My Two Per[cent]

herp derp

2011-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

what. the. fuck. is going on in Washington?? In an attempt to be more culture-conscious, educated, and a better citizen I've attempted to pay more attention to what's been happening. I really think I picked the wrong week to tune in. I love you, NPR, but maybe I should've just stuck with the Saturday morning Cartalk and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. (I distinctly remember listening to classical public radio from a young age and hearing Carl Kassel's voice on the hour, every hour. Hearing him now brings back weird memories of playmoblile and the Boxcar Twins.)

Peter's on what he calls a "mind diet" in which he refuses to partake in or read/listen/watch anything not positive and/or fulfilling. It has its merits. I'd prefer to be informed but still retain respect for elected officials. I know next to nothing about politics and its inner workings but in childlike naivety I assumed it was somewhat more productive than this.

I think I'll stick to blogs, arts journals and the New York Times for now. Somehow reading about something makes it far less battering, having the option to turn it off. But seriously, where's the middle ground? In four years of journalism school it's been righteously impressed upon me the importance of being current. Being in the know, in the now, who's who, what just happened in Egypt last week, et cetera. Not viewing journalism as my highest calling, however, I'm not convinced as to the necessity of this current-ness. Some things, yes. But things I will have no bearing on or my frustration/anger/opinion will have no impact on the outcome whatsoever?

really not sure here. Apathetic, I know. And maybe this has less to do with the news itself than the fact that it's everywhere and technology is overwhelming.

IN OTHER NEWS...

planning a wedding is not nearly as fun as some make it look. Thanks a lot, TLC. People like my amazing cousin are also part of the realm of super-freaks who make decorating, accessorizing and coordinating everything look fabulous and simple. Brittany sucked up all the craftiness in the gene pool, leaving none for the rest of us. (love you cousin, if you end up reading this.)

Chair rentals, caterer meetings, what kind of alcohol? who's going to move the chairs? what kind of cake? cake vs. cupcakes debate. where do my divorced parents sit? can we have back-to-back readings or consecutive? and the music! oh, the music. I'm to blame for this one. It being my chosen specialty I am very picky about whatever's to be played, performed, or sung. There are some musts and some must not's (ie: any piece I've played at every single wedding gig I've ever done in the past 7 years. This makes Butterfly Kisses and Pachelbel's Canon a definite NO. Brandenburg? yes.) This build-up is partly due to the fact that everything about this ceremony or whateveryouwanttocallit (given that we've already married and wedded a good 5 months ago) is that I waited until after graduation to even think about planning a thing. This gave me just over 4 months to get everything in order, which hypothetically is possible. I have 6 weeks to see how that hypothesis works out.

Peter and I moved last weekend. Moving SUCKS! But we're now in the cutest neighborhood in town. Plaza Midwood, where there are art galleries, contra dancing every Monday night, soul food eateries and a 70+ year old music supply company all within walking distance. We also have a couch. This is a big purchase if you're a 2 people in their mid-twenties who have never bought an article of furniture more significant than a Target butterfly chair (remember how cool those were?)

we went from this:

to this:

okay can't currently find an appropriate photo of our new one. It's a very comfy, bungal0w-chic tan couch. Not too sensible or stuffy, no chippendales here. And we actually never collectively owned a butterfly chair, I have to take full responsibility for that one, an unfortunate phase of my dorm room decor.

Actually, the reuse habitat for humanity store proved a really great, eco-responsible way to find cheap stuff- all the things you forget about when you move. Hand towels? Those little things that hold up the shower curtain to the rod? Dishes? Definitely forgot about dishes. Even a 5$ fish tank complete with plastic plants and shiny gravel. Peter promptly filled it with lots of love and two goldfish, which were quickly named Speedo and Miko.

I think this epilogue has reached somewhat unreasonable proportions and needs to be cut off for its own good. I'm still not sure how the great bloggers do it. Concise, compelling, chic. NOPE, NOPE AND NOPE. not here... but thanks for sticking with me if you made it all the way through that.

the good life

2011-07-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

Stuff I really love right now:

this man

Redundant, yes, a little. But how could you not? Just look at that ridiculous face. In the past 2 months he's gotten a job (his first in the U.S.), decided to enroll in school and totally change his career track, started learning a new language and gotten approved for a GREENCARD. Yes, that verdigris ticket to the land of opportunity has been granted! And are we ever thankful, or at least I am. I think it's a little bittersweet. No more USCIS paperwork for 2 years-- hallelujah. No more I-485, I-130, I-765, I-864, I-94, B2 visa, !@##$#^$^%!!! paperwork. amazing. We can go on trips out of the country now!

free, or at least discounted things

Groupon and livingsocial are trends I'm late to pick up on (not to up on what the cool kids are doing these days), but absolutely love. Especially when they're for things like scuba diving classes and my favorite japanese/spanish tapas restaurant. Half price? Yes please. Not to mention these bad boys I got for free, no joke.

I am now the nerdiest, purplest-looking person I know. (For all glasses-wearers, this is a fabulous deal:free frames and lenses. check out coastalcontacts.com's facebook page for the promo code.)

trying to be green[er]

I like things that make you rethink life habits and choices. "If it's yellow let it mellow" has been an acceptable practice in my eyes for quite some time, but toxic waste? Where my soap comes from? Not so much. This book, a few years old, is not so much of a gloom&doom read but more of an advocate of personal responsibility and thoughtful choice-making.

teaching ma chidruns

Honestly, not something I thought I'd enjoy all that much. But I do! My baby studio is growing, and as I teach (along with an old teacher of mine...ironic) I love the challenges it brings. How to explain things differently to every student, how some explanations work for some, others don't for the rest. It's a great exercise as a teacher, but also as a person, to learn how to effectively communicate with people across so many different levels. More on this later, I'm sure.

tomatoes
That ripe, juicy, dripping symbol of summer. I love them any way I can get them: with balsamic vinegar, feta cheese&cucumbers, on fish...

things I don't love:
browsers that don't cooperate.

that's all for now.

lazy sunday

2011-06-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hanging out here :

The bustling East Blvd Caribou, not bad for a chain. Just down the street from Starbucks, I chose it for its proximity to Bruegger's Bagels (next door) and more parking. The bathroom ceiling is leaking and paint is actually sliding off the walls after last night's rain... a little disconcerting.

This seems like old news. A funny reminder of what I did with a few others 5 years ago.

Makes me wish I was more creative.

I have GOT to get a bike. Driving everywhere seems so wasteful, I really want to pick the bike-commute habit up again. Damn the lack of bike lanes in this city, which is fairly forward-thinking in many aspects. Charlotte does have its fair share of cyclists around uptown, though, so I can't really use narrow Randolph Road as an excuse, I suppose. Then again, when it's my plastic-protected head versus the next lane's enormous Nissan Armada, I can use whatever excuse I want. My walkscore: 31. Car-dependent, according to walkscore. With a bike, however, this number will undoubtedly go up, making my efforts more realistic.

Thinking about new music after the helpful suggestions of so many via facebook, the battered residents of ChCh, where to volunteer (suggestions?), and how much I'd love to take a cruise right now.

About to vinyasa my ass-a into shape.

rebirth

2011-06-15T12:28:00.001-07:00

I am trying TRYING trying to resurrect this dear blog. After a year+ hiatus, it's not easy given my spontaneous (this is putting it flatteringly, so I sound unpredictable and adventurous instead of forgetful and sometimes lazy) nature and recent inundation of how GREAT so many blogs are out there. Very intimidating to an under-accomplished blogger and pretend writer such as myself. Recently I've just became semi-aware (about 5 years after everyone else with a computer) of how much creativity there is on the internet. Gads of great blogs. Original photography, beautiful clean layouts, insightful, indie musings. Seriously, they're inspiring.

This is not one of them.

This has been a very unkempt project, one that began during my journey to the southern hemisphere. I will not relive or retell that wonderful experience here, or at least I don't plan to. That chronic retelling will come hopefully in the form of a novel detailing my experiences down under with travel and people, specifically the supersexy man I met who just recently became my husband.

This will serve as a soapbox for things I think about and little stories about my vida. Things like class, stuff that grows, music&musicians, bikes, beautiful things I like and who the hell knows really.

It's go time!

2009-10-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

omg it's here.

I'm leaving.

AND FREAKING OUT.

but i'm so so ready, so let's just do it already.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

2009-10-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

With the help of a teacher and a partition I did a tripod headstand in yoga today. I needed the wall behind me as I'm still a little freaked out by this pose. Anyway, you could say a hit a wall.

Which I definitely have. Is it only Wednesday? Do I still have almost two weeks left? I know they'll start flying by as soon as I stop thinking about it, but seriously:
GET ME OUT OF HERE ALREADY.

I have love loved LOVED being at home, riding my bike, hanging out with the neighbors, seeing my sisters, reading, going to yoga classes with my mom and cousin and just having time to be. But I'm pretty much ready to kick it into overdrive and start this next chapter of my life already!

Patience. It's not my virtue. But it needs to be.

Less of this:

More of this:

100 Must Do's for Kiwis

2009-10-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Came across this fun list today while researching places to hit up on Peter and Eva's Excellent Adventure. [The boyfriend is picking me up in Auckland, ten hours north of Wellington. We could turn around and drive straight back but figured what the heck? He has a broken wrist and I'm unemployed. We might as well make a decent roadtrip out of it. By decent I mean up to a week long. I love this man.]

It's a pretty thorough compilation, but with an emphasis on extreme sports and touristy destinations- some very deserving places, and a few of my favorites, have been left out altogether. The ones in bold are the places I saw on my first go-around, and I hope to make a hefty dent in this list starting as soon as I get back.

1.Mitre Peak and Milford Sound
2.Doubtful Sound
3.Bay of Islands
4.Fiordland National Park
5.Abel Tasman National Park
6.Aoraki Mt Cook
7.Coastal Kaikoura
8.Hanmer Springs
9.Camping
10.Tutukaka/The Poor Knights
11.Marlborough Sounds
12.Fox and Franz Josef glaciers
13.Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro
14.Waitomo Caves
15.Travelling the Southern Scenic Route
16.Otago Rail Experience
17.White Island (marine volcano)
18.Stewart Island
19.Arthurs Pass National Park
20.Tongariro Crossing
21.The Blue Pools of Haast Pass
22.South Westland
23.Waipoua Forest
24.Mt Taranaki
25.Lake Tekapo Observatory and Church of the Good Shepherd
26. Ulva Island (Stewart Is bird sanctuary)
27. Otago Peninsula
28. Canterbury Plains
29. Punakaiki (Pancake rocks)
30. Cape Reinga
31. Auckland Gulf Islands - Waiheke, Great Barrier, Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi
32. Kicking the autumn leaves (walking Outlet Track along the Clutha River, Wanaka)
33. Akaroa and Banks Peninsula
34. Glenorchy and Dart River
35. Farewell Spit 36. Queenstown (adventures)
37. Hokianga (Northland's west coast)
38. Whanganui National Park
39. Cape Kidnappers
40. Lake Waikaremoana, Te Urewera National Park
41. Fine wines and fabulous foods
42. The Queen Charlotte Track
43. Lake Matheson (Fox Glacier)
44. Arrowtown
45. Orakei Korako (geothermal attraction, near Taupo)
46. TSS Earnslaw (vintage steamship)
47. Rotorua
48. Night skiing and riding at Coronet Peak
49. Dunedin City (architecture)
50. Mt Maunganui
51. Karangahake Gorge
52. Eastland SH35 (scenic coastal road journey)
53. Getting up close and personal with marine and wildlife
54. Hollyford Valley (and the Hollyford Track, Fiordland)
55. Hot Water Beach
56. Auckland's west coast
57. Rotorua Luge, Skyrides, Skyswing
58. Kapiti Island
59. Marlborough wine trail
60. New Chums Beach, Coromandel
61. Christchurch City
62. Mt Tarawera
63. Te Papa Tongarewa museum
64. The Bridge to Nowhere (Whanganui National Park)
65. Coromandel Township
66. Lake Taupo's water attractions and Tongariro River
67. The Pinnacles
68. Te Mata Peak (Hawkes Bay)
69. Rotorua rafting
70. The Forgotten World Highway (between Taumarunui and Stratford)
71. Lake Wanaka maze
72. Moeraki Boulders
73. New Plymouth's coastal walkway
74. Seafood City (Auckland)
75. Castlepoint (old seaside town)
76. Wainui Beach (Gisborne)
77. Ahipara and Shipwreck Bay
78. Buller Gorge
79. Taranaki Gardens
80. Cape Palliser (southernmost tip of the North Island) 81. Auckland War Memorial Museum
82. Raglan
83. Takaka Hill: Rameka Track Mountain (Abel Tasman National Park)
84. Whakarewarewa traditional Maori village, Rotorua
85. Waitangi Treaty Grounds
86. Rere Rock Slide, Gisborne
87. Spa and well-being (Nelson)
88. Auckland's Sky Tower and Skyjump
89. Devonport and North Head
90. The Interislander
91. Auckland volcanoes
92. Central Otago
93. Port Waikato
94. Golf in an Alpine Amphitheatre (Queenstown Golf Club)
95. Hundertwasser toilet (Far North)
96. Wellington Writers' Walk
97. Cross-country skiing (Lake Wanaka)
98. Stonehenge Aotearoa (marking the winter solstice Downunder)
99. Rugby Museum (Palmerston North)
100. Beehive and Parliament buildings

my additions
Hangdog Rock Climbing Campsite & Hostel (Takaka)
Sand Dunes at CastlepointBeach (Wairarapa)
Arthur's Pass Peak (Arthur's Pass)
Nelson and the enormous Saturday market
Huka Falls/Taupo Hot springs
Skydiving
Hitchhiking
Hostels of any shape and size
:)

16 Days

2009-10-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

So it's really happening: I'm going back!
My life from October 27th through sometime next summer will be spent in Wellington, resuming the life I started there and the placed I carved out for myself with the people (well, person) I love. NZ immigration granted me a year-long working holiday visa, which was unbelievably easy to obtain. I'm allowed to work, travel, and leave the country as many times as I'd like during those twelve months. It's such a dream, and some days I still can't believe this is actually my life.

School and I are pretty on the outs right now, probably due to my massive overexertion during those first years of college. Who knows what my life will look like six months from now, but the current plan is to return to Boone and finish school next year. I love Boone, I do love school- when I'm not busy cramming my life full of everything I can grab and actually have time to learn. It would be really strange to finish school somewhere else, and I want to wrap up that chapter of my life where it started. For the meantime, travelling, gaining life experience and getting some in-depth solo viola work done are my main priorities. All of that will happen in and through Wellington.

I'll return to the New Zealand School of Music for orchestra, lessons and lots of chamber music. As for a job, I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I'm not picky and this trip isn't about making money so I'm just trying to get comfortable enough to support myself and take weekend trips around. The flat search is proving pretty difficult from another country, but I'll post pictures of whatever ends up happening.

So that's what's up! I've got sixteen days, and with two weddings and a combination family reunion the weekend before I leave, things are already a little overwhelming. Leaving the country is stressful! I can't wait, though. This transition period has been really good for me; teaching me a little patience and how to deal with not knowing the immediate future. This is by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but I have high high hopes for what these months will bring. Some days I ache to be back there. I'm so ready to climb some rugged mountains, drive for miles without seeing a car, eat fish and chips, drink a flat white, hit up Courtenay Place on a Wednesday night, see the old friends from Basin... I even miss the sheep! Contrary to popular belief (ha), I don't plan to settle down under. New Zealand is so many things to me, but it's not where I want to spend the rest of my life. The next months, however...
I can't wait. Let's do this!

"IT'S TRUE YOU CAN'T LIVE HERE BY CHANCE,
YOU HAVE TO DO AND BE, NOT SIMPLY WATCH, OR EVEN DESCRIBE.
THIS IS THE CITY OF ACTION,
THE WORLD HEADQUARTERS OF THE VERB."

Wellington Writer's Walk (Oriental Bay), Lauris Edmond.

Big news

2009-06-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

So skydiving...
so great. Definitely want to do it again. We had to really work to make it happen, too! They wouldn't take us up at Taupo ("in New Zealand, you have four seasons within one day. In Taupo, you have four seasons in an hour." True enough, actually.), so we drove to Rotorua where we were able to get on the last trip of the day and jump out of the sky! An amazing feeling, especially when there are beautiful views beneath you.

I am currently a little brain queasy after wayyyy too much time on the library computers. My laptop died, my iPod got stolen and my camera broke. My luck with technology is less than stellar.

Anyway. I have 10 days left here- the countdown has officially begun! I'm pretty ready, but trying to soak up the last bits of Wellington. I miss the south: chikfila, "yall", steamy hot weather, my family, Colby... SUMMER. So ready for summer! The weather is totally unpredictable here, and has been really drizzly lately, plus the constant wind. It's winter now, and I'm not happy about it.

I may be coming back here? I'm about to get kicked off the computers and will write more about this massive undertaking later, but I'm aiming to come back here around October and live/work/play music until the following May. I wouldn't be enrolled in school, and it would be a fantastic chance to dig into some intensive viola work with my teacher here while continuing to enjoy this country. Maybe hop over to Australia? Asia? It could happen. This whole concept has been growing in the back of my head since about my last update, which is probably why I haven't written anything. It's a strange feeling, being torn between two continents, and a hard decision. I'd return to school in the fall of 2010 for my senior year, then off to grad school or who knows what. The hardest thing has been separating what I want from other people's expectations of me. Either situation would be awesome, too: senior year in Boone with all my friends, a fun house, camping, pancakes every weekend, or a working holiday in Wellington: violaviolaviola minus the distraction of school, working, flexibility to travel around, time with Peter... it's a hard call. I now know for sure that I definitely DO want to stay here, even though it'll be a totally different experience from the past four months, which have been a glorified extended vacation. I would be very broke in a city where I know very few people, without all of the international student friends I've made and half a world away from my family.
Kind of sounds cool, though. I want that freedom, that independence. If I take the big lessons I've learned here in the context of this decision, it points to staying. I've just submitted my working holiday visa application and will hopefully hear back from immigration in a few weeks.

SO.

My friend Jordan studied in Paris this semester, and we came to the conclusion that studying abroad is both the best and worst thing that's happened to our undergraduate careers. It's definitely the best thing I could've done for my life at this point, though, and I want to extend it- make it more! New Zealand has changed my life, and in a few months it could be my new home?

You and me and the devil makes three.

2009-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm jumping out of a plane tomorrow! Bright and early tomorrow morning Lauren, Jake (her visiting boyfriend-what a guy), Carly, Peter and I will cram into Pete's jeep and head up to Lake Taupo for some altitude. 15,000ft? 30,000? Not sure, don't really care. I just know I'm jumping out of a freakin plane yeahhhhh!

If I don't update for a while it's either due to my normal blogging patterns or a parachute malfunction.

: )

Life is what you make it!

2009-05-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra as I write this, and it's yet another reminder of the time I have left. I'll be playing this piece at the Chautauqua Institution this summer, where I'll be studying chamber music/orchestra/all things viola. I attended Chatuauqua in '07 and returned with improved tone and crazy about viola, so I'm really grateful and excited to be going back again.

But still, excited as I am, it only means I have to leave. 6 weeks. In 6 weeks I'll be trying to repack everything I've accumulated (never as easy the second time!), bawling my eyes out and getting on that plane. Not gonna lie- not a prospect I'm looking forward to. This trip has been both the best and worst thing that's happened to my college career. I've effectively decided to drop journalis and I'm not even sure about grad school immediately following college. I've discovered that life is what you make it, and I may want something more than the states can offer me. All over New Zealand I've befriended travellers, especially germans, who are on an international tour for a year, 6 months, 2 years... I always ask why, are they in between degrees or taking time off before getting a job? Most of them are in their late twenties, even thirties, far past school and have had jobs for a while. So many of them just took off because they realized there was more to life than the 9-5. "But what about your job?" I ask. They tell me it'll be there when they get back, it's a leave of absence, etc. It took me a while to wrap my head around this concept. Leaving your home country for the sole purpose of travel, with no business or scholastic intentions behind your journey? Then I realized, it's what we value. Kiwi culture is so much more relaxed than back home. It's noticeable even from a student's perspective: the workload (only 2-3 big assignments per semester), the class scheduling (no 8ams!)... stores close earlier, people even walk more slowly (This gets on my nerves, but I'm adjusting).
So yeah, I'm not sure I want to go home and pursue the undergrad-masters-hello orchestral auditions pathway. I'm now more sure than ever I want music in some form as my career, but where and what else I do first or in addition to it? Haven't the foggiest. And honestly, provided it gets me somewhere new, international or not, I'm fine with it!

Why do we get so caught up in the career track at a young age, only to resent it later, counting down till retirement? It's certainly not fulfillment, as Americans are certainly not happy with their jobs. I think it's just what we know, what we see and are used to. Escape from that bubble for a brief second and it scarily widens perspective. My European friends constantly berate me with the fact that only 4% of Americans hold passports. The US is so big it doesn't necessarily require going abroad. But we miss out on everything else: the cultures, the people, the different perspectives.

I'm sure I sound incredibly idealistic, spouting my new experiences and viewpoints all over blogspot. That's okay, though, because I've learned my life can be what I want it to be: I can leave the US, I can travel, I can continue to learn. At Hangdog campsite I met travellers who had been sustaining a lifestyle of travelling for over a year. Wooffing (working in exchange for food and shelter), maybe working if they had a work visa, cutting corners where they could-bar alcohol- and otherwise making their dream happen. While I know I wouldn't personally find it fulfulling for more than a few months, it happens all the time and it's certainly feasible.

Wow, this isn't where I intended this post going at all! I'm loving Wellington the more I get to know it. I love the busy harbor, eclectic Cuba St., business-y Lambton Quay... While I'm a little burned out on the nightlife, I'm developing a real taste for coffee, which is one of Wellington's signature claims to fame. I love the proximity to the South Island (just jump on a 3hr ferry), while still being able to explore the entire N. Island and nearby Wairarapa (wine region). I love funky Kelburn and even the hellishly steep Devon St., which I climb up every day for music classes at Vic. Uni., which is also growing on me. I love Elim International Church, which I've been attending and welcomed into. I love how I almost always run into someone I know when I'm out. I love the Sunday farmer's market where I can get all of my weekly fruits and veggies for under $10. I love going to Peter's rugby games on Saturdays, and getting familiar with the beloved sport. I love the proximity to beaches and nearby mountains- I definitely love Mt. Victoria, which I discovered a running pathway up to last weekend. I love the stylish downtown flats and the quieter townhomes a few streets over. Wellington has burrowed into my heart, and I would definitely want to live here at some point in my life. This place is one to watch out for on the global spectrum, especially with New Zealand coming into more of a destination spotlight.

All this is to say I have six weeks left to soak it all up. It's so hard, sometimes painful, to think about what and who I'm leaving, but all I can do is smile and be grateful for the incredible times I've had and what it's all taught me. This weekend? Skydiving in Taupo! haha living it up until the very end.

p.s. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!!
p.p.s. Lauren chopped off my hair last week, in a moment of shared spontaneity. It's shorter than it's been in years.
p.s once more: I made banana nut muffins AND a combined effort Eva-Lauren-lattice-crust apple pie last week. What in the world is getting into me??

a Hang Dog gem

2009-04-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot: the bathrooms at Hang Dog campsite consist of two outdoor stalls for the entire campsite. The plastic walls are covered with quotes discussing the knowledge, the meaning of life, and encouraging you not to flush and save water. One of my personal favorites is at eye level on the right hand side, and I first noticed it while thoroughly souped up on boxed wine. However, it carried the same impact when I read it sober, and it's now in my journal for constant referral.

This quote is the most beautiful rendering of what I'd like to live by, and I almost cry every time I read it.

"LOOK TO THIS DAY
For it is life
The very life of life
In its brief course
Lie all the realities
And verities of your existence
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendour of achievement
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow just a vision
But today, well lived makes even yesterday
A dream of happiness
And every tomorrow
A vision of hope
Look well therefore: to this day."

life, or something like it

2009-04-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

So my dismal suckiness at maintaining this blog seems to have really climaxed in the past few weeks. To be fair, I was without computer access for the past two weeks while on Easter break, which is what I'll blame it on.

So here I am, back to Wellington. The days are getting shorter and shorter with the fall season upon us, and the air has the constant threat of winter. It's an early Wednesday evening, and the flat is quiet for once. Wednesdays are student nights, and some of the pubs are already full of the early crowd. It's 6.15. Wellingtonians really know how to do it up right.

Easter Break was something I want to crystallize and put inside a bottle to relive whenever I need an escape. I spent the entirety of it in the south island with a combination of Anna (Montana), Peter (Australian) , Lauren (NC!) and various backpackers I met along the way. Two weeks is a lot of time to think, and faced with the glory of these mountains and waters, I felt so many things change inside of me. I do consider myself a different person after all of it, not in a huge life perspective way, but in that so many little ideas and opinions shifted inside of me. Things I didn't expect to learn, things that the various experiences gave me and I took without even realizing it.

Okay Eva, so what did I DO already?
well. Started it with this little cutie:
Anna and I started our adventure in Queenstown for Easter sunday, after flying into Dunedin. Our whole motto was "the road less travelled", and this was certainly accomplished. We had no set plan, no itinerary or list of must-do's. Somehow every little thing turn out for us though, and made our week together pretty incredible.

Queenstown:

We then hitchhiked to Glenorchy, pitched our tent on a lake and hoped no one would notice. The next day we hitched (Kiwis tell me NZ is the safest place in the world to hitch, and with 2 girls it was pretty easy. We were a little worried at first, but had nothing but great experiences, including getting picked up by a bus called the 'Stray Traveler' and a camper with 4 kids in the back. )

Hitchhiked to the start of the Routeburn track, a 3-day Department of Conservation Walk and started the tramp in high spirits, only to realize we had forgotten to book campsite and hut accomodations in all the excitement back in Glenorchy. This is a classic Eva-Anna experience, and of course it was all sorted out later by a park ranger, but we could have been seriously screwed and forced to turn around after a full day of hiking.

Two days and 32k later, we got picked up by the infamous camper van with 4 kids and dropped off in Te Anau, a coastal town where everyone seemed to hate us. We managed to jump onto a 2-day Doubtful Sound kayaking trip, which marked my introduction to sea kayaking. Met several germans, a singing spaniard and a fellow exchange student while seeing the huge, beautiful sound and getting eaten alive by sand flies.

I wish I could describe in detail everything I've done, but the pictures on facebook will have to suffice. I have countless stories that my family will likely soon hate me for after I return.

After Doubtful sound, Anna and I parted ways and I headed back up to Queenstown to meet Lauren. We then drove 12 hours straight to Nelson to meet up with Peter, as I was already running a day 'late' to start the Abel Tasman coastal track with him.

Peter is an Aussie I met a few weeks after arriving, and works in Wellington. He agreed to do the track with me on the condition that we camp only, and we were certainly the most laid back campers on the trail. A totally different experience from the Routeburn trail, the Abel Tasman follows beaches up into mountains and greenery, making for constantly changing, gorgeous scenery. The track wasn't as difficult as others, and more crowded with families and older people. During our two-night tramp, we'd hike for 4-5 hours, then crash on our beach campsite for dinner and exploring nearby natural glowworm caves at night. I swear the sky is bigger here, with so many more stars. A morning swim in the freezing Cook Strait, then off for another beautiful day, carrying about 40 lbs on your back.

Lauren picked us up and dragged my complaining, bed-ready self to Hang Dog campsite, where I immediately regretted any protests I'd made. Hang Dog in itself could have been the pivotal experience of break, and certainly came close to it. A sometimes long-term camp ground for climbers, Hang Dog attracts only the most laid back, hippie, generous types. I don't know if it was the perpetual groovy friendliness, the inspiring quotes covering the outdoor bathroom walls, or the evening bonfire with 30 new friends, but Hang Dog proved one of my favorite gems in New Zealand.

We then enjoyed a laid-back rest of our second week, travelling to the most beautiful B&B in the world next to what is disputably the most beautiful beach in the world. One of my favorite kiwi moments was picking mussels off the rocks with Lauren and Peter, then boiling them up in our little cottage to eat with a fantastic white wine/garlic sauce, all ingredients we'd pieced together from a nearby gas station. (Everything closes at 5 here, and Collingwood didn't have a grocery store anyway. )

So that was break. A lot of camping, tramping and hitchiking. A few good friends, a lot of new ones, achanges, a little kiwi ingenuity and a hell of a new perspective on what matters.

once upon a time I was a good student.

2009-04-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

It's official: I have so fully embraced the exchange-student mindset of travel, play, experience and successfully pushed my coursework to the back of mind so much so that I am now totally inept at any sort of time management for projects, homework or exams.

Yeah okay, who cares. I think an A starts around 85, anyway? My classes may transfer as pass/fail, which gives me even less motivation to do well. At the risk of sounding totally brainless, I am enjoying one of my classes: The Meanings of Things, which is actually the one for which I'm currently avoiding the assignment. My professor Tony (uni is much more casual here, and even doctorates go by their first names), is a gray-haired and white-bearded persona of photographer chic, and has led us on a fascinating course encompassing dialectics and hermeneutics. We're exploring the 'role of contemporary objects in society' and in general, the role objects play in peoples' lives: culturally, personally, functionally. It's fascinating, and I'm thinking I may do my honor's thesis along those lines next year.

The above photo is the beautiful old museum building, where I have that class each week and where tomorrow I will be presenting very first in a long line of students discussing the 'symbolic importance of an object to society.' I opted to go first, hoping it would motivate me to finish the assignment early.

It didn't.

And now, on 5 hours of sleep from last night and coming off of a very full Wellington weekend, I am entirely at a loss as to why I'm so tired and miserably failing at sucking it up. At home, this would not be an issue. In Wellington somehow, homework just doesn't equate.

Going home to a full senior year is going to be rough. I don't even want to think about it. Back to my powerpoint and researching the cultural influence of the violin in countries worldwide. Coffee, anyone?

cause this moment keeps on moving, we were never meant to hold on...

2009-03-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Anna. From Montana, this girl has such a big heart and brings out only the goofiest in me. We're spending the first week of our 2week Easter break together, tramping and driving and laughing.

Lauren. This little chickie used to go to ASU, then left to go back to Greenville and ECU. A North Carolina native; who knew? Future trips from Boone to Greenville and vice versa are a natural conclusion, and will most certainly take place next year. She is very persuasive, and has a bad habit of convincing me to do things that I want, but would ordinarily talk myself out of.

We like to do crazy things together. This weekend included Castlepoint (beaches and dunes), Martinborough (wine country), and Cape Palliser (black sand and seals!).

Carly, my super blonde and hilarious roommate from Jersey. We dragged her along with us. Look at her- how could you not want that with you on a weekend adventure?

The following ensued:

Castlepoint for a night

Drive

Drive
Drive

Whoa

These pictures take forever to upload on the crappy internet connection I get in my flat, so that's enough of that. Basically it was another freeform, close your eyes and point weekend. I was in a weird place emotionally and physically, but I feel totally comfortable around these girls, enough to be myself even when I'm not at my best. Made some big realizations- specifically my need/compulsion to justify myself and my decisions to others.

"If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed."

I'm getting into a sync of Wellington Mon-Thurs, then taking off on Fridays for fun adventures. I love it and each time come back a little different. Easter break is in 2 weeks, and will be spent exploring the South Island. I'm flying to Dunedin with Anna, then driving to Queenstown to revel in the beauty of the Fiordlands, hopefully kayaking Doubtful Sound. After a week of living in the present, we'll drive North where I'll meet a crazy Australian named Peter for more camping in the famed Abel Tasman National park. Beaches, forests ("brush"), and mountains all crammed together into a big natural theme park. I will know this country pretty damn well by the time I leave, and I love it.

off for another busy day in Wellington, trying to live in the present!

to walk within the lines would make my life so boring

2009-03-19T14:40:00.001-07:00

Swimming in glacial water. You decide whether we're wearing suits or not.
The long way home.
The ferry ride back to Wellington. After 4 days of travel and 17 hours of backpacking, huts, scree slopes, and fording rivers in our shoes: Corona time.
Some pictures from last weekend's epic adventures! Lauren, me, Anna- optimistic about the 2-day backpacking trek ahead of us. (Arthur's Pass National Park, S. Island)
Me and Anna reaching Avalanche Peak. This park is very isolated and climbers regularly get stuck and have to be airlifted out. The tiny little winding road in the background? That would be where we started. When this picture was taken, we still had to slide down a steep mile and a half "scree" slope (loose rock), which took about 3 hours alone.

Ferry sunset on the way to the South Island.

Last weekend was life changing. Many thanks to Lauren for dragging me on that wild adventure with her. The pictures are out of order, but we ferried over to the S. Island, rented a car, drove down the incredibly wild West Coast and backpacked for 2 days in Arthur's Pass. 4 days, 3 girls, 2 hostels and 1 hell of a time. More on backpacking and my new experiences with that interesting sub genre of people later.

In about ten minutes I'm leaving for the Wairarapa to visit the Milne family. This connection is through- no joke- my former boyfriend's grandmother's second cousin once removed. Seriously. Six degrees man, six degrees. They live out in the Wairarapa (wine country) and have kindly invited me to visit them any weekend. So I'm headed out for a somewhat more normal weekend (no hostels, no dirty socks and peanut butter diet). One of my resolutions after last weekend was to be out of Wellington on the weekends as much as possible, and live it up fully here during the week. With no Friday classes, this is not hard to do. I'm now realizing just how quickly a semester will go. I've been here over a month- there are about 8 weeks of school left, not including a 2 week Easter break during which I'll probably tramp all over the south island, backpacking and hosteling it up.

Ride's here- off to the wine country. Who knows, I may miss the peanut butter diet.

A short tutorial in kiwi dialogue

2009-03-08T01:03:00.000-08:00

Heaps: adj. Lots, of immense quantity. Generally used to describe something desirable.

Keen: adj. Enthusiastic, excited. Of positive feeling.

Sweet as: adj./pron./v. Common slang expression. Used to describe feelings towards a person, event, circumstance, meal or nightclub.

Mate: n. Friend, pal, or ally. Does not imply a spouse or person of romantic attachment.

Bro: n. Everyone.

A conversation between two kiwis:
Kiwi A: "I'm quite keen to head down to Christchurch, bro. There's heaps to do down there."
Kiwi B: "Sweet as, mate."

Latest observations on Wellington:
Lots of transvestites. Forgot to mention, or really even notice this earlier. It sank in a little more when I passed two in the crosswalk today, both sporting glaring lip gloss and Paris Hilton sunglasses. There was also a shared chihuahua on a pink leash.

Still windy, still summertime. I've been spending more time in and on the water lately. I joined the Massey University Rowing team (rowing is huge here), and competed in a little biathlon last Friday. Open water swim in the freezing ocean, then a 4k run. 2nd place in women's, baby! Trying to rep that App. State. Rowing practices take place in the beautiful Oriental bay, where the water is a stunning green and incredibly clean and litter-free for such a public place.

Rotorua was fun last weekend, minus the eight-hour bus ride. Sulfur springs, level 5 white water rafting and backpacker's hostels. Pictures will be put on le facebook soon. Flying to Auckland on Thursday with Gavin and Co., which consists of 5 other US exchange students staying at Gavin's gracious father's beach house up north. Wine tastings and scuba diving, yessir.

I'm learning. A little too much about myself sometimes, maybe things I'd rather not realize. Definitely miss the friends from home and the seemingly effortless easiness we have. It's different meeting people here. Everyone's excited and ready to connect, but in the end we all have our own agendas and true friends back home. As part of my second-place prize, I won a 3month gym membership to the Victoria rec. centre. I plan on taking full advantage of the yoga and kickboxing classes in an attempt to keep my mind from getting too far ahead of myself. Still working on adjusting those expectations and truly meshing myself with this beautiful place.

Made guacamole tonight with the fresh veggies I got from the Sunday outdoor market. Avocados, sweet potatoes (or kumaras, as they say), tomatoes, plums, lemon and fresh greens. All for under 10NZ$. Veddy nice! This city is super organic. (My consumption of the guac could be consider a bit more industrial. It's long gone.)

when you're soaring through the air
I'll be your solid ground
take every chance you dare,
I'll still be there
when you come back down.

.nickel creek

2.27

2009-02-26T05:19:00.000-08:00

This week has been a little dizzying. With the advent of classes, 'ori' (orientation) week is upon us, full of free sausages on the barbee, concerts booked specifically for Massey students, and representatives from national banks lurking around every corner, wondering if you please would you like to open a free student account with us today?

Not to mention the extra activities and perils of being an international student. I'm really hating the administration of Victoria University and the New Zealand School of Music right now, but that's not material for public consumption nor worth complaining about, seeing as how I spent hours today registering for my ONE music class, to only be charged an extra seven grand for it.
I don't think so.

Anyway: It's 2.25am here, on Friday morning. No classes for me today, and I got in about an hour ago. I'll be awoken-rudely, most likely- at 7.30 by some crazy ladies named Chelsea and Anna for a spontaneous weekend getaway. Yes, I'm peacing out of Wellington for a few days to explore the country and get out of this funk I've been in all week. When I arrived, I had the idea of being a constant nomad, never really settled and free to travel at will. It's starting to hit me that I'll be living in Wellington for the next 4 months. Not sure why this idea is just now starting to register, but I can admit naivety, and idealistic inexperience. To counter this, I'm getting out of dodge and headed to Rotorua, capital of all things touristy, hot springs, and outdoorsy. I hear it also smells like farts. We're taking the bus- an eight hour trip, and either staying in student hostels or camping out.

I'm bringing: one extra pair of shorts, sneakers, a towel, my contact solution, a camera and journal, a book for the bus ride, some apples, granola bars and a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And a water bottle.

This is what it's all about. Onward.

Uni

2009-02-23T02:23:00.000-08:00

as they call it here. College is equivalent to high school, and an undergraduate career is 'uni.' Short and sweet, sort of like my first day. Three hours of class; less than I've ever had in a regular semester. As of right now I have Tuesdays and Fridays entirely free as well, making weekend getaways a sure thing. I'm taking two journalism courses thus far, a philosophy/humanities called 'Meaning of Things: Visual and Material Culture,' along with lessons and orchestra. Not bad at all, and the philosophy course is already fantastic. This is shaping up to be the best semester of my life. I'm ready for some structure, though.

Met some distant contacts from North Carolina yesterday. The Milne family, through a really random connection, took me out to lunch and proved really lovely people. They're asking me to come visit them for a weekend, out in the Wairarapa (wine country, about an hour outside of Wellington). Sweet as!, which is kiwispeak for rock on.

I'm becoming more familiar with Wellington, especially after this weekend's Cuba St. festival. Cuba street is the funky bohemian section of town, complete with cafes and bars galore, and every store is either vintage secondhand or trendy boutiques. Pretty sweet. The carnival was massive, with food, local vendors and live music all day. The crowds were insane, and Anna and I went an uninhibited buying spree. Local jewelry, organic cotton clothes, wrap skirts. What's a girl to do, especially when the exchange rate is so damn good? Of course the nightlife was even more outrageous that night, with all 150,000 festivalgoers looking for a good time. This town is full of bars, clubs and pubs, and I'm already familiar with way too many of them. Somehow the exchange students inevitably end up at the same ones, which makes the town seem that much smaller already. However, I don't think bumping into eachother has to do as much with Wellington being small as the voracious social appetite of the international students.

As I said, what's a girl to do.

2009-02-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

err, so it's been a while. School doesn't start until Monday, so I don't have that as an excuse yet. The past week has been filled with exploring this exciting city, meeting new people (Americans and kiwis alike), and getting acquainted with New Zealand brews.
Not bad.

Wellington is a really sweet place. I'm sunburned from beaching, sore from hiking, and had a headache yesterday as a result of the fabulous nightlife here. North Carolinians that have lived here described it to me as a sort of Asheville, but it feels much more cosmopolitan. Everyone dresses way too well here, and I'm resigning myself to looking like an outsider during my time here.

Friends: there are quite a few Americans studying at Massey, most of whom I've met this week during orientation. My favorite New Zealander thus far is Gavin, a 28 year old psychiatry student living in 'The Cube', the other Massey University dorm. (I'm at Basin Reserve, named for the giant rugby field right next door.) Gavin has one of the driest senses of humor, and likes to mockingly say things like "and how did this make you feel?" or "it's important to take time to grieve." He's been a great resource for exploring Wellington, and our mini-posse will probably take a trip up north to Auckland and his dad's beach house in the near future. Other than that, it's been a nonstop party with Chelsea and Anna, both from up north, and Tom and Matt from NC State.

Starting to miss people from home. I have an entire wall in my room, filled with happy faces from Boone and Charlotte. I'm settled in, and now the initial shock is starting to wear off enough for me to think about everyone and what they're doing.

The weather has definitely improved, proving my initial rainy impression to be quite false- thank goodness. It's been gorgeous the past few days, and I need to start running to explore the area even more. There's a super tiny triathlon in March that I intend on doing if I can find a bike. Pretty stoked about this.

I'm off to find a phone and some coffee. Here's my massive address for those of you who've been asking:

Eva Mowry (flat 37B)
Basin Reserve Residence: Massey University
4-18 Sussex St.
Mt. Cook, Wellington
NEW ZEALAND 06210

love to everyone!

Friday the Thirteenth

2009-02-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Helloooooo Wellington!

First impressions:
1. Compact, walkable
2. Mountains surrounding the city and bay. Sweet terrain
3. RAIN

After sleeping for fourteen hours straight yesterday, I think I'm slowly adjusting to the time. Or maybe not. I've moved into my sweet flat, where I'll eventually have four other roommates. Two so far- one named Ann, a sweet little freshman from the south island, and another hilariously loud one- Carly, from Jersey. I'm hanging so far with two other girls from the US, Chelsea and Anna. Sweetness.

So yeah, not a ton to report yet, thanks to the rain and my lack of knowledge about the city thus far. Trying to get settled in, and about to buy some stuff for the place. I don't have regular internet access yet, so I'm using the library for this stuff. (THANKSMOM, who called the actual university to check on her precious firstborn. Also, here's your obligatory first post, so show your friends and stop worrying.)

Been listening to a lot f Uncle Mountain and Avett Brothers, because it reminds me of home (thankyou, Ryan Lassiter). I'm avoiding emotions of any extreme right now, because I'm trying to bypass the whole homesickness thing. Leaving was harder than I thought it would be. Our weeklong orientation starts Monday, so I've got the entire weekend to kill and explore the area.

peace out, kids.

2.11.09

2009-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

(written in the Auckland airport two days, ago. From my personal journal.)
Well, I'm here! Sort of. The last leg of my four part flight was cancelled, leaving me with a ten-hour layover in Auckland. Sort of a crummy hiccup to an otherwise uneventful (albeit long) journey.
I woke this morning to a bloody, peachy sunrise, hidden to those below by the thick layers of clouds. "Land of the long white cloud," after all. Even from the plane landing, the country already has a mystique to it. We'd barely crossed the remaining bit of water (sea? river? Not sure) before the plane hit the ground. The mountainous skyline is visible from the runway, and the flat, low terrain feels very much like a stunted rainforest (which I think it is).

Disembark, custome, realize I have ten hours to kill, pass out. I was sprawled over four lounge seats for about three hours until an Indian airport man woke me, asking where I was flying too. Drool all over my race, greasy hair, dirty teeth and bad breath I'm sure. Hottieeeeeeee.

Paid 8NZ$ for a shower, which was well worth it, and feel enormously better. If I didn't have a fever, congestion, and what feels like the worst hangover I've never had, I'd be golden. By the time I arrive in Wellington, I'll have been travelling for almost 36 hours.

The people already seem really beautiful. All bronzed due to the season, well dressed but not in a 90210 way. I don't think I've even seen lip gloss on these women yet. Maybe too early to judge, but they all seem to hae a healthy, genuine radiance- outdoorsy, but not in the hippie fashion. Pale, wearing four layers, glasses and a runny nose, I'm almost glad I'm sick so I have an excuse for looking this bad. (In the US, I looked fine. ha)

2009-02-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. Back to the blogging scene after a few-year hiatus, and it's time to leave in... 36 hours.

damn.

I need to pack. I'm sure I'll forget hangers.