I learned fairly early on during my trip throughout New Zealand, that this country fit my personality perfectly. Beautiful scenery with amazing mountains, heaps of hiking, gorgeous beaches, and plenty of activities to get your heart racing! After doing a 16,000’ sky dive at Fox Glacier, I wasn’t sure anything could top that adrenaline rush. […]
Archive | Destinations
South Pacific Escape, Part 2: Aitutaki, Cook Islands
My trip to the Cook Islands was a beautiful escape from touring around New Zealand and just what I needed in order to recharge my batteries. In Part 1 of my South Pacific adventures, I highlighted my time spent on the island of Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands. In this post, I will share how […]
Trekking through time in Myanmar
In 2010, 300,000 tourists journeyed to explore the newly opened country of Myanmar. Fast forward three years…in 2013, there was just over 2 million tourists visiting Myanmar – a monumental increase from 2010. The country is working rapidly to keep up the tourism and you will notice this in every major city. New hotels are […]
Month Three Summary: April 2014
Month 3 wrapped up my time in Australia and brought me to start my journey through SE Asia, in Thailand. It brought a slower pace of travel which is what I really needed. It is quite exhausting moving every few days, and even more expensive. I ended up having my longest stay to date in […]
Elephant Nature Park: An Alternative to Riding Elephants in Thailand
Like so many tourists who visit Thailand every year, I imagined sitting atop a majestic Asian elephant wandering through a forest would be an epic, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I began researching elephant riding and quickly realized that there is a side that few tourists are aware of, but are beginning to discover. I chose not to […]
South Pacific Escape, Part 1: Rarotonga, Cook Islands
After spending a few weeks in New Zealand, traveling by bus, staying in hostels, I found myself taking my first real break in Auckland. I had originally intended on staying with some friends for a couple days to recharge my batteries and then resume my backpacker bus trip. As I was enjoying some downtime, I […]
I Fell Out of the Top Bunk.
Growing up, my older sister and I shared a room for years until she went off to college. It was quite large, running the length of the house, but now that I think about it I can’t believe we survived all those years. Believe me…it wasn’t always pleasant. There was a spare bedroom, but neither […]
Month Two Summary: March 2014
With two months under my belt, I was starting to get the hang of this long term traveling thing! I KNEW this month was going to be expensive and likely the MOST expensive of this trip. There were too many amazing experiences that all seemed to cost a pretty penny! This month’s expenses will include […]
Fox Glacier: Taking a 16,000’ Leap of Faith
Let me be honest for a minute here….I have never been one to shy away from risky, adrenaline pumping activities. I’m more of a moth to fire when it comes to things that push my limits and challenge my rational fears. New Zealand is the perfect place to have the opportunity to be thrown beyond […]
Hahei: Hidden Coves, Hot Water, & Heavenly Skies
Nestled into the Coromandel Peninsula of the North Island, lie some of the most fantastic beaches New Zealand has to offer. Hahei is a treasure amongst these beaches and is perfect for a much needed day of relaxation and sun. After spending 10 days in the Cooks Islands and returning to New Zealand to begin […]