ha ha I can't believe it's June!!!!!!!!!

First things first, so sorry I haven't posted in so long. Life kind of gets in the way, and anyone reading this probably knows me enough to know I'm late with everything :) Much has happened in the month and a half it's been since I posted last. It makes my head hurt to try to think of all the pictures I'd like to show or the stories I'd like to share. All I can offer is a taste, and the extended version will be given to anyone who asks :)

So my fall break was 3 weeks long, and the last you heard from me our van had broken down and we were hitch-hiking. Good news. I'm back safe and have been for a while! Trying to think back to all the things I've done, there's so much to share. I can definitely say that it was probably the craziest time of my life. Hitch-hiking was such a blessing in disguise. I met so many amazing and not so amazing people -- all with stories to share. One older woman who picked us up told us of the similar adventures she had had while hitch-hiking around Australia. She told us that it had been decades, but she still fondly referred to it as the best time in her life. She said "we had so little and we were so happy. life was so simple which made it perfect." She didn't say much, but she certainly said it best. If there is one thing I learned during the trip it was to never take anything for granted, appreciate everything you have, and don't let anything stop you. There is something to be said for traveling around with everything you own on your back, and traveling at the mercy of people's generosity. That said, my travel buddy Laura and I never had to wait more than an hour for a ride, and we got everywhere we had originally planned to go. The kindness of people in this country completely did/do overwhelm me.

Some things I did:

Woke up to the most beautiful Easter sunrise I could have ever dreamed of!

Walked up the steepest street in the world (went to an Antarctica exhibit - kids/interactive section)


Had a dance-drive in the van (yep that's a disco ball)

Urban campouts

Tramped through some amazing rain-forest

Swam in a freeeeeeeezing cold waterfall

Broke-down :) and got up (pictured is the tunnel where we met our fate)

Kayaked in the Milford Sound, stayed the night with our guides in their trailers (could not find a ride out of Milford) and were reported missing the next day :)

Had my heart broken when I heard our van was dead forever, packed up everything we could fit into our packs... hit the open road

Climbed a mountain with the an un-godly-sized pack and tendinitis of the Achilles (complete with a jetboat shuttle to the trailhead)

Bungy-jumped, the highest in NZ and the 3rd highest in the world! 134m

Hiked around some sweeeeet glaciers

Took a great brewery tour (the best one of the trip)

Never drink and drive... ride bikes!

Went north, and kayaked in Abel Tasman National Park

Took a wine-tasting tour by bike in some of the finest wine-country in New Zealand

Came home :)

So hopefully that gave you just a small taste of my fall break! I've had many adventures since then... I'll hopefully get to posting them before Christmas! ha!

Much love to you all! Best wishes from NZ!