Sunday, December 21, 2014

Fresh Start

STARTING OVER.. LIFE
I moved to Queenstown exactly two weeks ago on December 7th, 2014. In the past two weeks I have managed to find a place to live, unpacked my bag, found a dance studio to pole at, done a pole dance performance, got a NZ phone number, a bank account, an IRD number and a job. HOLY COW! I have also managed to meet more people than I can remember, played outside, and stayed up through all the hours of the night. Everyday I wake up, I feel alive, reborn, and happy. I have been listening to massive amounts of the pitch perfect soundtrack and I'm pretty sure I know most of the songs by heart at this point. It's my happy soundtrack....anyone want to skype date and do a singalong?

RANDOMNESS:
My house is celebrating Christmas today, so Merrrry Christmas.
#itdoesntfeellikechristmas #nosnow #snowkidding #ilovesnow

Yesterday was Summer Solstice

I plugged in my computer today and it shocked me... my right hand fingers are numb... #ouch

I people watch a lot... people are weird #ilikethat

They have Mountain Dew White Out here....
(Diana, Mekelle, and Alexa this makes me think of you guys)!


ACTIVITIES:
MOUNTAIN BIKING: I went mountain biking with a friend at a place called, 7 mile area. I don't really know how to mountain bike, it kind of scares me to be honest, but I figured I may as well give it a go. It was fun, thrilling even, because it scared me. I don't feel like a whole lot of things scare me or at least, I use to feel that way. Now I'm just a big scaredy cat #pussy, everything seems to scare me. So I just #fakeittilimakeit.

QUEENSTOWN HILL:

I went on a hike up Queenstown hill and lied in the Basket of Dreams for a while. This hike for me, was so rewarding. I spent about 4 hours playing up on the hill, the same hill I hiked four years ago. #itsthesimplethings. It felt so rewarding to be somewhere so beautiful again. I'm a firm believer in doing things you say you are going to do and the fact that I am back here, in Queenstown, New Zealand makes my heart happy. I always said I was going to return... and I have. I didn't lie to myself and I came back. I feel at peace...

POLE DANCE PERFORMANCE: I found a pole dance studio in Queenstown and my heart is so happy. I went to the studio and met the lovely owner and asked if there was a chance I could perform at the Christmas show coming up and she said yes. The show was earlier this week, so I got out my cheesy self and freestyled to Santa Baby.. movie link here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sTqMth9TSM&feature=youtu.be

ROCK CLIMBING: I have a friend who took me Rock Climbing the other day at a place called Wye Creek and that was something special. I mean... check out this view....
#heaven #ilivehere #brookeinwanderland


I haven't been rock climbing in about 3 years, so I was pretty excited to go and climb outside. This place was a pleasant surprise. I found another favorite place here in NZ and this is it #magical. We climbed up a pipeline and it was a little sketchy, but I was very careful, I swear #sorrymom. The view kept getting better and better and we crossed two waterfall areas before getting over to the magical view I have above. I'm in love with this place --- iyiyiyiyi. On that note, rock climbing was fun, I think I may need to become a die hard rock climber... plus that is great cross training for pole and aerial silks. #talkedmyselfintoit #futurediehardrockclimber.

Anyways... that's all for now.... #brookeinwanderland














Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Running through the wild flowers...

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TOO?:
I arrived here in NZ on December 5th, 2014 at 1 AM. After 30 plus hours of travel, you could say I was beyond exhausted. I hardly ate on my first flight so when I arrived in Australia I bought an apple to eat and then I forgot about the apple and fell into a slumber as soon as I got on my flight from OZ to NZ. #neverforget

As soon as I arrived in NZ, I was welcomed with a $400 fine for an apple. I forgot I bought it, I forgot to eat it, and I forgot to claim it because I forgot I even had it #completefail #beyondexhausted. So lesson learned, no matter how exhausting traveling is, never ever buy anything that may cause a fine when traveling internationally.

I spent some time in the Christchurch airport since my flight got in at 12:45 AM and left around 7:30 AM to go find my hostel, The Old Countryhouse. This hostel was a breath of fresh air, I was not excited to stay in Christchurch, I knew it got a lot of damage from the earthquake in 2011 and that it kind of died after that, but I am glad I did stay in Christchurch. I loved the hostel I stayed at, there were some wonderful people there and, they had a spa/hot tub (that's a big selling point for me). When I visited Christchurch 4 years ago, it seemed like an up and coming small version of Seattle. It was a neat city and it was alive #beforeearthquake. When I saw Christchurch now #afterearthquake, it seemed like it died a little. It was quiet, buildings were still being repaired, buildings were still broken with rubble surrounding them and they were fenced in. The only word I can thing to describe Christchurch after the earthquake is.. wow.

Next stop for me was Lake Tekapo or as I like to say it "en route to heaven." I have an obsession, a fascination with this lake. This lake will always be one of my favorite spots in the world. When I came to this lake 4 years ago, it was for a 30 minute bus break and I only got a snap a few photos. This time, I spent a night at the YHA Hostel and stared at the water for hours. The view from my hostel was amazing, the wildflowers were amazing, and the lake was amazing. I get chills thinking about this lake #aweyeah. I went and dunked myself in the lake 3 times before walking up to the hot pools overlooking the lake and I felt so at peace. I was, at what I would call, one of the most beautiful places on earth. On a side note, there is a free small zipline down by the lakefront and so I spent time playing on that for a while and of course doing inverts and leg hooks #poledancerforlife #winning.

After spending 24 hours in heaven, I decided it's time to go to Queenstown where I plan on living for the summer. I started out staying two nights at Southern Laughter and now I have found a house to live in up in Fernhill (part of Queenstown). It's kind of like a halfway house, part hostel, part house. I say this because well, I have 20 flatmates and will probably have 30 within the next week. I share a room upstairs with 4 others girls and I'm on a bunk bed. I brought my bamboo sheets so obviously, I feel comfy during sleepy time #obsessedwithbamboosheets #priorities. The view from my house of the lake is amazing, that's really why I chose to live in this house, the view #magic. I still am on the search for a job and have been applying with several over the past two days and I found a pole dance studio (again #priorities). I'm checking it out this Friday and so so so so excited #QTpoledance. I miss pole/silks/hammock/bendy #kairosfitness forever. I miss everyone from home and if your thinking of coming out here, you should. We could do a road trip, hike, bungy jump, and drink wine at the lake #joinme.


Why am I in New Zealand?


WHY:

4 years ago today, I was traveling around New Zealand because it was my dream destination. I had been studying for 6 months in Fiji and had a month between my flight back tot he US and my last final. With $2800 left in my US bank account, I debated if I should either go home and have money or if I should go travel to Australia and New Zealand and spend it all. I chose to spend it all because who knows when I will be able to return? I spent $1200 on 7 plane tickets connecting Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. This left me with $1600 to spend for the month of travels between New Zealand and Australia. So I decided I had $800 for each location and when I ran out of money, if I did, I had to improvise and make it work. So I did, I made it work. I ran out of money in Australia and spent a night in a friends car while they slept at the hostel, then I found somebody to hitchhike with from Byron Bay to Sydney and it worked, I didn't overspend and I did what I had too on the budget I had. #travelbug

When I arrived in New Zealand, it was exactly as I pictured it, a dream come true. I knew as soon as I arrived that I must return here and I hoped I could bring my boyfriend at the time with me. This place is amazing and it's too good, too amazing to not share with someone unless you have too, in which case, it's still absolutely amazing by yourself. I was with that boyfriend for over six years and had every intention of dragging him back to NZ with me, but things didn't work out and we broke up. Two weeks later, I bought a plane ticket back to NZ and 6 weeks after that, I have arrived in New Zealand. I am exactly where I need to be. 

After turning 18, I managed to start transforming into what society calls "an adult." Throughout that transformation, I graduated college, got a grown up job in marketing and public relations for a ski resort, and got in a serious relationship. After almost 3 years in my "grown up job," I chose to leave. I absolutely loved my job, but the cons were outweighing the pros after that long and I left. I bought a house with my boyfriend at the time and still needed to work to pay the bills, so I started working at a coffee shop, teaching dance, and donating plasma throughout the spring, summer and fall. As soon as fall came, things started to fall, and my relationship ended and I moved back in with my mom (thanks mom) Everything I had been investing my life in over the past couple years seemed to fall apart this year. So, 2014, you suck! #suckadick2014 #shithappens

A LITTLE DRAMATIC
Okay, I don't really hate you 2014, you don't suck, but you sure threw some daggers at my soul and I'm just glad I have been able to dodge them (a little). Plus, I'm in NZ meow and it's still 2014... so you're okay.. I guess. I miss my cat -- shout out to Ziggy Zigmond Zigmeister (the best cat in the world). #catmom

HERE AND NOW: 

Some people say the best way to heal a broken heart is chocolate and ice cream, but I disagree, the best way to heal from a break up is to go to one of your favorite places in the world (and then die and come back to life #dramatic). For me, that is Lake Tekapo in December. The flowers are blooming, the water is as blue as the sky and the water is ice cold (it's glacial). It's the perfect place to do a polar dip, lay in the sun, cleanse your soul and run through the wild flowers. It was the perfect place for me to gain clarity and satisfy this travel bug thats been trapped in me the past couple years. #feelingcleansed

Coming to New Zealand has a series of meanings. It's about starting over, finding myself again, doing what makes me happy, doing what scares me, learning about new cultures, embracing other cultures, and living life to the fullest. I didn't plan this out, I didn't save money for this because I didn't know it was coming. I didn't know I would be back here in 2014, but I am and I'm happy about that. 

Some people ask me how I was able to afford doing this, as well as past travels. The truth, I wasn't able to afford this, I just bought a plane ticket and started selling as many big materialistic things as I could before I moved here. I said goodbye to my car (The Ice Box, also known as The Foxy Boxy #scionxb), my pole (Lola), and my X-Stage (Plumeria). It was sad for me to sell all those things, but they were just materials. Although materialistic things can be nice sometimes, they don't matter, life experiences matter. I have no regrets and I am happy to be here. It was unexpected, but what a beautiful thing to be out here in New Zealand. I love this place. 

Every day I try to do something that scares me. 
Every day I try to do something that makes me happy.
Every day I do my best.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sunday, December 7, 2014

New Zealand

I am here.. 
in Lake Tekapo...
 New Zealand
 and it makes me happy...

Update coming...

xoxoxoxo

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Hawaii. I got Leid.


Nov. 27th - Got leid in Hawaii?
I arrived in Hawaii and shortly after got lied by my bestie Lizzy with a beautiful purple floral lei. I don't know about you, but getting a beautiful plumeria lei when entering Hawaii is pretty awesome! Thanks for the wonderful welcome Lizzy!

November 28th - Wake up! Wake up!
Slept in, we were so tired. After this we went to the each and relaxed. we did a hike on the west side of the island to a cave that had a spectacular view! We limbed a bit further than necessary and got altitude lost but it was well worth the trip! My water bottle fell twice on the way down and, well, so did I. 
Later, Lizzy introduced me to San Lorenzo bikini in Waikiki and.... I'm obsessed. Bonus factor of the day, it was Black Friday so the store was having a big sale #winning. We walked along Waikiki, watched the sunset and snagged a table at dukes for dinner and birthday hula pie. Have you ever tried hula pie? It is only one of the most delicious desserts on the island. Oreo crust, ice cream, hot fudge, macadamia nuts... Need I say more. YUM!






 

November 29th - Mermaids diving the deep blue
Today is our dive day, we booked a trip with Hawaiian diving tours and did two dives. Our first one was a wreck dive and it was magical. I Saw a turtle that was my height withy mega huge shell (holy moly) that was neat. There was also a white tip reef shark and 3 spotted eagle rays that came by there k. At 110 feet, I would say this dive was pretty wonderful. We laid on the beach and relaxed after before grabbing a bite to eat at this cool breakfast joint in Waikiki and then headed over to Pearl Harbor. 
What to say about pearl harbor other than wow, if you are in Honolulu, you should stop by and see it. Wow!
Later that night Lizzy and I went to the Top of Waikiki for drinks. It had a beautiful view and happy hour is a must! We went out to some clubs with a group of friends... And the next day I woke up with bite mark bruises on my shoulder. So I suppose it was a good night.....






November 30th - Sunday Bumday
Today we woke up a wee bit later after having a late night or early morning down in Waikiki. We decided to drive to the North Shore, but first, pineapple. We stopped at the dole plantation and rode the train, soaked in the sun and wind and then ate pineapple ice cream (Delicious, by the way). Then we proceeded to drive to the north shore and lizzy crashed for a nap. I attempted, but then suddenly, I started taking creeper photos of lizzy sleeping and of the scenery and then I slipped on my mask and snorkel and scooted over to the fishies in the deep blue. I love the ocean. It soothes my soul.
Later, Lizzy and I went to another beach and watched the sunset and it was worth it, so beautiful and a different kind of sunset than the one we had seen at Waikiki the night before. Love Hawaii, love the ocean and love being with great company.






December 1st - Catch up Day

Today Lizzy had to work and it reminded me that I am moving to New Zealand in 2 days. Oh Shiiiiiiiii. So I had to get my visa paperwork in tact, find a hostel to stay at, etc etc etc. I then walked down to the Honolulu Zoo, talked to the animals and then ended at the beach of Waikiki and snorkeled some more. I randomly got asked to join a little surf boat thing, so I did that and surfed some waves as well, fun stuff.
After Lizzy got off work we went and hiked to a Lighthouse on the East Shore as the sun was setting. We seemed to have good timing with everything, because that sunset was also remarkable!





December 2nd - Downtown Honolulu and Waterfall Madness
Today Lizzy worked and I explored downtown a wee bit. I started by going to the Iolani Palace and walked around the outskirts of it taking photos. Then I decided I was going to go back to Waikiki to relax on the beach before doing a waterfall tour. After a long walk and then deciding to get a ride from the app lyft, I finally made it to Waikiki. I rented a surfboard, layed on the surfboard for an hour, catching no waves (I don't know how to surf, but I tried), then I went to catch my tour.
Manoa Falls was a little slice of heaven and the hike up to it was magical. I encountered a bamboo forest, which in my eyes, is a forest full of poles #poledancerheaven. When I got up to the waterfall, I soaked my soul under the waterfall and spent time pondering what I was about to do the next day (move to New Zealand). Manoa falls was so peaceful and I absolutely loved it.
Later that night, Lizzy and I went to this sweet cafe -- you grab ingredients and cook soup in front of you. It was delicious, and definitely worth trying out. Yummy Yum Yum. 


 


December 3rd - Off to New Zealand #brookeinwanderland