Back in November I went to an alpaca farm to help out with shearing. Shearing serves two purposes: to prepare the alpacas for the summer heat and to harvest the fleece. The fleece is graded as it is collected with higher quality fleece being set aside for making yarn. I spent most of the time... Continue Reading →
Up North – Adventures in the Sand
After our sailing adventures, Kira and I headed north. Our first stop was Kapowairua (Spirits Bay) campground. Wairua means spirit or soul in Maori. According to the Maori people, this bay is where the souls of the dead gather to begin their journey to their ancestral home. The bay itself is absolutely beautiful. The campground is right... Continue Reading →
Adventures on the Camara
The Camara is a 80ft sailing yacht that Kira and I got to sail on. The Palmers (Peter, Christina, Cameron, and Tara) acquired her 4 years ago and have been working on a major refit ever since. More information about the refit and the history of the Camara can be found here. With the refit now complete,... Continue Reading →
New Zealand, Part 2
It's been awhile since I've written a blog post... sorry but I've been a bit busy! I have some down time coming up though and plenty of experiences to share. I should be able to knock out a few posts in no time. That said, I want to use this post to reflect. I find... Continue Reading →
Dory Sprung a Leak!
I discovered a leak in Dory's radiator the other day which isn't great because I plan to do a good bit of driving in the next few weeks! I started noticing some steam coming up from the hood a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't see anything when I looked under the hood, the engine... Continue Reading →
Chillin’ with Alpacas
So this post is a bit over due... but I've been having fun with alpacas, so you'll have to forgive me! I've been helping out at Cuesta Alpaca for the past couple of weeks. One of my jobs has been to help look after and train their seven baby alpacas. Yes, there are more than seven alpacas... Continue Reading →
Gardening in Stillwater
After getting my car all sorted, I was ready to get out of the city! I headed north to Stillwater to meet with my host, Mary, and see the place I would be spending the next couple weeks. I know I told you all that my first stop was an alpaca farm... but I hadn't... Continue Reading →
I Got a Car!
I got a car!! Well, I've had it for a couple weeks, but I just haven't gotten around to posting anything. Her name is Dory (fingers crossed she keeps swimming for the full year I have her!) and she is a 1995 Toyota Rav4, 4WD and manual. And yes, NZ drives on the left side... Continue Reading →
But first… Hawaii!
I know I said I was going to New Zealand... and I am, I just decided to take a cruise for the first half of the journey! My boyfriend and I were trying to figure out a good trip to say goodbye and, after some research and brainstorming, we determined that a trip to Hawaii... Continue Reading →
A Journey Begins
I left Seattle today (well, Bellevue if you're familiar with the area) and I'm not returning for a year. I mean, I'll go back to visit of course, but it won't be the same. My feeling leading up to leaving were very steady. Even now I don't think its fully hit me. I'm going to... Continue Reading →