Living in Another Language

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Aurora Australis in New Zealand

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand, Photojournalism

I've been researching the Aurora Australis since before we moved to New Zealand. I was lucky enough to have spent some of my childhood in Alaska, and because of that I grew up watching the beautiful Aurora Borealis so close to me I felt like I could touch it. When I found out the Southern Hemisphere delivered the same phenomenon (just not so close or visible), I knew I just had to try and photograph it. The Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are a bit rarer to view down here than the big Borealis is, and many people joke that Australis is Borealis' ugly stepsister. I feel like the poor Australis gets a lot of flack for it, but it's only because where New Zealand (and Australia) sit on the map degree-wise is quite a bit different than ... Read More

5 Reasons New Zealand Should Be On Your Bucket List

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand

I am 100% completely in love with New Zealand. Although we aren't sure what the future has in store for us (whether we leave when our working-holiday visas are up or stay under new visas), this country has a special place in my heart and carries some of the fondest memories. I feel like I have so much I would love to share with you about New Zealand (including a TON of destinations I have yet to blog about), but for now I want to wrap it up in a pretty package and tie a big bow on top of all of it, just to get you over here to experience this country. New Zealand should be on the top of your bucket list, whether you plan on visit for a short time or stay long-term. 5 reasons why you should visit New Zealand: 1. Adventure central I ... Read More

Finding a Place to Live in New Zealand

Written by: Amanda // Category: Expat Living, New Zealand

So you've been approved for a visa, and you're headed over to New Zealand (aka paradise on Earth)! We've already talked about finding work, so the next logical step would be finding a [temporary] home! As much as I would love to tell you the opposite, hobbit holes are not readily available to rent in New Zealand. A girl can dream though right? Looking for a place to live outside Hobbiton (am I taking this Middle Earth narrative too far?) can be quite daunting , especially when you don't know the lay of the land or have no idea about how things are properly orchestrated over here when it comes to housing. Looking back at our 'housing journey' I would have loved finding material to read before we began the task of house-hunting. I will ... Read More

A Weekend Getaway at Kinross Cottages

Written by: Amanda // Category: Accommodation, New Zealand, Review

In the 5 years we have been together, Derik and I have never made elaborate plans to celebrate Valentine's Day. However, this year I wanted to do something special 'just because,' and planned a weekend getaway in Queenstown. I booked our stay at Kinross Cottages last minute, and really had no idea what to expect, except that the place was new-ish and in Gibbston Valley (wine country). The Kinross Cottages Review The second we pulled into the Kinross drive Derik and I were completely blown away. We had somehow completely missed the part of the website description that stated our cottage would literally be smack dab in the middle of a vineyard, and that paired with the gorgeously designed 'General Store' and cottages, we felt like giddy ... Read More

Central Otago Wine Tour

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand, Review, Tour Reviews

I knew from the second I found out New Zealand was prime wine country, that I wanted to go on a wine tasting tour. I'm not quite sure why it didn't make my NZ bucket list, but would it be cheating if I threw it on there real quick just to cross off? It should have been part of the list for sure!  For Valentine's Day I wanted to do something fun and romantic with Derik, so I booked a last minute wine tour through Appellation Central Wine Tours. Central Otago (and Queenstown) is only a few hour drive for us from Dunedin, and honestly I have no idea why it's taken us this long to drop by this area during the summer! We've visited Queenstown three times previously, but all have been in the winter/early springtime. If it says anything, we're ... Read More

Sunrise at St Clair Beach, Dunedin

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand, Photojournalism

One of my favorite things about living directly on the east coast of New Zealand is the incredible sunrises I get to experience almost every day. The summer days are long, and the sun appears bright and early (5am early). One of my favorite things to do is go out by myself and experience the sunrise in different locations across Dunedin. With a variety of beach locations (Tunnel Beach and Sandfly Bay are some of my favorites), the Moeraki Boulders an hour and a half north,  and Nugget Point an hour and a half south, I've got my work cut out for me photographing these early mornings. Derik and I are a one car family, so I typically have to wait until the weekends, when Derik isn't working, if I want to see the sunrise from a different ... Read More

Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand, Photography Tutorial

New Zealand is known to have some of the best starry sky visuals in the world. It's probably due to the fact that this little country is known as having some of the cleanest air in the world. I've enjoyed getting out and shooting the night sky a time or two while we've lived here, and after sharing a couple of those posts (found here and here) I thought it was high time to write a tutorial on how I take my night sky pictures. Astrophotography is a tricky thing. Not only do you have to get the light settings just right, but the proper infinite focal placement is insanely important. If you happen to stumble upon a quiet, clear night, head out and try your luck! What you need: -A camera with manual settings and manual focus -A ... Read More

Wellington, New Zealand

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand

Before moving to New Zealand, Derik and I were 70% sure we were going to settle down on the North Island in Wellington. The city somewhat resembles the quirky, active, inviting atmosphere we left back in Portland, Oregon, and we were ready for that again. We were still open to other places, and that's why we decided to campervan around New Zealand until we found the place that fit us. We chose Dunedin which happens to be near the bottom of the South Island. It's not quite the hustling, bustling little city as Wellington is, but it's full of history, things to do, and coffee shops. Derik was also given a great opportunity job-wise, so that was a huge factor in our decision to stay. That being said, in the brief time we had in Wellington, ... Read More

Things I Find Strange About New Zealand

Written by: Amanda // Category: 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

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2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a coup Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a couple days enjoying the beautiful weather in the land of chocolate, cheese, mountains, and cows with bells 😍😍🤩. If you remember, we visited the same area  a month shy of two years ago but but the weather was quite the opposite! I’d have to say though, when you visit such a majestic and beautiful area, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re going to be in awe and love it anyway!
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