It was only my second time kayaking and I was super excited. Bryce and I were in Kaikoura, a small beach town on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. I got suckered into wanting to go on a seal kayak tour after Bryce brought me back a flyer from the lodge we were… Continue reading Kayaking in Kaikoura: A surprise encounter
As you know, and can infer from the name of this blog, I love otters. I have another favorite animal after my New Zealand trip: Valais Blacknose sheep! There are 5.6 sheep per person in New Zealand. Yes, more sheep than humans! But, Valais Blacknose are different from the "typical" New Zealand sheep. They aren't… Continue reading Meeting the cutest sheep in the world
I was in Colombia for the first time last Christmas. Bryce and I were visiting his grandma and aunt for the holidays in Calí. Going into the trip, I knew I wouldn't have abundant food options as a vegetarian. After all, at the Colombian restaurant back home in Seattle, my only viable option is to… Continue reading Food in Colombia as a vegetarian: the avocado diet
It's crazy to think I got along just fine traveling on my own with no smart phone, let alone cell phone, back when I was in college. (This was more than a decade ago, eeek!) I'm so reliant on my phone now. How did I manage back then? I guess a decade ago I was… Continue reading That time I spent less than 24 hours in Rome — on purpose
Once again we arrived to our destination with me rubbing my eyes after waking up from another nap in the car. It was the late afternoon and Christchurch seemed quiet. We saw a few people zoom by on those motorized scooters you can rent. We also saw many of those green scooters just scattered along… Continue reading Christchurch: the rebuilding of a city
I don't have a sweet tooth. But, if there's one dessert I can get behind, it'd be a scoop of ice cream or soft serve on a hot, sunny day. Since our New Zealand trip was during summer, I supported many ice cream shops, ice cream buses, roadside stops and cafes. In New Zealand, they… Continue reading New Zealand and its real fruit ice cream
I'll be honest. My husband and I didn't book everywhere we were staying before we arrived in New Zealand. We had planned out where we would go, which included what cities and towns we'd be staying in and which routes to drive. But, we really only booked out the first week of the two-and-a-half weeks.… Continue reading Where we stayed: Welcome to my tiny house
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a planner. I actually use a paper planner and I like always knowing my schedule so I know what to expect. I hate surprises. On Sundays, Bryce and I figure out what we will be making for dinner during the week so that we can buy… Continue reading An impromptu urban excursion
Whenever friends are going to Hawaii for the first time, their first question for me is "What should I eat?" I wouldn't call myself a foodie. I'm too picky for that. (After all, I'm a vegetarian who makes an exception only for crispy bacon!) But, the food I do like, I eat a lot of.… Continue reading Hawaii: All about that local kine grindz (or just food in general)
The #1 question people asked me when they heard I was going to honeymoon in New Zealand was "Are you going to Hobbiton?" or some iteration to asking if I was planning to visit where Lord of the Rings was filmed. If you know me at all, or have kept up with this blog, you… Continue reading Where we stayed: Not a farmer, but I like the countryside
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