimes it finds it's way straight into your world like on this occasion. One thing is for certain, this book has a hidden agenda for who it reaches and when. That's the magic of it.

In the last 15 years since this book found it's way into my hot little hands, developing my spiritual awareness and the quest for true love have become the central focus of my life. Not surprisingly, the first led me to the second.  Now what? I feel as though I have become distracted, disconnected with my truth for some reason. I've settled in nicely to life I have manifested for myself, and I am incredibly grateful for all that I have and all that I have become. The time, however, has come to examine and re-define what I want from my life in this next stage because now I know I am capable of more and maybe need to do less. It's time now for another spiritual evolution.

I thought it would be a good idea to re-read this book since I am about to embark on my 5th 7 year life cycle as it helped me so much with my 3rd and 4th cycles. This book has brought me closer to my true self. Other books I've read since it have helped me to develop more clearly the idea of spiritual and personal authenticity. The Celestine Prophecy laid the groundwork for my growth. Now it's time to revisit my foundation and see how I can re-model with the new building materials I have acquired.

Reconnecting with this book has meant reconnecting with my spiritual self. It has meant taking the time to be more consciously aware of who I am and what I am here to do: and by here, I mean on the Earth, in Fiji, in New Zealand, in my family, in my relationships, in my head.

Re-reading the book has forced me to see through the things that I think define me (some consciously and some not) and taken me right back down to the root of my core being. It has an amazing way of helping you to connect with yourself this way and I am so grateful for the very talented writers who are capable of writing books that inspire introspection and self exploration such as this. This particular book does so with an uncanny ease as it is written in the form of an adventure story which makes it easy to pick up and hard to put down. It also makes it very easy to pass on to others.     Every time I read it, I find myself explaining it's insights to others whom I think would benefit from them. I tend to pass the book on to someone else, hoping that they will find the time to read it (when and only when the time is right for them) and then pass it on to another who might pay it forward and so on. The Celestine Prophecy has never spent any time at length on my bookshelf except for before I read it. I simply wasn't ready for it when I first was given it. Besides, it wasn't originally intended for me at that time in my life anyways! I read it when I was ready, and I'm ready again now.

This time around, I have been paying more attention. The first 2 times I read the book, I took it all in and then looked for the signs after it's completion. This time, I'm reading it and being fully aware of my surroundings simultaneously. This is the way I feel the book is meant to be read, although sometimes it can be very hard to do. This book must be read slowly, with your full attention and full awareness. Every paragraph that relates to the prophecies must be read carefully and fully comprehended before moving forward. To read it thoroughly is to truly benefit from this wonderful book. To read it consciously is to find the flow.

It's pretty easy to find the flow here at the Fiji Beachouse. There seem to be many like-minded people around who either "get it" or seem to be on their own personal path to "getting it". Travelers have this wonderful air of openness and adventure to them so it's no surprise that being surrounded by them has increased my energy levels and allowed me to feel more connected with the spiritual part of myself that I seem to loose touch with from time to time. I'm convinced that this trip to Fiji has been a necessary step in re-engaging the flow of energy in my life.

It can be draining trying to stay connected with this energy all the time. When you know it's out there and it's just up to you to tap into it, you feel kind of guilty when you are too lazy to put yourself out there or to find a way to plug into it even when you know you will benefit from it. The book suggests that every person you come into contact with has a message for you and that you in turn have a message for them. I too believe this to be true. With a roster of 30 staff and regular guests plus the 100 guests that filter in and out of the Beachouse on a daily basis, you can see how it may be difficult to offer your attention to everyone. I've learned to pay attention to my intuition and when I feel drawn to talk to someone, I do. Fiji time has afforded me that. I give them my time, and they give me theirs and there is hardly ever any rush. This is when we can truly uncover the messages that are meant for us.

Since I've been here, I've been leading a yoga class most days. I'm not a yoga instructor but I do feel comfortable leading people and I'm pretty confident with my basic yoga skills. I have been incorporating little energy lessons from the book and the yogis have been loving it, especially some of the boys who have never practiced before! They are looking forward to yoga every day and I feel happy to be able to give them something to look forward to. It's my little way of trying to share the energy I'm taking in here. Call it my energetic contribution to the Beachouse, but it feels like my duty. I feel that this is the work that I'm here (in Fiji) to do. There's something really nice about being able to give people something that they otherwise wouldn't get (or maybe wouldn't pay for) and watching them reap the benefits. It seem as though some sort of teaching might be the next evolutionary step for me. I'm not quite sure of the exact discipline I'd like to teach, but I think I'm on the right track. I think I'll explore the possibility of doing my yoga teacher's training course this year. It feels right. It feels like now that I've engaged the flow as the eighth insight of the book outlines, there's no stopping me!

The beach, the boat and the banter

It didn't even take 24 hours at Fiji Beachouse, and I was already starting to feel like a footloose and fancy-free traveler again.

The first morning I woke up, I found myself sat around a table taking in the ocean views deep in conversation with a combination of practitioners here on a workshop about Chinese medicine along with some volunteers on a break from Green Peace's boat "Rainbow Warrior". I love meeting people from all walks of life, especially those doing things I find fascinating. The Beachouse seems to attract these types of people.

While the vast majority of the occupants are 20 somethings stoping over during their travels around the world, there's also a nice mix of people our age, some older and even some families. Let's just say meal time conversation is always dynamic.

Mick's boat is coming along nicely. He's making good time considering the fact that some of the most important materials needed took a couple of extra weeks to arrive. About 2 weeks ago, he'd finally found and paid for 8 pieces of good quality plywood. He waited patiently for the ply to be delivered only to find out that 6 of the 8 pieces had been sold a second time to a buyer with cash and way to transport the goods! Luckily, he found some replacements! Lesson learned. Bring cash...take today!

We feel so very fortunate for this amazing situation in which we have found ourselves. It's just so easy here. We have no dishes to do. No meals to cook. Not even laundry to wash! It's like taking an all expenses paid break from the hum-drum of everyday life! Everyone has taken us in quickly and we feel like we are establishing some shallow roots here for the time being.

The weather has left a bit to be desired to be honest. Most days so far have been overcast and a bit rainy, but a least it's warm and tropical...still beats the brutal cold of Wanaka right now so we can't complain too much!

We've been out on the boat the last couple of days and Mick has been surfing and I've been taking photos and fishing. We caught a couple of fish and fed our new found friends fish and chips the night before last. It was a nice feeling to be able to provide something special for them.

A few of the friends we have made through the week have left today. There are 4 or 5 that are here long term so we're getting to know them a bit better which is nice. It's a transient place indeed, but it's kind of nice to have a surprise mixed bag of visitors every few days. Definitely keeps it interesting!!

We had a nice 2 hour Sunday morning chat about politics, the economy and climate change. All topics that are so interesting to discuss with people from all countries and walks of life. So far so fun. Live music tonight...can't wait!

What home feels like

My heart is full. What a beautiful whirlwind of travel it has been over the last 4 weeks. Spending time with family and close friends in my home country is always so incredibly soul fulfilling. I am continuously amazed at the amount of time and effort my loved ones put in to make my time at home so special each time I make the journey back. 

This past trip I felt particularly fortunate as I found myself jetting around from place to place spending beautiful quality time with my nearest and dearest. Whether it was extended weekends on the beach or just an afternoon on a sunny deck, I feel as though I have been refilled and once again. My cup overfloweth. 

I don't have too many photos of these moments, but they are all painted so clearly in my mind. 

• Listening to my beautiful sister play music to brighten the lives and calm the souls of young and old and being present to witness her explore and grow into the best version of herself.
• Attending the wedding of my fantastic cousin and getting to be a part of a very special day in his life along with my dad and sister sharing love and laughter with my dad's family. 
• Wandering the streets of Portland Maine trolling through thrift stores with my girls and sharing our excitement over treasures we found.
• Watching some lobstermen bring in their haul of fresh lobsters at Marshfield harbor and finding a few gorgeous specimens on my plate to enjoy with my mom and Auntie.
• Eating tunafish sandwiches on a hot sunny day at the beach with my bestie and watching her girls dance around without a care in the world trying to imitate my Michael Jackson moves.
• Reconnecting with Sarah and Sherm and meeting the little man in their lives and recognizing something in him so familiar, so beautiful and humbling. Knowing that he is the leader of the next generation of Team Fun.
• Seeing my beautiful niece grow into a young woman and share so many similarities to my sister and I. She is the perfect blend of us both.
• Picking the brains of my extended family to begin piecing together my heritage and genealogy to better understand where I came from and where I might be heading.
• Sitting on the sun porch in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee soaking up the knowledge of my dear Nancy while she meanders around all of the pertinent questions which she just somehow knows are the right ones to ask. 
• Sharing a bed with my Auntie and feeling connected to her again without having to say a word.
• Understanding and witnessing first-hand the yearning for change and the determination it takes to make it happen from my dear friends Richie and Alison and being overwhelmingly excited for them in their next adventure.
• Seeing my immediate family all together once again to share a beautiful Father's Day breakfast. (Ok, this one I really wish I had a picture of!) 

These are some of the moments that I will never forget. This is why it is important to come home and reconnect with the part of you that can sometimes fade. Rediscovering my soul's imprint and the origins from which it came. We need only a few weeks to sharpen that image and take it along for the next journey. It is grounding. This is what home feels like. 

A Warm & Welcomed Blast from the Past

It's been a LONG time since I posted anything but I promise...I do have a plan to get back on the horse and start writing...in fact, I might even write a book over the winter! Cha!

I just was searching through my email for something from somebody whose name started with an L and serendipidously, Lily Galli's name appeared in my "from" line. So I thought I'd share this email with you. This is an email that Lils sent out to all of her friends and family from when we were traveling around Vietnam.

It was wonderful for me to re-read this email in her voice and to picture her beautiful little face as she typed away at a cafe in Vietnam sharing her stories with her friends around the world. Thank you gmail for providing this little slice of sweet sweet Lily for me this Wednesday morning. Just what I needed!

 "We are in central Vietnam now - the exact place that flooded 3 weeks

prior - from a Typhoon, (doesn't look like it now) where the water

came up to the rooftops - a place called Hoi An. The beauty of some of

these 3rd world countries is how quickly they can recover &

reconstruct things.

 We spent 2 nights in Nha Trang the beach capitol of Vietnam.  You

don't even need to leave the beach for anything - they will give you a

massage, pedicure, manicure, tiger balm, jewelry, sunglasses, all

kinds of shit you don't need, but would consider (especially when the

women selling these things are 90 and have no teeth - you just feel

bad).  Unfortunately, Kristi and I were not there best customers when

we wanted nothing, except to sit on the beach and relax.  We just had

to ignore them or speak Spanish.  Our last night in Nha Trang we ended

up going to some really fun clubs and dancing our asses off (you know

it's a good night when Kristi does the worm and I let my hair down and

do the booty shake from side to side).  Of course this entailed heavy

drinking and dancing with some West Africans.  At the end of the night

Kristi and I stumbled home, and a motorbike guy asked us if we needed

a ride.  We were so sick of being touted that I (in a drunken stupor

started climbing a tree), needless to say I scared him off - he must

of thought we were crazy (poor guy).  We booked a boat tour for the

next day that basically stopped off at four different islands where

you could could do gaper activities that become novelty & fun when

overseas: snorkeling, getting in the water and hanging out at a

floating bar for free happy hour drinks, free lunch, socializing, and

so on.  I, however could not enjoy these activities, as I was too hung

over and then became seasick.  Lets just say I cursed the fact that I

even decided to step foot on the boat.  6 long & sicking hours later

it was over.  Kristi had a good time and it looked like a lot of fun.

 That night we took a bus over night for 11 hours (although this bus

was not officially a sleeper bus we made it one) Kristi and I had top

the line neck pillows, virtually allowing us to sleep anywhere.  Good

thing we had those neck pillows and took half a Valium, because the

bus driver blasted Vietnamese Christmas carols all night on volume

9000, with a running Vietnamese video of God knows what playing in the

background.  Not to mention the bright lights that remained on the

entire time, and the jerky stops that flung our bodies out of our

seats.  Before you knew it - it was morning and there we were in Hoi

An.

 Hoi An is a dangerous place because you can make any article of

clothing - designer knock off stuff for practically nothing.  You can

show them a magazine picture of a designer suite and they can

replicate it in hours.  For an ex-fashion buff like myself this was

dangerous.  A kick ass black fitted pinstripe suite, pea coat &

matching skirt, and tailored jeans later - I'm ready to get back on

the bus.  Just to give you an idea - my suite only cost $50 bucks -

unreal (and it looks good!)  Hoi An also has a beautiful beach and

buildings with immense character: yellow and turquoise buildings that

are hundreds of years old, french quarter style - with mold and moss

growing all over them.  This town is quaint, and you can ride bicycles

everywhere - which we have.  This town also has amazing wood carvers

and a tasty dish called Cha Lau (which is a lot like pho - but

specific to the area -they make a great vegetarian rendition).  This

pace is charming!  Kristi and I have mastered the art of froger -

where you walk very slowly across the street so the motor bikes don't

hit you.  The truth is they will NOT stop - so you just have to go for

it and hope for the best.  It's kinda fun riding among them now.

 Tomorrow morning we take a bus ride to Hue (spend the day there),

and then take a bus overnight to Hanoi.  After that - Halong Bay, we

are so excited for that.

Until later...

XOXO,

Lily"

Miss that girl...

Lucky in Love & Life

Every little girl's dream is to get married. What they might not realize is that in order to make all of the best parts of the wedding celebrations happen, she needs an incredibly generous and dedicated collection of friends and family by her side. I am lucky to have that amazing compilation of people in my gifted life. 

LIfe is a bit different for me these days. My life in New Zealand is simple, sustainable, and to be honest, pretty detached from the outside world. I'm not living in need of anything though, that's for sure! I have a roof over my head (a pretty nice one I must say!), a computer, clothes in my closet and all of the basics I need to live a comfortable life. I just don't have that many extras. I don't have things I don't use. In fact, I have a rule: if I don't use it in 6 months, I get rid of it. And I hardly ever buy material things brand new. I'm proud of myself…I like it that way now. It wasn't always that way though. 

As a girl, I always longed for material things so I could fit in with the cool (rich) kids. I wasn't rich though, or so I thought! What I failed to realize was that I was rich in balance and love, the two most important abundances in life. 

My parents always gave us everything we needed. We had a beautiful home, a pool, nice clothes and a gifted lifestyle surrounded by wonderful family. I wanted a bit more, so I got a job as soon as I was legally able, and started saving money to buy the clothes that would gain me the admiration of my peers. I wanted a car, my own car, so I worked hard to get it. I was frugal and bought designer surplus items at department stores and second hand when I could find them, and always consigned my clothes I wasn't wearing to have a little bit of spending money for my new purchases. All of these things taught me the value of money and hard work and motivated me to to do well in life and to find a means to get what I thought I "needed" to survive life as a teenager at Marshfield High. It was a fabulous time of discovery and individuality. I learned a lot about what I was capable of during those years. They were some of the best years of my life, and I don't regret one second of it! 

While I'm still the same girl at heart, my needs have changed now. I have simpler tastes and more of an appreciation for where things come from and how they got to us. I would much rather buy at yard sales and thrift shops and be stoked about the bargain I got. Gone are the days that I would even consider buying a $48 tee shirt because it said A&F on it.  I'm not saying I don't like nice things, because I certainly do. I'm only human! I love getting dressed up and going out to share a nice meal with family or friends at a fancy restaurant. I love window shopping in expensive stores even if I wouldn't consider buying anything. I love looking at magazines and daydreaming about what my kitchen and living room would look like if I could afford to buy brand new furniture. I went and tried on a $7,000 wedding dress with no intention of buying because I thought it would be a fun! Hell, we even took a limo into Boston for the day! Talk about over the top! But I loved it. I loved every second of it. Herein lies the conundrum. I think I've mislead people to think that I need those things to be happy. 

I think I just have two separate lives now, and I'm okay with that! It's kind of like having an apartment in the heart of the city and a holiday house in the country. The interesting part to me is the people I consider the closest can easily cross over from one of those lives to the other. They are either family, or I've chosen them for that reason I think. It's important to be able to adapt to situations in life and to fully understand the cliche "when in Rome"! To not accept that is to miss out on some of life's little gems. So why do I feel kind of like a hypocrite?

I'll tell you why. I was spoiled for the last 2 weeks in America, and I loved every second of it! I had manis and pedis, got taken out to dinner more times than I can count, and got whisked all over the state to spend quality time with people that made an extraordinary effort to make time for me. The women in my life particularly have astonished me. I'm amazed at their loyalty and ability to never let me down. They made it all happen regardless of what was going on in their lives. Whether it be post-op pain, financial hardship, small children in need of attention, husbands who probably felt like they were put on the back burner, demanding work schedules and most of all, distance! A lot of gas money and travel commitments went into spending as much quality time with me while I was home as possible. 

I am eternally grateful for these wonderful women in my life, and it makes me miss them. To know how much they love me. To know that they would put their lives on hold no matter what the consequences. To know that they would go out of their ways to put a smile on my face and a tear in my eye, is simply extraordinary. I think I must be the luckiest girl in the world. I think I must have been born with a horseshoe up my ass ;)

This is a tribute to all of the women in my extended family. Thanks for spooling me rotten and for keeping traditions alive in our family. Thanks for loving me. I love you more and will never forget all that you have done to make me feel so special and so loved. 

Finding the Groove

I think you know you're in the right place when you look forward to coming home after a holiday away. I used to feel this way when I lived in Tahoe, and I feel it yet again.

Our trip to Australia was great. We spent lots of quality time with Mick's brothers, mum, and his best friends. We took in the sun, saw some live music, and even fit in some yoga and a meditation! It was really nice to catch up with our neighbors down under, but I must say, coming back felt good, especially because we have a beautiful new home to come back to!

Getting off the plane in Queenstown, New Zealand is always breathtaking. I had to laugh when the Captain of the plane assured maiden voyagers to the Queenstown airstrip not to be alarmed by the proximity of the plane to the "land features." It's the kind of landing where you are glued to the triple paned plexi-glass window the entire time. If you are in an aisle seat, man are you missing out! The view on both sides is absolutely stunning, and if you are afraid to fly, probably the last thing you want to see.

Jagged snow-capped peaks surround you on all sides, and if there is any wind (often flights get diverted due to the high winds), you're in for an adventure. It would be an understatment to say the landing was a bit turbulent. The landing strip is probably all of 1 kilometer short as well which made for an abrupt stop. Its so short, in fact, that when we were taking off on the way to Oz, we completed a full 180 degree turn on the spot!

Enough about that. I don't want to scare you all away from flying into Queenstown! It's the flight of a life time, I promise!

Anyway, when we got home and unpacked and turned our phones back on after being away for a week, I noticed that I had received a text from a friend asking if we'd like to come over for pot luck and a ukulele session! What a warm welcome home! What more could we ask for?

The Uke session has now become a weekly event. 6 of us girls (and our partners) get together and play songs together. We teach each other songs, and every week try a few newies. We just might be good enough to perform by the end of the season! Who knows! Jolene by Dolly Parton and Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show are two of our faves! I think we're starting to sound pretty good!

We are gearing up for winter here as well, literally! We have been collecting gear from various second hand sales and shops, and are pretty much ready to rock! Now we just need snow. It's been in the high 60's here for the last week. Not that I'm complaining, but some of the ski fields are meant to open this weekend, and it's not even cold enough to blow snow!

We had our first dinner party at our new house last night too, and we had an interesting crowd here. We had an incredible 94 year old man named Ludwig over along with 7 others. The Asian-themed dinner was fabulous, and the conversation even better! Ludwig used to be a professional ballet dancer. He and his wife who was a concert pianist used to perform together. He also joined the circus back in the 30s as a trapeze artist! He was truly an inspiration to us all, and incredibly with it.

It's the beginning of my favorite time of year...pot luck time! Wanaka is a great place for dinner parties and the ever-so-popular pot luck is in full effect come winter time. I love it! It's such a great alternative to going out to bars and blowing money on overpriced drinks. Everyone gets right into it and is innovative and creative with their dishes....you could say it even gets a bit competitive from time to time!

So we are settling in and "finding the groove" here again. It feels so good to have a proper home again. Pip moves in a week from today, and we are so looking forward to having her here. She is a great friend and an inspiring house mate!

Stay tuned for more. I'm going to try to get back onto a regular update every couple of weeks!

PRAY FOR SNOW!!

Funny Business

Hello Friends!

Here is a movie trailer I put together on my new Mac about some friends we have made on the west coast and a little surf comp they put on a couple of weekends ago.

It's been a while since I've posted as we have been getting life sorted down under here! Also, I must admit, that Facebook has been supplementing my blog posts. I'll try to get better at it. It's just one of those things....the longer you leave it, the harder it is to play catch up!

Here it is in a nutshell. We had a great summer here. Mick and I are sorted for jobs and season passes for the winter. We have moved into a gorgeous new house, and we've got a couple of aces up our sleeves. More on that later.

Enjoy the trailer!

Blessings.

New Zealand 2010

Our adventures in New Zealand 2010!

Slacker....

More to come...gettin' back on the horse!

Dirty 30!

Woo Hoo! Mick succeeded in throwing me the best New Zealand birthday party ever! We hiked 2 and a half hours out to a Aspiring Hut in the mountains along with 20 friends (unbeknownst to me!) and celebrated Lord of the Rings Style! What an awesome time with amazing people. Just a taste of some of the photos to come!

My actual Birthday was yesterday and I couldn't have asked for a better day. It's been a late winter here with snow coming non-stop in the mountains. Yesterday was the only break in the storm, and I had an epic bluebird powder day for my Birthday! How cool is that? Amazing when things work out that way. Thanks mother nature!

Fun and Games!

Well, well. Where do I begin. Life here in Wanaka, New Zealand has been everything I've dreamed of and more! So much has happened in the past few months that brief list of highlights will have to do!

I've been extremely busy working both jobs, both at Treble Cone as a "cafe assistant" and at Lone Star as a Maitre'D. Let me run you through that real quick. The job at TC is pretty cruisy. 3 days a week I basically serve, smile at, and clean up after skiers and their families on their holiday vacation...you can imagine that can go both ways. Some days it's really fun, and others you marvel at how people can be so ignorant and messy. 3 evenings a night, I work as a Maitre'D at Lonestar. That's been pretty fun, and we are like a little family there. Lots of hugs and Hi 5's. I get really well taken care of there, and have been given the added responsibility of Events Manager (for which I've been through a 2 day course). I hosted my first event, The Burton (Snowboards) Open Party almost a month ago and it went off without a hitch! It was great fun, and I have a few more events to plan before I return home for the holidays. Between the two jobs, I'm getting to know most everyone who's anyone around town pretty quick. It's such a small town, that it's not uncommon for me to serve someone coffee or share a chair lift with them during the day and show them to their table at Lonestar at night! Pretty funny.

We've been making some really strong bonds with our friends here. Jess and Pip (above) are two of my best girl friends here...as you can see, they're pretty fun! It seems like we have had pot-luck parties and costume parties galore lately. It's rare that a week goes by without a gathering of some sort which involves a costume or home made goods! Right up my alley! You all are aware of my love for making things and getting dressed up! Speaking of parties, Mick had his 30'th birthday party. My friends and I threw him a surprise party and, man was it fun. It was hard to hide it all from Mick, but of course I pulled it off! I managed to even sneak upstairs and make him a costume in between jobs and while he was sleeping! The theme was "under the sea" since he is such an ocean baby. I dressed as a Sea horse and Mick was an Angler Fish (see above photo! It's a scary looking deep sea fish with a light-like antennae attachment...can't you tell?) All of our guests got dressed up as well. Now you know who is going to be turning 30! Where has the time gone?

So between parties, (that there's a photo of me from my TC staff party dressed as a Tui, a native NZ bird), management classes, art auctions, work, and a whole lotta snow sliding, we've been pretty busy! Mick's been keeping himself occupied with lots and lots of paiting and has been brewing his own beer too! Yummm. Our lease is up at the end of October, and we are trying to figure out our next strategic move. There is talk of returning after the holidays and staying around for the long lazy days of summer, however we haven't set anything in stone. Next step, get through the rest of the season and get home for the holidays. I don't think Mick will be accompanying me to the US this time, as funds are tight, but I'll be there for sure. Wouldn't miss it!

I love love you all and miss you to bits!

It's Snowing!

The view from half way up Treble Cone
The view from the top of the hill in our neighborhood!


The road to Treble Cone...I'll be driving this 6 days a week!!

Yes, that's right. Winter is near! The snow has begun here in New Zealand and I couldn't be happier about it! Let's back up though, I think I need to set the scene!

Mick and I are getting nice and settled into the hobbit house. Did I mention that I'm in the midst of reading "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy? What an amazing feeling it is to read those books whilst living here in New Zealand! Where we are living actually corresponds with where I am in the book right now, which is too cool!

We have secured room mates that are moving in on the 11th! They are a really nice couple from the UK and Canada and we think they'll work out great. For the meantime though, we are enjoying the house to ourselves while they travel around the South Island! We swung a deal with them to pay 1/2 the rent for the month and it's worked out great for us to have the place to ourselves for a bit! Much needed!

I have secured two jobs for the winter! I'll be working up at Treble Cone Ski Field 4 days a week which will get me a season pass and will get Mick a partner pass as well. I will also be working 4 nights a week at a restaurant called The Lone Star Cafe which is an American style restaurant that is a franchise here in New Zealand. They've been great to work for so far and it seems like they will be willing to accommodate my other work schedule. I'll be a busy, but hopefully happy girl! I just need to make sure I have enough time to snowboard!

Well, that'll do it for now! We'll be having a look around this weekend so I'll try and get some new photos for you!

No Longer Homeless!

The Lake and Mountains at Wanaka
Our living room!



Woo hoo! We have landed! Mick and I are proud renters of 9 Kowhai Drive, Wanaka New Zealand 9305. It feels so good to cook in a kitchen, wash dishes in a sink, do the laundry in a washing machine and take a shower in your own bathroom! Not to mention sleeping in a proper bed again! These are the things that you truly appreciate after 5 months on the road! I'm sure some of you can sympathize!

The house is exactly what we were looking for in the cutest little ski town I have ever been to. Tahoe was my first love, and I think Wanaka will be my second!The job search is still on. I'm interviewing for a position at Treble Cone Ski Field on Monday and Mick is doing some labouring work building a school within walking distance from our home. So all is good in Hobbitland. Oh yeah, I took it upon myself to start reading "The Lord of the Rings." I figure, what better place to read it than in New Zealand where the movie is filmed, right?

So we are happy frappy living a life of real adults again. We will be here until the end of October, so if anyone is in need of a snow-fix this winter, we've got 3 spare beds ready and waiting for you!

Kaikoura = Paradise

And we have officially arrived. I can't even tell you, our timing couldn't have been better! We are currently in Kaikoura, a name that means "lobster ocean" in Maori, and we have finally scored some of those little buggers! But let's back up a second here.

Our first priority after finishing the apples was to head for the coast. We couldn't have landed in a better spot than Kaikoura. The day after we got here, a huge swell came in making for epic waves for Mick to surf his little buns off. It had been nearly 2 months since his last surf, so needless to say, he was ecstatic!

The point break (surf lingo) is surrounded by beautiful mountains with a dusting of snow and the ocean is filled with beautiful seafood. What an abundance! Paua is the NZ version of Abalone (the shell is where mother of pearl comes from and lots of popular jewelry is made from) and the snail like creature that lives inside is so incredibly tender...especially when you pound the heck out of it and fry it in beer batter! And then there's Lobster!

Mick's been up to his survivor-man antics again making a hand spear out of straightened fish hooks, a bit of straight willow branch and some bungee rubber. He's made a makeshift diving weight belt out of rocks and socks. Don't worry, I've been filming it all for the documentary that I'll make on backpacker survival skills someday. He went free-diving yesterday right next to a seal colony (where the lazy little fella you see below lives) and caught a few lobsters!

YUM! He fashioned a crude BBQ grate out of some chicken wire that we found on an abandoned campfire and we had a feast! Watch our Bear Grills, Mick Coonrod is hot on your tail!

Did I forget to mention that I've had a video camera this whole time? I've gotten some awesome and selected footage so far. We'll have to have a little premiere when I get home!

So that's the hap's on the craps. Next we are heading to Christ Church which is the nearest big(ger) city. Stay tuned and enjoy the photos! I'll be enjoying the lobsters!

On the Road Again!

That's right. No more apples! We were able to bank around $5000 in a month so we are cashed up again and ready to go! . If you check the map above (click on it to enlarge), you'll see where we are and where we're heading. Right now we are in Nelson at the top of the south island. We will be heading over to the Kaikora coast (which means lobster in Maori!) and then to Christchurch and over the Queenstown from there! Should be one helluva trip over the next 3 weeks. We are in queue to see some beautiful things including 2 glaciers, a famous mountain pass and of course miles of virtually untouched coastline! I can absolutely promise some photos in the very near future from some of these beautiful places so stay tuned for those.

I must say, over the past month whilst picking apples, we learned quite a bit about being "homeless" or as they put it in New ZEaland "freedom campers". For example, since we were living in a "van down by the river" we didn't have access to a shower. In lieu of showers, we bathed in the river every day, which got a bit cold in the end, with biodegradable soap! When we really wanted to splash out, we'd drive to nearby Nelson for a $2 hot tub and shower at the local public pool! Never underestimate the power of public facilities! I know, most of you are thinking public showers, yuk! But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! And we did it well! I never thought I'd be proud of being homeless, but NZ is a great place to do it!

Happy Earth Day and feel the hugs!

Horrid Little Things, part Deux!

Yep, so it's starting to sound like a bit of a trend us going back for a second go at picking fruit. That's right. We are officially apple pickers once again. Without boring you with variety types, quality control and good stem samples, I think I'll digress into some of my favorite New Zealand and traveling in a van nuances. It's about time I got a little personal, eh?

Mick has discovered that the feathers and yarn that I use to make my beanies and headbands work extremely well for making flies for fly fishing. Crafty little bugger!

Dr. Bronners (smuggled in from America!) works really well for everything. At current, we are washing our bodies, dishes, hair and sometimes clothes with it. Can't beat all natural bio-degradable soap! We're almost out!

We love camel toe. For those of you who aren't familiar, socks and flip flops. Need I say more?

We now have a homemade art easel. It lives strapped to the Oh Sh*@ handles in the back of the car along with our 3 fishing rods and 2 head torches.

We have a totally of 5 cds in our possession, which is not nearly enough considering the fact that in any given rural town (most of NZ) there may only be 2 stations that come in loud and clear. Ali, Doug and Jena's mixes all make the list. And a 2nd hand Amos Lee cd we got at the op shop.

The outdated National Geographic count is up to about 10 now. We scored some for 30cents a piece the other day. Great reading and easy to tote around! And pass on!

Auntie Liz's envirosacks serve one heck of a purpose. One is my "purse" and the other is a tote all for our weekly shopping! Thanks Auntie Liz!

I hold three letters in my "purse" that I read from time to time when I'm missing home. One is from Auntie, one from Ali and one from Nancy. These words are priceless. Thank you.

The list goes on and on, and from time to time I'll include a few others. Just to give you an idea of what life inside the van/house looks like.

All is good. Making money and living life one apple at a time! Misses and Kisses to you all!

The Forbidden Fruit!

Now that we've finished picking those horrid little things (actually, they were quite good, I should be nice) we are off to the South Island! Marlborugh County here we come!

We plan on picking grapes for a couple of weeks and then heading down to the southern alps to look for jobs and accommodation. The south island is meant to be much more beautiful and even less people live there than they do here on the north island, so it's gotta be gorgeous...literally! Fiords and snowcapped mountains everywhere and endless treks and beaches. Ooooh, I can't wait!

We have a 3 1/2 hour ferry ride tomorrow where we'll take the van and all of our belongings with us. Today we will be staying in Wellington for a night with some friends we met along the way. Not a bad place to have a friend since it's a pretty big city!

Aaaaahhhhhples!

Here's a few photos to start. The top is our new friend Billy. He lives right down the road in that little goat house. Poor thing. He loves a scratch between the horns!

The second is an iconic Koru. This is the baby form of the tree fern which is everywhere in NZ! I actually did a painting from this photo and I must say, it came out pretty damn good!

The third is, you guessed it...me catching a fish.

We've got jobs and a place to live again, so life is good! We've landed jobs as apple pickers :)  in Hastings. Along with the job comes a share house complete with our own caravan (a bit mildewy but roomy just the same!) not to mention a full kitchen, hot tub and would you believe even a sauna? Oh, we've also got all the modern convieniences such as television and a washing machine! Woo hoo! Super score. 

We are sharing the house with 7 other international backpackers. We've got 2 French, 2 German, 1 Brit, 2 Czechs and 2 Norwegians just left, so it's quite the hodgepodge of nationalities! The work isn't too hard other than the fact that you have to climb up and down a ladder all day with 7 or 8 pounds of apples around strapped to your belly like a pregnant lady! We're already the 2nd best pickers next to the Czechs who have been doing it for a month now! So we're pretty good. I'm just waiting for one of the apple trees to turn on me and throw an apple at me like in the Wizard of OZ! The best part  is that we'll make enough money in the next couple of weeks to get us by as we get situated on the South Island. I don't mind a bit of hard work, especially when we can eat well and watch the Olympics at night time! It's quite funny with all of us internationals sitting around the tele watching our respective countries competing! I'm proud to be an American for sure! Go USA! I've been thinking about introducing the idea of an Applympics next weekend. I've already come up with a few good ideas like apple bobbing and lawn bowls with apples! Should be a good time. 

We're off for the weekend, and it should be good fishing so we'll see if we can't get down to the beach and catch a couple of fishies to keep us going next week! That's it for this one, stay tuned!

Change in Plans

Change in plans: So I kinda failed to remember that I tweaked my knee on the last trek therefore making it hard to do a 3 night 4 day trek 2 weeks later. So, we started on our wonderful excursion, and had to turn around an hour down the track. So disappointed...

Don't worry, I'm fine. Just need a bit of downtime for a while that's all. I didn't want to chance it with my knee and be sore for ski season, so we turned back. The trek was meant to be amazing, and we got to spend a bit of time in the area otherwise. The good part is that we had a really nice time in Mahia where the surf was going off, so Mick was stoked. And, once again, met some amazing people!

I failed to mention last time that I'm really getting back into a creative phase in my life. I've started painting again, have been knitting and crocheting my buns off and have been writing a bit more as well. It's nice to always have a project going, and I've been really enjoying the creativity of it all. Being creative just increases your self worth a bit!

So we are hoping to find some work for the next couple of weeks doing some harvest work aka fruit picking :( but I don't mind doing a bit for a few weeks if it will help us on our way. I'll keep you posted once we find some work!

Sorry, no pics this time...damn library computers!

Ah, the People!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the people you meet when yo travel are what really makes the trip. Here we are again, in a beautiful house, warm, clean and welcome in the home of some folks we've met along the way. Actually, they're quite the interesting gang! Himali is a doctor, Ian is an aid worker (shipping out to Haiti next week!) and his twin bother Jim is a studying Theologist. Kind of reads like the beginning of a joke, doesn't it? You can just imagine the conversations we've had since we've been here. The three are such a wonderful combintaion of human beings. As Ian put it last night, they all help people in some way or another. Ian the mind, Himali the body and Jim the soul. They've got all the angles covred!

We feel so lucky to have met them as Ian and Himali have allowed us to stay in their home for 3 nights in a super comfy guest bed with access to the internet, shower and washing machine! All much needed after nearly a month on the road. Ah, the comforts of a stationary dwelling! Now we're cleaned up, recharged and ready for a few more weeks on the road. Oh, I forgot to mention that Ian just 'happened' to have a full snowboard set up the fits Mick perfectly that he has given us to take n our journey. That doesn't happen every day! Man, we must be doing something right! Someone loves us up there becuase our prayers have been answered!

Now we are heading west to Ragaln, a legendary surf break and then over to a place called Waikaremoana Lake for another 3 night 4 day tramp (aka hike) around the scenic lake staying in huts along the way. You can bet on some sweet photos from that trip so stay tuned. Remember, we met this group of wonderful people on our last tramp!

In closing, I'll just say that if you ever find yourself in the position to help out a traveler and give them a place to stay and a shower for an evening, please do it! Pay it forward. It will all come back to you when you need it. This is how the traveling community works, and you have no idea how much it's appreciated!