En Route to New Zealand: the Land of the Kiwi's

So I'm off to New Zealand!!! --finally!!!  I was able to get a pretty "affordable" one-way ticket, becasuse I had 2 very long layovers, one in L.A. (save me), and one in Honolulu, HI--yaayyy.
I certainly had a few bumps along the way, was a bit frustrating but that is life, and you need to be very flexible when traveling, am I right?

Honolulu, Hawaii beach

I was using a pretty worn out backpack as my small one, for my electronics, snacks, journal etc. It finally decided to rip in the top..ope. I used good old duck tape to temporarily fix it. I was grateful I was flying tyhrouh the small airport in my area, Minneapolis- St Paul (MSP airport), I used to work there...ugh. The best thing working there were some cool co workers, hanging out in a book store (was one of my several jobs there), and all the many registered therapy dogs. It was a very easy small airport to get through security, the other location was so big by the time you got to the table to unpack for security you had to hurry to get it all out, then repack it ...phew. I arrived to L.A. late at night, sadlay my rain guard of my locvely NEW (Bday gift) 35 L gregory backpack, had somehow come off between it being loaded into the plane and off of it...maybe it was too full...idk.and got a taxi to my hostel, man I should've looked at reviews clolser. The hostel was  hot mess, and just eh. I was happy to leave late morning the next day. Then I was off to Honolulu...yaay!

I arrived to Honolulu a bit later that night, and got settled in my hostel, the beds were creaky..cringe. And the rooms didn't have the best air circulation, and being  a midwetern Minnesotan girl, it was a bit hot for me. The next morning I took a cold shower and went walking to the beach...which took 5 minutes--it was glorious!! Can't wait to travel and or live on warm islands agagin "cough" Thailand. I grabbed a delicious Soon I was off to the airport, for one final time on this way of the journey to the land of the hobbits, ie New Zealand!!! I landed in Auckland, after another about 8 hour flight, I was actually grateful I choose to do a 3 part trip, so I was less cooped up in a plane and I could walk around alot more.

I'm not a lover of coffee, but when in Rome, coffee is huge in NZ!
At a cute cafe by below park

I finally land in Auckland, was dissapointed to find out that was NOT the airport where there is a huge hanging art piece of golum catching fish...that is in Wellington..shoot. I got my bags, and went through the lovely and well planned out Immigration of New Zealand. Sadly didn't get a stamp in my passport, though I =now know there is a town here that is independent in the country that can stamp bkfastthem (papamamoa...?). I scanned my passport at a computer, they got my picture or something, and I went through that...bags after..my bad. Then I had to walk through with my declaration card, any international traveler is well aware of this. So you have to declare liquor, so much ciaaraeetes, plant or animal materiatls...new zealand having a delicate eco system which has been sadly ravaged my lots of invasive, and not always accidentally introducted animals (possum ugh), has killed lots of the birds here...alot with other predators (more on that later...). In the end they looked at my bags for some things they thought were honey, I did my research ahead of time and was  a bit annoyed that one lady assumed I was dumb and had it ...it was witch hazel, and a coconut charcoal toothpaste (homemade), they said oh...that's fine. I had my hiking boots on which had been in American soil somewhat recently, so to be safe I showed them, and I stepped in soapy water and they washed them off...well done New Zealand!

Lovely Park in Auckland

Off I was...I almost got a taxi just for myself because I was so tired, but a lovely Kiwi gentleman (they are some of the friendliest people ever...along with Scottish people), had me join his large van for cheaper. I arrived to my hostel pretty late..a.after midmight, thank god the bigger cities hostel receptionist are open 24/7...I hadn't realized I made a sort of major mistake...I forgot about the time different and accidentally didn't re look at my date of arrival...which of course is more than the flight time...going west. So my booking had been canceled sincce I "no showed", bugger. They were able to s=till get me a room for the night, and the next am while enjoying free bkfast with hot black tea (my favorite drink ever), got me sorted fot the rest of my stay in Auckland. I waited for my phone to charge, journaled about my adventures up to the point and was off for the day.

New Zealnd, which I already knew =had pretty similar weather to the U.k., to me it is the idea of a southern hemisphere U.K., rightly so...weather is similar, lots of british immigrated people, pubs, and town names...Dunedin anyone? (Gaelic name for my favorite Scottish city-- Edinburgh!!). I packed a sweatshirt, scarf, and my raincoat...along with a charger, converter just in case. I grabbed smoe NZ cash, and got a replacement backpack first of all....phew,. important to have good working gear. I didn't do alot on the first day...
though i had a facebook made friend, from the group Girls Love Travel (GLT), say she would show me around part of the area )love kiwi's). I walked around found the cutest side street righy by the hostel...Vulcan street, very popular. Not at ton i liked about Auckland, just  a large gray city without alot of personality...ask any new zealander NOT living in Auckland --ha.

Cute boutique I gor some grear clothes at
Vulcan Street, Auckland, NZ

I enjoyed some shopping for fun. Made pals with a canadian who lives tehre...she was the shop lady who was heloing me. Invested in some nice things...a super pretty light green dress, slits up the side so it does cover my knees...so i jyust need to cover my chest and shoulders at temples in asia and the like :) also got a cute white t shirt, adorable but so hard to keep clean...they had no other colors..saying wild and free...portion of the proceeds went to...helping women? Was starving, I need to eat about every 3 hours...shrug. I got a nice lunch of salad at an adorable french cafe...just up the street. I know it was  good genuine french place...a french guy was working there, I know because he spoke french to a c=ute french family :) he asked, while he was ringiing up my bill, what I was doing the rest of the day...took me a while AFTER to realize that he was probably fliritng /hitting on me...oops.  haaaa

BBQ DUCK Cafe - Auckland, NZ

Found Queen street ghe main shopping street in Auckland...all the super expensive stores haaa. Not my style but I got a laugh out of it. Found some gorgeous New Zealand wool and possum mix sweaters, need to still invest in a good one..they are way warmer =than just merino wool by itself.

Later I was still hungry, salad fills me up if there is alot of protein on it. I found a great little asian restaurant . Called duck bbq? check... Love great asian places to eat, any type of asian, ususally fabulous food, great people working there, and inexpensive! I got meat bao buns, a great soup, and spring rolls, sooo yummy.

Next blog post: evening with a friend, and further Auckland adventures

Inspirational Women: great reads about brave women

Let's talk about women travelers. I have, for a majority of my life, been obsessed with traveling and when we got the Sunday paper, always collected the Travel section. I was so excited to learn about exotic places, different cultures, foods, art and more. I hadn't even been on a plan until we, my sister and I, were about 11 or 12, we took a small trip to San Francisco...pretty cool place.  I fell in the ocean, when we were going for a photo op...I always have fun awkward stories to tell of my travels, makes talking about my trips that more interesting and fun.

Years ago, I heard about the book "Eat, Pray, Love",  an autobiography by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is a lovely true story about a lady who isn't happy, leaves her partner and wants to travel. So she sets off on a year adventure, 4 months in Italy, India and Bali, Indonesia. The movie is quite good too. A while later I found a book "Tales of a Female Nomad", by Rita Golden Gelman... a great book about a lady's travels, not having a permanent home, staying with locals all over, and her incredible experiences. Before I giver my list of favorite ones I've read, I want to explain more about why I love some of them.

Girl stop apologizing... great book, by the author who also wrote "Girl, wash your face". Fabulous read, and appropriately titled book, about empowering women to go after their dreams, despite societal expectations.

What I was doing while you were breeding... this is a hilarious compilation of the author's travels and intimate relations with men, and all the other adventures in between. Great quick read for those of you wanting an honest travel single women book.

Very similarly, is the book No one told you this is about the author's life, she is single, 40 and can do what she pleases-- very good read.


So I have compiled a list of fabulous books about Women Travelers, and general books about empowered women, non fiction, and fiction.

Non Fiction:
- Eat, pray, love  By: Elizabeth Gilbert

- What i was doing while you were breeding  by: Kristin Newman

-Tales of a Female Nomad  By: Rita Golden Gelman

-girl who drovce through India in a small yellow car? *couldn't find title


-Bodie on the Road  By: Belinda Jones.

-No one told you this  by: Glynnis MacNicol

-Seducing and killing nazis  By: Sophie Poldermans

-Girl stop apologizing  By: Rachel Harris

Fiction:

.-resistance women  By: Jennifer Chiaverini

- the nightingale  By: Kristina Hannah