Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Big Farewell!!!


WWWOOOOOHHHHH!!!!! (the exact word coming out of my mouth)
Dear Lula,

Man what a last week in New Zealand!  I am officially done with work!  While I enjoyed learning a bit about the vineyards, I am not at all sad to say goodbye.  I guess when you go so long without working its hard to go back.  It was a bit repetitious to say the least.  All the wine tasting made up for it though.  I also made a lot of really good friends out of it too.  I have been out to dinner at a different friend's house every night saying my farewells.  It is hard to say goodbye but I am ready for my next move!  I think this is the most excited I have been for a move in a while.  Maybe staying in one place for a while recharged my batteries, or maybe it's because I get to meet up with Sofi again, or maybe I am just ready for a change after so long in one place... well, whatever the reason, I can't wait for Aussie!
I was a bit excited... can you tell?

I promise they do this for everyone not just me!!

I am really about to jump out of this thing?!

Today I gave New Zealand my big farewell by jumping out of a plane at 16,500ft!!!! All I can say for the experience is.... AMAZING!!!!!  I think I had a stupid grin on my face and was screaming waaaahhhhhhooooo! all the way down.  Actually, I know I did because they took a video of it.  I will try to post it but no promises.  I highly recommend sky diving to anyone who can get the nerve up to do it.  My next goal is to do the training course so I can jump on my own.  I wish you could have jumped with me!  After many failed attempts to talk my friends into jumping with me I just ended up going by myself.  Can't let that stop me!  It was amazing and I felt like I was flying.  Unfortunately, I was actually falling and before I knew it my instructor was pulling the shoot.  I was free falling for 75 seconds going a 120 mph!  I wasn't ready for it to end.  It was beautiful up there.  On the parachute ride down I took in all of the amazing views of the snow covered mountain ranges around me and the golden beaches along the coastline.  We even went through a cloud!  I have always wanted to fly through a could.  I guess it has always been a little childish dream of mine.  When we were going toward the cloud a circular rainbow took shape.  They call it a glory apparently.  It was really cool!  A perfectly round rainbow.  And then we flew straight through it.  As we were approaching it I could see our shadows in the center of it.  I know I have already said this, but what an amazing experience!
There is that silly grin I was talking about!!

Amazing view!!

Look Mom! I Can Fly! I Can Fly!

Holy Shit! I can't believe how high we were!

Apart from that, the Rugby World Cup is going on now.  I think I already told you that in my last message.  I have been having fun watching the games with friends.  I think I am finally getting the hang of this game, at least the basics anyway.  The American team is playing here in Nelson.  I was going to go see them play, but unfortunately they play the day I leave for Australia.
Sadly we did finally have to pull the shoot

Safe and sound and ready to go again!

I have a few more dinners planned for a few more goodbyes and then I am off.  Australia here I come!! 

How are things with you?  I imagine you are back home by now.  It has been a while since your last update!  Let me know what you have been up to.

Love,
Tita

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Miss you too

View on the drive back from work
Dear Lula,

Sorry you are kind of lost at the moment.  It's good you aren't afraid to admit it.  That's better than wasting time doing what you think you should be doing just because of expectations.  I am jealous that you are going back home and that you will get to spend time with Natalie and the rest of the family in Miami. 

My latest office remodel
I must admit that I miss traveling with you as well.  Like you said it is nice to have someone to get excited about the big things and also the little stupid things that we like so much... like endless bakeries and odd foods.  I have made a really great group of friends here but it is not the same.  I can't wait to see everyone at Christmas.

As far as my life here in Nelson, everything is going well.  I am still working on the vineyards and I am still drinking lots of wine.  I wish I could send some home but apparently US customs won't allow it.  I am researching to find a loop hole.  My friends and I have started a dinner club.  About twice a week we all get together and one person cooks and someone else is in charge of dessert, or pudding as they say here.  And dinner is called tea. Plus they have morning and afternoon tea, all of which are referred to as tea time.  Needless to say, I get confused as to what meal we are actually having at the time or if someone is just offering me a glass of tea.  Well, back to the point, our dinner club is a lot of fun. Last week my Samoan friend John made some traditional Samoan food.  This week Bara made her traditional food from the Czech Republic.  All of it was delicious.  I am going to attempt some Cuban food for my turn.  Top all the food off with endless bottles of good wine and lots of laughs and that sums up one of our nights. 

Me with the first fish of the day

My good friend Nick and his sister with their first catch

Our secluded picnic spot... not bad huh?

Setting up the feast
Last weekend I went on a bit of a road trip with my friends up to Golden Bay.  They wanted to show me the area, which was beautiful, and also take me Salmon fishing.  Ok so it wasn't really fishing.  We went to a salmon farm and caught fish out of their stocked pond.  Not especially challenging... but the fish were kept in crystal clear spring water and they smoked them fresh for us.  We also took one of them raw.  We drove over to a secluded beach and had a picnic with our fresh smoked salmon with goat cheese on bread and we had the raw salmon as sashimi.  SOOO so good.  Oh and of course we had a nice bottle of local Riesling to go with it.  After our picnic they took me up to Waikoropupu springs.  They are considered the clearest fresh water springs in the world.  It was by far the clearest water I have ever seen.  Plus there was wild watercress growing everywhere.  I wanted to pick some but it wasn't allowed in the park.  My friends took me to their secret watercress spot on the way home and we picked a bag of it. 

One of the streams flowing from the springs

pathway through the springs

This water is probably 7 to 9 feet deep and you can see straight to the bottom

Our watercress mission
So that is life in Nelson.  I wish you could be here.  I am sad I missed the banana peel slide.  I would have enjoyed laughing at you.  You would have enjoyed laughing at me when I was in my boss's car driving home and had just finished eating an apple.  I went to throw it out of the window and accidentally hit the top of the window frame with my hand and the apple came flying back at me and hit me in the face, bounced off and landed in my lap.... yeah my boss was impressed.  He threatened to stop supplying me with wine since it seemed that I already had a hard enough time functioning sober.  Well, I only have about three weeks left here before I go to meet Sofi in Sydney.  I can't wait.  I am definitely coming back to New Zealand to travel around a bit more though.

Love and miss you,
Tita
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