Birthright Day 3: Israeli politics & rappeling

Day 3: 

We woke up & had breakfast at our hotel before hoping on the bus. Our first stop today was at the Kinneret farm to learn about Israeli agriculture and a little bit about life on a kibbutz. A kibbutz is a communal living area where everything is shared & contributed to the community. This is a very common living arrangement in Israel.

We then went to a short lecture about the geo- politics of Israel that was given by a British jewish journalist that lives in Israel. The talk was fascinating and interactive so I was very engaged throughout. He talked about what is happening in Gaza and in the West Bank. He told us about interviews he has done with Palestinians in the West Bank and how he has had to pretend not to be jewish in order to have those conversations. He told us about how much they believe the Jews should be out of Israel. It was so incredibly eye opening to hear the stories of his interviews and learn more about this issues this country is facing. We talked about the two state solution that has been in talks and we discussed Hamas (the Palestinian terrorist group occupying Gaza) and how the fact that they are located within civilian territory makes it difficult for Israel to attack.

He said that the Palestinians in the West Bank don't like Hamas so it's a really complicated situation that the country is facing. He told us that his boss wanted him to go to the Paul McCartney concert in tel aviv to report on it, but later found out he didn't have to write anything.. This is because they only wanted him there if an event occurred. 

We then went to lunch where I again had falafel!

Next we had a rapelling activity! We each rappers down the side of a mountain, it wasn't that far of a rappel but it was really fun! The best part was that at the bottom there were some awesome places to Boulder so a few of us enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and exploring.

We then drove to Jerusalem and had dinner at our new hotel. After dinner we went out on the town in Jerusalem. I didn't expect for Jerusalem to have such vibrant nightlife. As the holy city it wasn't something that I correlated with lots of bars and clubs. However, that's what the scene was. We all went out as a group and had a blast. The small streets with patios were nice to relax on and the music from about 5 years ago was so fun to dance to. All the bars were literally playing music from YouTube. It was great. The city reminded me a bit of Sevilla. The small winding streets with bars and cafes everywhere made me nostalgic.

We got back to the hotel spent a little time on the roof patio & went to sleep!

Sending smiles from Jerusalem,

Rebecca

Birthright Day 2: Hiking & Rafting & Musicians

Day 2:

This morning I got up in time for the sunrise & did a mini workout and yoga on our hotel patio with an incredible view. 

Our group had breakfast together at the hotel and then went off on our adventure. We started the day off with driving to the Golan Heights, which is a mountainous region in the north. We had a lovely lookout view and were also at the site of an Israeli bunker that had been in use less than 2 years ago. From the lookout we could see the country of Syria as well as the country of Lebanon. Israel is such a small country with so many neighbors. I walked underground through the bunker and saw some of the Israeli attack plans and maps. 

We headed back on the bus towards banyas- a scenic reserve with beautiful rocks. We went on an hour hike through some ruins and it was a lovely walk where we learned about history along the way. Sadly, I learn so much it's hard to remember all of it & share it with you! Setting my intention to get some cool historical facts for tomorrow.

After our hike we went for lunch where I again got falafel. This one was better because it came in a pita rather than a wrap & it was stuffed with good veggies. I also tried Israeli iced coffee from the the "starbucks" of Israel called aroma- their iced coffee is like a slushie here... And it's amazing.

We then headed to the Jordan River where we did some rafting, but I mostly swam down the river because it was so nice out and it felt awesome to just go with the flow of the tide! I also jumped off a tree into the river at one point along the way which was super great. 

We did that for about an hour and had a blast pulling people into the water and creating some type of water war. We also somehow ended up with a few Israeli soliders in our boat so it was cool to hear about their lives and experiences in the IDF (Israeli defense force).

We went back to the hotel to wash up, eat dinner and then do a nighttime activity. We had a musician come in and perform for us as well as tell us about his story and a story about Judaism. I loved hearing him talk about his life & how he started playing guitar. How all of us have stories and it's the little details that make the stories. How we're all a a part of each other's stories. How we are right where we need to be right now. We ended the night with him playing some of his songs, then some Bob Marley with us singing along. We had some beers on the patio & hit the hay. 

Sending smiles from Tiberias,

Rebecca 

Birthright Day 1: Jetlag & Tzfat

Israel 

Day 1:

I woke up at 6am and my journey began on the New York subway from Manhattan to the JFK airport. I arrived to JFK around 7:45 and met with my birthright group and checked in. The process to get through passport control was intense-- they asked so many questions about my jewish background, my bat mitzvah, my congregation, and if anyone gave me anything to put in my bag, because they want to make sure there isn't a chance of a bomb threat.

I then got my boarding pass and checked my luggage, and made my way through security. We got to the gate, and some people in the group were actually escorted through security and had their bags searched through and then were escorted onto the flight.

The flight lasted about 10 hours- we took off from JFK a little delayed around 1pm Monday and arrived to Israel at 6am on Tuesday with the time difference. We got our bags and met our tour guide, Asher, and our security gaurd, Noa. Asher is with us on the bus and at our sites telling us all about israel- he is a really awesome tour guide. Noa is always walking behind our group, she has a gun and weapons in case any situation occurs.

We exchanged our US dollars for shekels and then got on our bus for a 3 hour ride north to Tzfat. We first stopped at a beautiful lookout point and mini hike at -------, we learned about some of the history of the north of Israel and saw the Galilee sea. 

We then hopped back on the bus and went to the city of tzfat. We were given an hour to go get lunch, and myself and another few girls were craving falafel and we found a spot where we got some excellent falafel wraps. We then had a mini tour through Tzfat and were able to enter a very old and historic synagogue. We learned about Tzfat's holiness and how it is one of the 4 holy cities of Israel. We then did an activity at a center called ascent where we talked about some controversial and debatable topics that Israelis have had to go through. We discussed how one of their soldiers in the IDF was held for ransom for many years, and the Palestinians requested the release of 1,000 of their soldiers for the release of one Israeli solider. It was a big debate what Israel should do, but because the Jewish/ Israeli community is so strong and values each life so much, they decided to let go of 1,000 prisoners for the one soldier, Gilad.

We then had some time to walk around the markets- there is beautiful art made in tzfat so it was fun to look at! I'll be going back to tzfat at the end of my trip, so I'll definitely give everything another look then. Overall, I really liked Tzfat. It is a beautiful town tucked away in the mountains with blue doors and windows and alleys and steps. Adorable. To me, it resembled Chefchouen, Morocco. I loved that city & I love this one too.

We hopped back on the bus and went to our hotel. We had a buffet dinner, discussed our itinerary for the next day, and then had a couple of beers on the patio which offered an amazing view of Galilee sea and the mountains. Too perfect- still can't believe I'm in Israel. 

Sending smiles from Tzfat,

Rebecca 

Boston & NYC

Boston & NYC

I arrived to Boston Wednesday morning and attempted to master the public transit system called the T. After a few transfers, walking up some hills, and asking people lots of questions along the way, I made it to my friend Christine's place and dropped off my things. She lives in the Somerville area which is across the river from downtown Boston. 

I hopped back on the T to meet a friend for lunch. When my family was on vacation in Mexico we met a family from Scotland, and the daughter goes to school in Boston. I got in touch and was able to meet her, Anna, and her mom, Tina for lunch before they flew back to Scotland later that same day. 

After chatting with them I got to exploring. I was planning on doing the freedom trail, but after a few attempts to find the trail I gave up and found a lovely lawn next to the Harbour that I took a nice nap on. I think I couldn't find the freedom trail because I was so exhausted. I got up at 3am and didn't get much sleep, so as soon as I laid my head down on the grass I passed out. I woke up with all of my things, so I was happy about that, and I felt a lot better, so I continued to explore. I walked through the Boston commons, which is a large park, through a cemetery with a lot of famous historians, and I also went over to Cambridge and wandered around Harvard's campus. Harvard was a beautiful campus in a completely gated community. I explored and then went back to Christine's and chatted with her room mates. Christine got back from work around 6:30 & we headed straight to Fenway for the Red Sox game! I was so excited to go to a game at Fenway & get to sing sweet Caroline :) it was also cool to see the green monster, and talk to a local next to us about all the traditions at the park. The game was super fun and the Red Sox won, by a lot! After the game we headed back to her place for a good night of sleep!

Thursday morning I went back to downtown Boston to walk around a bit. I explored the Boston public garden. I walked down Newbury street, and Charles street-- I had an excellent pistachio crossoisnt at Tatte cafe. I loved the cobblestone streets and the adorable brick apartments with colorful shudders and flower boxes on the window. I walked a lot and all the way past the emerald lakes to where my past Wisconsin advisor and friend, Chris, now works. I walked in his office & got to see his new space. We then went out to grab lunch and catch up. It was so great to see him & know that he's enjoying Boston. 

After lunch, I took the T to a neighborhood called Back Bay, which is where my friend Molly lives. She recently moved there and I was able to check out her adorable apartment. We then walked around the Esplanade, which is a trail that goes along the Charles River. We caught up and walked around, and got some ice cream at a local chain called JP Licks. We met her boyfriend, Hayden, near his work in downtown Boston, stopped back at their place, and then took a long trek to Charles town. It was over an hour walk, but we got to see a lot of sites along the freedom train, and we also fit in a stop at Mike's Canolis. (As you can see I had a lot of healthy food this day). We were going to meet Christine and her roomies at an event on pier 6 that Harpoon brewery was putting on. It was at a really neat spot- the pier offered great views of Boston and with the water, it was picturesque. The harpoon brewery was promoting their new summer beer which was a mango beer and it was delicious. They had large Jenga games- and our group dominated and built the largest Jenga tower I have ever seen. We always thought our tower was going to fall, but then it just kept getting taller! People around he bar rallied around us to watch & see how far we'd make it. It eventually toppled, and we got some food & then headed back to sleep.

Friday morning I went back over to Cambridge for a bit to explore and check out Flour bakery which was recommended to me. I then took the T back to Back Bay to meet my friend Molly. We walked downtown and met Hayden for lunch- we got food at a Vietnamese food truck and brought it over to the greenway, which is a bit of green space just beside all of the big buildings. The food was amazing- I had lemongrass chicken noodle salad. Then Molly and did the Harbor walk, and saw the seals by the aquarium. 

I went back to Christine's and did some laundry before meeting back up with Molly & Hayden. We went to a bar called Yvonne's which had a very speak-easy gatsby feel. They opened a door for us into a a library/ chandelier filled very dim lit room. It was such a cool & classy vibe! We had a drink and hung out with some of Hayden's work friends. We then went to the prudential tower for a good view of the city- it was a little cloudy, but we could clearly see Fenway and the river! Molly & Hayden went back to their place and I met Christine and her roomies out in the north end for dinner. The north end is known for good Italian food and I had some amazing, fresh ravioli from a restaurant called Bella vista. I also got a mini canoli from modern canoli after dinner :) mikes and modern are the two main canoli spots in town & I think I liked modern better! 

After a few drinks and dancing at a bar we got back to Christine's and slept before we had to get up early for our bus to NYC.

Our bus took about 3.5 hours and we got in around 10:30am. We took the subway to our Airbnb which is on the upper west side, just 2 blocks from Central Park! We dropped our bags and then my friend Mackie met us for lunch near our Airbnb. We got amazing Mexican food at a place on Columbus called Mitote. Then Mackie showed us around some of the other neighborhoods like the west village, Chelsea, the meat packing district, and Greenwich. We got ice cream rolls- which is liquid the turns into ice cream and then rolled up in to little logs- the place was called I CE NY. We went to Washington square garden, we also walked along the high line, which is an old elevated rail road track the has been converted into a park/ walkway that also has some vendors up there. I loved walking up there having some nice views of the city from above. They even had a set of stairs that you could sit on and look through a window to watch traffic! I thought it was the funniest thing! We walked through some markets, saw people doing art, and a guy collected stories from random people on the street and had them hanging up- those were cool to read. We walked everywhere and ended up in Times Square. The over stimulating environment of time square. We were near Broadway and decided to check out if there were cheap tickets to any shows. Mackie had to meet his friends for dinner, we said good Bye and then went to see if the book of Mormons had any tickets left. We arrived and everyone was   Huddled outside the theater. We asked what everyone was doing & they said there was a lottery for tickets for the show at 6pm. It was 5:57, so we quickly scribbled our names down on the pieces of paper and handed them to the lady administering the lottery. We didn't win. However, the lady told us we could wait in line and see if there would be room in the standing section. It was only $27 to stand and watch it, and it would be an assigned spot with no one blocking us, so we decided to go for it. We bought our tickets, went to grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant called Mother Burger and then went to the show. I really enjoyed the musical, I laughed out loud many times and the cast was so talented! When we walked out of the theater we were confused why it wasn't dark yet-- it was dark, but everything was just so lit up from the bright lights surrounding time square. We walked by Times Square and the back towards our Airbnb. Near our Airbnb is a famous bakery called magnolia, so we decided to check it out. We got a peanut butter toffee bar & some chocolate banana pudding. OMG the pudding was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. Words can't describe it. We went back to our place & passed out- we probably walked a half marathon that day.

Saturday morning we got up on a mission to find the best bagel place near by. Christine searched them on yelp & we found ourselves a couple blocks from our place a jewish deli called bagel & co.. I got a plain bagel toasted with strawberry cream cheese & Christine got a bagel with lox & cream cheese. They were really great & super filling. We walked with outer bagels through a nearby market & then through Central Park. I remember my last visit to NY when I was looking at colleges, and we went to Central Park - I loved it then & I still love it just as much now! 

We went back to our Airbnb & packed up our things & left. We walked to my friend Jake's and I dropped my things off there so Christine & I could do some more expiring before she had to leave. We took the T to the World Trade Center and decided to go to the 9/11 museum. It was very sad but such a well done exhibit. They had photos of all those who died because of the event, and each of their stories. They also had telephone calls from people who were on the hijacked planes. It was really something.

We left he museum and looked at the ground zero fountain monuments. We then hopped back on the T towards the west village. One of our priorities for the trip was to go to cien montaditos-- which is a chain restaurant in Spain. Since Christine & I both studied together in sevilla, we had the same feelings about going to cien. We each got a montadito (little sandwich) and reminisced our time in sevilla. We were a bit underwhelmed- they were not as good as the ones in Spain, but it was still awesome to go. We then decided it'd be a good idea to get some NY pizza, so Christine got a big piece from Artichoke pizza, and I had a couple bites! Then we headed back towards where Christine had to get on the bus, we hugged & said our good byes & she headed back to Boston. 

I wandered around a bit, found a food festival to explore in Madison square, and saw the flatiron building. I then headed back to jakes place & we went out to get dinner. We went to the west village to a place called the spotted pig. There was a wait, so we walked around & grabbed a beer at a nearby bar in the meantime. When we finally got to dinner it was Amazing. My favorite thing I tried was the gnudi (type of pasta) with a Sherpa milk cheese inside and brown butter sauce- so fantastic.

We enjoyed our meal & then headed over back towards jakes place in Hell's Kitchen. But couldn't go to sleep without dessert, so we went to a near by ice cream place that I heard was delicious called ample hills creamery. I had a salted Carmel ice cream and a ooey gooey butter cake ice cream- it was the perfect end to my food tour through NYC. We went back to jakes where I finished up my packing, and passed out on the couch- not even new yorker's honking could keep me up.

My east coast adventure was a blast- I got to explore new areas, reunite with friends, and eat amazing food. Thanks so much to everyone who hosted me, looking forward to having some visitors in SF!

Sending smiles from Manhattan,

Rebecca

An Israel Experience

When I was around 10 years old, my parents started a fund for me through a program called SKIP (Send a Kid to Israel Program). My congregation matched the money my parents put in and the Jewish United Fund also donated to the fund, which annually gained interest. Apparently, I told my mom that she shouldn't start this fund for me and that I would never ever want to go to Israel. Well, flash forward 13 years and I'm about to hop on a plane over to the homeland. (More on SKIP later).

If you know a Jew, you've probably heard of Birthright. It's this insanely amazing opportunity that ALL Jewish young adults (ages 18-26) have to spend 10 days in Israel through a program, free of cost. The trip covers airfare to Israel, 10 days of programing, accommodations, and two meals a day. BUT WHERE DOES THIS MONEY COME FROM (asks everyone)?! A large portion comes from the Israeli government, another big chunk comes from philanthropists and donors, and a lot also comes from communities and organizations. There are around 40,000 participants a year that come from over 60 countries.

The only thing birthright doesn't cover is my airfare to NYC, which is where my entire group will fly out together. I decided to make the most of my time on the East Coast, so I'll be spending a couple of days with friends in Boston, then taking a bus to NY and spending the weekend there with friends before leaving for Israel Monday morning.

There are several organizers that put on the birthright trips and while all the trips generally do the same things, there are definitely niche trips. For example, some trips are just for people from Chicago (or another specifc big city), some are for students from a particular university, some are for a certain sector of Jews, and there are many more specialty trips too. My trip is through Yael Adventures and it is an adventure themed trip--meaning there will be lots of hiking, kayaking, camping and more! I'm stoked. My group is also of all 22-26 year olds from all over the U.S. I'm really looking forward to making new connections & friendships with Jews from all over!

Safety concerns: most people that I tell that I'm going to Israel respond with "be safe!!" and birthright ensures that we always have a guard on us and that our bus is tracked by the Israeli government. Once I'm out of birthright I'll be staying with friends in Tel Aviv, which is a safe area, and my program in Tzfat is also in a very safe area. We never go anywhere that could be a potential threat to our safety. And as My Mom put it best, Israelis might ask me if it's safe to live in Chicago, which is a city with one of the highest crime and murder rates. We are on the media probably as often as Israel is. We often forget that there are pockets of unsafe places everywhere we go- as long as you know where those places are and avoid them it is less likely for something to go wrong.

Like I mentioned, Birthright is free-- so what was I talking about SKIP for? Well, the beauty of birthright is that you can extend your flight to a later date than when your birthright trip officially ends. SKIP money must be used for a peer program, so after some research I found the perfect extension program to tack on after birthright.

I'll be doing a 2 week program in the North of Israel in a town called for Tzfat. The program is called Livnot Northern Exposure and it combines hiking a few days a week with a few days of community service. It sounded perfect to me & I'm so excited to be immersed in one city for a 2 week period!

Between the time that birthright ends & my extension program beings, I have a couple of days to explore Tel Aviv. I've met some awesome Israelis through my travels in Europe and New Zealand, and in the Maccabi games (Jewish Olympics) I participated in when I was younger, so I'm excited to reconnect with them in their home country!

While I can't say I've been the best Jew throughout college, I have kept up with lighting the Hanukkah candles each year and inviting friends to join. It was definitely difficult for me to keep up with going to Hillel/temple over the past 5 years because of the many other things I was involved in. Since graduating, I was happy to participate in my first Passover seder in the past 4 years and it made me excited about my upcoming trip. I look forward to learning more about Judaism, the Israeli culture, and the diversity that all lays in the country that is about the size of New Jersey. 

Shalom my friends, I'll see you in a month!

Sending Smiles from Chicago,

Rebecca

Enjoy this photo of 13 year old Rebecca posing for her Bat Mitzvah photos.

Hawaii Hiking

When I was searching for flights back to the states from NZ and looking at a map, I noticed that Hawaii was on the route home, so I looked into flights to Hawaii and then home and noticed they were the same price (a flight from Christchurch to O'ahu & O'ahu to Chicago) as flying straight to Chicago. I have been wanting to go to Hawaii for the past 5 years because my friend from high school and that I played softball with since I was 10, has been living in Hawaii since we graduated high school. I jumped at the opportunity to visit her & was so excited to explore Hawaii as well!

Keiko picked me up from the airport around 11am and we dropped off my things at her apartment. She lives around a 30 minute walk from the beach and in an area with lots of yummy places to eat! After dropping off my things we went to see one of her friend's perform in a children's play-- the play was super adorable. In the evening, we went to her friend's birthday party which was on the beach! We played spike ball, enjoyed some good food and conversation all while I soaked in how beautiful of a place I was in. The sunset was gorgeous. After the party we went back to her friend's house and played some cards against humanity before going back to her place!

On Sunday, we woke up really early and hiked Koko head- a super steep and challenging hike up an abandoned trolly track. It was definitely worth it though because the views at the top were beautiful and we could see the sun rising. After the hike, we went to her church and then out to lunch with her church team. After lunch, we went to Keiko's favorite Shave Ice place called Waiola Shave Ice. Shave Ice is a typical and popular Hawaii treat-- it's similar to a snow cone, but the ice is shaved smoother! I got a mix of the strawberry and mango flavors-- it was delicious! We then went to the beach for a swim and the water was beautiful and the perfect temperature. Keiko then had to go do something for work, so I decided to take a walk down Waikiki beach. Waikiki beach is probably the most popular beach on the island of Oahu, it's in Honolulu, and it's where all of the tourists generally stay. There are really nice hotels, fancy restaurants, and expensive stores. Waikiki is also known for one of the best places to surf, so I enjoyed watching really impressive people surf, I even saw a guy surfing while holding a girl up in the air. Wow. I people watched, sampled cookies at the Honolulu Cookie Company, read my book, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. When Keiko was done with her work, she picked me up and we grabbed dinner at a near by market.

Then We went swimming at the beach and then she left to go editing and I walked down the beach and down the Main Street of Waikiki. I watched volleyball, I read, I watched he sunset, I sampled lots of cookies. I watched the sunset and then met Keiko and we grabbed dinner at a market. Keiko explained a lot about Hawaiian culture to me, which I enjoyed learning about. A few years back she taught me the word "shoots" which is what hawaiians say to mean see ya later. This is a part of the Pigeon language, basically a set of words that they use in hawaii, different from Hawaiian. "Da" is used often instead of "the" and "Kine" is used often instead of "thing." She also taught me about the history of hawaii and how the states basically took over and pushed the american culture onto the islanders. There are many people in Hawaii with Hawaiian blood, but also tons of people who have moved there. The tourists in Hawaii often come from Asia as well as the states, because it's about the same distance from each place. Keiko also told me about how much of Hawaii is getting built up and that people are coming in from either Japan or the states and creating these nice homes, condos, ect, and this is increasing the price of living, making it difficult for locals to be able to afford to live where they are originally from. I really enjoyed learning about all of this!

Keiko had an early morning at work ahead of her, but her roomies and a bunch of their friends had a get-together to watch walking dead, so I stayed up and chatted with them for the evening.

Monday: 

Keiko dropped me off at Diamond Head, a popular hike, before she went to work. I hiked up around 7 am and it was a relatively easy hike with lovely views at the top. Diamond head is a crater and when you get to the highest point you have views of the ocean as well as the honolulu skyline. The best part of this hike was that I met my first Badger of the trip!!! I hiked down diamond head and then went to get an Acai bowl from a place called Health Bar, which Keiko recommended. I have had acai bowls before, but this was the best one I had ever had. An acai bowl is like a smoothie bowl, made with acai berries and other berries, topped with honey, granola, and bananas. At the health bar, I talked to a local about things to do in the area and after our lovely conversation of all there is to do, I went to a park and took a nap-- it was necessary. I then walked down Waikiki beach and went to a Lei making class in town for free. I made a traditional Hawaiian Lei and sat next to & chatted with a girl from the Netherlands and a woman from Maryland. After making the lei I walked around, people watched, and then met Keiko's friend Matt for a surfing lesson! We went out on Waikiki and I was surprisingly successful for only my second time surfing. When I say successful, I mean I caught the wave my first time, knee boarded my second time, got on my feet the third time, and then was able to catch a wave and get on my feet on my own the 4th time without matts help. Each time I was only up for about 6 seconds, but I was definitely proud of myself-- Matt was also a great coach! The first time I tried surfing was last summer in Ecuador and I was extremely unsuccessful. This time was much better & a lot of fun! After surfing I took a trip with Matt & his friend to Walmart & I got some groceries for the week-- Peanut butter & banana sandwiches would be my daily lunch :)

Tuesday:

I woke up early and took a bus to Manoa falls- I patiently waited for the late buses and eventually got to the trail. I hiked up to the falls, which was a pretty easy hike, and when I got to the waterfall I realized there was no waterfall. It apparently hasn't rained in a while so there was no water to run down the falls. It was a lovely rock wall, though. I took a lot of pictures for people of them in front of the waterless wall, which I found funny. I hiked back down and waited for the bus- this time not so patiently, after half an hour, I decided to do what the Kiwis would do, and I tried out hitch hiking. The third car that passed me pulled over. It was actually an Uber driver, Greg. I got in the front seat, and he told me didn't usually pick up strangers & I told him about how common it was in NZ so I thought I would give it a try here. He was a really interesting person who had lived all of the world, loves traveling and hosts people at his airbnb & does couch surfing, so I guess that's why he was willing to pick me up. Hitch hiking is definitely risky-- and everytime I would tell someone I did this, their reaction is generally the same, you're crazy. However, I am 100% sure there are more good people in this world than bad people, so that was my reasoning when I stuck my thumb up on the side of the road. 

Greg didn't charge me and he dropped me off where I asked and I'm alive. I got dropped off at the mall- the ala moana shopping center, which is the largest outdoors shopping center in the United States, it's also where all the buses leave from. I planned on taking a bus to do the lighthouse trail hike. I got on the bus and took a nap, and when I woke up it was pouring. I texted Keiko and asked her what I should do & if there was anything around that area indoors, she said that the rain usually passes quickly. I got off at the sea world bus stop because it was closest to the lighthouse trail path. It was raining and I had no coat, so I covered myself with my towel and asked the sea world workers if I could come in and sit in the cafe for some shelter. They allowed me to and I got out my book and read for a while, hoping the rain would pass. After an hour, it was still raining, so I went out to catch the bus. The bus was just leaving so I sprinted after it, it didn't stop. My wallet fell out of my bag into a puddle, I forgot to zip that pocket shut, so when I bent down to grab it, everything else fell out too. I grabbed everything out of the puddle, shuffled my things together and then went back to sea world cafe to wait for the next bus. I eventually got on the bus & made it back to Honolulu. I decided to get off the bus early because it stopped raining and I wanted to walk outside. I went to Leonard's bakery on the way back because because Keiko recommended I get a Malasada/ Portuguese donut with coconut filling from there- so that's exactly what I got, and it was delicious. Then I chilled at her place for the remainder of the night because it was extremely windy & gross outside.

Wednesday:

Thankfully, the weather was better! I woke up and took the bus back to sea world- I walked from there to the lighthouse trail and did the hike up to the lighthouse for some beautiful views of the ocean, the coastline, and you could see the diamond head crater that I hike up on Monday. There was also a whale watching spot and I might have seen a whale or I might have imagined it. After hiking to the top, I went down an unpaved path to the Mokapu'u tide pools and went for a swim in the tide pools. It was a steep walk down but at the bottom it was a beautiful hidden gem-- large rock formations that had created pools of water from when the waves crashed in. I met a young couple from Chicago down there & we hiked back up together. I walked with them back down the lighthouse trail and talked to them about hitching and my trip to NZ. We said goodbye- they got int their car, and I contributed walking down the highway to the next beach I was planning to go to, it was nice out so I didn't mind the hour walk ahead of me. However, as they got onto the road, they pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride. To save time, I gladly hopped in and they told me about a hidden beach they had visited so I had them drop me off there. It was another hidden gem, called cockroach cove- a beautiful cove with big waves, lovely water, and wandering caves and spots. When I came back from caving, climbing and exploring around the rocks, the couple was at the beach. They had gone into town for food & then come back to where they dropped me off. I sat down and talked to them and then we all went into the water via jumping off the rocks. The waves were huge & it was so much fun to jump into the waves & ride them into the shore. I read a little, chatted with them, and then they offered me a ride back to the city, which I gladly accepted. They were actually staying with a family friend near where Keiko lives.

I got dropped off and was drained by the sun. I laid on the carpet under the fan and then took a shower. Keiko had a late night of work, so I decided to go on an evening walk to Waikiki. There is always lots going on in the tourist zone, so I brought my camera, took some photos & read my book until Keiko picked me up. 

Thursday:

I took a bus to Kailua, a beautiful city on the east coast of O'ahu. I stopped at Lani Kai juice for an acai bowl and then walked over to the Pillbox hike and began the ascent up to the top. It was a gorgeous hike, my favorite so far, it was so beautiful and it never ended. I met a man who was visiting his son that lives in Honolulu- he gave me his son's phone number and told me I could reach out if I wanted someone to do something with while my friend was working. (I ended up never contacting him, I was really enjoying the time on my own.) There were Pillboxes (barriers that the soldiers used to hide in during war) to sit on and enjoy the views, I continued on past where most of the tourist go and there was pretty much no one who continued on, so it was incredibly peaceful. I found a big rock, sat on it, took in the breeze and the sun, with no one around to obstruct the views or my thoughts.

I hiked back down and made my way to the beach. After the long hike, it was nice to relax & lay on the sand and read. After the sun had warmed me up, I put my suit on and hopped in the water. Not many people were swimming, but the water was perfect and I enjoyed floating with the waves.

I walked back towards town to catch a bus, and I got shave ice on the way- the best combo yet- coconut, lilikoi (passionfruit), and mango flavors, ice cream at the bottom and condensed milk on top. Near the bus stop, I saw girls at their softball practice so I took a seat on the bleachers to watch and then caught the bus to the ala moana center mall- I walked around until Keiko finished work and we got Ramen at a restaurant in the mall. 

Friday:

I woke up and went to Hanauma bay to go snorkeling. I stopped at a cafe for a pastry for breakfast and then stopped at the snorkel rental place and picked up a mask and flippers (much cheaper to rent from the local store, Bob's Snorkel Rental, instead of at the bay), then I caught the bus to the bay. 

I got there and waited in line to pay and watch a video about respecting the wild life. Then I hopped in the water and watched all of the fish as they swam around the coral. I saw SOOO many different types of fish, it was really incredible. I was amazed at how many different types of fish species appeared so close to the shore. My favorite fish that I saw was the humuhumunukunukuapua'a, which is the Hawaiian state fish. I also saw huge parrot fish and loads of other beautifully colored species of fish. 

I spent a lot of time reading and enjoying the sun and breezy weather, which resulted in my first terrible sun burn of the entire trip.

I took the bus back, got shave ice, showered and walked to Waikiki. I took some photos, and sampled cookies. Matthew, Keiko's friend, picked me up and we went to their friend Nolan's birthday party. Keiko was still working and met us there a bit later. At the party we hung out, ate food, and played some games! It was fun to hang out with other people, after spending most of the week on solo hikes with tons of alone time.

Saturday:

In the morning Keiko & I grabbed coffee at her favorite cafe and went to Keiko's work. Keiko works for Hawaii 5-0 and we got to go to set because they were filming an episode downtown. I really enjoyed seeing how the set works and watching everyone prepare to film. I met some of her co-workers, saw an unannounced explosion, a car crash, and heard a guy yell action and cut (which was my favorite part). Even though I don't really watch the show, I really liked seeing what kind of things Keiko does at work. They also had some amazing catered food which Keiko & I snacked on. 

Then we took a road trip up to the north shore. We went to the town of Haleiwa for lunch and we ate at a restaurant called uncle Bo's and Keiko knew one of the waitresses so she gave us drinks, I had an amazing cucumber pear cocktail, and an app on the house. Lunch was yummy and then we headed over to Waimea valley and took a walk through the state park and had a swim under a waterfall--I was happy the water was actually flowing this time. After that we stopped by Waimea bay and then made our way towards sunset beach where we did a hike through the woods to a pillbox with a lovely view of the ocean. 

We headed back down and drove to turtle bay resort, a fancy hotel that's known to have great sunsets. We wandered around and then found the spot where all the guests were. There was live music and people surfing into the sunset as well-- a beautiful evening.

We were hungry for dinner though, so we went to a Thai restaurant that Keiko's co-worker had recommended to us, earlier in the day. It was a really neat place to eat because even though they had menu's the guy who owned the restaurant came to our table, asked us what types of thai food we know, asked us if we liked certain foods & flavors, and then crafted us a surprise meal based on what we said we liked. We ended up with a thai peanut salad, a fried noodle app, a pad see ewe dish, and a curry. They curry was a bit spicy for me, but everything else was delicious. When I told the owner that the dish was a little spicy he responded that I was eating at a thai restaurant. True. Overall, it was an awesome experience & I was proud of myself for letting go & trusting he would make something yummy.

Sunday:

In the morning we went to breakfast with one of her roomie's, at a place called Sweet E's right near where Keiko lives, I had some yummy french toast! Keiko then went to church and I decided to stay at her place and pack while she was gone, since I was leaving later that evening. When she got back from church we took a drive to the east coast. It was a beautiful region I hadn't yet explored. The mountain ranges were unlike any I had ever seen before. The were extremely steep with no gradual incline. I had read in some blogs about an awesome hike called the Crouching Lion so we decided to give it a go. We parked on the side of the road and ascended up. It was pretty steep and the rocks would often slip out from under our feet. There were some ropes along the way to hold on to, which helped us keep our balance. We got up to the clearing and it was a beautiful view of the mountains as well as the ocean. My favorite view of the trip, perfect for my final hike & last day in Hawaii. We then continued hiking up a bit farther, away from the people and found these large rocks to sit on & take it all in. We sat up there for a while & admired the beauty before sliding all the way down to the bottom. If you think climbing up a steep path is hard, it's even more challenging to figure out how to get down. I was a bit dirty by the time we got to the bottom.

We explored a little near the coastline before hopping back in the car. We made a pit stop at the Chinaman's hat which is a large rock structure in the ocean that actually looks like a hat. Then we went to Keiko's favorite beach called Sherwood Beach. We layed there for a bit, and I decided to go for a quick swim because it would be my last opportunity to get some salt water before heading back to the mainland. After relaxing we went to find a place to eat. We ended up at Kona Brewing Company, which was perfect because we were able to eat outside wit a view of the sunset. I had a yummy salad and Keik's got some fish tacos. I also decided since I was at a brewing company I should try some local hawaii beers. I thought getting a flight was appropriate before my flight that evening. I really enjoyed all the beers I had, and then we ended the night with shave ice- my favorite Hawaii treat. The size of the shave ice was about the size of my head, but I of course demolished all of it. We went back to her place, I showered, gathered my things, said my goodbyes & thank yous to all of her roomies and then we hopped in Keiko's car and made our way to the airport.

I had such a wonderful time in Hawaii! It was so nice to reunite with my long-time friend, Keiko, and I also really enjoyed having the alone time to hike during the week. I had a lot of reflections, met a lot of people, and found a new appreciation for solo travels.

Overall, a huge thanks to Keiko for hosting me, taking me around, and introducing me to shave ice. I'm so thankful I got to have the hawaii experience as a local & as a tourist.

As the Hawaiian's say, Shoots!

Sending smiles from O'ahu,

Rebecca

Solo Travels & Climbing

Climbing at Paynes Ford 

I was a bit nervous for my first time traveling alone, but I was excited for 2 weeks of adventure and the freedom & ability to do and be where I wanted at any given time.

I arrived at my hostel in Nelson and kept my bags in their storage room until my dorm room would be ready later that day. I heard there was a market in town and two german girls from the hostel were heading there so I took a walk into town with them. We were wandering around the market together but then I decided I would rather wander alone and told the girls they could go on with out me. I wanted to make sure I took advantage of my alone time and really be free. I talked to the vendors, sampled and purchased amazing plums and peaches, and enjoyed the beautiful arts and crafts that locals made and sold. I also had some maori fried bread from a food cart for lunch!

I then stopped by the i-site to see what they recommend I do with my time in Nelson. I was waiting in line for a while and made friends with two Israeli guys standing in front of me who recently finished their service in the IDF-- like most Israelis I met in NZ. At the i-site, the woman working said their was a national rugby game happening this afternoon at the stadium near by. 

I went to my hostel, moved my things into my dorm room which was shared with 3 other girls, two from France, and one from Germany. I asked if any of them wanted to join me at the rugby game but it wasn't of interest to them, so I walked over by myself and got a ticket. I was told the game was at 3:00 and when I entered the stadium didn't seem nearly full. I walked around and asked a family which team was the Warriors- New Zealand's National Rugby League team. Rugby League is a little different than Rugby- which is what the All Blacks play. 

The family said neither team was the Warriors, this was a pre-game with different teams and that the main game was at 5pm. So, I decided to exit the stadium and go on a walk until the next game began. 

I got back to the stadium just before 5:00 and walked around to the grassy area where my ticket directed me to. I didn't know anything about Rugby or Rugby League for that matter, so I decided to awkwardly approach a father/daughter combo and ask them if I could sit with them and if they could teach me about Rugby League. They were very nice and said they would be happy to. The daughter was 17 and used to play rugby, which is the most popular sport in NZ. I learned that in Rugby League it takes 6 tackles for possession to switch and the clock never stops. Also, for the games at this stadium they always bring the ball in via a helicopter with a special guest inside- this time it was a famous New Zealand butcher. Another thing I found interesting was that the players usually go out to the local bars after they finish thee game-- something that definitely doesn't happen with pro sports in the states. The locals also loveee the athletes- in the grocery store the next day the lady in front of me was talking to the check-out lady about how she had the best night of her life because she met one of the Warrior players at the bar last night.

Anyways, the Warriors lost but it was still so fun to learn about Rugby League and chat with some locals. 

I went back to the hostel and chatted with my roomies and then we went to the bars in town where we also met up with the Israelis who I met that day at the i-site. We hung out at a pool bar and played a couple of game before heading back.

On Sunday, I went to another market in the morning that was more of a flea market of previously used goods. I bought a couple of horse books for my host sisters because I would be going to my host sister's birthday later in the day. After roaming around the market, I made my way towards where the birthday party would be-- at Nature Land, a zoo about an hour walk away. I stopped at the beach on the way there and laid out for a bit and read my book. I stayed at the beach until it was time for the party.

At the party we had lunch and explored the grounds seeing all types of animals. I spent time with my host sisters and also chatted with my host mom and dad a bit. I also met my host sister's godmother who lives in Nelson. She was so kind to drive me back into town and she also invited me over for dinner. I got back to the hostel and played a couple of game of beach volleyball with a bunch of germans-- SO MANY GERMANS IN NEW ZEALAND! After playing some volleyball, swimming in the pool, and relaxing in the hot tub talking to people from the states, NZ, Europe, and Israel I got ready to go to dinner at Jayashrii's home. 

I got to her home and helped her finish up cooking and set the table. She had made a delicious veggie dinner and we chatted for a couple of hours with her roomie Chauney as well. They were both such inspiring women! I really enjoyed talking to them and learning about their lives. They were both Buddhists and Jayashrii had experience working with global artisans in Nepal so we really bonded over our similar experiences. 

After dinner I helped with the dishes and went back to my hostel. I went out with some girls from the hostel and we had a really fun night. 

Monday morning, I went on a hike to the center of NZ. It was a lovely hike with nice views and a great way to start my day. I then did some more walking and stopped in some of Nelson's famous art galleries and parks. It was a chill day because I had to catch my bus to my next stop: Takaka.

I asked the bus driver if he would be able to drop me off at my camp site and he was so nice and did. I would be staying at Hang Dog-- which is a campsite for rock climbers. Did I like rock climbing? Yes. Would I consider myself a climber? No. I heard about this place from a few people when I talked about my interests, so I decided to call up the camp and see what they were all about. I called and said I have no equipment and very little climbing experience but that I was eager to learn. I also said I didn't have a tent. The guy who owned the place said there was a bunk house I could stay in, that I could rent equipment, and that he's sure that people would be willing to teach me. So I decided I'd stay there for 2 nights.

I arrived and walked with my pack to the site where someone directed me to the bunk house where I'd stay. I wandered around the camp site and got my bearings for what the vibe of this place was like-- if I could describe it in a word it would be hippy. Lots of hippies, lots of climbers, I felt good vibes. Like I said, I had little climbing experience, I actually had never climbed on real rocks before so I definitely needed to make friends who would show me the ropes.

I saw a group of people chilling out by a slack line (flat rope you try to walk across). I went up and started chatting noticing a women with her ankle all wrapped up- she had just injured it that day climbing. Yikes- I was getting a bit nervous! I met a girl from Chicago and a few other people from all over: Italy, Germany, Argentina, North Carolina, Israel, Chile, and more. 

After hanging out, watching some people impressively walk across the entire length of the slack line, my new friend from Israel offered to take me climbing the next morning.

I then caught a ride into town and got some groceries to make dinners and lunches for the next couple of days. That evening, there was a camp fire. It was so lovely! People were playing guitar and I got to talk to people from all over and everyone was so friendly. There was a guy playing with fire which was cool to see as well. We then aa took a nighttime stroll to the rock wall and wandered into a glow worm cave. Similar to the one I visited on the north island, but this one was a bit smaller- still had a ton of glow worms which we could see once we all turned off our headlamps. Someone brought their guitar into the cave, which had great acoustics, and 2 very talented people sang. It was such a lovely first night at hang dog!

I woke up early and went to the crag (climbers lingo for rock wall) at Paynes Ford (the nearby climbing walls) with my Israeli friend, Stav. He taught me the basics and safety checks and we got climbing. There are hundreds of routes at the 5 crags and the routes all have different ratings based on difficulty. The ratings go from 12 to 30-something. I started on a 12 and also did a 14 that morning. It was my first time climbing on real rocks and I loved it. The biggest difference from climbing in a gym was that you can't see where the holds will be, you have to feel around, and that it's completely natural.

After climbing we went back to the camp site for food and then a group of people from camp went to the river. We brought a slack line and the guys set up the slack line from one side of the river to the other. We attempted to walk across it but most of us fell in the water after a step or two. A few people managed to get pretty far though! The water was freezing cold but it felt so good under the sun.

Then we went over to the other side of the river where there were some rope swings set up. We climbed up some rocks and got to where we could grab the higher rope swing. IT WAS AMAZING. From where you hop off holing onto the rope swing there is an amazing view of the river and a mountain- and the ride on the rope swing got a great momentum that I flew pretty high and had a fun drop down. Again, the water was super cold but I had such a great adrenaline rush it didn't matter at all. and then I climbed up and went on the swing again.

I went back to camp, played frisbee with some people, and had dinner. Then a couple of people were going out on a late night rock climb because there was a full moon and they asked if I wanted to join. I first asked if there were kidding- I didn't realize climbing at night was a thing, but they were completely serious so I grabbed my headlamp and jumped in their van. We drove to a different wall at Pohara. We set up tea light candles at the base of the wall and had a speaker blasting tunes. Troy, who owns Hangdog and another guy, Jerry, who stays at the camp every year, led the routes/set them up for us. I climbed one of them which was about 100 ft. up and a 17 grade. It was an exhausting climb and I actually loved climbing in the dark, I really had to use my senses and feel around for good holds. It definitely took me a while to get to the top, but once up there, I had the most GORGEOUS view of the full moon reflecting on the ocean- a sight I will always remember. Everyone else climbed 2 routes, but I was dead tired after the one climb so I just cheered everyone else on. After everyone was finished climbing we went for a swim in the ocean under the moon and then headed back to camp around 2am.

I woke up in the morning and could barely get out of bed because I was so sore. I knew I wouldn't be able to climb today. Troy's parents were in town and were going out to do some touristy things and invited me along. They were so sweet to take me with them! We went to Pupu springs which was a reserve where the water springs are so clear you can see all the amazing colors and plants under the water- no swimming there though! We then went for a drive by the ocean and I was able to see the wall that I climbed the night before (in the daylight!) We then went into the town of Takaka, which is down the street from the campsite. The mom and I enjoyed browsing the different art shops and stores and then they took me to lunch at a yummy cafe!

We went back to the camp site and I went straight to the river for a swim and a swing on the rope! In the afternoon I went to a free acro-yoga class in a field which was really fun! I learned some awesome moves and it was a great way to stretch out my body after a lot of climbing.  In the evening there was another campfire :)

The next couple of days consisted of similar routines. Climbing during the day, taking breaks at the river, working on my slack lining, swinging on the ropes, doing acro yoga, and enjoying camp fires at night. After a couple of days my legs were torn up with bruises, bug bites, and scratches- but it didn't bother me enough to keep me off the rocks.

On Saturday, I went to the market in Takaka with a few people from camp. We had some coffee, and I got a small basket of cherry tomatoes which were the best tomatoes I've ever had in my entire life. There were also some vendors selling crafts which I enjoyed browsing. Everyone went back to camp but I decided to stay in town and look around the shops before going to acro yoga. I ran into a few other guys from camp in town and got them to come along with me to yoga. After yoga we went back to camp and then went climbing. I finally mastered an 18, which I had practiced earlier in the week but couldn't get to the top. After we finished climbing I went to the river with the guys who insisted we do a 45 ft. cliff jump. I have a hard time saying no, so I climbed up with them, and when I got to the top I was definitely terrified to jump. But, it would have been harder to climb down than to jump, so I leaped and screamed and took them most exhilarating jump of my life- even more exhilarating than sky diving! I had bruised on my thigh from hitting the water but still totally worth it.

There was another campfire that evening, I made cous cous with the dudes, people were making pizzas, I had some amazing fresh made cheesy garlic bread, and some of Allie's plum pie.

I woke up Sunday morning and went on a walk to my fave spot where the swing rope is and I took a little swim. Then I went to Wharariki beach with Nick, Scott and Toby. We hung out on the beautiful beach and explored through the caves and sand dunes. Then we went to a cafe for a shake and then to cape farewell for a nice lookout. At the lookout I stepped on a metal thing and was bleeding a lot!! My sandal was covered in blood. I foot hurt pretty badly so one of the guys carried me down the hill. We were sitting by the van and washing off my foot when a guy in a van next to us got out of his car and offered me band aids and disinfectant. I said I already had some but then he pulled out a bottle of vodka, orange juice, and a bottle of baileys and asked if I wanted any. He seemed nice & harmless so I had a glass of baileys on the rocks and it was so delicious and exactly what I needed. Even though my foot hurt a lot I really wanted to walk along farewell spit, which is a small piece of land the juts out into the ocean. I dragged the guys along and we walked for about 3 hours, got lost a couple times in the sand dunes, saw the most AMAZING sun set I have ever seen in my life, and then made it back to the car just after dark. We stopped for some food on the way home and made it back to sit by the fire for a bit!

My last full day at Hang-dog I climbed in the morning with Phil and Ayla and we did a 14 & 16. Then we went back to camp and I hopped in the river for a quick swim! I grabbed a ride into town with Phil and Ayla. I saw Amy and we got frozen yogurt at a local cafe and then we chatted for a while before going to acro yoga. Then we stopped at the grocery store to get food to make a nice pasta dish for dinner. When we got back to camp we walked to the river will Allie and chatted there for a while before going back to camp to cook our pasta and veggies. At the store I bought a cake and wrote a card for everyone who belayed me the past week and they all seemed to really appreciate it. Then we had wine and sat around the fire. After the fire, we went to the glow worm cave that we went to on my first night. I will definitely miss nighttime wanders around such a magical place.

In the morning I climbed again with Phil and Ayla and Shymal. I did a 16 and then I attempted another 18 but after spending way too much time up there I had no energy left. Now, I have a reason to go back to Paynes Ford to finish that climb :) As you see, even though I planned on staying at hang dog for 2 nights, I ended up staying for 8, I loved the vibes, the people, and all the climbing, swimming, and swinging. 

I then took a quick swim in the river and a swing on the rope swing,  went back to camp, packed up and got a ride to Nelson with David- an Israeli from the camp heading to Picton. It was a nice drive and we stopped for a little hike to a lookout point along the way!

I got to Nelson and got dropped at Jayashrii's home. I had dinner with her my last time I was in Nelson and she invited me to stay with her while I was in Nelson. She told me she would leave the door open for me so when I got there, I layed on her couch until she got home. When she got home we made cauliflower rice and veggies for dinner with Sue and Sieger who also live there and own the Green Grocer downstairs. Then I helped with some chores, we had hot cocoa, watched a movie and went to sleep.

In the morning, Jayashrii made me an amazing protein shake and then dropped me off at the bus stop where I headed towards Renwick. I was headed to Renwick to stay with another family I was connected with through the wwoof-ing website. My new host mom, Brenna, picked me up at the bus stop and I did some laundry when I got to her house. When she got back from work, we went out to town, Blenheim, ran some errands with Brenna's mom and got lunch at a cafe. We picked up the kids from school and when we got home and I made rice krispie treats with the kids- they are ages 5, 6, and 9. The kids really loved the treats, I mean what's not to love, rice krispies, marshmallows, and butter!

I spent time with the other wwoofers living there, from the Czech Republic. Terka, her boyfriend, Brenna and I spent the evening chatting, having wine, and amazing New Zealand chocolate, and some great Czech chocolate that they brought from her home country.

The next day I got up and did a lot of yoga, stretching, and chakras with Terka, as that is her morning routine. We then went on a walk to a huge plum tree where we picked lots of plums for us and the kids. When we got back from our walk we made lunch and then Breanna came by and picked us up. We went to a Field Hockey game that Andrew's brother was playing in- so that was neat to see!

In the evening, Brenna and Andrew had a reunion to go to, so Terka and I watched the kids. When Brenna and Andrew got home, their neighbor Will came over and we all had wine together and chatted for my last night with the Nation family!

In the morning I had breakfast, signed their guest book, said goodbyes and Brenna dropped me off at the bus stop.  We had a bus stop in Kaikoura where I got lunch & sat on the beach. Then I arrived to Christchurch and wandered around a bit through the restart mall where I visited last time I was there. Then I dropped my stuff off at Ally's place, which is where I stayed last time I was in Christchurch. She had work, so I took a bus to sumner village/ beach. I overshot where I was supposed to get off so I had a nice walk along the beach to make it back to the village. The reflections in the sandy water were amazing, so I got to take some nice photos of the waves, reflections, and adorable dogs on the beach. I then wandered around, got Mexican food, ate on a rock and journaled. I caught the bus back, showered at Ally's and then went to the bar where she works. She got me beers and I enjoyed them while talking to some of her friends. I walked back to her place, and got up in the morning and caught my taxi to the airport.

I arrived at the airport by 6am for my 8:45 flight. We got delayed because of fog & didn't depart until noon. I missed my connection to Honolulu and when I arrived to Auckland I had to reschedule my flight and then store my bags somewhere. I got free food vouchers because of the flight complications so I went to a cafe for a sandwich. Then I took the sky bus into the city of Auckland because I wanted to see the city and my flight would now leave at 12:30am so I had a lot of time. I walked around and wandered and got to the waterfront where I came across a coffee festival. It was $15 to enter but I only had 10 and she let me in. I wandered through all of the stalls that had samples of not just coffee, but chocolate milk, yogurt, hot cocoa, juices, breads, and sweets. It was incredible. Coffee brands from all over NZ were there! I knew I wouldn't be getting any sleep on my flight and I was ok with it because the coffee was delicious. I was waiting for one sample and then started talking to a guy from St. Louis who was studying at the university in Auckland. We walked around the festival and he offered to show me around the city that afternoon.  We walked down the waterfront, by a beach, through a market, and around different neighborhoods. Then we got pineapple bread and I hopped on the bus back to the airport!

My time in NZ had finally come to an end. I had an amazing time in such a beautiful country. From the campervan adventures with Sara, to learning about vineyards and an organic self-sustaining lifestyle while WWOOF-ing, to traveling on my own, learning to climb, meeting new people, and reflecting on everything-- IT WAS ALL INCREDIBLE. Thank you, NZ, I'll be back one day!

Sending smiles from Auckland,

Rebecca

Farewell spit sunset

The nation family!

Wharariki beach