Take Off

After enjoying my last breakfast with grandparents for the foreseeable future, mom and I headed to New Haven railroad station to catch my shuttle.

I do not think I have ever driven around JFK before. I was always brought right to my terminal. This time, the driver took me around to almost every other terminal to drop other folks off before me.  What a crazy maze of roads crisscrossing everywhere. Driving round and round in circles as we go up this loop to this terminal and down these two loops to get to this terminal.  JFK is like a city in itself.

All my stuff and I

Despite being a massive airport however, turns out JFK is still rather quiet midday on Saturdays. I didn’t have to wait in any lines to get my ticket or to get through security. The few people who were there gave me some backward glances when they saw a petite woman carrying a large backpack on her back, a midsized one on her front, a small one in her right hand, and dragging along a large ski bag in her left. The guard had a smirk on his face as he redirected me to the Virgin America desks that were tucked in the corner.

***Heads up warning, Air New Zealand allows you one free check bag and charges $150 for the second one.  Later that evening I found out from an Ozzie girl, that if you call Air New Zealand ahead of time they only charge you $90 for the second check bag. I was foolish, looking at just Virgin America’s baggage fees ahead of time, so I thought I would only be charged $60 and didn't know about calling ahead. And I thought I had worked out all the loopholes in the system.

With 2 hours to kill at the airport and restless leg syndrome kicking in, I went for a walk outside my A gate zone, which turned out to be like the ghetto of the airport. Here the chairs are stacked almost on top of each other, no cushion on the armrests, low ceilings, and the restaurants of choice are McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, or an Irish Pub. Travel through a buffer zone of shops, turn to the B gates hallway and you'll first see the Delta signs, and Swiss and KLM airplanes. Then you’ll notice the high ceilings, neatly spaced chairs with small tables in-between, cushioned armrests, and stores like the “Cake Tin.”  Resisting the temptation to buy a fancy cupcake, I meandered back to my ghetto to board my flight.

My layover was in LA airport for about three hours. As I walked out of the gate from the plane, frustration quickly began to boil in my stomach and anxious thoughts began to flick through my mind. Where is the board for all flight departures? Why do I only see three different airlines here and no signs to direct you to find the others? My ticket had no gate number, not that I would know where to find it. I asked a man at a desk and he just said go all the way outside and go to the next terminal over. I followed his directions and assumed it was the international terminal to my right. "Is this where Air New Zealand flights leave from?" I asked a lady checking tickets before security.

"The sign says To all gates. Yes" she snipped as though I couldn't see the sign just to my left. I then waited in line for security for 20-30 minutes, not doing any further investigation of my location. On the other side there was no Air New Zealand to be found. The frustration began bubbling over and I started becoming panicky. The fact I hadn't eaten a real meal in twelve hours finally hit me, and I tried to calm myself, knowing it was more from hunger than my situation. I found out from a long term airport worker that **Air New Zealand was actually in terminal 2. I booked it back out to the road and went through security once again (luckily there was no line for this one) and promptly went in search of food. I made sure I enjoyed my two glasses of complimentary wine on the plane a few hours later.

First glimpse of NZ

My home for the next week in
 Auckland

At about 6:00 in the morning on July 28th, I was enjoying a greasy omelette and looking out the oval window over New Zealand which was slowly illuminated by the red glow of the rising sun. At 7:10, I walked briskly off the plane with a lightness to my step and friendly chat with customs security guards. I flew through customs and came out on the other side to find Wilma, my ride and hostess for the next week. Everything was going so smooth, I can finally relax.

Wilma is mother of Helen who I had just met climbing in Indian Creek 2.5 months earlier. Upon arriving to Wilma's home we had second breakfast and coffee before we went up the road to get those chores done. Wilma embodies the Kiwi’s generous hospitality for strangers and friends very well with her buying food to feed me, taking me to the bank so I can open my account, and directing me to lovely areas to run. However, the smoothness of the morning came to an abrupt halt when I tried to cash my bank check. I then realized I had made a huge mistake.

**Don’t bring a bank check to a foreign country for depositing. Westpac was going to charge me $50 dollars and said it would take 4-6 weeks to process. Cancelling the check would cost $25 (and then I couldn’t access that money from my account for almost 2 months). I would then have to wire money which was going to cost more than $50. I actually didn’t figure out what to do about my financial situation until Wilma and I spent 2.5 hours at her bank the next morning. I ended up opening 2 new accounts. Long story short, due to new regulations, the only way to avoid enormous fees (potentially up to $100) and weeks of waiting to access my money, Wilma and I had to open a joint account. She had the finances and good credit history with the bank to back up my check. Don’t ask me how that works, because I’m not actually sure. Next time though, I'm just going to wire the money.

Oh and I'm sure some of you think I am absolutely crazy for opening a joint account with basically a stranger to deposit a large sum of my money in. Not as bad as you think though. We set it up that any money to be withdrawn from that account would require both of our signatures. It was also not her idea, but the 2 bankers working with us who understand that we are doing this only so I can access my money sooner and upon completion of the process, we will be moving that money into my personal account and closing the joint. ***Oh, and on a side note: NZ saving accounts make about 4.5% interest. Sounds like I need to move all my money into a NZ bank account and leave it there for a few years to collect interest. 

On my run in Auckland

Since I arrived 48 hours ago, I also have managed to correct my sleep schedule, run, look for cars online, test a car in person (much thanks to Wilma for driving me to see the car and test driving it for me), and scheduled to see another car, Ugg, I hate looking for cars, because it consumes me and I'm so indecisive. I do like the fact though there are tons of Honda and Toyota station wagons in New Zealand. And I need to start squeezing in some exploration time in between looking for cars. I’m getting a little fixated and not taking my time to enjoy where I am. I may not have many exciting things to report until I finally purchase my car. 

Getting It Done and Checking It Off

Tick Tock, Tick Tock. How has the month passed me by already? I’m unemployed and still couldn’t balance getting everything done and exercising consistently. Everything always takes longer than you’d think. And without a schedule, I seem to be rather good at faffing around. Well, I leave tomorrow and I think my “To Do List” is done enough (despite growing longer in the process). If not, I’ll just have to deal.

Well, here’s what I got for you. I’ll star the things that are “hot tips” to know for travelers or general gear stuff.

• Find Insurance to cover $8000-10,000 worth of gear (incase it gets stolen from my car).

After looking up the statistics on how often cars in New Zealand were broken into, I became almost frantic to find insurance coverage for my belongings. I sat down to make a list of what I was bringing and to do basic math on how much it was all worth. If everything of mine was stolen it would be about $10,000 to replace it assuming I paid retail price. As I mentioned before, regular traveler’s insurance won’t cover that. I even called Squaremouth.com (a general travel insurance search engine) and they said they couldn’t help. So the search intensified.

I looked into Renters insurance, but that was not helpful. They only cover 10-20% of the total value of all your personal items when you travel off your insured property. I’m taking about 50% of all I own to NZ. Do you think if I left a note in my car that said, "Please don't steal my things. It's almost all I have and it's my life." it would deter a thief?

            One insurance company I called referred me to another company I believe was called Rocky Mountain Insurance. They were exceptionally friendly; they even looked into writing a special insurance policy for me. They thought they could adapt this inland marine policy to meet my needs. Despite their efforts and friendliness, I got a call later that day saying they couldn’t make it work. They recommended I look for insurance in New Zealand to cover my equipment. 

I called an auto insurance company in New Zealand (**via Google Hangout: 2 cents minute, FYI). I asked if I could get insurance that would cover a car break-in, including the items in the car. No go and the man said he didn’t know of any insurance company that would cover theft of my equipment.

**My dad then suggested seeing if his homeowner insurance could cover it. I mean if Renter’s covers 10% for travel, surely homeowners would do the same. The difference? My dad owns a heck of a lot more stuff. The catch is the high deductible. No good. So we tried to see if we could put a “rider” on the insurance policy to cover my gear without having to pay the deductible. No such luck since my stuff didn’t meet the requirements for a rider (nothing was worth several thousand dollars).

In the end after many hours of those redundant phone calls with the insurance company, my dad claimed me as a resident of the household and lowered his deductible. I think it increased his insurance bill by $200 for the year, which I will be paying. Not exactly what I hoped but better than nothing.

• Fix security set up so they stop sending verification codes to my phone, since it won't be working in New Zealand.

Way easier than I expected. On the note of phones as well, **I actually remembered to change my voicemail to inform people that they can’t contact me for the next year via that number (and maybe never again because if I can, I’m cancelling my policy to save money on the phone bill). Email, Facebook, or Skype are now the way to get in touch with me.

• Get at least 6 months worth of prescriptions. 

**Here’s my advice and fair warning on this subject: if you need prescriptions filled for more than a 3 month supply at a time, tell your pharmacy and insurance company at least two weeks before you leave to get it done. Expect to have phone calls from the pharmacy and insurance that have discrepancies on what needs to be done and what has been done. Expect them to make you middle man/woman between pharmacy, insurance, and doctor. Don’t let this happen because you’ll be sent in circles. Get them to talk directly to each other. Don’t believe them when they say some medications were filled in full on the first attempt.

•  See if I can get a new sleeping bag for my birthday 

What an idiot. Didn’t do the research until 2 weeks before departure. I found what I hope to be the perfect sleeping bag set up and ordered online to save over a $100. I then realized I was cutting it close for getting them in time. Luckily, despite one getting lost temporarily, both bags arrived today, the afternoon before I leave.

I wanted a sleeping bag set up that would be resistant to water and ideal for winter mountaineering and summer in NZ. My 0 F bag was not ideal; my friend Danilo informed me I’d need just a 15 F bag for winter mountaineering. After listening to a gear guru friend rave about his Phantom sleeping bag, I did some investigation and figured out the lightest warm set up would probably the Mountain Hardwear Phantasia 32 with its hydrophobic down and a sea to summit heavy sleeping bag liner. Put the two together and I should have 12 F bag that weights about 2 lbs.

•   Test, Repair, and Re-waterproof gear. 

I got my pack back from the Gear Doc just the other day. The new zipper makes the new pack a little ghetto looking, but looks like it will last. His patch jobs were good, hardly noticeable actually, except he didn’t complete one of his stitches.  While he did a good job, I would say he was on the pricy side I think for what he did, but I’m grateful for the last minute fix. Gregory would have been a free option, but I wouldn’t have had my pack for the trip.

Ooh, I just remembered I was gonna clean my stove and test it...oh well. Tent and rain gear is cleaned, waterproofed, and the zippers are lubricated. 

• Inform Bank of Travel Plans

So on a trip to the bank to discuss some account changes and transfers, I was able to rework a flawed plan.

**I had expected to open a bank in New Zealand soon after I arrived and simply wire some money to my new account. This way I would save significant money on transfer and currency exchange fees. I hadn’t thought twice about my plan because it had been so easy last time. Not until the Banker informed me that it would be about $50 to wire my money. WHAT! That’s more than 5 hours of work for me. Oh wait, I forgot. Last time I went I had an account with Bank of America who’s sister bank in NZ is Westpac. So wiring money or taking money out of ATMs was cheap. Fees were a fraction of what they would be now without that account. What’s my new cheapest option? I got a bank check addressed to me. I will deposit it when I open an account in New Zealand. I’m bringing cash to get me by until the bank can process my bank check.

**Oh, and I went to AAA with my American currency to exchange it for NZ dollars. They had the new currency ready for me in two days (I forgot how pretty their money is). AAA doesn’t charge you the exchange fees you’d have to pay in the airport or other places. I’ve wasted way too much money on previous international trips on those fees. I’m going to be smart about it this time.

•    Computer Repair

            An unexpected obstacle while home-a crack in the screen appeared and from it blackness began to seep across my screen. Just when I promised to keep up on my blogs since I had a computer. I almost lost it when Mac said they would charge me 465$ to repair it-more than half the cost of the computer! Luckily, dad jumped in to help again, and found some cheaper options through ebay. I investigated one: iknowrepairs out of New Jersey. They promised to have my computer back before I left and that they would charge me $160 for the new screen, the repair service, and the return shipping. And that’s exactly what they did and they did a fantastic job! With shipping the item to them, I spent $182 dollars; a cost I could swallow.

•  See As Many Friends And Family As Possible 

            Well, I didn’t see everyone I hoped to, but I did manage to see most of them and I also saw some I didn’t expect to catch. Had some great moments with the friends and family and yes, I finally met my adorable grand nephew. 

A Snapshot of the Lost Years: Part 3

Spring-Fall of 2013

Moved to Estes Park, CO. The original work contract was only for May 12th-June 29th. Luck was on my side though and the contract was extended to August 15th. So much for being a climbing bum for the summer.

I began work once again at Eagle Rock school and discovered I had a dream job. Getting paid to travel and doing meaningful work (helping students who had dropped out of their own schools actually graduate high school). I travelled in the Lost Creek Wilderness, New Mexico, and South Dakota for ERS. In terms of what I did for work, I created a policy manual, organized and led short trips, and worked in the wilderness shed. On top of the good, though challenging, job (the students keep you on your toes) I was still able to sneak in lots of climbing and meet some great people who work at KMAC (Kent Mountain Adventure Center). Buster became my teacher for learning how to climb fast and efficient. I was always in a rush to keep up with him. 

I also had the fortune of meeting Nate, the current boyfriend, who is always up for a climbing adventure, and a great role model for having a solid and calm head in challenging moments. In the summer and fall we travelled to Vedauvoo, the WindRivers, Wild Iris, and Tensleep. Our climbing trip in Wyoming was cut short due to the flooding in Estes Park. Upon returning over trail ridge road to the town (using my Estes Park Library card convince them I lived there) I got to see and be a part of the community rallying to help their unfortunate neighbors. Shortly after I went back to ERS, my new contract being kept, adapted and extended, once again to my good fortune.

In the fall I was off to the Superstitions of Arizona. A lovely area, but the weather was ready to push me into a quarter life crisis. Taking care of the students, some of whom were exceptionally challenging, pushed me to my limits. I discovered a number of weaknesses in my leadership. It's a long story. That one you'll have to ask me. Be assured though, after my last trip with them in the spring, I was able to work on those weaknesses and I no longer feel like I wasted my college education.

Winter 2013-2014

Upon Finishing work at Eagle Rock, I had one day to move to Park City, Utah. I hit the ground running there with ski patrol starting a mere two days after my last contract ended. Talk about a whirlwind of winter. It was amazing. Pete, John, Stu, Kate, and a few others I got out with on occasion were all amazing partners for adventures. Touring, acro-yoga, rock climbing, ice climbing, you name it, I probably did it with one of them. Even dinner parties to watch Game of Thrones. If the weather was bad for one sport, it was good for another and there's no shortage of things to do for any of those activities in Utah. 

Seriously, think of something,
I probably did it
(for better or for worse).

On some of my weekends, I made it up to Jackson Hole for Resort skiing and touring with Buster and Vanessa, Red Rocks with Nate for adventure climbing, and San Rafael Swell with a crew of folks for desert trad. I had hardly a moment to breath this winter and I loved it!

I finished the season off with a climbing trip to Indian Creek near Moab, UT. Once again, I was schooled and humbled. Then I was back to Estes Park for 1.5 months for another contract at ERS in the spring of 2014. A good thing since I was able to redeem myself from the last trip. 

                 

A Snapshot of the Lost Years: Part 2

Spring and Summer of 2012

Upon returning to the U.S., I suffered from the hard bite of the Wanderlust. It took about 4 months of living in Maine before I could recover from common symptoms of feeling confined, antsy, and claustrophobic. Baxter State Park and Maria Millard greatly helped in this recovery process.

Within two weeks of returning from New Zealand, with the motivation to get out of the parents' house, I bought my first car and started making trips North. I conveniently needed to take a 10-day WFR course in NH and friends to climb with. This tied me over until work started at Bryant Pond 4-H camp in mid-April. When I had a week off from work I volunteered at Mahoosuc Guide Service.

Once the camp season got going, my life was the Junior Maine Guide program, Bushcraft, and trying to sneak in climbing during my few hours off. Towards the end of summer, I made my first two trips to Baxter State Park and reconnected with Maria Millard. Maria is a young woman I only got to hang out with twice in the months we first met, and yet we connected so well we stayed in touch over the years until we finally could catch up to each other. And then our crazy adventures together began. And well, Baxter State Park, it's my new favorite place in New England. The Chimney Pond area is like a gem from the West dropped in the East.

That fall I worked part time for Bryant Pond and Orion Outfitters and Guide Service. I did everything from teaching primitive skills to hauling bears out of the woods. I know, I can just picture some of your faces at the idea of me working for a hunting guide service; me being mostly vegetarian for the last few years. I wanted to check out the hunting world with the idea that I could one day hunt for my own 'real' free range meat. Besides, I've slowly moved from vegetarian to localtarian, to opportunistic eater.

John headed up to Whitney
Gilman on Cannon

Come late that fall when F_unemployment kicked in between seasons, I headed down to the Red River Gorge with my main climbing partner at the time, Strong John. A two week climbing trip I'd been waiting for since my first trip there my freshman year of college. Oh, and how I disappointed myself. Really, the 15 to 20 foot runouts between bolts almost made me cry. Poor John, he put up with a lot from me that trip.





Winter 2012-2013

For the winter season I ski patrolled at Sunday River Mountain Resort. And no, it wasn't so I could just be a ski bum. I wasn't even that obsessed with skiing, yet. I actually thought of the idea in the spring time when I was taking my Wilderness First Responder course. Scenarios in a class once every three years were not enough for me to deal with a real emergency. But I didn't want to work in an ambulance. So of course, ski patrol! Outdoors, hands on medical, and as a bonus, I'm paid to ski. A medical emergency I had to deal with over the summer solidified the plan for me (just so you know, the patient came out fine; I did something right). And so I learned how to ski proper and deal with all sorts of situations.



Since I worked around 4-4.5 days a week, I spent as much time as possible ice climbing, ski touring, and survival cooking. I also had the opportunity to cash in for my dog sled trip for the Mahoosuc Guide Service. 

It was a struggle to find partners that had the same schedule as me or enough energy to get out in their off time. Despite this struggle, I did get to enjoy some great climbs like Cinema on Mt Willard with Billy and Brian, and Katahdin via Dougal's Delight and the False Chimney with Mahoosuc SAR. Along with a ski from Washington's summit with John Haley and many other adventures with great company. When I couldn't find partners, I took up free soloing some easier ice and doing some of my first solo winter hiking. It put winter activities into a new perspective for me and boosted my confidence in my skills (and made me recognize what I needed to work on).

Chris Hayward with the Knife's Edge on Katadhin
in the background.

A Snapshot of The Lost Years: Part 1

Alright, since I failed to keep up on my blog since my New Zealand trip, I'll take a moment (or three) here to go over the highlights of the last three years to catch you up to speed on what I've been up to.

New Zealand October to November 2011

Hiking...No, wading through
 the watery trail on a rainy day

Much of this time was devoted to finishing my two papers (one on large scale composting and applying it to the University of Otago, and why people do sustained high risk activities like mountaineering/alpine climbing), and studying for finals. Around the beginning of November I finished the last of my undergraduate classes. I thought for sure they'd be my last classes ever, but three years later, I'm having second thoughts. In celebration of finishing school, I departed on a 11-day tramping trip on Stewart Island, connecting the North and South circuits. If you ever go to New Zealand, you need to do a mandatory detour to there. Spend 4 or 5 days hiking, I can almost guarantee you'll see a kiwi. Yes, rumors are true of how muddy and wet it is, but that's really an essential part of the adventure.

Claire fishing on a beach of Stewart Island

Upon finishing my trip I headed to Peel Mountain Adventure Centre to finish my internship hours so I could actually graduate. 

December 2011-February 22, 2012

Just before the Holidays, life became a whirlwind. 

Mt Cook from the top of Haast Ridge.

I squeezed in a proper climb up Mt Cook (4+ days to get up and down New Zealand's tallest peak) with Danilo Hegg via Haast Ridge, Linda Glacier, and down Cinema Col. 

Danilo Just before we got
on Tasman Glacier

Upon returning from that trip (like arrive at 11 P.M. and then leave at 7 A.M. the next morning) I headed to the Darrens with Emily Harding. It was nice to be on some solid granite after the terrifyingly loose scree and boulders on Aoraki (Cook). I think that was the most laid back climbing trip of my life. Mt Cook made me drained, calm, and satisfied like nothing else had. Lucky for Emily. She didn't see the real me climbing until about a month later.
We came back to Dunedin to have the best Christmas one could ask for. Brunch in the sun with friends followed by climbing and swimming at the beach. 

The day after Christmas I left with Chris Whitting (my newish boyfriend at the time) for a 7-day tramping trip that took us down the Hollyford Track and up the West Coast past the legendary Hermit's house. We enjoyed New Years Eve upon arriving on the West Coast. When we reached the road's end we shuttled and hitched our way North to Paynes Ford in Takaka to rock climb with a group of friends for a week or two. Upon exhausting ourselves we hitched our way back to Dunedin and I scooted my way back to the Adventure Center to finish those internship hours.

The last month I snuck in a climb on Sabre in the Darrens with Steven McInally. It was an epic 3 day trip with my first bivy that was unplanned no less. That's one of those things that's absolutely miserable in the moment but a great story for later that you'll brag and laugh about. I also made another trip to Paynes Ford for climbing with Emily. I then spent the last two weeks traveling in a car with the parents who came to visit (needless to say, I was pretty antsy with them after 2 months of non-stop go).

The stunning views from the base of Sabre

The Big "To Do List"

Here's what I need to get done before leaving for New Zealand:

1. Get my holiday work visa application done and print off approval.
• For those looking to do the working holiday visa, here's a few things to know about it. First, make sure you do this before you turn 31. Two, despite what the website says, or used to say, the visa kicks in upon your arrival to New Zealand, not from the date they approve it. I waited until the month I was leaving to fill it out thinking it would maximize my time there, but it was unnecessary. You have about 6 months from when you are approved to  arrive in New Zealand. Three, unless you're pregnant, spent more than 3 (maybe it was 5) consecutive months in a high risk TB country, was previously kicked out of NZ, or committed a felony of sorts, then the application should take about 10 minutes to fill out, you don't need a chest X-ray, and they'll get back to you within a week.
2. Find insurance to cover $8000-10,000 worth of gear (for theft).
• This is a surprisingly hard task to do. I have already asked my car insurance company about their renters insurance-not even close to covering my gear. I stopped by AAA to ask them about their travel insurance to find they had nothing useful. I did a quick search on squaremouth.com to find nothing meets my needs (most insurances seem to only cover medical or baggage-so really just covering $2000 worth of your stuff if the airport loses it). I'm going to try and call several other companies about their renter insurance policies to see if they have better coverage. I'll call squaremouth to see if I can get a more specialized plan and I do want to double check with the American Alpine club as well. The gear is kind of my life, so I need some sort of coverage for it. 
• Just a heads up to future New Zealand travelers, petty theft in New Zealand, unlike violent crime, it pretty common. I know someone who had thousands of dollars worth of gear stolen out of his car when he was traveling there.
3. Double check that the family health insurance will cover me.



Helen on Lumpy Ridge

• Rumor has it, from my reliable source (Helen, a kiwi who now lives in Boulder, CO) that New Zealand's government will cover you if you get in say a car accident. For regular health check ups, chronic issues, and I think sickness, I don't think they do cover you. Don't quote me yet. If I get seriously injured (fingers crossed that doesn't happen), I'll let you know who had to pick up the bill.
4. Fix my online security set up so they stop sending verfication codes to my phone.
• Those little things, they'll get you. It would suck to be blocked from my email account because I can't check the text they sent my phone which will be in NZ.
5. Find out what kind of car insurance I should get for New Zealand.
• It's not required that you have insurance there and there is no suing culture since the government takes care of those injured, so I don't think liability is necessary. However, I may want something to cover collision damage or sheep running into my car.
6. Create a "Must Do" list for while I am in New Zealand. 
• I realize, being in one place for so long allows you to become a little lackadaisical with getting things done. When I studied in New Zealand, I was there for about 8 months. I probably accomplished almost the same number of big climbs as this one guy I met who was there for only a month. So while I'm relaxing, getting to know the Kiwis, and working here and there, I need to make sure I keep on track for getting all my goals done. Who knows, this may be my last time in New Zealand. At least for a while. I do need to explore new places like Europe, Ecuador, and BC.
• I'll post this list when I do finally get around to it.
7. Schedule appointments
• Ok, dermatologist, endoscopy, hearing (I think the whole throwing explosives for ski patrol might be catching up to me), and regular check up appointment done or scheduled. Dentist...trying to get a cheap appointment with the Uconn student dental school. Little on the pricy side for me otherwise with the lack of dental insurance.
8. Test, repair, and re-waterproof gear.
• So I dropped my good old gregory off at the Gear Doc in North Conway, NH the other day. Rich, the owner, is a nice guy, has relatively fair prices, and I will let you know when I get my pack back how good his work is. I realized however as we went over the things that need to be repaired that this trip will probably be its last trip. I think it's on its last leg. Over the last seven years it's only been used for travel to Chile & Argentina for 5 weeks, New Zealand for 8 months, on four 24-day backpacking trips, and many other shorter backpacking trips. It will be a great last trip for this pack to be on...so long as it doesn't fall apart before it is over.
9. Inform bank of travel plans
• Americaneagle said to do it through their online services 1.5 weeks before the trip. Now to not forget to actually do that. 
• Hot tip for other travelers: I do have a back up plan for banking situations. Even though I'm getting rather old (almost a quarter of a century actually) and I'm living pretty independently, I opened a joint account years ago with my parents (where I'm the primary person) and have kept it to this day. All the money in the account is mine and I pay my own bills, etc. It's just nice as a traveler to have someone who is in the States to help step in and talk to the bank directly if say my credit card or online banking gets blocked. Just make sure you have someone you wholly trust to be on your account
10. Get fit for New Zealand
• Climb, run, and hike as much as possible. Maybe even squeeze in a little crossfit. Sadly I can't ski now to ready myself for the ski season I will be jumping into. Though based on my one experience skiing there and what kiwis claim, I might be able to prepare myself better for skiing by ice skating here. 
11. See if I can get a new sleeping bag for my birthday
• The 0 degree F sleeping bag I have with me now may be a bit excessive for New Zealand. Considering average mountain temperatures in the winter hover around 32, maybe a little less at higher elevations. I'm thinking a 30-35 F down mummy bag with a silk liner might be enough to do the trick for the year. Kiwi friends, correct me if I'm wrong. 
12. Finish packing and double check I have all I need to survive a year there
• Let's see...mountaineering, climbing, camping, and ski gear. Wallet, passport, visa, computer, about 8 pairs of footwear (2 climbing, 1 approach, 1 running, crocs,  mountaineering boots, ski boots, and hiking boots), 3 backpacks, $10 Goodwill fullbody wetsuite...oh right, and maybe some clothes (hmmm, I think I will be thrift shopping for some of that. I have a serious lack of space and weight). Ooh, can't forget the camera. 
13. See as many friends and family as possible



Contradancing in Dover with
friends-Check

• I have yet to meet my grand-nephew so that obviously has to happen. The trip north to NH  & ME has already come and went; I at least caught up with most of the people I hoped to. I still owe grandpa M. a birthday dinner from 2 years ago, so that I have to get done before I go. Ooh, and I have yet to visit with most of my family since I got back. Better get working on that.
14. Limit my spendings.
• I was only partially successful on this front when I was on my travels north (much thanks to all who let me stay at their house and helped feed me). The necessary purchase of 'new' climbing shoes, food, and diesel still added up. Luckily I can earn money under-the-table money from my dad and brother by doing yard work. Hmmm, I better get working then.
15. Get in touch with Helen's parents again just before I go.
• They are my ride from the airport and a place to stay while I look for a car in Auckland. Cars in New Zealand are cheap, but staying in Auckland long enough to find a decent one is not, unless you have someone to stay with. I look forward to meeting my temporary hosts and if they are anything like their daughter, I know I'll love them. I'm already grateful that they offered me a place to stay while I'm in New Zealand. I really need to send them a picture of me though so they can find me at the airport.

Blogging Attempt...Three? No Excuses This Time.

Already then...dust off the keyboard, shake out the cobwebs from the brain, and clip those fingernails. It's time to get blogging again.

Most of you probably (because I haven't shut up about it all year) know I'm heading back to New Zealand on July 26th. This time on a holiday working visa for just under a year (I hope). Why? For several reasons.

For one, I want to see my friends who live there before I let them drift out of my life. Something I've come to realize over the last few years is that it is the people you are with that help create the adventures and good memories. It is not just about where you are or what you are doing. For at least the past four years I have been caught up in the mindset that I just have to go places and do things to feel happy, worthy, and accomplished. As a result, I've lost or forgotten a lot of important friendships/relationships, or dampened opportunities to create new and genuine ones. I want this trip to be a balance of rekindling friendships and checking off things on my "To Do List" that I didn't finish last time (which is of course reason number two for going).

Three, I'm getting close to the age when I should probably have a full time job with benefits (and maybe some believe I am already overdue for that, like my Dad). However, I haven't actually found a job that I'm interested in keeping for more than 6 months at a time. I'm kind of enjoying the seasonal work for the moment. I was ready to have a "quarter-life" crisis after the backpacking trip I led in November due to some extreme challenges that led me to question my education and career choice for the last six years of my life. The trip this past spring has given me hope that all is not wasted. I can be a good Outdoor Educator. Still, the idea and desire for a full time year-round job in the field has been pushed out of my reach for the moment. That being said, I know I can't let my ADD run my career choice. I'm hoping to find some more focus while I'm in New Zealand. It may even help point me in a direction for Grad school.

Four, I can only get this holiday work visa and the opportunity to stay in New Zealand for up to a year until I'm 30-years-old. That's not that far for me now. And who knows where I will be financially in two or three years. And if I do get a full time job or even get pulled into a consistent cycle of seasonal work, then taking a year off to see New Zealand will become near impossible. Best do it now while I can take the time and have the money.

Oh, and I know that I am not there yet, but the start of the trip is already setting up nicely. Recently, I was trying to stamp down my anxiety about my first month in New Zealand. I'd be travelling alone, with almost no connections on the North Island, and trying to find myself a cheap but functional car to live out of for the year. Well, two-months ago while climbing in Indian Creek, I met a woman originally from New Zealand. And on our last climb together in Estes Park, CO she offered for me to stay at her parents in Auckland while I look for a car. Since that offer she has put me in touch with her climbing and ski partners there. I take it as a sign, this trip is meant to be.

So, I know I've been terrible with keeping up with this blog on my past trips and I obviously haven't touched it in almost three years. However, this time will be different, I hope to have a new post up every 2 to 3 weeks and maybe even more frequently at times. For one, I am actually bringing a computer with me to New Zealand this time. I am not taking classes and weather tends to be bad in New Zealand so I will have plenty of time between trips to spend reading and typing. I also would like to get back into writing. Maybe try to publish some articles in the nearish future. I figure the blog will be a great place for me to start tuning up my rusty writing skills. So please, feel free to comment publicly or via email about my writing-whether it's pros or gros. All are appreciated.

I hope you enjoy this journey with me over this next year through my writing and pictures.