It's rare these days that Filip and I have two days off together. In fact, these two days in March may be the last ones I can remember. We decided to get away from Wellington and go exploring in our new car. We drove north, then east, and then south again to the southernmost tip … Continue reading Coastal Getaway: Cape Palliser Seal Colony and Lighthouse
How to spot a soul sister: You meet her on the back of a songthaew (a shared taxi converted from a pick-up truck) in Thailand and realize you’re both on your way to volunteer at the same hill tribe village in the mountains. You bond over a common desire to find meaning in the mundane, while … Continue reading Life is Fragile and the Land Restless: 24 Hours in Taupo
I think my word this year will be discipline. Yeah, that sounds good: discipline. I used to hate the word, thinking it implied a loss of freedom. Assuming, incorrectly, that it required rigidity and self-denial. But now I realize that it's so crucial to my personal growth - I can't let another year go by … Continue reading 2017: The Year of Discipline
They told us it would be windy. I expected that much. But I didn't expect to experience the same whirling gales that I'd felt in Florida, when the outer bands of a passing hurricane brushed up against the coast. And I didn't expect to experience them daily. But here we are three months later -- Wellington is still standing … Continue reading First Impressions of Wellington
After signing a lease and securing a flat in Wellington, we sat in the realty office chatting with our property managers before catching a bus to Hawke's Bay. "You must check out Napier if you are going to Hawke's Bay," says our property manager Keith with adamant enthusiasm. Another employee who was eavesdropping on our conversation peeks his … Continue reading The Art Deco Capital of the World
For our introduction to New Zealand, we didn't want to head straight to the cities, but instead wanted to check out life in the more rural regions first. We decided to volunteer on a small, family-owned vineyard in Hawke's Bay--New Zealand's second biggest wine region. We contacted the family online through Workaway and took a mutual … Continue reading Working at Akarangi: 5 Days on a Vineyard in New Zealand
Joc Cousteau 