When I First Got here I listed all the reasons I came. They’re all still very true, but now I can add to the list.

1. Toilets - they’re everywhere! For an avid hydrator like myself it’s amazing. No squat squat Turkish style toilets, no paying for coffee just to pee, no coin slots to gain entry to a soggy sterile cell, just free public toilets everywhere you turn! ahhhhh

2. Playgrounds. Kiwis know how to set up a good playground. The key is to disregard saftey. Pansy American playgrounds can never compare!

3. iSites. Every little town has one, big towns have several. Centers specifically designed to give you something to do, help you get orientated with maps, and make sure you don’t miss events and exhibits. I generally stroll in and ask what there is to do for free, and they never make me feel like a beggar. The assholes next to me booking their heli-hikes and scenic flights are the only drawback. Sorry. Jealousy is ugly.

4. Walking. Tramping. Strolling. Mosying. Hiking. A national pastime. Every single area has tons and tons of hikes, with clear directions and descriptions.

5. Kiwi slang. Rooting (doin it) Munted (busted) Sweet As (excellent)

6. Kiwi Accents. Six months in, still utterly amusing and charming

7. Shortland Street. A 20 year old kiwi soap set in a hospital. On every night at 7pm. Addictive. Also, Robbie Magasiva.

8. Rugby. The sport is cool, the men are MANLY and wear short shorts.

9. Tribal tattoos. I know, ewwww, the worst look ever, how mid nineties. I thought that way too. But when they’re on the buff arm of a Pacific Islander who can tell you about the origins of tattooing and the family story on his buff, buff arm…

10. Sonny Bill Williams. Google him and both #9 and #10 will all be explained in a way words just can’t say.

11. Kiwis. They’re raised to do, not to be. They don’t have the pressure to be this, be that. Go to school, get As, play piano, do 10 sports, go to college, intern, get a good job, make good money, be this be that. They are encouraged to do things. I don’t know how to explain it well, there’s just more emphasis on life than somebody’s definition of “success.”

12. Ladi6, Katchafire, Minute, Fat Freddie’s Drop, Th’Dudes (Bliss is the world’s best drinking song), Naked and Famous. Kiwi music is in my skin! It’s more than the Crowded House/Split Endz Finn party.

13. The Metric System and calling Z Zed. The rest of the world does it, why can’t the US get on board?

14. Nuclear Stance. Right on.

15. DILFS exist too. Theyre here in droves.

16. cafes - pricey but cute and plentiful

17. Birdsong - the birds are amazing and I came looking forward to seeing them, but I never realized until I heard the Tui on my last day how much I would miss their sound.

18. Art and Graphic Design - For a country of four million, the quality of artwork I’ve seen is up to par with any country with ten times the population

19. Driving - The roads are just plain fun, and driving on the left adds an extra dash of adventure. The speed limit is fast, the curves are crazy, the cops sparse in the straight patches where you can speed, the signs are clear and plentiful, and there aren’t many roads so it’s hard even for me to get lost. The one lane bridges on major highways are a bit mysterious to me, would building a second lane cost that much? Oh well, that leads me to compliment 19.5 - I enjoy the frugality of certain aspects of this country.

20. Eye Candy:
Doug Bracewell
Karl Urban
Robbie Magasiva
Taika Waititi
Bret McKenzie
Tammy Davis
Richie McCaw
Tamatae the am weather guy

21. Friendly, open people. I’ve made so many Kiwi friends that were so fun and warm and inclusive, and been welcomed like family into several households. I hope to learn from them and let more people into my life after this experience. In Portland, I am guilty of the very Portland thing that is only sometimes talked about, where I make plans with new people and never follow through. I mean it at the time when I make vague plans to hang out, but don’t I believe that intention makes me much less of a rude flake when I am “too busy” or whatever my excuse is. I am so grateful and fortunate to have old friends and family around, but…one is silver and the other’s gold, and stockpiling both makes a rich life.

Here’s my original list from last November:

Why NZ
I’ve been asked a lot why I’m heading to New Zealand. In a nutshell: Beaches and sheep! But to expand upon my reasons, I offer a list.

1. Double summer action. After having possibly the best summer of my life this year, I see no reason to end the party. So to the southern hemisphere I go to cheat nature at her own game.
2. I will be looking for a paid job, but NZ has tons of options for places to work for room and board. My first month is already planned, and I’ll be working 4 days a week at a small boutique hotel run by a sweet kiwi family in the village of Warkworth for room & board.
3. The outdoor activities and natural landscapes. I’m looking forward to swimming with dolphins, kayaking, hiking mountains, exploring caves etc.
4. wine & foodie paradise.
5. I know I’d be fine traveling alone in any country, and that this is a wussy reason, but it seems safe and easier than lots of places.
6. The people seem interesting, and I love all the Kiwis i’ve met so far. The Maori people with their Polynesian roots and the friendly casual kiwis sound like a joy to learn about and spend time with.
7. I love Flight of the Conchords, Whale Rider, Peter Jackson, Crowded House and Liam Finn
8. The music scene is great. Lots of goods bands come out of the little country and there’s a music festival I want to see in January ( big day out)
9. I’ve been to the Americas and Europe, so this is a part of the world I’ve not seen yet. Plus, getting to SE Asia at the end of my journey is not too far fetched.
10. I wanted to do some extended travel after high school, but caved to parental pressure and went right to college. I wanted to travel after college, but was raring to go on my career and needed moola. Then I actually ended up liking my job and stayed at it for years. I’ve had a chance to study abroad and travel a bit, but this time is unique in that there is no time limit.
11. When I turned 21 I was in Greece, being serenaded at the ancient amphitheater of Epidarus and down in the caverns of Mycenae. 16 was France. Turning 30 in an exciting foreign land sounds like a great tradition of celebrating milestones in a fulfilling and mind expanding way.
12. I’ve made huge changes in the last year: career, relationships, lifestyle. This is a great opportunity to keep improving myself and to strive more and more to live in and appreciate the here and now. I’m a happy hippie!
13. The country is full of birds and plants that only exist here. Magical.

A month ago I left sleepy Murch and drove myself to The Playhouse, a cafe/music & event venue for the next three weeks. Night and day. Quiet to loud, solitary to social.

Bartending/waitressing is really fun, possibly only so because it’s new and novel and won’t be forever. I haven’t done it since I was 19 in Eugene. It makes me feel like I’ve joined some sort of club since a lot of my PDX peeps work in the service industry. Like I can raise my fist and shake it with them, roll my eyes at demanding people, and run and duck from an angry, swearing chef with the best of em. But, alas, one complaint: they don’t tip here. At all!

The first two days I thought I was the world’s best waitress. The third day I messed up a lot and realized I was the worst. I’ve evened out to be OK. As long as I have a pen and paper.

The Playhouse itself is AWESOME. It’s a strawbale cafe/theater that looks like a cave inside. We’ve had a few comedy shows, several great concerts, a cabaret show, on and on, good stuff. And I live backstage.

I had to sell sweet Susi, so now I’m not quite the baller I was with two cars in two different countries. Sold her to a kiwi fisher lady, so just where I’d want my girl to be.

I’ve had some exciting days off. Another romp in Abel Tasman Park. Fun in Nelson. Two trips to Golden Bay that included a caving adventure, a hippie town, gorgeous scenery, windy windy roads, a booze tasting, a river coming out of a cave, the world’s clearest freshwater spring, pizza, dunes, cider at the Muscle Inn, and New Zealand’s longest sand spit.

Oh, and one misadventure that I am evil enough to still be laughing over. We got some bunk directions from the internet to get to The Resurgence, a quartz lined crystal pool. The directions were bunk, as I mentioned…but I was the ass that interpreted them in a way that took us along an increasingly narrowing dirt road. I started having to jump out of the car to open sheep gates, then we started to ford muddy streams in Nic’s battered station wagon. When we started hitting rocks on the underside of the car and the inclines of the streams were making the front of the car hit, us four ladies started suggesting to Nico that maybe we should turn back before his car blew a gasket or got stuck in the mud. But, he said he wanted to go on, and eventually the road turned into a path that ended in brush. Or we thought it did until I looked across the little river and noticed that the road emerged on the other side. So we turned back, car smoking and one front light hanging by a cable. Then backseat Danielle pointed out to me quietly what the directions had been trying to say. Nico’s emerging English skills caused him to miss this exchange, so I gave her the sshhhhhhh look and all was well. However, he did notice the all caps warning in the directions that said DO NOT CROSS THE BRIDGE and gave me a look as we went back over the bridge. C’est la vie.