New Zealand - Holiday at Last

My trip to New Zealand was incredible. New Zealand is beautiful. It's calm and real and fun. Parts of it are like Costa Rica and Thailand and Australia but also... not. But more than just the natural beauty,  it was the people I met on this trip that made the experience so amazing.

My Wild Kiwi Family on Day 2 @ Ship Creek Beach

My trip started on Friday the 24th as I said goodbye to my Sydney work family and caught the train to the airport. Travel tip - when flying in/out of Sydney, take the train! Another travelers tip... for those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, allow enough time at the airport so you can take full advantage of your priority pass reward, $36 worth of food & drinks from select airport restaurants. Even though it was a bit of a walk from my departure gate, I stopped by Peroni Bar, intending to use my credit for a glass of wine (or two) and a snack. As I ordered, two very excited/maybe a little drunk girls loudly walked over to the group of us singletons sitting at the bar asking if anybody else was going to Bali. The girl to my left confirmed she was going too, on their flight, and equally excited. After chatting with the rest of us, the two girls threw out what's always a great idea in this situation, shots, shots shots! And at exactly this moment the bartender told me I had to use my entire $36 credit in one transaction, or I would forfeit the remaining balance. "How much are shots?" I asked. He confirmed I could definitely get two and might even have enough left for a bottle of water. The guy to my right was keen to join in on the shenanigans too. Thus, we got a round of Johnny Walker Black shots and toasted our imminent vacations. The guy I was sitting with was also headed to NZ, but Auckland rather than Christchurch, for the next round of the Rugby World Cup. He was also one of those super humans who'd done multiple ironmans, and was indeed super fit. We had a great time talking, hugged farewell, and headed off to catch our flights. Meeting people at airports... it's the best.

I flew Emirates from Sydney to Christchurch and had an entire row to myself. In front of me was a family of Kiwis, a mom who looked about my age, her tattooed husband, and four bleach-blonde haired kiddos. The youngest kept hobbling through the aisle back to my row to play with my water bottle. I smiled and asked the mom, "How old is she?" "He's a boy," she said staring at me. "And he's one." Way to go Jane.

We landed in Christchurch a little after midnight and I was off to find my way to my hostel for the night, Jucy Snooze. This was the coolest hostel I've ever stayed in and I definitely recommend it for those passing through Christchurch. It's a 5-10 min walk to the airport, but if you'd prefer (as I did when I arrived), they have a complimentary shuttle from 7-1am.

the pod setup at Jucy

On the shuttle, I was fortunate to meet another girl doing the same trip, Demi. We exchanged facebook details and she became my first Wild Kiwi friend. This photo is from one of our last days together. Such an awesome shot.

photocred

The Garbage Truck Incident

This year, I am thankful for not being crushed by a garbage truck.

Because I came close.

Chris and I had a wonderful trip to see my friends and family up in Kansas this past week, however we also nearly got smushed by garbage. It’s a sucky story, and I wish it hadn’t happened. But it did, we are fine, but the miata is not.

This was taken while the car was on the tow truck. According to the police, it was not drivable. The steering and the front left wheel weren't communicating correctly. The police officer gave the garbage truck driver a ticket for an improperly executed right-turn, so technically I was not at fault. But still, be careful out there.

Besides wrecking my mom's car, our Thanksgiving break consisted of visiting with lots of people I love, eating many delicious foods, and seeing tons of Kansas.

We toured the Boulevard brewery.

Made a trip out to Lawrence

Feasted with the Kapka/Farris family.

And made it back to Austin in time for Nate's deep-fried turkey.
The weather was perfect for most of the trip (we had one 20 degree day) and I got to see most of the people I wanted too. It never feels like there's enough time to see everybody. I should be back there around Easter, but for now, cheers to the rest of 2012, sure is flying by.

30 Days of Thankful - Part 3

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but before November ends, let's finish up a few more things I'm thankful for.

November 17th – I should have saved the new babies post for this date because on the 17th I faced my fears and helped Dasha babysit Ellie. I will proudly admit, it was way less terrifying than I’d imagined. Still, when I got home that night I realized how thankful I am to not have a child just yet. Ellie wore me out! Someday I know it’ll be great, but... not today.

Sometimes you just have to feed the kid from the kitchen floor.
November 18th – I am thankful for Fridays! Knowing you get the next day off always makes working so much easier. Especially when you have a long weekend coming up.

November 19th – My mom’s birthday was the 19th. I already said how thankful I am for her; I am also thankful for the things that make her happy. Some of those things are the same as mine (sunshine, bros, Kansas) but they also include things like Survivor, Kayaking, and Yogurt. I am thankful for those things, and that she gets to visit Chris and I for Christmas this year.

November 20th – I am thankful for my home. The Bastrop fires this fall really put this one into perspective for me. I'm really glad I have a kitchen, couch, laundry room, TWO bathrooms, and nice comfy bed to come home to every day.

November 21st – I am thankful for paid-time-off. PTO may be the best perk from a salaried position. I took half of Tuesday and all of Wednesday off for Thanksgiving and BOY do I thank my boss and my company for our extremely lax vacation policy. Unlimited days?! Thank you very much.

November 22nd - I am thankful for potlucks! Our work Thanksgiving feast was epic. We had so many potatoes, beans, stuffings, and my orange-chipotle spiced pecans. Potlucks are so much fun because you only have to cook a small amount, but together you create such a big meal with such a fun variety of flavors. Delicious.

November 23rd – Hanging out with high school friends in Kansas is always so interesting to me. Some aspects of our personalities have changed so much from what we were like back at North, but other parts are exactly the same. I am really thankful I got to spend a little time with Katie and Jonas this past weekend. If only we all lived in the same city all the time.

UT football game feast, thanks Davidows.
November 24th – Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for food. I love food and I’m very thankful it's readily available to me.

Thanksgiving dinner at my dad's.
November 25th – On “Black Friday” my mom took my brothers and me to the KC Zoo. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years and it was pretty amusing to return. We all felt it was a much more positive experience to explore in the brisk 45 degrees than it is in the sweltering 95 degree KC summers. Even though I don’t like animals, I am thankful that they can provide joy to others. Some people really like animals, so I guess I'm glad they’re around.

Can you spot the Roo?
November 26th – I am thankful for the newspaper. Another one of my favorite parts about Kansas is reading my mom’s Kansas City Star. I don’t get the paper here, so I love reading it when it’s available. And, I am also thankful for crossword puzzles.

November 27th – I am thankful for my salary. That twice a month paycheck keeps me afloat and without it I know I’d be stressing like crazy.

November 28th – I am thankful for Christmas time! I brought back all my favorite ornaments for Chris' and my first tree together, and I even made a wreath.

You can make it too.
November 29th – Like last year, my friends and I have chosen two charities for the holidays. We’re adopting a local family through Any Baby Can, and we’re buying some ducks through the Heifer organization. I am really thankful everybody was excited to participate in these organizations again. I am also thankful I've gotten a little less scrooge-like with my money over the years.

Nate's pillow friend, from last year.
November 30th – Thirty whole things! Did I forget anything? I have so many things to be thankful for; it’s hard to pick and choose the “best ones.” I guess one final thing I am really thankful for is the inspiration and support to start blogging again (aka, you). Blogging has been very therapeutic for me. I’m thankful I got my act together on that one.

Ok two final pics from Thanksgiving break.

Crackers the cat.

A tree in my dad's lawn. This picture was taken on Wednesday morning. By Sunday, that tree was almost totally leaf-less.

30 Days of Thankful - part 1

Ok, I know I’m several days behind on this, but I really like the idea. Every day in November, people have been posting on their blog/facebook about various things they are thankful for. Check out my friend Rachel’s posts about her hubs, siblings, and the military. I’m thankful she has those things too. But I’m also thankful for 8 other things! So, let’s just pretend I did these on the correct dates.

November 1st- I know I’ve said this before, but I am ever-so-thankful for my Austin framily. We have the best times together playing sports, board games, cooking, laughing, and sometimes crafting. Austin would not mean what it does to me without them.

Warrior Dash, Fall 2010
November 2nd – Speaking of Austin, another thing I’m very thankful for is sunshine, and here in Texas, we sure do get a lot of it. I once read an article about people actually being addicted to the sun. Like, in the same sense you can be addicted to coffee. I’m pretty sure I’m one of those people. Good thing it’s almost always sunny here.

Sarah and I at Kite Fest last March.
November 3rd – I’ll just segue right along here, with the third thing I’m thankful for… coffee. I know I’m addicted to it, because a morning is never happy without a little cup ‘o jo. I blame my parents for starting me on this path. It was they who first suggesting I start drinking coffee before my freshman year 8am classes. If not for their encouragement, I’d probably still be saying, “No, I only like Frappuccinos.” But since then, I drink just a cup or two every day. Any less than that and I’ll get a headache and just NEVER seem to wake up. Anymore than that and I’m practically drunk with energy. Not to say it isn’t hilariously entertaining…

November 4th – I am thankful for my happy childhood. On Fridays for the past few months, Chris and I have played in a coed soccer league. Playing soccer today is just as hard for me as it was when I was a little kid. I remember my mom and dad being actively involved in all my brothers’ and my activities. Although I wasn’t developed enough to appreciate it, I am so thankful that they were willing to sacrifice their own interests to coach us, drive us, and watch us from the stands.

November 5th - Playing soccer makes me think of running, which makes me think of nice weather (kind of already covered that) and another very important thing to be thankful for… my health! When I hurt my back a few weeks ago I once again realized how important it is to build strong bones and muscles. So people, try to walk more. Heck, maybe even run. Get outside. Do stuff. I bet you will return even happier than when you left the house. So, I am thankful I healed up from all my injuries so quickly. I am thankful that I have good lungs and strong legs that allow me to walk and run.

and jump too!
November 6th – Chris left for Germany Sunday morning, leaving me alone for 10 days. Alone, hahaha, silly me. I am not alone. For I am thankful for Khyra. Khyra cat and I had some serious bonding time Sunday afternoon as I watched the last few episodes of Sex and the City and moved right along into the movie. Khyra loves me. And… I think I’ve learned to love her too.

November 7th - In keeping with my "Vegetarian for 10 Days" goal, last night I made zucchini pizzas for dinner. They were topped with mountains of veggies and were seriously delicious. I couldn't follow the recipe exactly, as it instructed one to first grill the zucchini slices, like, on a grill. Well, for one, it was raining last night (RAIN!) and for two, I'm not the grillmaster in this little household. So, as enterprising as I am, I grilled them on one of my most favorite inventions ever, and oh, how I am thankful for my George Forman Grill. Chris hates this little device, but I still use it all the time. I'm sure my love for this $15 appliance developed from the weird infatuation my friends had with it. I then passed it along to my family, who quickly fell in love with theirs too. So, thanks "Georgie" (as my mom calls it) for helping me grill my zucchini, sandwiches, and other delicious meals.

November 8th – TODAY. See, it was easy to catch right back up! I’ve been meaning to do a whole entire post about this little love of mine, yet something else always seems to come up. So, in a quick little blurb… I am thankful for the public library! Free books are one of the greatest things ever. I've used the Austin Public Library to read bestsellers like, Bossypants, The Hunger Games, and most recently, Jane Lynch's autobiography,

Learned a lot.
I just got notice that my next requested book is available for pick up, so after work tonight I'm gonna run over there to pick up,

Libraries are just the best.

What are you thankful for??