We have been getting a lot of questions about everything New Zealand, so I figured I'd answer some of them here!
Umm...where is New Zealand? It's in the Pacific Ocean, about 1250 miles east of Australia. The offical languages are English and Maori although English is primarily spoken. It is about the size of Colorado and has a population of a little over 4 million people (the popluation of Colorado is almost 5 million people!)
Where are you two going to be? We'll be in Alexandra in the Central Otago region of the South Island. Central Otago is New Zealand’s most inland region, also it’s hottest, coldest and driest. Central Otago has impressive mountain ranges, valleys, plains and seasonal weather, which provide opportunities for a wide range of activities such as biking, curling (yes, the most awesome winter Olympic sport), and-of course-wine tasting.
What are you guys going to be doing there? Keith will be working at the Central Medical Clinic in Alexandra.
So, Ellen-will you be working in NZ too? No, I will not! I plan on volunteering at the library and hopefully just enjoying myself (though my secret plan is to befriend a winemaker and be a volunteer taste-tester!)
When are you guys coming back? Well, our visas run out on August 2, so we'll have to leave NZ by then. Keith should be finished working at the end of July and we plan on leaving around then-but not to come back to the US. Hopefully we will go to Australia for a couple weeks-I mean how can we not!
Since we aren't there yet I don't have any pics yet-but here is a link to some pictures of the Central Otago region.
Merry Christmas!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The end is the beginning
With only 3 days left in Winslow and having turned in my final grad school project yesterday-it seems things are ending.
When I was packing up everything in Portland I had a really hard time trying to pare down the massive amount of stuff I wanted to bring. Now I'm looking at everything differently. It's with the 'how in the world did we accumulate all this stuff' combined with the 'if I'm not going to take it to New Zealand will I still want/like/need it in 6 months' attitude that I'm coming at all the stuff now! Let's just say Goodwill is going to love us-but somehow I know we'll still be packed to the gills on the drive back to the Midwest!
Looking at stuff this way, it's hard not to notice the things that have been the best, most used things that I couldn't have done without. In no particular order, here are my MVP's of the American leg of our journey:
I didn't even think I brought my little teapot that Laura gave me! Actually I was pretty sure I had packed it with the kitchen stuff to be sent to storage-but I'm guessing while I was working those last days and Keith was packing the last of everything, somehow it got in the car-and I'm SO happy it did! Just as it always was while I studied in Portland, it has been with me doing homework in Enterprise and Winslow!
My super super cute pink carry-on luggage has been invaluable for all of our weekend escapes since we've been in Winslow. I don't know what I would have done without it!!
Finally-what have been the most worn pair of shoes, the super comfy go-to's: my New Balance sneakers that I have worn so much the past few months I need to get new laces for them! The runner up for shoes is, obviously, my cowboy boots.
With all this packing and cleaning out it's almost easy to forget that in 24 short days we will be leaving for New Zealand and we won't be back until August!! I am so ready and excited to begin the next leg of our adventures!
When I was packing up everything in Portland I had a really hard time trying to pare down the massive amount of stuff I wanted to bring. Now I'm looking at everything differently. It's with the 'how in the world did we accumulate all this stuff' combined with the 'if I'm not going to take it to New Zealand will I still want/like/need it in 6 months' attitude that I'm coming at all the stuff now! Let's just say Goodwill is going to love us-but somehow I know we'll still be packed to the gills on the drive back to the Midwest!
Looking at stuff this way, it's hard not to notice the things that have been the best, most used things that I couldn't have done without. In no particular order, here are my MVP's of the American leg of our journey:
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| From Arizona |
My super super cute pink carry-on luggage has been invaluable for all of our weekend escapes since we've been in Winslow. I don't know what I would have done without it!!
Finally-what have been the most worn pair of shoes, the super comfy go-to's: my New Balance sneakers that I have worn so much the past few months I need to get new laces for them! The runner up for shoes is, obviously, my cowboy boots.
With all this packing and cleaning out it's almost easy to forget that in 24 short days we will be leaving for New Zealand and we won't be back until August!! I am so ready and excited to begin the next leg of our adventures!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Vegas, Baby!
With grad school ending and our time in Winslow coming to a close, there was really only one way to celebrate-going to Vegas!
Keith got us an amazing deal on a room a Caesars Palace-so good that we were a little worried that the room would be about the size of a broom closet! But no, the room was amazing! I'm still not sure what my favorite part was: the rainshower shower head or the button that automatically closed the most amazing room darkening curtains ever! But we couldn't just stay in our room! On Friday night we gorged ourselves at the Paris buffet: my favs were the crepes, personal creme brulees and the mini eclairs!
Saturday I started the day the best way possible-with a massage! Derek and Kathryn got me a massage at the Flamingo as a graduation present and it was amazing! I got there a half hour early like I was supposed to and this little old German lady was showing me around their facilities, and I'm thinking-why do I care how many different kinds of steam rooms and jacuzzi's you have-I'm just getting a massage. It turns out that when you got to a spa in Vegas and get a massage, facial, whatever-you get access to all the other stuff they have to offer all day! Sweet! I only took used one of there steam rooms after the massage and didn't come back because I had some shopping to do-but had I known I would have planned my day a whole lot differently!
Saturday night we went to the MGM Grand for dinner and to see the Cirque du Soleil show KA. Dinner was pretty great, but it was the margaritas that got me into a little trouble! They were really strong and when we got to the show and the lights went down and I was sitting in my cozy chair.....well I fell asleep for a little bit! Man I'm getting old! Oh well! I did see the vast majority of the show and it was truly amazing-unlike any show I'd ever seen. I now get the hype and would highly recommend it!
Sorry no pics, sometimes what happens in Vegas......:)
Keith got us an amazing deal on a room a Caesars Palace-so good that we were a little worried that the room would be about the size of a broom closet! But no, the room was amazing! I'm still not sure what my favorite part was: the rainshower shower head or the button that automatically closed the most amazing room darkening curtains ever! But we couldn't just stay in our room! On Friday night we gorged ourselves at the Paris buffet: my favs were the crepes, personal creme brulees and the mini eclairs!
Saturday I started the day the best way possible-with a massage! Derek and Kathryn got me a massage at the Flamingo as a graduation present and it was amazing! I got there a half hour early like I was supposed to and this little old German lady was showing me around their facilities, and I'm thinking-why do I care how many different kinds of steam rooms and jacuzzi's you have-I'm just getting a massage. It turns out that when you got to a spa in Vegas and get a massage, facial, whatever-you get access to all the other stuff they have to offer all day! Sweet! I only took used one of there steam rooms after the massage and didn't come back because I had some shopping to do-but had I known I would have planned my day a whole lot differently!
Saturday night we went to the MGM Grand for dinner and to see the Cirque du Soleil show KA. Dinner was pretty great, but it was the margaritas that got me into a little trouble! They were really strong and when we got to the show and the lights went down and I was sitting in my cozy chair.....well I fell asleep for a little bit! Man I'm getting old! Oh well! I did see the vast majority of the show and it was truly amazing-unlike any show I'd ever seen. I now get the hype and would highly recommend it!
Sorry no pics, sometimes what happens in Vegas......:)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Almost all work, but a little play!
After spending the bulk of Saturday sitting in our Best Western hotel room, doing the same thing I've been doing all week, working on final projects (my final, Final, FINAL! projects!!), it was time to get out!
We stopped at the Buffalo Bar & Grill to grab some dinner and watch some of the Nebraska vs. Texas game-we didn't really expect anything special. The first impression was that we had just walked into a biker party-where we had not been invited-but the waitstaff said have a seat, so we did. We had just about the best waiter ever-great suggestions for food (amazing buffalo burger!!), focused on how everything is made from scratch (amazing fries and Keith loved the cowboy beans), unexpectedly good beer selection-but mostly it was how nice the waiter was that made the meal. He shook our hands before we left-when is the last time that happened! If you find yourself in Payson, AZ you should most defiantly stop there! Ugh-now I'm hungry for that burger again!
I decided that I would not do any school work on Sunday-thank goodness!! First we went to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, which is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The bridge stands 183 feet high over a 400-foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point.
It had snowed a little bit this morning and it was pretty icy in the entrance of the bridge.
Keith had read about a hot springs that was on the way back to Winslow and after being so cold at the natural bridge, being warm sounded great-if only it was that easy! After a super bumpy 17 mile drive down in to the Verde River Canyon we were met with the below sign. At least with signs like this, you know you're at least in the right place!
What was supposed to just be a mile hike to the hot springs turned out to be a little more. It took us a few tries and maybe a mile or so of wandering around to find the sign that pointed us in the right direction. After scrambling over some boulders and more wandering around Keith bumped into (a surprisingly fully clothed) old man who informed us that we needed to cross the river to get to the hot springs-what!??! It was about 45 degrees outside and Keith thinks the water was also about 45! It was so cold it hurt-and turned my legs red!
As we got across the river, the old man was crossing to leave-so we had the whole hot springs to ourselves! The pools are all that remain of the Verde Hot Springs Hotel that burnt down in 1958.
The pool outside was about 98 degrees and the pool inside (well surrounded by 4 walls but no roof or door) was about 104. The walls surrounding the pool had been painted many times over.
Now I have to get back to business and finish the projects, I just have to get through this week!
We stopped at the Buffalo Bar & Grill to grab some dinner and watch some of the Nebraska vs. Texas game-we didn't really expect anything special. The first impression was that we had just walked into a biker party-where we had not been invited-but the waitstaff said have a seat, so we did. We had just about the best waiter ever-great suggestions for food (amazing buffalo burger!!), focused on how everything is made from scratch (amazing fries and Keith loved the cowboy beans), unexpectedly good beer selection-but mostly it was how nice the waiter was that made the meal. He shook our hands before we left-when is the last time that happened! If you find yourself in Payson, AZ you should most defiantly stop there! Ugh-now I'm hungry for that burger again!
I decided that I would not do any school work on Sunday-thank goodness!! First we went to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, which is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The bridge stands 183 feet high over a 400-foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point.
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| From Arizona |
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| From Arizona |
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| From Arizona |
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| From Arizona |
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| From Arizona |
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| From Arizona |
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