what is this trying to teach me?
week 3
This week was spent in New Zealand! Leah, Carson, and I split our time between Queenstown and Wānaka. We landed in Queenstown on Wednesday afternoon, and hit up our first hostel abroad – Black Sheep Backpackers. Our spot was great, with three of us squishing into one bed. The location was killer, close to town, plus they had a hot tub and sauna – living the dream! Stomachs growling, we smashed Fergburger for the perfect lunch/dinner after a crazy travel day. Then, we hit the town, hittin' every bar in sight. The wild thing was, it stayed light until like 9:30 pm. We explored World Bar, The Sundeck, Major Major, karaoke spots, Bungalow, and probably more I can't remember. We discovered that weeknights in Queenstown aren't the greatest, so we called it quits around 12:30 am. On Thursday we rolled out of bed after like thirteen alarms at 5:45 am – with big plans. We jumped on the Kiwi bus to Milford Sound, with no minute to spare, where we cruised around with our guide, Cowboy. Dude knew his stuff about the national park and nature, even if it was a bit more touristy than our usual vibe. The views were sick, and we cracked jokes the whole ride. At nighttime, we hit the town again with our American friends who just landed. Fun night, but we had to cut it short for a big day ahead.
if i wasn’t ready, i wouldn’t have the opportunity
Friday was the BEST! We'd talked about bungee jumping since forever, but it got real when my friends surprised me with a booking. No time for research, I just went with it. The next thing I knew, we were there, & the staff asked, "Who's the most nervous?" I proudly claimed that title, and boom – I was going first. Wasn't the plan, but it turned out to be the best call. To see my jump, watch this video: https://youtu.be/NcYwRQRkur8
I laughed my way through the jump, shoes flying off, and all. I couldn't believe I hyped it up so much in my head. Lesson learned – It’s not hard. You've just never done it before. Now I know the difference. And, quickly, my perspective has shifted. The rest of the day was a blast – free t-shirts, beers, tasty lunch. Left Black Sheep Backpackers to catch the Ritchie’s bus to Wanaka, driven by the legend Leon. We checked into a motel in Wānaka, sharing yet another bed. We grabbed some pub grub, watched a movie, and yeah, you guessed it, early morning again!
Saturday we woke up with a tiny problem – we booked our hotel for two, but all three of us squeezed into that bed. & the front desk lady busted us. After some back-and-forth, Yelp reviews, and laughs, we sweet-talked our way into staying. Crisis averted. Next, we hit up Roy’s Peak hike in Wānaka – a beast of a 10-mile trail, 5-6 hours uphill. But damn, the views at the top – unreal! We did 3 miles there, did the hike, and walked 3 miles back – 16 miles total. We obviously celebrated with a cold Pilsner Brew and French Fries once we got back into town. Overall, this first big trip to New Zealand was such a refreshing and much-needed experience, & going forward, it's 3 peas in a pod mode for Leah, Carson, and me.
