A #tbt to New Zealand where we mastered the staggered selfie documenting our every move across the country. I miss these people something awful #nostalgia (at All Over Kiwiland )
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Sweet Seals For You, Always
trying on a metaphor
cherry valley forever

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I'd rather be in outer space 🛸

@theartofmadeline

Kaledo Art

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Three Goblin Art

titsay

oozey mess

PR's Tumblrdome
Monterey Bay Aquarium

祝日 / Permanent Vacation
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2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
wallacepolsom

blake kathryn
Jules of Nature

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@simplekindofree
A #tbt to New Zealand where we mastered the staggered selfie documenting our every move across the country. I miss these people something awful #nostalgia (at All Over Kiwiland )
"You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again" #byeNZ
Walked up Mt. Eden for our final adventure and were rewarded with a great view of this awesome volcanic crater, the skytower to the left, and Rangitoto to the right :)
My friend Bradford is awesome and made this sicknasty video of his adventure here in New Zealand. I make a brief cameo appearance in the Tongariro clip. Brad this video is amazing and brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it because the nostalgia is so real. Plus great choice of music. You rock.
Kiwi Musings #12
Scattered thoughts:
So New Zealand's major shows are home renovation competitions and cooking competition shows and I just don't really understand the craze
I also still think its so interesting that more college kids live at home than they do at Uni. In the states, college pretty much means leaving home for the first time, but here thats not a thing!
Finally, New Zealand has terrible internet everywhere. It's SO SLOW. GAH.
Rocked the 19.4km (12.1 mi) hike despite winter weather warnings and cancelled shuttles, took a side trip to summit Tongariro at 1,967m (6,453.4ft) and still finished the crossing in under 7 hours. Pictures are super authentic and therefore mostly blurry because our viewing of the crossing was mostly blurry with all the wind, rain, and clouds..I THINK WE MIGHT BE CRAZY BUT IT WAS AMAZING
Tongariro Crossing!!
Finally a post about the Tongariro crossing hike! I think this was the perfect way to end my weekend-trips-in-New Zealand series because it really epitomizes the whole carefree free-spirited thing I've enjoyed working on over here during my semester abroad. I will try to keep it brief, but its one of my more detailed and exiting adventures as this is the kind of thing that never ever happens to me. Plus the entire 19.4km (12.1mi) crossing that included a 1.5hr detour to summit Tongariro, took us 6 hours and 54 minutes so it only makes sense that a lengthy post would accompany it. (Also, this crossing includes a turnoff to Mt Ngauruhoe, also known as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings. Casual.) So please hold on to your hats. Mom and Dad, you should probably sit down for this one. Everyone else, you should sit down too because this is a really long post and I apologize, but I promise its a good one!
Can't believe I'm leaving this magical place in 6 days. Just took my last final WHAT I'm sure going to miss exploring New Zealand and pretending to be a photographer (at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand)
A little mud neva hurt nobody ⚽️ #finalsmonth #studybreak
Because I miss the South Island just a bit (at Kaikoura, NZ)
Kiwi Musings #11
We're constantly reminded of the fact that Christianity is extremely prominent and the separation of church and state just is not a thing here in NZ. Back at the club fair before classes started, there were so many clubs that we're religiously affiliated. While we were back in Queenstown around Easter, we were surprised to find that liquor stores and restaurants did not sell alcohol on Good Friday. Also my favorite board game, Clue, has a NZ/British variant called "Cluedo" (LOLZ) and the character Mr. Green is actually a reverend.
Grabbed some lunch at a French farmers market today! tuna melt with beet and feta spread, plus a beet and goat cheese salad. NZ has for sure magnified my love for beets 😍 (at La Cigale French Market & Bistro)
ALL BLACKS VS. ENGLAND
FINALLY THE DAY WE'D ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!! THE ALL BLACKS GAME!! We were really excited. So excited that we started our celebration that afternoon in preparation for the game at 7pm.
Because we were playing England I was really expecting a Sox-Yankees-at-Fenway type feel, but it really wasn't all that. There was only try in the entire game and it was during very last few minutes so it wasn't the most exciting thing ever, but we were all still pretty pumped to be there when the All Blacks won 20-15!
The cold never bothered us anyway #Tongariro #Summit #alt1967m #19km (at Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand)
Brad just uploaded this photo to Facebook, so I stole it and put it here. The official Mt. Tongariro summit picture!!
WE SUMMITED TONGARIRO!! 1,967m and a 19.4km hike in just under 7 hours. Tongariro post to come soon :)
Farewell Dinner
Can't believe it was time for our last group dinner with our program directors Jane and Kate, and program leader Felicity. We ate an a family-style Mediterranean restaurant. Rip and I split a bottle of wine. I was initially worried we wouldn't get a lot of food because it was one of those pre-paid-for dinner things, but I was STUFFED and the meal was delicious and even included dessert!!
Also there were prizes given out for our photo competition, and my picture won for the best university photo! I got a little New Zealand luggage tag as a prize!
My Winning Photo: the only picture that makes the UoA campus actually look super nice!
Queen's Birthday Weekend in Wellington!
We had wanted to go see Wellington for a while now, and this long weekend posed the perfect opportunity! Aliza and I, being the crazy money-saving cats we are, booked the 12 hour bus down there and gosh was I glad I brought my pillow.
We were so lucky our friend Vita let us stay with her - she was the best hostess we could have asked for! Not only did she provide us a queen size mattress, but she gave us a tour through Wellington making sure we got to see the Te Papa museum, the waterfront, and hike Mt Victoria. She made sure we were warm, well fed, and that we had an all around amazing time. We met up with the other Wellington Arcadia kids who we'd had orientation with back in February and it was awesome seeing them again!
Te Papa Museum:
THERE WAS A GIANT SQUID
AND A REALLY PRETTY MARAE
Wellington was a super artsy city and I had really wished I brought my running shoes to go for a run around the harbor because it was absolutely beautiful!
This is the Supreme court. Probably the ugliest building I've ever seen:
Pretty harbour, Wellington:
Part of the Writers Walk:
More artsy stuff
Did a baby hike up Mount Victoria at sunset, it was beautiful!
And of course, we saw this as a vacation so we treated ourselves to some good eats. Aliza, Erin, Vita, Megan and I met up with Autumn for a late brunch/early dinner at Sweet Mother's Kitchen. I got a breakfast burrito with hollandaise sauce that I ate way too quickly to take a picture, so here's a picture of Megan's chicken and waffles that also was delicious:
And after another long 12 hour bus ride home, I made it back in time to celebrate my friend Brad's 21st birthday that night! :)