Milford Sound

If you go anywhere on the South island of New Zealand, make sure you go to Milford Sound. I would even venture to recommend you plan a week stay there. There’s not much to do, plus the nearest town (Te Anau) is nearly two hours away.

So why stay in a remote area that requires hours of driving on windy roads?

Because it’s beautiful. And one day won’t do it. Ask any local and they will tell you that New Zealand weather is fickle and if you want that perfect, clear day shot, you’ll have to be patient.

Our day was not clear. But I didn’t mind. I liked the mist, it felt very Middle Earth.

We booked our tour with Southern Discoveries  and they were great! Our tickets included lunch, plus we added an additional stop at an underwater observatory. (not an aquarium, which they emphasize)

There was a narrator who gave lots of history and talked about specific waterfalls, but given the thick (and wonderful) kiwi accent and the less-than-awesome acoustics, I couldn’t understand much, but the views were incredible.

I fell in love with the serene and peaceful sounds. I even talked to one of the employees who explained how she came to work in such a remote location.

They are 6-8 month long positions, as the isolation can be quite overwhelming for some. Plus, it’s a great way to save money, since you go into town (remember a 2 hour drive both ways) maybe twice a month.

It would definitely hinge on the work environment and coworkers, but it sounds like a lovely thing to do someday, to get some peace and quiet to write, while showing others just how beautiful this place is.

We kept pulling over on the drive back because the views kept getting better!

As we passed through Te Anau, we stopped to see the Waitomo glow worm caves . I’d love to have photos to show you from this truly astounding sight, but being that it was very dark, and quiet, no cameras were allowed. It felt otherworldly. Glow worms are brutal little monsters, look em up!

The forest surrounding the caves were ridiculously green! Go see it here.

Ok, I am officially closing the chapter on my New Zealand adventures. I could go on and on, but alas, I need to get started on my Hong Kong posts!

Lake Tekapo & Queenstown

 “Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.”

                 -J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)

I tell you, I felt like Thorin Oakenshield himself passing o’er the misty hills of the South Island. I am grateful however, that I didn’t have to go on foot.

I haven’t been a passenger on a road trip in a very long time, and it was a hard adjustment. I didn’t control the music (uf, that was a tough one), I didn’t control the stops, and I had virtually no foot room the entire week of traveling. But, complaints aside, the view from my window was pretty great.

Our next pit stop was Lake Tekapo. I could’ve stayed here all week. It doesn’t offer much for entertainment or night life, but the view was spectacular.
The world was quiet here.

We stayed in a YHA (Youth Hostel & Accommodation & Travel) that had a certain charm to it. Despite the dewy musk, I rather liked the communal living. What I did not enjoy was sharing a room with five other people. Did I mention it was co-ed? Yeah, not used to that. I honestly hate sharing my living space. (haha, why did I do this, right??)

After some greasy Chinese food, we headed for a nice soak in the hot springs . It was a great start to the trip, and we girls bonded over a long walk back in the rain.

Sadly, we were set to leave this cove of serenity the next morning, but I managed to sneak a few photos in before they left without me.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, was the first church built in the Mackenzie Basin.

I couldn’t get over how beautiful this place was. It’s the perfect location to disappear for a week or two and just enjoy creation at its finest.

By lunch, we pulled into Queenstown which sits right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu.

Here we stayed in one of Haka Tours‘ hostel locations (yay no dewy sheets!!). The space was much smaller, but the amenities made up for it. We had two kitchens at our disposal, free WiFi, a TV room, and it sat in a prime location just a block from the center of town.

 

We spent two and a half days here, which was a nice break from all the driving. I sampled some New Zealand brew which wasn’t bad! It was a little bitter for my taste, but definitely drinkable. Also tried out the famous Fergburger which was delicious, but the twenty minute order line was a little ridiculous.

On the drive in, I spied some para-gliders overhead and thought it looked fun.

So I did it.

Was it amazing? No, not really. I was looking forward to more….well, just more. I’ve been skydiving before and I think that was the problem. There is no real thrill to para-gliding. The best part was running off the cliff. From there on, you’re sitting in a harness for a few minutes and then you land. I asked my instructor to do as many ‘tricks’ as he wanted, so we spun and rode the wind currents as best we could, but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

This wasn’t their fault at all. In fact, I highly recommend this experience for families, even for kids! There isn’t an age limit as far as I know, just a weight restriction. So young, old, anybody can do this, trust me. It is a very mild ride.

I figured I’d enjoy the view since I was already up here. Got some crepes n’ coffee and did just that.

Queenstown was a quaint little tourist town (dubbed the adventure capital of New Zealand) that I would end up revisiting later that month! (but that’s another story)

As we drove out of town, The Remarkables looked well….remarkable! On to Wanaka!!

New Zealand Nuptials

Since I’m on this side of the globe, I had the perfect excuse to head down to New Zealand for a friend’s wedding. I met the bride in Florida five years ago. We both worked at Disney! Though our time together was short, we kept in touch, missing each other dearly, and swearing to see each other again some day.

I have dreamed of coming here since I was 12, when The Fellowship of the Ring came out. Sorry NZ, I didn’t know much about you until Legolas & Aragorn showed me the way. Don’t worry, I’ll chat more about LOTR locations later…
Before I begin on this epic tale of beauty and adventure, it needs to be proclaimed across the land that flying in New Zealand is incredible. I was flying overnight from Seoul and was pretty positive I would miss my connection. Once I arrived with less than two hours to go through customs, get my baggage, get that cleared, check my baggage again, go through security….that my flight would be long gone.

I was pleasantly surprised. Customs was a breeze. Being an American was a mega-advantage. I skipped the whole queue, scanned my passport, a robot took my photo and I was through! My bag was already waiting for me and there was no line to scan it. AND finally the very best part, NO SECURITY. New Zealand is such a care free, friendly place, they don’t feel the need to screen you if you’re flying domestically. These people are so great.

OK. Back to the wedding. This is the view from the venue, a vineyard on the outskirts of Tauranga. Yup, I pretended I was in The Shire.

It was a small crowd, less than 80 people. This is the way to do it, folks.

We felt so fancy! Champagne and hors d’oeuvres were served as the wedding party took their photos. I could get used to this. 

With such a small group, fun things can happen, like free photo booths!!

We were into it, and never wanted to leave it.

I loved getting to see old Disney friends, it had been so long! It was so awesome to be at the ‘Disney’ table. Over 10 of us flew from all over the world to be there! We went to a Haka ceremony in Rotorua. We also saw some natural geysers (smelly but cool!) and went luging. Hakas are a Maori tradition that I highly recommend you experience.

I bet you’re wondering if I took advantage of this lovely event and spent some more time in New Zealand. C’mon, you should know me better than that by now. OF COURSE. I stayed the rest of the month, and did A LOT. I saw Charlie Chaplin in Christchurch, found adventure in Lake Tekapo & Queenstown, fell in love with Wanaka, and melted into the mists of Milford Sound…

-wedding photos were not taken by me –

Everyday Life in Korea

One thing that I love about living here is how much money I save. Not only are prices super low and the exchange rates beneficial, but I just don’t spend as much. While I was living in D.C., the only thing everyone did was go out. Brunch, dinner, drinks, shows, etc. Everything cost money, and a lot of it.

I’ve gone out a few times, but it’s different in another country. I feel odd ‘letting loose’ here. I don’t want to misrepresent Americans, which I know is ridiculous. As if my actions could change an entire country’s perspective of the U.S. based solely on my drinking habits.

So when I’m not tiptoeing around, I hang around my neighborhood, Dongbinggo-dong. There’s two coffee shops right down the hill from me, both equipped with ample seating and WiFi.

I use them as an office. Initially it was because I had no desk at home and needed the work space, but now I’ve grown to like it. If I’m home, I get lazy and don’t want to write. Netflix, art projects, books, pretty much anything seems more fun. If I get out of the house dressed like a human rather than a sweatpants ad, I feel more energized and committed to writing. I love it because the plug-in stations face the window, so I can be around people, but anti-social too-aka-perfection.

Plus, there’s a perk. Macarons. I have never been a huge fan of these. Well, my friends, I was eating scum compared to these little pieces of paradise. I’m addicted.

When I’m not trying to write the next big fantasy novel, I like to take walks. Fall here was really pretty. Plus the leaves are humongous.

 

I love this building. I think it’s a museum or something, but I like to pretend it’s an upgraded Sandcrawler.

Is my nerd-bone showing??

Honestly though, my adventures have been spread out lately due to the cooooold weather. But in a positive light, I have been trying to catch up on my reading (Tolkien takes forever) and postcard project.

I’ve been exploring watercolors, as some of you may remember, and recently found paint-able postcards. It combines two of my favorite things: art and mail!!

I’m still trying to get my mom to start painting again, so I bought her a blank set too. I sent the first one out yesterday, hopefully she gets the not-so-subtle hint. Also, I am terrible at animals. This was supposed to be a wolf….

I did take my first trip since I’ve been here though! Stay tuned for my Tokyo Christmas adventure!!

Suitcase Life: Conspiracy, Cronuts, & Corn Mazes

Denver International Airport is impressive.

While I was googling for some great exterior shots, I realized it had quite the controversial history…

It is considered (by some) to be the site of the Illuminati headquarters in the event of a nuclear war. The conspiracy is pretty intense. I’m not saying I believe it, but there are a few weird shenanigans going on.
But as LeVar used to say, Don’t take my word for it, see for yourself!

Had I known this while I was there hours early for my flight (I always do this, I’m uber-paranoid about missing flights or being late in general), I would’ve paid more attention to the creepy murals.

Instead, I nearly had a heart attack walking by the airport bookshop, seeing this on the shelf.

I love Stieg Larsson’s work. Lisbeth Salander is one of my all time favorite anti-heroines. Imagine my surprise to see a fourth installment in the Millennium series, which was cut short due to the untimely death of the author. I was very skeptical in the beginning. Before reading anything I looked up the new author and their  connection to Larsson.

It was a let down. On the one hand, I loved jumping back into the world of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, but I guess my expectations were too high. It was the dialogue. That will kill a book for me. If the conversations aren’t believable, the whole book is lost on me. I still read it, but I wasn’t happy about it.

So, back to D.C. one final time. I had already said my goodbyes once back in August since I didn’t think I’d make it back before I left the country. Lucky me, I had a weekend off and took the metro into the city just in time for the H Street Festival.

I love H Street NE. I was fortunate enough to have lived a block away from it. It has all you need: beer, coffee, tea, and Giant.

It took some serious self-control not to buy all the DC swag. I loved walking those 12 boozy blocks one last time with two of my favorite people. Megan and Kelley were my DC parents. Meaning, I went to their house almost every Sunday for dinner and a show, spent the night when I got drunk on my birthday, and binge-watched True Detective for an entire day on their couch. They may only be a few years older than me, but I adopted them.

Meet Rex. Megan and I met him on our way to Union Market for breakfast. Look at those wrinkles!!!

Should you find yourself in Northeast DC on a Saturday morning in need of a delicious brunch, go to Union Market and get a knish at Buffalo & Bergen with their bacon bloody Mary (ask for a pickle). It is so bad for you, but so good.

Megan bought Cronuts. I was a bundle of health that weekend, I know.

As a thank you for hosting me for the weekend, I made a house pumpkin for them as it was too early for a ‘halloween’ pumpkin.

With barely a week’s rest, staying in Leesburg, Virginia, we were off for one last trip before Korea, back up to Wisconsin.

The lifeblood of all writers. Yes, I am a caffeine addict. I used to be all snobby about coffee, coming from the great state of Oregon (the haven of the almighty bean). But, I’ll take just about anything as long as I’ve got milk n’ sugar. I did realize that I need a coffee press. I think it would help curb my cup limit, being such a hassle n’ all (cue eye rolling from non-lazy people).

As Milwaukee showed its true colors, rather its icy winds, I hunkered down inside and began another book; the long anticipated Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I read The Hobbit years ago, but hadn’t ever made the commitment to the massive sequel. I figured since I had a 15+ hour flight over the Pacific ahead of me, Tolkien wasn’t such a bad idea.

This is Deuce. He hates everyone.

We went to an apple orchard to soak up the fall colors. Corn mazes, haystack towers, and fresh cider really made me feel at home.

This sent me over the edge though. This thing was incredible. Disney had some good ones, but there’s nothing like a home grown apple with freshly made caramel.

The day was coming closer. We would be flying to Detroit soon, and then the long trek up and over Alaska and back down to Seoul, South Korea. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t looking forward to flying over an ocean. (I was an avid LOST fan…) I resorted to Tolkien therapy for comfort.

I had my final trip to Target, the love of my life (you could not buy a better supporter,patron, and obsessive admirer, please, for the love of the dollar spot, sponsor me), where I bought these. The shoes I would stare at, wishing I could pull them off, but forlornly pass by.
I decided if I could wear them anywhere, it would be Korea.

So there you have it. Mid June to roughly the first week of October living out of a suitcase, fueled by the love of friends, family, and books.