New Year's Eve celebrations are kind of big thing in New Zealand. I guess it would be similar to a holiday like the 4th of July in the U.S….we're talking about great summer fun: concerts, BBQs, road trips, beach parties, and ocean outings. Derik and I won't be in New Zealand for New Year's to experience all the fun because we've decided to take a cruise around the South Pacific islands and then bring in 2015 Sydney, Australia style. There's always next year. If you're living in New Zealand now, or have plans to come visit over the holidays, here are a few events you might want to consider attending. Britomart Beach Party -Auckland (North Island) This event has been sold out the last two years, and it's coming back in epic style! ... Read More
Archives for November 2014
Why You Should Travel in 2015
The truth of the matter is, this year went by too fast as years normally do. Now that we're heading into the last month of 2014, we're left wondering where all the time went, what exactly we did with ourselves, and did we actually do anything about the past year's resolutions? I'll be writing a 'looking back on 2014' post at the end of December, but I'd have to say I loved this year. It's been on of my favorites! I also have high hopes for 2015, and look forward to seeing what kind of opportunities come our way. The older I get the more I realize how short life is, and that makes me want to make sure I'm living it the best that I can. “I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack ... Read More
Travel Blogging + Marriage
It's a rainy cold Friday afternoon, and I'm sitting here covered in blankets drinking spiked coffee; just your normal afternoon if you asked me. Some readers may get tricked into thinking I'm living back in the Northern Hemisphere where it is, indeed, almost winter. But nope, I'm sitting here in Spring/Summer New Zealand (which does not at all feel like Christmas) watching the rain change from water to ice…to back to water again. Apparently we had this weather in for us after making the choice to live so far down south, but honestly we weren't even thinking about the weather when we chose this location. My only hope is that it's just the rainy season here and that sunshine and rainbows soon take over this cold mess of a month. We've had ... Read More
Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka, Japan
I can't believe it's been over a year since our last trip to Japan. Derik and I took a small trip over while were on vacation from teaching in Korea because of the Chuseok holiday. I've always meant to post about the gorgeous Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, but I never seemed to find the time. So here I am, over a year later, finally posting about it! Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of the oldest shrines in Japan, founded in the 3rd century. Yes, you read right, 3rd century!!! If you're looking for a little peace and quiet, a breather from the hustle and bustle of busy Osaka, the quick trip via train may be just the thing! We visited the shrine on the most gorgeous day in the middle of the week, and literally only saw 3 or 4 other people ... Read More
Things I Find Strange About New Zealand
I'm sure all my Kiwi readers will pop up in the comments of this post, and my hope is I can give you all great laugh…or at least to crack a smile. The thing is, I'm not from your country, so obviously I'm going to find a few things strange about it, just like you would find strange in the United States. It's no secret I've fallen head-over-heels in love with New Zealand, but this little country does hold it's own when it comes to quirkiness. If you haven't been to here and get the opportunity to, you'll see that this country packs a punch with all things good, as well as a bit weird. Before we get started, you may have noticed I changed a few things up around here. I was hoping my last design would stay around a while, as I made it ... Read More
Pearl Harbor
Since today is Veteran's Day back in the U.S., it only seemed fitting to post something a bit patriotic. I already wrote from my heart on how I feel about Veteran's Day on Instagram, and from reading that you'll know I am very proud of our enlisted: past, present, and future. If you haven't thanked a veteran or a military service member yet for the things they have done for our country, you better get on it. Back in January we had the opportunity to tour Pearl Harbor during our time in Hawaii with my family. Both my father and my brother-in-law are currently serving in the military, and my brother is also quite the history buff, so visiting this historic site was top of our list. We spent about 3 hours walking though the visitor ... Read More
Five things you should do before you start traveling
1. Get the larger passport book. There's probably a 50% chance that before you move abroad or start your international travels, you'll need to renew or apply for a passport. The standard issue passport book comes with 17 exit/entry visa pages, but believe it or not, there is an 'extended' passport book that can be given to you at no additional cost, with a whopping 43 exit/entry visa pages. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get one of the larger books when I renewed my passport after getting married; only four years in and I have only three pages left to fill. We all know how much of a headache getting a new passport book is! 2. Consolidate your things. I used to be a chronic over-packer. I was the girl that literally packed ... Read More
Tunnel Beach, Dunedin
I'm convinced one of the most magical times of day is from sunrise-2 hours after. The sunlight, the dew still on the grass, sheep lazily soaking up the rays or grazing in the pasture (this applies only to NZ of course), and the sense of solitude as the world around you is still mostly asleep. I've been itching to get back out to Tunnel Beach here in Dunedin for quite some time, but it's been closed for lambing since August 31st. That's two whole months of waiting for the perfect day to trek the one hour long path down to one of the most breathtaking views in Dunedin. We're lucky to live an only 5 minute drive from Tunnel Beach, and I'm gearing myself up to wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:00am one of these weekends to go shoot the ... Read More
The 10 Stages of the Solo Road Trip
The past two years, I've had such lovely sponsors gracing me with their presence on my sidebar. I have enjoyed meeting new bloggers and discovering some of the best blogs to read. Jillian's blog is no acceptation. I am absolutely in love with her writing style, and she makes the most boring day-to-day activities interesting and fun. I couldn't be more excited to have her guest post for me, as I know you'll love her as much as I do! Be sure to drop by her blog, read a few more posts, have a laugh, and give her a comment or two to let her know you stopped by! Enjoy! ———————————————————————————— Once upon a time I moved from the deep suburbs of South Jordan, Utah to the salty paradise of Malibu, California. Let's see if I have ... Read More
