Let Go...

The Kiwi Way of Life

2006-10-02T16:14:00.000+13:00

What an amazing hike. We went with our quebequois friends Jade and Joce and my my what a trip. We hiked until the trail ended and then hiked some more. We found a nice little plateau where we set up camp for the night. It just happened between two of New Zealand's most beautiful mountains, Ruapehu & Ngarahoe.

When you are at 1500 feet above sea level, you really figure out what exactly you're made of. It was incredibly windy at the top, and Carsten had us move along...but if I had had the chance...I would have sat on that rock behind me and done some serious meditation. The trip in itself what something quite spiritual. It took us five hours both ways, winter at the top, summer at the bottom. I'd do it again in a second. Actually...labour day weekend (nz holiday) Carsten and I are going to do the Tongariro Crossing which is one of the great walks here. I'm wicked excited ;) What a good way to experience NZ! Ok the blog is acting up, so I'll put the rest of the pictures up later. Hope you all are doing soooo very well!

They call it...Tramping

2006-09-19T20:23:00.000+12:00

The New Zealand bush. What a place to be. The weather here in Palmy started to get better, and we threw on our hikin' boots. Carsten explained to me that 'tramping' was not when you pimp yourself out on the corner of the street, but rather an intense hike through the mountains. I told him I hadn't hiked in awhile. He told me he'd pick me an easy one. So we bought a map, picked a two day hike where we would end up at a maintained hut, and then hike back the next day. It looked sweet, all along the river and stuff.....

Yeah right. Firstly, the weather was quite gnarly when we were heading out...but no big thing. We're hardcore...we can take it. All the paths were muddy. Pshhhaaaa, God made dirt and dirt don't hurt. The roots were like huge stairs at a 90 degree angle....uhhh, this is starting to get a little hard. Needless to say, we made it there. I slipped in the creek and got my foot wet, but all and all, I was a real tramper girl.
It was quite the hike. Beautiful lush views, although muddy and more dangerous than any "American trail" might afford you...it was spectacular. We made it to the hut in one piece and cooked up a dinner of 2 minute noodles and a can of tuna. Mmmm mmm! Now THATS what I call a meal. Its amazing how much we take for granted electricity. When the sun went down the place went black. Thank goodness we remembered mini candles. It was quite romantic.

"are there bears?" "no" "do you have snakes" "no lauryn, you know there are no snakes in new zealand." "spiders?" "no poisonous ones" "and you're sure there are no bears? what was that noise?!"

He got used to it. So we went to bed feeling like we had really accomplished something. And because the universe felt that we hadn't exerted enough, or that the six hours that it took to get to the hut was too easy.....it rained. All night...and all morning. All the creeks we had crossed were now flooded. All the mud was now deeper...things were gnarly. Let's just say that Lauryn wasn't a happy girl.

I don't know if you can tell...but theres a rainbow behind me...and no, its not making me smile.

But eventually I got over my 'girl-ness' as Carsten likes to say and got into it. We were literally clawing our way home through mud and grit and flooded creeks...but we felt like Indiana Jones, or...at least, thats what I kept telling myself. I had bruises the size of a small melon on the back of my thigh and a dozen others the size of golf balls placed sparatically about my body. But they are war wounds...I tell myself.

Well, tramping is addictive. After the buring sensation in your muscles subsides, you really want to get back out there. So the next weekend we took off for a little day tramp, and this time it was muuuuch better. Still a bit muddy, but nothing we couldn't handle from last time.
So we've planned this amazing four night tramp through Lake Waikaremoana which, if you look on the map...is going to be amazing. There are waterfalls and beaches. I will definitely put pictures up for that one.

So the method is...get out of Palmerston as much as possible. Experience NZ as much as possible, and live life to the fullest. I'm coming up into exam time...and already I realize that the Kiwis grade much more harshly then what I'm use to. Getting a "B" on a poetry paper was a bit of a blow to the ego. But I'm working with it.

Carsten and I met this amazing French Canadian couple at meditation class. Jade and Joce. They were part of the reason Carsten and I started tramping. They are so hardcore with the outdoors. Did that rhyme? Wow, I'm a dork. Moving on. We all had signed up for an adventure race where I was to run a 7k forest run. Hmm...yea. So I started getting on the health circuit. I'm running everyday and cycling on my day off. Will I be ready in mid-October? Who knows. But I'm going to try my damndest.

Thats Jade and Carsten over there --------------------->
We were about to go snowboarding up at Mt. Ruapehu. It was a fantasy day. After that day we drove up to Rotorua to visit C's mum. She made us a grand ole feast of Turkey, to make me feel more at home. Which was really sweet, because its really difficult to get Turkey over here. Why am I capitalizing turkey? I must really like turkey. Anyways. Carsten took me to the Farm show ;)
And that was our lovely couple of weeks. Theres more to come to and I am thrilled about all of it. Theres a book called "The Alchemist" and it says that when a person is on the right path, heading towards their personal legend, the universe will work with you, to let you know to keep going. I think I'm hearing it right.

My dad is coming to NZ in late November. How crazy is that going to be? For those of you who know him, its going to be a hoot ;) I can't wait to be miss tourguide and show him all the cool things I've seen here, or get to experience it for the first time with him. I wish I could take you all out here and show you all this. It really is quite amazing. I have to remind myself sometimes, being in Palmy...that NZ is out there. It just takes a little hop in the car....

Listening to: The Muttonbirds, Carsten playing an acoustic set

Reading: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Rugby Roadtrip

2006-08-20T18:43:00.000+12:00

You know those moments...those moments when you realize you will look back at this amazing time in your life for years to come? The trip to Auckland is a trip to remember.

It didn't start out that way however...things actually looked like they were going to blow up in all of our faces. It was Friday night...Carsten and I were planning to leave the next morning for a 9am flight to Auckland for the All Blacks (NZs rugby team) vs. Australia that night. Carsten got chatting Friday night with a friend of his and ran by our flight plans...which happened to be booked with Origin Pacific....which, as his friend notified him...happened to no longer be a functioning company. Excuse me? Origin pacific had gone out of business earlier that week, fired all their employees, dropped of the face of the planet and Air New Zealand wasn't honoring any of their flights. In a fit of panic we looked for alternate routes, keeping in mind that Auckland is placed 8 hours away from Palmy...and that Air New Zealand (now the ONLY domestic airline in NZ) has disgustingly high ticket prices. We slept on the fact that 8 hours in a rental car...would have to do.

Morning came and before heading to get the rental car it dawns on Carsten that the weekend before he had misplaced his license in a taxi (misplaced: translation- i lost it while i was wasted). So we had to detour to the equivalent of a NZ DMV and get him a temp. We race to the rental company at the airport...cursing, tired, irratible (an all around negative vibe) and we decide to chance it with Air NZ and see what they would offer us. Luckily they take pity and give us a stand by flight...which we just barely make. It was fate.
And wow...what a game.

The game was out of this world. Never have I seen such an amazing spectacle...and never will I look at American football in the same way. All Blacks won 34 to 27 and it was a clooooose game. Kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time. And afterwords the town was alive with nationalism and pride...and the bars reflected the feeling.

We met up with Birdii (Brent) one of Carsten's good friends at his flat in downtown Auckland where we proceeded to play SingSong....please note pictures...drink vodka and then hit the town

was quite a night...martinis at Honey and a late night in Auckland. Unfortunately for Grimmy and myself we had a very early wake up call. We had to catch the Overlander, which is NZ's cross country scenic train....at 7:30am. It hurt a bit.

But...it was worth it

the trip was fantastic...a good way to see the country, experience the culture, and enjoy good company. I can only hope that all of you are doing the same...even if it is just in the backyard...

Listening to: Jose Gonzalez (AMAZING!), Evermore (kiwi band)

Watching: My text books.... ;)

Whimsical Events

2006-08-07T17:39:00.000+12:00

Ah...the Officer's Mess Ball. What a night.

What a night it was. You can't tell from the picture...but that beautiful ball gown ended up soaked in lager and cherry flavoured champagne. I was able to meet all of Carsten's colleagues...and all of their partners too (gasp). It was almost perfectly out of a movie when I was introduced to the "wive's club" of Ohakea. They all had to leave early because they were expecting, needed to excuse the babysitter, or clean up after the freaking golden retriever. We joked about popping out a baby and moving to base...but the reality of it is...that is not the life I want for myself. I will admit, in Carsten's circle...I am quite young. But I'm already able to see that I don't desire that "perfect 'american' family." I don't want 2.5 kids and a manicured lawn. I want excitement and an ocean in my backyard.

Not that a golden lab isn't a great pet or anything.

Back at school I am starting to get the hang of things. I'm taking four papers, Middle Eastern Politics, International Contemporary Conflict, Brain and Behaviour (A psychology course), and Love & Revenge in Shakespeare's England (a last minute Literature course). So I guess you can say that I have fully stimulated school days. Middle Eastern Politics is the extraordinary eye opener that I was hoping for when I traveled to NZ.

Wellington...Second favorite city in New Zealand. Creative capital of the country and I believe it. The picture to the right is of me in front of Parliment. The trip sparked some thoughts about my future. Where will I study law school? What kind of law will I study? Could I possibly make a life for myself in NZ? A million questions ran through my head as we perused this beautiful, busy, bustling city.

Getting out of Palmy (Palmerston North) is always something to look forward to. Massey isn't structured to embrace me, so I embraced it. I joined the Snowboarding club, the Debate Team, and Amnesty at Massey. We'll see who has the most friends ;)

So next weekend we'll be going up to Auckland for the All Blacks game. For those that don't know, the All Blacks are NZ's rugby team and they are AMAZING! They have incorporated the Maori culture by doing the 'Haka' before each game which is sorta the tribal yell thing. If you haven't seen it, go to my myspace page and I've got a video www.myspace.com/lauryne33 Definitely worth watching...and I can't wait to see it in person.

Sorry to make this entry short...life has gotten quite busy with assignments and busy weekends. Not that I don't realize every moment that goes by how lucky I am to be this busy, in this life that I'm leading. So I thought I would include a list of good music that I was currently listening to, in case it leads to inspire anyone...and a few good movies too (some of them kiwi).

Music: Modest Mouse, Brighteyes, Sufjan Stevens, Imogen Heap

Movies: In My Father's Den, The Constant Gardener, The Piano

A New Home...

2006-08-01T17:36:00.000+12:00

I've now been in New Zealand for over a month. Its crazy how time can slip by you so quickly when you are focusing on more important things. I am well under way with my "papers" or classes, and being on the other side of the world does actually afford you a perspective that is quite priceless. Especially looking at the recent Israel-Lebanon crisis. Being able to leave America and its values to experience a fresh new take on something so sensitive as the Middle East is nothing short of extraordinary.

I remember sitting in the Botanical Gardens in Geneva, Switzerland with Karl and becoming immersed in a civil debate we were having. I had said to Karl in passing that, "I truly feel regret for those that are never able to leave America and witness the world. Travel brings you such a unique insight." He countered, being the devil's advocate that he is, and challenged that notion saying that the simple farmer will find his own insight. This might be true...but I know that for my own personal experience in life...travel is shaping me.

The kiwis are nothing short of fantastic. And life is so easy here! You can jump from flat to flat if you wish and no one cares. There are no forms to be signed, no background checks. I went to set up a bank account, and was worried because I didn't have all the necessary documents on me at that time. A simple "sweet as" from the teller and my account was open. The bus drivers are keen to take you to that "off" street, as long as it doesn't put them behind schedule. One thing that has dawned on me however...is that people are not that different. I mean, without the accents...kiwis could be mistaken for any southerner, and any Aucklander (the biggest city on the north island) would pass for a big city northerner. Palmerston North is a simple city, it has rolling hills in the background and beautiful sunsets...but slightly mundane and ordinary. Quite like Raleigh, yet still has a sense of mystery that I am currently working out.

Living with Carsten is something out of a storybook really. We make each other laugh until it hurts, and eat sushi until we burst. With that said, however, he is quite the domestic type...whilst I am still learning ;). And trying to learn manual on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road seemed like it might have been the end all of our relationship. But thankfully I was finally able to shift from third to fourth without throwing it into second by accident. :) I'm a quick learner.

I miss my family and friends. Seeing pictures of my cousins and Simonida's family in Montenegro really sent me in a whirl of nostalgia. But I know that they are out having fun just like I am. (Did I mention the bars are amazing?)

This weekend I'm off to Wellington (the capital of NZ) for the day with Carsten. It should prove to be an amazing day. So thats it for now. I hope all of you are doing well and staying healthy...and dealing with this heat wave I keep hearing about. Its currently 7 degrees celcius. I have no idea what that means in "American".....but I'm sure you smarties can figure it out.

Pictures: Hanging @ The Office Bar -->

Kisses!!! Kiwi Experience boys playing rugby

Land of the Long White Cloud

2006-07-24T21:06:00.000+12:00

Kia Ora! As the locals say. Its about time i started a bit of a blog....what do you say? Its currently 9:04pm during my third week in Palmerston North, New Zealand. 3 weeks?! It feels like a decade has past since that day i flew out of Raleigh. Here is a snipit of a letter i wrote to the lovelies back home:

G'day Mates! Ok, I will refrain from using lame cliches.
So like it or not...here is the update email. They're always so much fun, aren't
they? And although I don't have such juicy or exciting stories as Kathleen
produced from Uganda...I'm doing my best.
New Zealand is
amazing. Without a doubt this can be considered "God's Country." I
am in the midst of preparing a website for my pictures so everyone can
see. At the moment I have put up pictures of my south island trip on
facebook, have a looksie. Kiwis are some of the nicest people on the
planet. People hitchhike with out being murdered, they eat mince pies
(ewwww), and there really ARE sheep e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.

I'm staying in Palmerston North which is not exactly paradise. Thus
the reason for the South Island trip. When I arrived it was rainy, cold,
and could be compared to say....(for those in North Carolina) Greensboro, (for
those in Virginia) Fairfax. Blah-ish to say the least. And this came
to quite the surprise (as the kiwis spell it), especially coming from the
beaches of NC. But...once the initial shock wore off I was able to squeeze
in a little tour of the South Island with a group called "Kiwi
Experience". Outstanding. It was full of 18-25 year olds and gave me
the glimpse of NZ I was missing. I do suggest to all of you to one day
venture there. Breathtaking and life changing. Check out the
pictures if you have the chance.

So I'm now into my third day of "papers" (courses for the rest of us) at
Massey University and the schedule is working out nicely. The politics
classes are not very well attended, (its more of a vet school i've discovered),
but it allows us to get into deep debates. As you guessed....the American
is usually at the heart of it, trying to prove at every instance that she
certainly did not vote for Bush. But my experience with the Global
Humanitarian Action Program certainly provided me the foundation for so
Me, Carsten and his Mum
much of what I'm involved in now. Oh, Karl and Simonida....you'll
feel proud to know that both Amnesty and a slew of GLBT rights groups are
stationed here at Massey.

One thing I didn't think would hit me so hard is missing all of you.
Being here (yes, with Carsten, and yes things are going well ) is such an
eye opening and indelible experience....but it also allows me to appreciate what
got me here. And that's all of you. Yes yes, Lauryn's being lame and
mooshie....but you love it. So PLEASE....and let me reiterate...PLEASE
write me and tell me whats going on in all of your lives. I'd love to hear
from some of the most amazing people that make up the sweet U S of A.

So thats it for now. I'll let you all know when I am handed
the key to the city for being such an outstanding foreigner (yay Simonida,
I made it through customs!). And if you were wondering...the water does flush the other way around the toilet.
Love love love,
Lauryn

Culture shock? What is that sh*t?! Kiwis are some of the nicest people on the planet. The fact that english is the common language helps a bit as well. Carsten and I have been up to Mt. Ruapehu frequently and the mountain is breathtaking. My new board is treating me well on the fresh snow. Very open ski fields as well. None of those wussy american "trail markers." Its cold as all hell and I almost miss the NC warmpth. I hear theres a heat wave going on in the US?

I do find myself missing home at times. But not so much as to take away from the amazing time NZ is showing me now. I've been up and down this country, and i haven't even begun to experience it. I did however, get to see a kiwi. A real kiwi ;)

So thats it for now folks...I will put more and more up as the times keep coming. More pictures to come as well.

Yea, I'm official now

Queenstown

Carsten admiring the view

Edge of the Ocean

Natural hotsprings at the Polynesian Spas....and one damn fine Kiwi

Pancake Rocks

Bungee Jumping in Queenstown....sooooo badass!