This blog is the meeting place for the things I love: travel, design and food. Over the next year in New Zealand (and beyond) I plan to share my travel stories, cooking experiments and design inspiration, as I explore and settle into the Southern Hemisphere.
Posted in: Travel
Since I've been living in New Zealand, Milford Sound has been one of those places that everyone tells me I have to see. Quite a few people have told me it's their favorite place in New Zealand. For nearly a year, I've been trying to get to this magical place hidden in the south west of New Zealand's South Island Fjord land.
You can't go to Queenstown without trying something extreme. Zip lining doesn't count. I'm talking bungy jumping, sky diving, paragliding — something that gets your heart pumping, scares you shitless and makes you feel alive.
One my favorite things about road trips, and New Zealand road trips in particular, is the opportunity for spontaneity, the ability to go at your own pace and all of the incredible things you encounter when you deviate from 'the plan' and go with the flow. I learned this on my first trip across the West Coast of the South Island with my parents, discovering hidden gems along the way. And it was even more true this second time around with Joe, Jeff and Ashley.
This morning I read a funny article on Bored Panda called "24 Place names you've probably been mispronouncing your whole life." Oddly enough there wasn't a single New Zealand place name on the list! How could that be?
While I was home in Louisiana for the holidays, so many people asked me what I missed about New Zealand and what things I'll take back to the states with me when I return one day. It's difficult to come up with an answer because I can't say that I've been captivated by a particular food, custom or material item here in New Zealand...
I recently squeezed in one more adventure before 2014 came to a close and managed to check a few more items off my New Zealand bucket list. Joe and I returned to the South Island in the company of my cousin/former San Diego roomie Ashley and her husband Jeff.
I'm back home in Louisiana for the holidays! It's been a year since I was here, and as I catch up with family and friends, I reflect on all of the great adventures and memorable moments I've had in 2014. Here are my top ten favorite moments of my first year in New Zealand (some of which I've yet to blog about, but stay tuned!)
Today is a very bittersweet day for me. Today I pack up our trusty Subaru 'Murray' and say goodbye to my first New Zealand home - Napier. Joe's work brings us about 3 hours south to the 'city life' in Wellington, New Zealand. And while I am excited for a change of scenery and the unexpected adventures to come in this vibrant and creative little city, it's difficult to say goodbye to a place that has been so good to us and has really started to feel like home.