Birthdays are kind of weird as an adult. People always ask what I'm going to do for my birthday during the weeks leading up to it. If my birthday is on a weekday, well, surprise, surprise, I'll be working! This year, however, my birthday fell on a Saturday. This meant a birthday race. "You're different,"… Continue reading So, what are you doing for your birthday?
Saying that our New Zealand honeymoon was fantastic is an understatement. We drove around both islands. We met a lot of nice people. We saw a lot of wildlife. We went on some great hikes. We explored varying landscapes. We ate some great food. We did a lot. When we returned home and friends and… Continue reading The two honeymoon mishaps
Ever since it was announced that Tokyo would be the host city of the next summer Olympics, I've been going around telling friends and family that I will be there. Whenever it's come up in conversation -- which happens often when I'm the one starting the conversation -- Bryce and I exclaim in union: Tokyo… Continue reading Looking to Tokyo 2020
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
It was getting dark and we hadn't come across any small towns in quite a while. I was regretting my question earlier that day when we were eating a late lunch at 4 pm: Is this going to be our last meal of the day? Our longest drive of our New Zealand trip would be… Continue reading The longest drive
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
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
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)
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