Ordinary to Extraordinary: Through Child-Like Eyes

Although I get to experience an amazing country and am blessed with the chance to see all its beauty and experience the Aussie spirit of life, there are average days as well. I do go on fabulous trips to amazing places and meet awesome people, but I do also have days in the library being a student and getting my work done. I feel that being in Australia I have been better about avoiding procrastination. In the states, I would wait to do my work until it was absolutely necessary, but being here I want to get things done as soon as possible so that I can do all the amazing things that I do and still get good marks in school. University of Sydney is considered one of the top Unis in the country. It is a place where 50% is a pass because all professors mark so hard. I got a 70% on a case study in one of my business classes and was upset, but my friend only got 20%. An Australian told me that what I got was actually a good mark and to be happy with it, it was hard to wrap my head around. I feel that I always give everything I do my best effort, so that is all I can do. Going to a top university has been quite a challenge. School is cancelled often with strikes and in my opinion the quality of teaching is a bit lower yet the grading is extremely picky. The culture of stress is completely different. American life is very fast-paced and people define themselves with what they do in terms of work. Australians don’t ever or rarely stress about the everyday tasks of life. 

I feel that this escape from my actual reality of my American life has embedded me with the spirit of a place where work doesn’t define you. A place where there is no average or common. That is what traveling does, it makes everything spectacular. Everything is special and eye-opening. I don’t take anything for granted. This is a place where an average weekend is an amazing adventure. Traveling makes you a child again, free-spirited and wide-eyed with the belief that you can do anything. Everything you see and experience is thought-provoking and the world is once again enchanting. Your greatest wish is to open your arms to the world and experience it all, if you could hug the world, you would. Every sunset and sunrise is a celebration and a captivating moment in time. You appreciate the everyday every day. I have realized how much I love where I come from and how blessed I am to live in the United States of America in the beautiful state of California. I have realized that there is so much to do in my own country and so little I know about it. It is sad, but I feel like I know more and have seen more of Australia than my own country. I used to see home as such a boring place, when I go back I know I won't. There really is so much to see and do, and it took my going away to realize that. I feel like one of my best friends now, Kristin. She moved to CA from Chicago and appreciates every little thing about California. From the way the fruit tastes to the beautiful beaches, everything amazes her. She sees beauty all around her and I feel like when I go back, we will see the world through similar eyes. 

Yes, in life sometimes it is about being in the right place. People may think home is a place, but I think it is an atmosphere and a feeling. I have learned to internalize home. I carry it with me, wherever I go, it is the place that I am. My idea of the atmosphere of home is being with all the people I love. I had a conversation with my parents today. My mother and I sang the theme to “The Big Bang Theory”, one of the classic shows played in the confines of the Campbell TV room. My jolly father told me about my car, ‘Suzy’. I felt my mood change as I spoke with them. I was delirious as I had just awakened, but I became awake and laughed loudly once again. Sometimes all it takes is a reminder of where you come from and a laugh with people that you love. It is those little things in life that make it truly special, sure these adventures are amazing, but they all must come to an end (which is in about 50 days by the way). And in this end, I will be back in the arms of my family and friends, laughing once again with the reawakening of all the little things in life that make it so very ordinarily extraordinary. 

To all my friends and family, thanks for making my life so blessed.  I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I have received throughout my journey. Love you all!

"Welcome to the real Australia", The Australian Outback: Road tripping through the Wild West Coast

Over Anzac weekend my two best friends and I decided to road trip throughout Western Australia. Our original plans changed a lot, but I feel satisfied with all that we accomplished over such a short amount of time. We drove a total of 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) from Perth to Coral Bay and then all the way back to Perth, stopping along the way to see everything we possibly could. Here is my journey through Western Australia.

We arrived in Perth on Wednesday the 24^th of April to pick up our rental car. There were some issues with actual renting it because in Australia you must be 21 and our 21 year-olds card wasn’t working, but we eventually got it all figured out and hope was redeemed. The car turned out to be the same exact model I have at home, a Toyota color sport, even down to the color. We named her ‘White Lightning’ and headed off for a week of adventure!

Our first stop was the pinnacles, which are these large limestone sand structures encompassing several miles in the middle of the desert. It’s quite majestic and somewhat overwhelming to be in the presence of. We walked along the orange-red sands and through the desert for a bit and then continued on the road. We saw some dead kangaroos on the side of the road very frequently. I couldn’t help but feel like this was the “real” Australia. We drove through the night and had a bit of a gas scare. There are no fill-up gas stations after about 8pm and we were in the  middle of nowhere. I was prepared to get out and push the car, but luckily we made it. We slept that night in the car by Shark Bay in the quaint town of Denham. I got some advice on whether to continue, but the locals thought it would be safe to stay there and wait for the gas station to open up in the morning. They said, “Welcome to the real Australia!” My friend and I sat by the bay and I realized this was my first time at an ocean other than the Pacific. I stood up and stepped into the Indian Ocean. We talked about all the travels we wanted to do and how much we wanted to see the world. Coming here I have found people just like me, we all have the commonality of a love and deep desire for travel, the wanderlust infection.

After a night not so comfortably straddling the wheel to sleep, we woke up and got gas and breakfast. I saw the sunrise over the bay and walked the sand among white shells and boats sprawled on the shore and anchored closely. Our destination for the day was to reach Monkey Mia. We got there at 8AM to see the dolphins just in time. Monkey Mia is the only place on Earth that dolphins come into shore so closely that you can take two steps out and feed them. We watched the dolphins swim by and then headed out to Coral Bay, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn on the way. We got a room at a backpackers and I concluded the night with a swim in Coral Bay.

I woke up to the day that was the whole purpose of the trip, swimming with whale sharks. Whale sharks are gentle giants; they don’t eat people, just plankton. They are the biggest fish in the sea and I could finally check off swimming with sharks from my bucket list. They are only in Australia from mid-April to June so it was necessary to do. My friends opted out because of the cost, but it was a once in a lifetime experience that I just had to do. The boat took off at 8am. We started out with a quick test dive. I saw a sea turtle and 3 reef sharks, so it was a great start. The sharks even posed vertically over a cabbage reef for a casual teeth cleaning. We hoped back on the boat and spotted a sea snake in the waters. It zipped across the top of the waters. Then it was time for my first dive with the whale sharks!! The waters were gorgeous and it was a glorious day. Planes hunted down the sharks for us from overhead to give us the coordinates. We sat off the back of the boat waiting for a signal from our guide. I sprinted off towards her and was the first one there. I saw the whale shark and swam alongside it for a bit. Some people didn’t see it; this is where 15 years of competitive swimming came in handy. In between swims a whale shark came right up to the boat, putting its head up to investigate. They are like curious little puppies, so playful and sweet. They like bubbles and will follow them out of curiosity. My next swim I got to swim alongside the whale shark for a good 2 minutes. It was so peaceful and I was in awe staring at its grace and beauty. They have white spots all over them in unique patterns. They dive up and down as they filter plankton and search for food. After those blissful 2 minutes, I watched it dive down into the blue abyss. My third swim with them I jumped off the back and it was right there, a foot away. I was in shock for a bit and then I realized how big they actually are. I was the size of its tail. The day was complete with one last snorkel on Ningaloo Reef and a yummy feast. I made friends with a couple who were both teachers and we talked about the difference between education in America and Australia and I asked them about all their travel. I love how friendly Australians are! The cruise was completed with some crabs and then a finale of a pod of dolphins to see swim alongside the boat. What a perfect day! I finished off the day with a walk on the beach collecting shells and watching the sunset. It was beautiful to see my first sunset from the west coast of Australia. The sky turned into a yellow, pink, and purple haze and then faded into darkness. The clouds were a bright pink color all across the sky; it was perfect, coral clouds in Coral Bay!

We started the return trip back early and I saw the sunrise once again. The first stop on the trip was Stromatolites. They are the world’s oldest living fossil and are the reason oxygen was created o Earth. The water was so clear as we viewed the peculiar rocks from the boardwalk. It was so beautiful.  Then we walked Eagle Bluff Boardwalk and stood on top of the cliffs edge. We got beautiful views of a bay below and Eagle Island just off the coast. Then we turned back and saw the road we were driving on amongst the Australian outback. It put everything into perspective. The next stop was Shell Beach. The entire shoreline of the beach consists of tiny, white shells, no sand. We soaked up some sun and laid out on the shells. I hadn’t brought my swimsuit down to I hopped in with my bra and undies, hey I’m only here once so I had to! It easily slipped into my heart and became my favorite beach. We eventually arrived in Monkey Mia and spent the night there. We got dinner and watched the sunset playing around on the beach. We then danced the night away in the Monkey Bar and met a 10-year-old Boy, Elvin, how we played pool and foosball with. He was quite the character. Once it was night we ventured back to the beach and looked up at the stars. We shared a chat and some laughs to conclude the night. I fell asleep to the wondrous sound of a fan, I miss falling asleep every night with one at home so this was a luxury.

The Blue Mountains: All About Attitude & Altitude

This is a slideshow I made of all the pictures from my weekend in the Blue Mountains:

I spent three days in the Blue Mountains of Australia hiking and challenging myself mentally and physically while learning in the outdoors. Nature is an entity of both insurmountable beauty as well as power. To be engrossed in it and truly become one with nature is a privilege and gift as well as a potential danger. The power of nature showed itself in these three days and didn't hold back one little bit. It challenged our group on our hikes with different terrains, slippery rocks, high hills to climb, and rainy weather. There were man-made poles and ropes to hold on the most dangerous parts of the path that required the most caution. It was easily observable how fragile humanity is in the presence of the power of nature in these moments. Nature demands respect from those who experience it and consistently reminds us that we are but a small speck in this large world and forever will be unable to achieve more power than nature, although we may have our small victories. These three days were just that, victories.

Before I had come to Australia I had researched the Blue Mountains and it was definitely on my to-do list. It was awesome to experience something I had read about and seen pictures of in real life right before my eyes. In the distance of the mountains it really did look blue as light refracted off the fine oil mist of the world’s most ecologically diverse tract of eucalypt forest. The first day of hiking I saw the expansive views across the Jamison Valley, beautiful forest views, rode the Scenic Railway and was brought up right before the Three Sisters. The second day I saw many waterfalls, a great view of gorges, forests, and cliff lines at Evan’s lookout, and Grose Valley. The third day I saw Wentworth Falls to end the trip with the most stunning natural waterfall and a swim.

The journey started in the early morning with a train to Katoomba. It took about 2 hours to arrive there. During that time I watched the scenery out my window and contemplated the journey I was about to undertake. I met up with my cabin group for the first time at the buses. They were all very welcoming and friendly and I was excited to get to know them more. We took a quick bus ride and arrived at Scenic World. There was a statue reenacting the three sisters. We looked around the gift shop for a bit and I took a peek outside to get my first glimpse of the three sisters. Then we rode down the Katoomba Scenic Railway, the steepest railway in the world at 52 degrees. It was a fun ride as we slipped down into the valley.

We learned about the history of the area as we walked past what once was a coal mine and then started our hike for the day. It started off with a leisurely stroll. We walked a path in the forest that was surrounded by art. I learned about some of the plants and trees around me and we spotted our first of many waterfalls on the trip.

The objective of the day was to reach Echo Point and see the Three Sisters. It was quite the journey to get there. We climbed the Giant Stairway. It was about 1,000 steps straight up, I counted them and it was actually 861. It was extremely physically challenging. My teacher had made me the leader as we walked up the stairs and it was different to be the leader because I had to make sure I was going the right pace so that everyone could keep up and stay together as a group. There were points when I felt like the stairs would never end, but they eventually did and it ended with a great view of the valley we had just climbed out of. It was so beautiful and green and the perfect reward for all our hard work climbing the stairs. It really wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and I was proud of myself for completing the stairs, the view was definitely worth it. From there it was a short walk over to Echo Point. The views from Echo Point were absolutely spectacular. They were by far the best of the entire day and I stared in awe at the valley and the Three Sisters for a bit.

Then our group went to Coles to grab some food for the week. I grabbed food that was easy and could be eaten and accessed quickly during the long hours of hiking ahead of me. We then went to the cabins and settled in. They were very nice! I wasn't expecting the accommodation to be so awesome. My cabin mates and I got the fire going and warmed up while having dinner. The weather still wasn't ideal so we decided to have the campfire indoors in our room. A little part of wildlife decided to enter our cabin as we found a lovely little butterfly on the floor and became friends with it. We even named it ‘Lily’. Our whole class rounded up in a circle and enjoyed each other’s company before heading off to bed early. We were told that the next day would be the hardest hike of the trip and it certainly was.

I woke up in the early hours of the morning for a run with one of my cabin mates. I was hoping to spot kangaroos and we did! We saw two in the fields and stopped to see them. They even majestically hopped out of sight; it looked straight out of advertisement for Australian tourism. That had made my day already!

We started the 8 hour hike by looking out over a valley. My teacher pointed out the path we would be taking. It was awesome to see from there where we would be walking. We were handed a map and compass and learned how to use them to navigate our way throughout the day. The terrain was very difficult throughout the day. The rain made the rocks slippery and the dirt into mud. There was a lack of traction and it was very easy to slip and to possibility get hurt. There were many moments when I didn't think I could continue on the path. I learned to stop, take a breath and access the possibilities. All I needed was to logically navigate the challenges and take my time. I gained confidence as I continued the hike. There was even a point in the hike where we had to hold a rope and scale the edge of a cliff. I found it easy, but a slip could have had dangerous consequences. Like the day before, we went down into a valley and had to climb back out. After all, what goes down must come up. There were more stairs to climb and more challenges to overcome. I wouldn't have been able to get through this day without the people I was surrounded by. The conversations I had helped the time pass. We even were singing songs as we trekked the bottom of the valley. Before we started the climb up the stairs back to the top of the valley, there was a waterfall. At the top we saw the same waterfall from a different perspective. The top of the climb had the most beautiful view. I felt an indescribable amount of achievement after conquering the challenges of the day. For a finale that could only be made possible by nature, a rainbow appeared from the center of the valley and rose to the waterfall we had started from at the beginning of our ascent.  All the hard work of those 8 hours was worth it once I saw the rainbow and the beautiful view from the top of the valley. That day reflected life as well. Hard work, persistence, and doing your best earn the best views and outcomes.

That night we set right out to drying our clothes and shoes. The rain had done a proper job of drenching everything we wore completely through. We huddled around the fire for hours. Then there were campfire games inside again. The games reminded me of home as we played many that I had previously played in my leadership program at home. The rest of the night my cabin stayed up and chatted throughout the night. The next day was a hike to Wentworth Falls.

The hike to Wentworth Falls was my favorite day. There were so many waterfalls and it was the most beautiful day in my opinion.  It was the perfect last hike of the trip and I loved my group. We all had so much fun together and there were many laughs on our journey. One of my best friends and I started the hike as the leaders of our group. We lead up to the first waterfall of the day where we stopped for moment. We stood in the middle of the falls. On one side was the waterfall and the other was the drop off with the view of the valley right behind it. Our teacher told us about how someone had hoped over the gate and stood on the rocks on the drop off side to take a picture. They fell and the rocks were too slippery to regain footing. Someone had fallen off the side of the waterfall to the depths of the valley. I couldn't even imagine. Whoever did that took an unnecessary risk and questioned nature’s power and tragically fell. At the bottom of the hike we reached Wentworth Falls. My teacher challenged us to take a dip in the freezing cold waters below the falls. I decided to take the challenge. From my group, it was 3 girls and we were all swimmers who decided to take the plunge. We counted down and dove straight into the waters. I screamed as my body was shocked by the freezing temperature of the water. We swam out to the falls and back. We went straight to our clothes to warm up and then continued the hike. The rest of the hike didn't take too long. There were more stairs and my legs were done for the day. Somehow I drew up enough strength to complete the last giant staircase of the trip. It wasn't long before we were done and back on the bus to the train station. Sarah and I decided to get some coffee and cake before the train arrived. There was a fire in the cute little cafe and it was nice to relax and warm up with a hot drink by the fire.

Nature is always a refreshing escape from the everyday for me. It reminds me that there is green, blue and all the lovely shades of nature in the palate of this beautifully painted world. There aren't just drab shades of gray in a city’s tall skyscrapers and smog-filled air. There are places were civilization isn't the main presence and where authentic, untouched beauty can be viewed at every twist and turn on a trail through captivating wilderness. There are places that feel like home that aren't in a building, but in the authentic landscapes of humans past. These places remind me of where I should be and where I belong. There are places like this and they are gems in this world to brighten life’s experience. 

I loved being in a cabin with four people I hadn't previously met. I was worried about it, but we all bonded really well and I felt like I fit in with them. They all became my new friends and I feel like I know them really well now. Being on a journey or sharing an experience with people is an easy way to get to know them and to bond. This class was the catalyst to developing new relationships. The last day of class we all wrote to each other and I was amazed at all the new friends I was surrounded by and the loving environment our class had become. It was a great conclusion to the class. We were all together one last time to share a smile, a laugh, and recognize each other for the great people we are with a few kind words.

I learned about teamwork as my groups trekked through the Blue Mountains and experienced challenging terrain and weather. There were many moments when I felt like I couldn't do something and a friend was right there to help me. I couldn't reach the top of a rock and I felt stuck when a friend reached down a hand to pull me up. I fell in the mud and my friends made me laugh it off. I was scared to jump into the cold waters of a waterfall, but two of my friends were there to encourage me. It is hard to go through life alone, everyone needs help sometimes. It shouldn't be shameful to ask for help when it is needed. We were all there for each other in this journey and each person in my group made my experience that much better and unique as I chatted with new people along the paths.

Preparation for this trip was essential. I had looked at all the recommended items to bring on the trip and made sure I was fully prepared. I was so glad I had purchased a rain jacket before coming. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without my Gore-Tex raincoat to keep me dry and warm. The second day hike in rain for 8 hours would have been absolutely miserable. Preparation is important in anything we do in life. We also prepared for the hikes each day with maps and a compass in order to know where we were and where we were going at all times. It took conscious effort and thought to reach our destination each day. There were times where there were forks in the road or the path wasn’t even visible. That is when being prepared pays off. These forks in the road also exist in a life’s journey. They are points where we are faced with a choice. The decisions we make in life will lead us to our ultimate destination at life’s conclusion. We must know where we want to end up in life in order to be on the right path and make the right choices to find that path.

From taking Learning in the Outdoors I have come to discover that journey, adventure and experience are education in themselves. I am appreciative of the opportunity I had to learn in an nontraditional yet effective environment compared to the traditional classroom-style of learning I have become accustomed to at university. It was refreshing to get outside and I believe that I learned more about myself than I ever could by sitting in a classroom. I believe that education should challenge one to learn about themselves as that is ultimately the foundation of the future for each individual. If you don’t know who you are, how will you ever be able to know what you want to do and be happy? Education should facilitate this process and this class definitely has done that for me. I have gained a deeper understanding of the person that I am now and the person that I want to be. I know I am capable to accomplish more than I thought I could achieve and the only entity that could stop me from achieving my dreams is myself. I have come to know myself in these journeys and I must say I like the person I have come to know. She is unstoppable, fearless, and ready to go into the world and make a difference in the lives of others. Also, I have learned how influential attitude is on mood and life’s outlook. I love being optimistic and positive and I strive to remain that way. My teacher said after the second day hike in the pouring rain, “You make your own weather in your mind.” It is so true that you decide your attitude. There are some things that you just can’t control in life and there is no point in being upset or stressed about those things. You should focus on what you can do, change and control. What I have learned in these experiences turned lessons I will apply to my future. These experiences have become a part of me. It is undeniable that I have been changed by my journey in this class and I will spread an optimistic attitude, motivation and a drive to pursue nature with the people I meet in my life’s journey. These will be my teachings and I will spread them to all who want to listen.

This is a reflection video I made for my class project. I had to record how I was feeling during my experience and reflect after the trip:

No Love Tap

This week reality decided to hit me, and it was no love tap. It was the second time since I have been here that my school work reminded me that I do indeed go to school. I had a paper and a midterm. It all amounted t

o the sacrifice of the concert I volunteered to get tickets for. I was fine with missing the concert to do homework though; it is undeniably why I am here I suppose.

 The end of the week came with a sigh of relief. I went to Circular Quay to film a friend for a project. We went to the Overseas Passenger Terminal. You take a lift up to the fourth floor for a superb view of the harbor, opera house, and bridge. It was twilight and the sky was blue and pink as the sun just set. Since we were in the area we went off to Pancakes on the Rocks, a traditional hot spot. After some scrumptious pancakes, it was off to the train to return home. It was my first time seeing the opera house at night. It is spectacular how one building can look so different at different times of the day. It sparkled across the harbour. Navigating public transportation is an essential for life in the city. The train back is cheap and quick. 

The next day I purchased tickets to a movie event at the IMAX Theater in Darling Harbour about 5 minutes from home. The theater happens to be the biggest IMAX in the world. The movies were the Avengers and the midnight premiere of Iron Man 3. It comes out here before the starts! It was exciting to look forward to!

I spent a day in the library studying for my hardest class, and then my friends and I decided to plan out our Anzac weekend. We decided to go to Perth and road trip through Western Australia and bought the plane flights spontaneously that night.  Then it was off to Marquee, a very popular nightclub in Sydney, to celebrate the birthdays of 2 friends.  It was a very fun night! There was good music, good people, and dancing to make the night one of the most fun since being here.

There was one hiccup in the week, me shattering my computer screen. I was walking and just dropped it, a prime example of my grace. I got it fixed in the hour with a drive-up screen fixer and for about $185 the problem was solved.

I just got back from the movies and it was amazing! So much action and heroism! I finished packing for my trip to Perth and will be leaving for the airport in about 1.5 hours. Yay for all-nighters and late packing! I would gladly live out of a suitcase, sleep in the car, and sacrifice sleep if I had the opportunity to travel the world. Now that I have that chance, I’m taking the opportunity.

Kia Ora from NEW ZEALAND, God’s Own Country is Sweet As NZ: The most life-changing and amazing week of my life

New Zealand in a Nutshell: Two Girls and a Toyota, Kiwi Life, Land of the Long White Cloud, Leap of Faith, Glaciers, Shining Stars, The Nicest People, Glowworms, Cruising the Sound, Risky Business, Gardens, Waterfalls, Road trip Stops, Mid-Semester Break, Every Ecosystem Possible, Chasing Rainbows, The Bluest Water, Dolphins, Kea, Fur Seals, Flora & Fauna

WOW! This week has been the best time of my life. It is overwhelming how much awesomeness was crammed into 6 days exploring the south island of New Zealand. It is officially my favorite place on the entire planet. I want to go back and explore the North Island as well as see Punakaiki and climb Mt. Cook. I also want to spend more time in Queenstown and at the island in general, but this was a great taste of the awesomeness that is New Zealand.

I left March 29^th at 7 p.m. and arrived at Christchurch with a few delays at about 1 a.m.  I was so proud of myself for navigating my way around the airport as it was my first time flying by myself. I called my worrisome parents to let them know was on my way. It really wasn't even that hard to get my boarding pass and go through security. I even arrived early and got a seat with extra leg space, major win! From the airport I was off to meet up with my host in Christchurch for the night. I knocked on the door, but to no avail. I then went next door to see if it was actually that house. A very tall man answered the door and told me that it was indeed the house that I was knocking on. He said I could sleep on their couch for the night and that it was no problem at all. He went off to work at the airport and I was amazed by the hospitality of the first New Zealander I met. I woke up to his wife, Kathy in a blurry haze as I hadn't yet put on my glasses. She offered me breakfast and was so sweet. She was a chef and brought out some yummy hot chocolate and toast with a blood orange for me as well as her own homemade cookies because she said I had to try them, they still weren't as good as my mom’s but they were yummy.  I chatted with her and her daughter, Georgia, about what exactly there was to do in Christchurch. I asked about their culture and she responded with, “We are just people.”  They joked around as though they were best friends and Kathy called Georgia “twerp”. I loved being able to observe the culture of families in New Zealand.  I decided to go to Hagley Park and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens to experience “The Garden City” of Christchurch. They offered me a ride to the Riccarton Markets, a cute little market where there were fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and children selling their food creations to passerby with a smile. There was a little walk that took about 10 minutes behind the market that we did. Kathy and Georgia held hands and entwined their pinkies as they walked together. I heard birds chirping and saw the beautiful flora. After a sad goodbye to the nicest, cutest family ever, it was off to Hagley.

Hagley is a huge, green park that is the center of life in Christchurch. It is only beaten in size by Central Park in New York. I walked past runners and under shady trees to the Botanic Gardens in the center of the park. The gardens were filled with flowers and trees, so much beauty to take in. Then I went to the Canterbury Museum in the corner of the gardens. I learned a bit more about New Zealand's history and culture. Then it was time for lunch. I walked past this quaint cottage called “The Curator’s House”. I walked through the cute vegetable garden by the cottage and plucked an apple of the tree for a snack. It was the best apple ever! I decided to stop in for some of their fresh vegetables that they made out of the garden. They were the best vegetables I have ever had in my life, no exaggeration. I also had some ciabatta bread and tapenade with olives. Then I kept exploring the gardens. I ran into the world peace bell. It is a symbol of world peace as metals from countries all over the world were mixed to form the bell. I reached my hand inside to hear its glorious ring. I sat by a lake in the garden among piles of acorns and relaxed.  After
7 hours of walking, it was time to meet up with my host, Louis.

It turned out that he thought I was arriving the next night and that’s why he didn't hear my knocks on his door. Louis was so welcoming! I was a bit nervous to stay there, but it turned out so well! There were 4 other girls staying in the house, 2 were from France and 2 from Lithuania. Louis put on a fun time in the backyard with his flatmates and we played music and danced the night away as I waited for my friend to arrive. I asked him about his culture as he was a Kiwi and Maori. He told me about how relaxed their culture is, showed me native Kiwi musicians (Kora and Chefu) and taught me some Kiwi slang. He taught me “sweet as”, a saying that means I agree". At first I thought he was saying “sweet ass” and laughed. I showed him some American music. Later that night, Devon arrived and we caught up. I hadn't seen her in about 4 years, but I have known her ever since we were little and in club swim together. Then we passed out on the couch and woke up to an offering of delicious coffee from his flatmates. We hit the road early and went to the city center of Christchurch to see the destruction of the earthquake that happened 2 years ago and left the city in ruins.

There was a lovely memorial for the 185 victims of the earthquake. White chairs of all sorts were lines up with the surrounding rubble of the city. There was even a wheelchair, car seat, and a throne to show the diversity and commemorate the victims more personally. There was a church that had bricks blown to pieces and chattered glass windows. It was clearly observable the true power of the forces of nature. Once we were finished walking around, it was on the road again. Besides accidentally hitting a bird on the way there, it was a great trip to the Franz Josef Glaciers. We crossed all of New Zealand from the East to the West coast and saw our surroundings change so dramatically throughout the journey. We stopped in Sheffield for their famous pies and got a scrumptious vegetarian pie. There were also some precious miniature ponies we stopped to pet. We are both animal lovers so it was a mutual obsession for all animals we saw along the way. In fact, one of my goals on the trip was to frolic with sheep. New Zealand is gloriously uncrowded with most of the population in the North Island. It is 4 million people and 70 million sheep. They were everywhere along the roads we drove, some in pastures and some on mountains. Once Devon got tired of driving, it was time for me to take the wheel and drive on the left side of the road. It was hard to get used to at first because all my instincts were screaming at me to tell me I was doing everything wrong. I eventually got used to it and now can say I mastered the concept of driving on the left side of the road.

We ran into “Castle Hill” where “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” filmed a couple scenes for the movie. It was a breathtaking structure of several rocks scattered about on a hill. We climbed up to the top for a stunning view, frolicked in the pasture and explored the rocks along the way. We found a dried up pool and stopped at Death’s Corner as rain sporadically decided to surprise us along the way. He stopped in a town called Hokitika and walked the black sand beach surrounding it. I sat on the black sand and dug my feet deep as large bursts of sea foam came up from the sea with the tide. We had to grab some “fush & chups” and sit by the sea for a quintessential New Zealand experience. I spotted the skeleton of a baby shark on the sand as we walked back to the car. Then there it was in all its glory, a rainbow. It was the perfect ending to our Easter day as we saw a cross on the beach as well. After filling up on petrol (gas), we left to continue our journey as we drove into the sunset along green pastures of sheep. It was the first beautiful sunset I had seen in awhile as I was finally on the west coast. We drove through mountains into the darkness and finally arrived in Franz Josef at 8:30. We discovered that we missed our check in time by 30 minutes as reception was closed. We were about to freak out, but I calmed us down and realized that there was nothing we could do about it at that point, sleeping in the car wouldn't be too bad. We walked around the small city until I knew it like the back of my hand. We got some wifi at Full of Beans coffee shop and felt connected to the world for a bit. We had no functioning phone so it was nice. We found this food cart that served a native Kiwi dish called, Pavlova. We decided to try it out because it was another essential cultural experience. It had some kiwi, cream and was a light and fluffy cake. There is a battle between Kiwis and Aussies as to who invented the lovely treat and somewhat of a rivalry between the countries. We also got some fried bread, which was basically a pancake with some butter and syrup. Then we went back to where we were supposed to be staying and watched some movies on their couch in the warm living room. We ended up sleeping on their couches because we felt we were paying to stay there anyways, so why not?

We woke up and tried to check in. We found out that we actually were supposed to be staying in a different hostel. We put out heads down in shame in recognition of our major fail and made our way over to Chateau Franz, the true place we were supposed to be staying. The man in reception was very nice and decided not to charge us for the night that we didn't stay there and we made our way to our first hostel of the trip. We had 3 other flatmates, 2 Aussie girls and one Japanese man. I tried to talk to him about his journeys, but he didn't understand much English so we just communicated with simple words and gestures. Now that a shower was available to me, I proceeded to take my first shower of the trip and felt amazing afterwards. We went back to Full of Beans for some flat whites (coffee, basically a latte) and went souvenir shopping around the town. I bought a cute key-chain with a kiwi and a heart and a shot glass decorated with all things Australian. I decided that they were the 2 easiest things to collect and now on all my future journeys I will gather one in each country. Then we went to the Kiwi Wildlife Center to learn about the animal that represented the people and culture of the country. I got to see some precious little kiwi as they ran about foraging in the darkness of their habitat. Then it was time to explore the glaciers!!!

I made sure in the planning of this trip that the glaciers were on our itinerary and it was definitely an exciting day. We joined our guide of Franz Josef Guides and made our way over in a bus. He had quite the individualized glacier experience as we got to see a lot of things that weren't available if you didn't have a guide. We climbed up ladders through the mountains surrounding the glacier. We got up to a point where a man who was much loved by the New Zealand community jumped of the mountain and died. There was a lovely rock structure to commemorate him. Then we climbed back down to get up close to the glacier after seeing it from above. There was an ice bridge and we were warned to not go any farther. Momentarily, I saw why. A huge ice block fell from the bridge. The glaciers are constantly moving and changing. There was a pile of rocks that he asked us if we wanted to climb to reach the top of the glacier and touch the ice. I decided to do it. I stood on top of a glacier and took it all in. Then we walked back and decided to climb a staircase into the mountains that was 150 steps. It was a steep climb and once we reached the top it was a winding road back out.  There were some clumsy moments as we are both not exactly the most graceful girls, but it made it that much more memorable. After saying farewell to our fun guide, Toby, we went back to Chateau Franz and made some frozen vegetables for dinner and went to Picnics Bakery for some yummy baked goods to munch. Then it was off to the glacier hot pools to relax. There were 3 hot pools: 36°C, 38°C and 40°C. We sat in each and then made our way to the terrace walk to try to spot some glowworms. We found a couple a little bit into the woods. They glowed with a neon green light in the darkness. We turned around once seeing them because it was a bit dodgy in the woods at night. That night we watched a movie and munched on popcorn and went to sleep early because it as an early morning tomorrow!

We woke up and left at 5:30. I was the first driving shift of the day and made our way through winding roads in the darkness on our way to Queenstown. There was a waterfall that we stopped to go walk to. It was called Thunder Falls and we both gawked at its beauty for a bit before continuing on the road. On our way there was a massive herd of 800 sheep blocking the road. I got way too excited and leapt out of the car. I walked and chatted with the man who was herding the sheep and got permission to frolic with them. It was one of the ultimate goals of the trip for me and I was happy to finally accomplish it after seeing so many sheep behind barbed wire and fences, there were finally some free sheep!

I had researched New Zealand and found out about a supposedly beautiful place called Glenorchy. Despite Devon’s insistence that we were short on time, I made sure that we woke up early enough to make it there. The water was so beautiful and so clear. We walked out onto the water on a dock and snapped some quick pics before moving on to Queenstown to make my bungy jump!

I am definitely an adrenaline junky so it was essential that I check one of my adrenaline-filled desires from my bucket list in the adventure and adrenaline capital of the world, Queenstown. Bungy jumping was invented in New Zealand so I decided to go for it. The Kawarau Bridge was the place of the world’s first bungy jump. I was excited to jump 43m off this historic bridge. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I still wasn't scared. There was only one moment when I was about to jump that I got butterflies in my stomach as my body screamed at me, “What are you doing?!” The man who strapped me in counted down to my jump and I was already ready to before he was finished. I went for it right when he was done counting down. I soared down into a beautiful blue river and bounced up and down in a peaceful trance. Then I grabbed a stick and was pulled onto a boat to make my way back up to the bridge.  One more leap of faith complete! I think this was a bit scarier than skydiving for me, but they were each so different.

The endorphins flooded my bloodstream as I walked over to reunite with Devon. We went inside to pick up my footage of the event and then were off to sample Queenstown’s famous burger joint. Fergburger was quite the experience. It was always so crowded with lines out the door and down the street, but we went on an off hour so that it wasn't too bad. I order the Bambi burger to experience deer for the first time. The burger ended up being the biggest and yummiest EVER. I can know understand why it is so famous. I was glad that I hadn't eaten much before this meal so that I could indulge in delectable fergburger.

We checked into our hostel at Nomads and wandered around the streets of Queenstown. It was the first real city we were in since the beginning of the road trip. It was kind of overwhelming to be around so many buildings and people again after only being surrounded my greenery, sheep, and the open road. I couldn't help but think about what it would be like to return to Sydney, this was only 1/100^th of its size and it was still overwhelming. We then ventured to the gondolas that would take us to the top of Queenstown. Riding the gondola up was amazing. We saw the city fully and its surroundings of mountains and lakes. Once we were at the top, it was time to luge! We got on these little carts and sped down winding roads all the way down the mountain from the top of Queenstown. It was so much fun and a great way to experience the city! Once we were done with our 2 luge rides, we went to the highest point we possibly could to take in the skyline. It was a beautiful view as we watched the sunset turn to twilight over the mountains.

After exploring the forest a bit, we went back down to Queenstown for yet another foodie adventure. Food is a very enjoyable part of experiencing a new culture and we intended to try some New Zealand creations. There is an ice cream called “Hokey Pokey” that is popular in New Zealand. It is basically vanilla ice cream with chunks of honeycomb. We both got some hokey pokey from a place called “Cookie Time!” because it smelled amazing as we walked by. It was definitely a good choice. They smashed a cookie into the hokey pokey for an explosion of sweet goodness. After meandering the streets a bit more and looking at more souvenir shops, we crashed hard to wake up and road trip once more.

We woke up at about 7:30 for some free pb & js provided by the hostel (got to take advantage) and then hit the road on our way to Te Anau. We stopped for some petrol and Devon accidentally hit the front left car into the box leaving a bit of a dent. Thank God she got insurance! We didn't let that small bump in the road ruin our moods and Devon took it like a champ after a momentary freak out. We arrived at Rosie’s Backpacker hostel in Te Anau to drop of our bags and continue on our way to Milford Sound. Rosie was the sweetest and cutest woman ever and told us about a couple o

f stops we had to see along the way as we bonded with her lovely black cat, Bella.

We started the lovely road to Milford Sound and stopped at the Mirror Lakes. It was a lovely lake with amazing reflective qualities that embodied a mirror perfectly. We kept driving until we were hungry and pulled out our sandwiches for a swell lunch in nature as we sat on a log in the middle of a forest. The next stop was the chasm. As we pulled in we spotted some Kea, the world’s only alpine parrot. They have an intellect equivalent to a 6 year old human! One welcomed us by landing on our car and I even made eye contact with one! We walked over to the chasm to see the rock structure and waterfall and then it was back on the road again.

After driving through a tunnel through a mountain and Fiordland National Park, we were finally at Milford Sound just in time for our nature cruise! This day turned out to be one of the best as we cruised this indescribably beautiful place. We saw fur seals and dolphins swam alongside us for quite some time. There were waterfalls coming down every which way from the surrounding mountains and rainbows at the bottom of the waterfalls close enough to touch. It was so surreal and the experience too perfect to believe. We got extremely lucky with the rainbows and the dolphins and it turned out to be such a great day. We sipped some tea and coffee as the sunshine hit our skin and the wind caressed our hair. I didn't want to leave! Milford Sound is renowned as New Zealand’s top travel destination and the 8^th wonder of the world. The sheer rocks and lush rainforest with waterfalls cascading down them made the Sound undeniably a must do in New Zealand and I was so happy to be able to experience it. The drive back led us into the darkness and once we stepped out of the car at Rosie’s we got to see the stars in the night sky. Now that we were out of the main cities, we could see the beautiful sparkling galaxy overhead. We went back inside to sit by the fireplace and chat with our flat mate about her travels. She had been traveling alone in New Zealand after graduation for the past 3 months. I envied her freedom and all the stories she told.

We woke up the next day after our longest, comfiest slumber of the trip to eat a quick breakfast and grab some of Rosie’s coffee and then head out. Rosie’s was my favorite hostel with Chateau Franz closely behind. The rest of the day was dedicated to making it back to Christchurch in time to give back the rental car, check into Devon’s hostel and make my flight back to Sydney. The road trip back wasn't short of awesome stops. There were more sheep to frolic with on the side of the road and another large sculpture dedicated to food. One of a large fish and one of some assorted fruits in Cromwell

. We stopped in Twizel to fill up on petrol and get some snacks for the remainder of the trip. I got some corn crisps, which became a main part of my diet the entire trip and Devon got another hokey pokey. We were now set to complete the trip back! We drove through a cute town called Geraldine with some farmers selling berries and I wished we stopped, but we continued. We arrived at Lake Pukaki and saw another lovely body of sparkling blue water with a magnificent shade of turquoise radiating in the sunlight. Mt. Cook towered in the background. We snapped a picture for a cute family from Denmark and then it wasn't long before we hit the next lake. Lake Tekapo was a place that I had researched and I was so excited to see! I walked down the mountain to stand on some rocks in the clear water of the lake. It was a piece of heaven on Earth. I fell in love with the water and just wanted to go for a swim. It was so magnificent! The rest of the drive eagles soared over us as we drove through some more plains and arrived in Christchurch. We decided to get some lamb for dinner. The man ended up giving Devon her meal for free because her card wouldn't work. The people in Christchurch were all so nice and New Zealanders so hospitable. We went back to her hostel to eat dinner and then filled up on gas and cleaned out the car before returning to the airport.  He hung out at the airport for a bit before having to part ways. When I said goodbye to Devon and she drove away in her taxi I wanted to rewind time so badly.

This trip was truly remarkable in every way! I will miss the beauty of New Zealand and the sweet Kiwi people that we encountered, but it isn't farewell forever. I am definitely returning. It is amazing what these 7 days did to change the perspective of my life. It opened my eyes once more to all that is out there in this world and all the opportunities I have to experience its wonders and meet amazing people along the way while making memories. Devon and I hadn't seen each other in 4 years and it just showed me the power of adventure in uniting people. I am so grateful to have this experience and I know I will never forget the Kiwi life I led.

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