Abbey caves

Currently sitting here in Queens town with strep throat. YUCK! So, I thought I would catch you up on what has been happening along the way.

After leaving Bay of Islands I decided to stop in one of the towns on the way to Auckland so that I could cut my bus trip in half. Therefore reducing the chances of me possibly throwing up on some poor lad next to me. The place I choose to stop in was Whargarei, pronounced FAN-gu-Ray. 

I suppose any day that I have to take a bus turns out to be a bad day.  This time I got off the bus stop and had 2 hours before I was able to check in at my hostel. So, I put the name in my maps on my phone and saw it was pretty close. I decided I would be able to walk the distance with all my stuff no problem. So walked along the marina and up a hill (again?@*&!!) to this adorable little hostel. Only to find out it had changed owners about 5 months prior and the new hostel was miles away.  The owner of Honey Hostel turned out to be one of the nicest people ever!! She gave me tea and told me to wait while she got ready and she would take me to town.  So I waited, drank my tea and fought off my tears. How do I always do this?! You may think that you are the kind of person that is always right, or always knows the way until you are alone with no one to second guess you! I need someone to second guess me!! 

*this guy waited with me 

The lady drove me back into town where the man from the hostel I was actually supposed to be at picked me up. He drove me way out of town to a weird hostel/camp ground. The cool thing about the YHA hostel was that it was just a 2min walk from the falls.  

The next day myself and 2 other girls ventured out to find the Abbey caves with a goal of seeing glow worms.  After about a 2 hour walk we got to the caves and were terrified.  The cool and scary thing about them is that there is no guide, no lamps, stairs or handrails. You just see the sing and then crawl in…

The caves all have small creeks running trough them and since we were there during summer the water was only up to our mid calves at the deepest. So we took off our shoes and hiked trough barefoot. There is also eels and crawfish in the water, ha!

This is the entrance that you have to crawl into

This is how the glow worms catch their food, long sticky strands. I couldn't get any pictures of the glow worms because you can only see them in the pitch black.

So, let me repeat myself, we walked in the hot sun for 2 hours to crawl inside pitch black caves that have glowing worms and eels. cool.

Really it turned out to be amazing! I am so glad that we went and when we were leaving I the talked old man volunteering into giving us a ride back :).

Paihia and the Bay of Islands is the most beautiful thing I have seen so far in New Zealand. Even the day that it rained it was amazing. I must say it was worth the horrible bus ride. 

All week I have been so lazy just going to the beach, swimming and going to get ice-cream in town. The hostel it a bit of a party place and Im feeling lame. All I want to do is go to bed so I can kayak 

in the mornings before the wind picks up. 

I also went over to Russell one day, its a short $6 ferry ride. It at one point was the capital of NZ and then apparently it went to hell. It became the place that pirates went for beer and hookers. I went up one of the churches to see the bullet

holes from actual pirates!!!

Then I went along a walking track and saw a kiwi bird. They are pretty rare to see I am told, so I was very excited that I got to seed one in the wild.

Oh yeah, I also ate some fish and chips and sat on the beach to get some photos of the sun set. It was a very difficult day.

Alright you guys, I AM OLD. Now I know that you are all going to tell me that I'm wrong. But, really traveling around like this in these hostels with all these 19year old makes me feel old. LAst night I went to the pub for a drink with a few girls and when I got back to our room there was 9 girls playing kings up on the floor. A young me would have been so excited, the old me just stepped over them to brush my teeth.

Oh and I managed to make it the whole bus ride home without trowing up at all!! It was grand. 

Bus to bay of Islands

Did I say it already? Because, I will say it again "I freaking over packed like a mo-fo"!!!!

I have recently moved from Auckland to Paihia, Bay of islands via bus (holy hell thats another story).

Any who it took me 30 flipping min. to zip my bag.

 And I'm not talking 30 min to pack, I mean to close the darn bag!! 

So, what do I have too much of? 

NOTHING

 I really do not have that much stuff and I really want everything.

The obstacle stands in my transition from NZ to Asia. When I packed it was for all climates and locations. I had to make sure that I had everything I would need for a full on 6 months. I guess I could say that I'm over prepared. But you know that one time when you really wish you had clear nail polish, scissors and duct tape to save your life for some unknown reason. Well no fear I have it all for you! 

Leaving a pair of sandals, the wrong camera charger, a tank top and alarm clock behind I managed to somehow zip up my turtle shell and get on my way. 

All in all I think all my bags weigh about 75lbs! Holy balls 75lbs thats crazy right?! I had to take a city bus to the bus station and he left me at the bottom of a hill and said 

"Its all right lovie, its just up that there hill".

 He could tell from the fear in my eyes that I was just not understanding. 

"NO worries doll, this is as close as you will get aye. Just pop up that hill and take a right"

How bad could it be right? I can do this right? 

Im not really that fat I can handle caring half my weight up a hill.

WRONG!

All sorts of hell no wrong!!! 

I died a thousand times that day, 400 of them were on that hill (I will get to the rest later)

I started up the hill, mind you it was just 2 blocks up a small hill. But, you would have thought I was climbing Mt. Everest.  I was breathing so hard, straight panting. People were stepping away from me I was so crazy. Other people were giving my small sympathy laughs that really only made it worse. Half way up I had to take a 5min rest because I didn't think I was going to make it. 

After about 20 min I made it the 2 blocks to the top of the hill to the bus depot.

I OVERPACKED O.K. geeeeez get off my case.

So, on to the bus I go. I HATE taking the bus. It all stems back to when I threw up on a girl on a school bus in 7th grade. I have always gotten car sick and that morning mom wanted to try out some new protein shake. Lets just say that she never made me drink that again. 

The fear is real, I may puke on a bus .... again! 

So, on to the bus for 4.5 hours, I can do this, I just climbed Mt. Everest. I got this.

A nice young New Zealander sits next to me. He has on a lovely sleeveless tank top full of holes and removes his fanny pack to he can sit next to me. All he wants to do is flirt we me and all I want to do is puke on his face. At one point a few hours in he says that Americans are alright and you cant blame the individual for the dictatorship (say what?!?) 

At that point I aggressively put my headphones back in and turned toward the window (this is where I died 100 more times). The first thing a see when I look out the window is a man stretching on his porch. Hands above head, wearing an old T-shirt and fishing cap, with no pants! Yep you heard me no bloody pants. Full on shrubbery, lots and lots of bush in his yard with a little shrimp in the middle. Kill me now, I had just seen old man penis! 

By the time we made it to the rest stop I was puking. It was all too much, that bus ride was a killer. 

However I made it! Pretty much sitting here on a rainy day in paradise. Straight up tropical paradise, there is a reason they call this the bay of island. Its so beautiful, today was my first day here and all it did was rain. So I have yet to venture too far out and see much. Im sure I will have more to report soon.

**** Side note... As I'm writing this there is the most adorable Japanese girls sitting next to me. With the cutest little skirt and cutest bangs and cutest laugh eating the worst smelling food ever!!! What the?!

And I'm off..

My first day here in Auckland I was wide awake at 6 am. The time difference is really only about 3hours behind Seattle. But, its still taking me a few days to sleep past 6am. After eating some toast and my heathy orange I set off to walk the city. Downtown Auckland is really not that exciting, its small and full of shops. So I was not there too long. But, what I did love was that when I walked down the marina the water was amazing! Its so col all the water I have seen here is a turquoise blue. I sat and looked at how pretty the water was for bit and then headed back up Mt. Eden. 

Later in the day I went up to the top of Mt. Eden and it was so beautiful. It is a small in-active volcano at the center of Auckland and it gives you 360 degree view. Its so cool that this just shoots up out of the middle of the city. From up top it looks as if there is water surrounding you. Its almost as if you are on an island the way the water creeps around the edges of most of Auckland. 

My second day I went to Waiheke island! It was breath taking, the water, the sand the views. I went down to the ferry in the morning with the German kid and took a 40min ferry ride to the island.

  It was so hot out so we headed straight to the beach. This poor kid had to stay in the sun the whole time because of his sunburns. But, I ventured out into the sand.

 The beach was so beautiful, long stretches of soft white sand and glowing blue water. I could had stayed there for days. Getting bored of the shade my friend wanted to go for a walk around the island.  And walk we did, for about 3hours we walked along the coast on the way back to the ferry terminal.

 We really had no clue what we were getting our selves into and most definitely did not have enough water. But, the views were unreal and looking back I am so glad I did it. At the time however as we were lost on a freaking island without water in 80degree heat I was ripping the kid a knew one with my thoughts. The island also has vineyards/wineries all over the place. But, being the broke backpacker I am forcing myself to be we didn't end up going to any. Making myself stick to a budget is so hard!!! I love spending money haha

40 minute ferry ride right back to the city and I was done for the day. I had put SPF 50 on myself in the morning (typically is way more then enough for me) and was burned by 3pm. The sun here is very strong I have come to learn.

Another night that when my head hit the pillow I fell instantly into a deep sleep. Every muscle in my body was sore, my legs were not used to this amount of activity! 

Momma said there would be days like this

Today is my 3 full day in New Zealand and it all has started well.

My legs are so sore from all my hiking that its unreal.

The sun down here is so strong that I have burns on my feet and shoulders.  

Considering both of these 2 things I planned on staying at the hostel all day to relax. 

One bad thing about doing so… My mind starts to wander.

As I was sitting quietly on my bed finishing the book "wild" I became overwhelmed with emotion.

"WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!?!"

I am all alone. In New Zealand. On a budget. With only a backpack. 

WTF?!

The looks on peoples faces when I told them about my journey are running though my head. 

That crazy eye head tilt half smile that people gave me when I said I was going alone for 6 months to just explore. 

There is that feeling deep down that I am now allowing myself to acknowledge, were they right this whole time? Is this going to be a disaster? 

I know that I CAN do this and I will DO this. But, during this moment of venerability I wonder if maybe I should have listened.

All I can keep telling myself is that this feeling will happen. It will happen all the time. I will feel lost, alone, and maybe even sad.  I have to tell myself that its OK and that after that feeling has passed great things will happen. 

I remember being in Australia on Christmas day sick as a dog and surrounded by amazing people. And all I wanted was to go home.  There was great food, music, wii games and a dog! But, sometimes nothing makes up for the fact that you just want your mom. 

PLease don't get it twisted, I am not leaving here and coming home. Nor am I just sitting around crying all day. But i felt that i needed to share the good with the bad on the steps of my journey. 

Tomorrow is a new day and there is a whole new world to explore on my horizon. 

Finally the day has come

Leaving is the hard part…..

I have the most amazing group of people that surround me in my life and saying goodbye is just crap. 

The support and strength that my friends and family provide for me is just out of control. 

Shout out to all you amazing people out there that encourage me, lift me up and guide me. 

Because I have such great people around me all that time, saying bye is 100x harder.  

I had my moment, I knew it was coming too. I was waiting for it, that moment when it hits you that not only are you leaving home with out a plan; you are leaving your support bubble.  

My moment did not last too long thankfully and I think I owe that to how prepared I was for the adventure. Since arriving I have yet to regret this trip or have any sort of panic, this is good! 

The flights were the worst, it took me about 30hours of painstaking travel to get here. 

My travels went like this:

SEA-LAX (2hours)

LAX-Nadi, FIJI (11hours) -worst airport EVER

NADI-Auckland (3.5hours)

17 hours of flight time combined with layovers, bus rides, car rides, customs and so on. 

As soon as I left the airport I immediately  became lost haha getting off the bus too early, then the next bus too late. Trying to talk with my way too big pack and in the end I gave up and took a taxi to my hostel. All in all I spent the same amount of money getting to where I needed to be as I would have if I had just taken a taxi from the airport. OOPs!

  

I settled in quickly, met my roomates a French girl and a German kid and attempted to hit the ground running. Trying to beat jet leg I headed straight to the store to buy food to cook for the day and I could think straight. I ended up leaving with cheap unhealthy foods that I was familiar  with from when I was in OZ. Shapes crackers, cup of noodles, lift soda bread, jam and an orange (because I'm all about health foods). Realizing I didn't really get any dinner foods I crossed the street and orders a KEBAB! They are 100% my favorite food here! Much like a gyro the are salty and meaty and all the best things in one. Leaving totally satisfied with my choices I went back to the hostel and slept for the next 12 hours! Holler!!!

This was my first view of New Zealand and all I thought was "wow there really are lots of sheep"

Welp, here we go again.

Welp, here we go again. 

Im back to planning my next journey and it is constantly on my mind. At any point of the day if you ask me what im thinking about I would say my travels. When you literally are capable of going where ever you want and doing whatever you want it becomes hard to plan.  Truly the only restrictions  have are financial ones.

The past couple weeks were spent deciding where to book my flight home from. 

Seoul?

Hong Kong?

Bangkok?

I decided after much debate to choose TOKYO! Holler! 

So it looks like my itinerary is shaping up.

Its looking a little like this.....

January 14th- I take of for Auckland, NZ

Play around NZ for a few month (maybe work)

Late March I leave for Australia

(hopefully mom will visit)

April 21st- Start my volunteer program in Cambodia

Play around Asia for a few months

June 25th I fly home from Tokyo

Currently I am already mentally packing and also preparing myself to travel alone. Alone for the first time ever while traveling and have committed to 6 months! 

I know that I will also be missing some major moments here at home. But, I need to figure out what I am doing, where do I go from here? I am so excited for all my family and friends doing huge things with their lives.

Marriage, babys, homes, how cool?! 

I know that by leaving I will miss out on some of those awesome things. But I need to go do some awesome things of my own. 

So, let the planning begin. 

But, not too much planing .... really ... like I'm trying to plan the bare minimal and just go with the flow.