Cathedral Cove

April 15, 2016May 11, 2016
by KandE

Today has been the type of day that makes you doubt there’s any other REAL alternative to van living. The kind so full of sunshine, smiles, and small adventures that makes you beam, end to end. This is what I hoped this trip would be like. Of course, with the exception of my 6AM sobs this morning, in realizing that we never set an extra alarm and that the sun was rising without my permission nor my participation. Damn.

We were camped overnight at Cathedral Cove with the intention to take advantage of a good weather forecast and take some long exposures before the masses awoke and arrived. Four AM came and went and we were soon back asleep following the lone alarm. Two hours later I was the one sounding the distress call that Eric still doesn’t quite know what to do with: tears.

After hauling ass down to the Cove, still whimpering that we were missing out on the entire show, we made it 10 minutes before the sun was to crest the horizon. We promptly scouted a flat rock and sat down to wait. I put my camera aside, I rested my head on Eric’s shoulder, and I focused my gaze seaward. Exhaaaaale. And the reset button was engaged swiftly, yet gently.

Why do I get so fixated on having specific experiences? Why do I allow myself to set such high, inflexible expectations that don’t adapt to reality? Why do I even need photographs? Why is it so hard to accept and enjoy what’s before me, with the understanding that this beautiful moment, whatever it is, is the one I’ve been given, still deserving of my appreciation despite my expectations?

The day that followed (is following!) was superb after all the selfish sobbing was mopped up/stopped up. We parked the van at Hahei Beach and wallowed in it’s sunny windows like lazy cats all morning. With the sound of the waves in our ears, cups of hot coffee in hand, we allowed ourselves the rest of the day to do nothing.

Being allowed to “do nothing” does sound admittedly silly, given that we are the navigators of this adventure, but it’s not always an easy concept. I can’t speak for Eric, but I oftentimes feel like I’m expected to be collecting a certain amount of stories and photographs, living up to the “I’m so jealous!” comments that have been populating our social media streams since this trip began. I don’t want anyone to live vicariously through me! I don’t want the pressure to produce, however self imposed it may actually be, to prove that my wandering is relevant! I want to live in my van, read books, drink wine, and make out with my boyfriend. Why do I think I’m expected to do otherwise?

And it’s funny to me, that in letting ourselves off the hook for the day, that we ended up stumbling sweetly upon our small adventures, born out of genuine desire and joy.

I went for a solo walk down the beach, closing my eyes at intervals to better experience the onset of every wave. It was a true fucking delight. It was mindfulness.

I found a rope swing. I was able to coerce Eric into the position of pusher, being too chickenshit to jump from the tree to which it was attached. Dangling from that rope, watching my personal tide go out and come in, was the most concentrated form of basic pleasure.

Later, we each indulged in a scoop of mochaccino ice cream from the Tip Top case, a short walk away at the general store. We licked our cones, lapping up the cream, while reading the community notice board and appraising the for sale properties posted up outside the shop.

Throw in salami sandwiches, a swim, and some intermittent dozing, and I’m ready to award this day as one of the very best in the last 5 months. Today we let things happen. And they happened to be utterly delightful.

-K

^Our Pinnacles hike in the Coromandel Peninsula. A composite on the left (Eric didn’t reckon endangering our lives for a photo was a good idea) and the fern filled trail to get there.

^Scared AF. The rest of the photos at this location are of my clinging to the rocks for dear life.
^It’s fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Heh.

^Cathedral Cove + one of New Zealand’s most famous hunks of rock.

^ My dear.

^”Now go stand alone on that rock and look off.” Secret to Instagram success right there, I tell ya.

^My happy place.

^Eric’s anatomy wasn’t quite suited for the rope swing. I did manage a few snaps before he dismounted, grabbing his crotch. More swing time for meeee! 🙂

Kihikihi

April 10, 2016May 11, 2016
by KandE

I’m going home.
Come April 28th, I’ll be strapped aboard a 6AM flight, bound for Minneapolis by way of Sydney and Los Angeles.

And so it was, that on April 28, 2014, I was undertaking the same itinerary. I didn’t simply leave Australia. I moved away from a country, a life, and a lover I had all adapted to call my own. It’s overwhelming. Emotional. Sublimely beautiful in a heartbreaking fashion.

This will be my full circle journey–my do over. An opportunity to do this routine again, but with a dignity, wisdom, and purpose that hadn’t yet evolved before.

&I feel ready to cry already.

-K

Almost to Napier

April 1, 2016May 10, 2016
by KandE

A volcano! Peanut butter and jelly! (Sound familiar?) The famed Emerald Pools glimmering in all their sulphuric glory! And whassat? A foreign camera tucked suddenly between our ears!

YeahNOPE.

Tongariro Crossing, you suck.

I do not accept your prestigious status as being among the top 10 day hikes in the world. You’re a pretty little thing, sure, I’ll grant you that, and you happen to possess an otherworldly beauty, I’ll agree. But your soul! Ack, your soul is battered, abused, and you attract the worst kind of self indulged savages that are only interested in you for your looks. And you! You do nothing to defend yourself! Their only intent is to parade you around in front of their friends, their cocky smiles proof that they’ve done you. And they may have touched you. Mounted you. But they haven’t FELT your curves, haven’t OBSERVED you in your natural state. I’ll bet those strings of admirers don’t even know what your breath smells like in the morning, or how you really act when no one’s looking. You’re meaningless to them, merely a memory and a photo that they’ll pull out at the bar when they want to impress their next conquest. And you let them walk all over you! Le sigh.

But alas, I let them walk all over me too when I didn’t smack back the motherfucker’s hand when he stuck his Sony Powershot all up in my grill. Furthermore, I let the opportunity float away to yell HELL NO at the ass clown that asked me to move outta his way so he could take a selfie. Sure, want me to hop down this cliff face here, as you and your 6 pals are blocking the only exit? Should, coulda, woulda. Damn that Minnesotan passive aggression, that fighting spirit beneath that’s only allowed release in the pages of my journal. Eric and I had crawled out onto an out-of-the-way ledge once we reached the main event in order to eat our celebratory sandwiches in peace, when this all went down. We were allowed to eat for 5 minutes before our location was seized upon by eager passersby with selfie sticks (mentioned above) asking us to move so they could stand in our spot for a photo. (I realize the drama is a bit unclear, getting lost in the rage and metaphors. OH to the WELL.)

Closing notes on the Tongariro Crossing:
I kept getting irritated with Eric on the hike before I realized he wasn’t intentionally releasing toxic plumes of suffocating gas. He wasn’t at all, in fact. But if you did opt for the Indian last night, the sulphur would be the perfectly sour scapegoat.

Another pro tip: a breakfast before you begin of hard boiled eggs is ill advised. I had to try very hard to suppress the contents of my stomach to keep them from crawling up, out, and all over the track.

We are opting for less popular hikes from now on. The more tourists we find, the less fun we tend to have. It’s also dirtier, louder, and a hubbub of overexcited activity centered around selfies. Pass.

-K

^ Sunrise! If you’re not starting a hike with a flashlight, you’re not doing it right.

^ View from the bottom (ish) to the top (ish.) The little hut to the right while adorable, is currently unusable. A chunk of volcano fell on it 4 years ago. Crashed through the roof. And there’s still glass and debris scattered about in the bedroom, while the eruption and crater are being studied. Yikes, eh?

^”DEAR!”
“What, does the light look good on me?”
*Sheepish grin + a nod + a snap*

^ Pretty.

^ Before we were interrupted by the rude gang. Lovely, eh?

3 Sisters + Elephant Rock

March 30, 2016May 10, 2016
by KandE

Unbeknownst to me, my face has been hosting a plump little pimple for an indeterminate amount of time. Yesterday on our drive, we made an unscheduled stop for an unusual luxury: a beer! In a bar! And it was there that my uninvited parasite became known to me as I was washing my hands in the hotel’s restroom.

My 1st thought: Oh, no!
My 2nd thought: Oh, well.

And on we went.

Life is much simpler without mirrors. Without standards of physical appearance. And the shift has certainly not been lost on the me, the way I perceive of my own body. If I have big thighs it’s because my muscles have been thoroughly engaged, getting me up and over these mountains. If my tummy isn’t perfectly flat, it’s because my love and I have been treating ourselves heartily to the local cuisine: white wine and Tim Tams. My unwashed hair is healthily producing natural oils and my skin breathes easily without the burden of makeup.

I’ve been spending my time concerning myself with how my body feels.
Not with how it’s clothed, how it’s combed, or how it may be compared.

My body is a temple.
Now accepting offerings of chocolate and fermented grapes.

-K

^ Private beaches mean that Kimi gets to take her pants off and run around till the tide gets too high.

^ Exploring the caves and rock formations. Eric left his pants on. They got soaked while he was trying to gain access to a tricky little outlet. Heh!

Egmont

March 27, 2016April 19, 2016
by KandE

In other news, Eric has been putting on the booby tassels more frequently. It’s been stimulating the stupid part of my brain and detracting from the whole experience. (Booby tassels being the name of my Wi-Fi hotspot for the last decade obviously.) More scrolling is happening, less page turning as a result. More pixels rendered, fewer words recorded. And SHAME ON ME for that. And me alone, it would appear. Eric is far more adept at harnessing the power of the booby tassel for good over evil. While I’m mindlessly compiling photo captions, he’s utilizing his time to research hikes, chart weather patterns, and to troubleshoot the bounteous amount of problems we’ve encountered with the van. While I’m wandering through images of waterfalls, he’s pragmatically mapping out where we’ll next need to acquire our drinking water.

Althoooough, this isn’t always the case. Look at me! Writing! Meanwhile ol’ E has been obsessively tweaking his latest contribution to the Gram machine for a solid hour. We’re just playing a waiting game with the weather so we can go ogle our next hut. Weee! Meanwhile the car park has begun to fill to bursting and we cringe at all the children spilling forth from every vehicle, while working our way through our 2nd cups of coffee. (It doesn’t escape me either that we will be bound to greet all of these dill holes that choose our hike that we’ll meet on their return. GAH, those Sunday hikers are the most annoying. Calves too slender, decorative Spandex too crisp, too expensive, to be taken seriously. End rant.)

(Continue rant. Also I’m mad because I GOTTAGOgottago and I want the bathroom all to myself. Maybe end rant.)

-K

^My new favorite lighthouse: Castlepoint. Getting creative with my angles, working to block out the A hole in the bright red jacket who set up his tripod in front of me.

^Uh huhhhhh. That’s what I’m talking bout.

^ If you look reeeeally closely, Paula is just visible in the lower left. Also notice the big gulf we had to trudge through to get here, making our shoes smell for the next 2 weeks.
^ Eric watching the sun come up. We didn’t come to the house together, having camped overnight here. This is where I found him after I’d gotten my shots and was headed back.

^ Stairs. Nice stairs.
^ Instax shot I sent to Momma and Poppa H in the mail. (That better be on the fridge, guys.)

^ Meh. The shot I managed of the lighthouse the day before in the persistent drizzle. Amazing what good lighting can do, when the sun started shiiiiining the next morning.

Egmont

March 26, 2016April 17, 2016
by KandE

That Sabrina, she’s a sassy one.

An endless source of entertainment for Eric and me this evening, we were laughing into our teacups, snorting butter biscuits, as that loud Long Island accent bounced around the van. What we know about her in the half hour she joined us for tea time, comes from her stories of DMV employment, tales of Gracie the dog, and in relating the crowning achievement of her life: that $2 moment that got her on stage with Bob Barker. (Before Price is Right went to shit of course. That Drew Carey is trying to bullshit a bullshitter.) She’s wildly superstitious, has a twin sister named Melissa (Mo,) and is prone to chain smoke when anxious. She’s forever assigning new nicknames (not all of which are complimentary) and will herself respond to “Kimberly.”

Eric, between chuckles, insists I ought to be a voice actor.

^ Coffee crawling in Wellington

Westport

March 15, 2016April 3, 2016
by KandE

To celebrate THREE months living in Paula, here’s a little series of tres.

Things I haven’t worn:
1. A bra
2. A watch
3. Makeup

Things I’ve learned:
1. When you have less, it takes less to be happy
2. Elegance is an attitude
3. Numbers are meaningless when you let go of comparisons

Things I miss:
1. The ability to stand up straight at home
2. Relaxed poops
3. Nephews

Things I don’t miss:

1. Tipping + added sales tax
2. Sleeping alone
3. Feeling like a consumer rather than a human in a business exchange

Habits I’ve acquired:

1. Looking right THEN left before crossing the street
2. Wearing the same outfit days in a row
3. Making the bed daily (REALLY making it, out of a table)

Things I’ve been better off without:

1. Mirrors
2. Numbers
3. Unlimited internet access

My greatest pleasures on the road:

1. Hot coffee every morn in my little nest of pillows
2. Reading and writing for hours on end, with no greater demands upon my time
3. Clean hair day, especially when it’s hot, private, and unlimited water from an enclosed shower.

My greatest struggles in this lifestyle:

1. Sharing my personal space with my man person
2. Talking through my moods and feelings in real time, all the time
3. Being fully content–appreciating rather than comparing my reality

The best moments so far:

1. Coming upon the congratulatory rainbow at Liverpool Hut
2. Countryside driving during one glorious golden hour
3. A Christmas morning hike on the cliffs of Golden Bay

Goals for the remainder of our time:

1. Nail a Milky Way shot
2. Pick up a hitchhiker
3. Stay in a hut

Ways I hope this will positively influence life back home:

1. Purging my possessions, living with less
2. More mindful disconnection from my devices
3. Seeking solace outdoors when my mind, body, and soul feel misaligned

-K

&Now: an overdue roundup of all the photos that have been lurking on my desktop, waiting for their moment of blog recognition.

^ That one time we hiked up a hill in Queenstown with cold beers in our bag. #bestideaever

^ Really, the best way to enjoy Queenstown: intoxicated and from a good distance away.

^ IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIND ONE OF THESE!

^ Dapper dude’s gotta stay dapper.

^ A little honey for my honey. (The obvious caption.) Seriously though, honesty boxes? Melt my heart. (Although to be honest, I Photoshopped out the big, ugly sign that said there were cameras surveilling the area for the bastards that don’t leave their $7. GIMME A BREAK.)

^Eric enjoying a beer after his afternoon craft is complete. (Giggle, giggle, giggle)
^A random cafe we happened upon in the middle of nowhere. MINNESOTA!

^Snail mail is 2348x more exciting here. Especially when it’s from my friend Amy: owner of the cutest set of stationary. #hardcorecovet
^Nin’s Bin! A coastal icon.

^Eric didn’t believe me that this was a sea star. PFFFF.
^Meow.

^ Watching the waves. Laughing when they’d come up to nip my toes.

Alexandra

March 8, 2016March 10, 2016
by KandE

This is a new epoch for Paula.
We’ve entered into an uncharted era of reliable joy.

Eric is cheering for the newly installed solar panel is kicking out gorgeous watts of productivity.
I am throwing figurative confetti for the single CD this van came equipped with–Justin Bieber–is now snugly buried in the wastebasket.

Sinatra is now the soundtrack of our adventure, Ol’ Blue Eyes crooning to us as we rack up the kilometers.

-K

^ Solar installation!

^ Happy to be back in the wild. Chasing birdies on a Sunday morning at the beach.

^ That $10 bikini getting some air time. Hollaaaa.

Oamaru

February 11, 2016February 17, 2016
by KandE

Today we were lazy. We parked by the beach, tapped into some free Wifi, and settled in. Eric made coffee. The bed: never made. (Or should I say the table was never made?) And guess what: I DON’T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT. Yes, I scrolled my Facebook newsfeed! Yes, I stumbled around on Instagram, double tapping anything that struck my fancy! And it was wonderful.

I feel as though there’s too much competition, too much envy, when it comes to traveling. I don’t often allow myself such idle, online indulgences because languishing about on a pile of pillows with my iPhone doesn’t allow me the opportunity to #liveauthentic while I #exploremore.

Oh, the shame!

I also get a fair amount of “So jealous! Wish I was there instead of here!” which makes me feel guilty if I’m not spending every moment exploring caves with arty backlighting or sitting on any variety of scary, high-up ledges gazing into the distance. (HASHTAG MAKEPORTRAITS.)

This isn’t a competition, and it’s a game no one can win. This traveling thing should be about more than the artistic caliber of your Instagram feed, or your ability to be the one-up guy at the bar back home. (And be real: no one likes that guy.) There’s a time to play, a time to rest, and I don’t want to be another foreigner confusing my ideas of self worth + relevance with my ability to buy a plane ticket + take a pretty picture.

The consequences of this silly, little mindset has been a decent weight of anxiety. Every choice you make comes at the expense of every other potential option. Every hike you skip, every roadside stand you drive past, and each admission you decline to pay is an experience you’re missing out on. The fact that you’re opening up options for alternative adventures with the choices you DO make is often overlooked, lamenting what you’ve passed by.
It’s maddening.
It’s ridiculous.
And it’s why today was so damned good. This mindset I’ve found myself slipping into lately–competitive, anxious, guilty–wasn’t invited. No shits were given. I set my own pace. And everything was cool. The end.

-K

Now how about a bunch of pictures that we’ve snapped over the past few weeks that still haven’t been posted? Yep? Okay, you win.
^ This was the hike that followed that one wheel of cheese and bottle o’ wine.

^ Rocky Mountain Trail

^ Something that happens regularly in the morning: coffee by the water.
^Something that happens irregularly in the never: yoga podcast in the forest.

^Furry little beasts + a neat-o chasm.

^ Hiking in Milford Sound. Eric is on the left, I’m on the right. Promise.

^ Cruising out of Queenstown

^ Pretending I’m good at handstands
^More Milford Sound

^ Peaked outside the curtains. Grabbed my camera. Managed a pretty pose then danced around in the surf. Our backyard while camping in Brighton Beach outside Dunedin.

^ Lighthouse!!!

^ One of the better houses we’ve seen. Most of the ones we’ve seen so far have been inaccessible, covered in fence, practically demolished when decommissioned, or are little more than a buoy. Praaaise!

^ One of Eric’s snaps from our waterfall weekends in the Catlins.

^ More Brighton Beach goodness.

^ Yeeeeep.

^ Another lighthouse! (Covered by a fence, disfigured with the decommission.) Enjoying it from afar, hot coffee in hand, while we peacefully trespass. Our attempt at night photography at 430AM failed. We settled for this alternative instead.

^ Inside the train station in Dunedin: my new favorite NZ city.

^ Boop. And you thought I was done with the Brighton Beach set.

Queenstown

January 29, 2016February 4, 2016
by KandE

It was small, sable colored, with flecks of carrot contained within. I smelled it before I saw it, meaning I had to spend a good 15 minutes later scouring it from the bottom of the my shoe. What a pity it was, for I had just dragged Eric over to my newfound playground, extolling the virtues of my perfect tree climbing tree. I had just set about with a demonstration, newest novel in hand, when it happened. “SOMEONE TOOK A SHIT IN THIS TREE.” And so you have it.

I sort of hate Queenstown already for the little I’ve managed to see of it. It seems to attract a high level of douche, inviting the kind of 18yearold boys who might dare one another to drop a deuce in an otherwise perfectly idyllic lakeside campsite. Combined with a massive, milling population of self righteous pedestrians, and the asshole in the beanie that awarded us with such a casual, almost graceful middle flick, I’m under the impressing that this place just isn’t for me.

Gimme solitude. Gimme the van. Gimme a hike with a view and I’m satisfied. (And as long as Eric promises not to take a dump in any trees, he can come too.)

-K

^ Our pretty, little defiled campsite on Lake Hayes. One of my favorites yet despite the unfortunate incident. Making myself feel better with a glass of wine, using the camp chair instead for my new perch.

^ Viewpoint from our most challenging hike yet: Mt. Alfred. My thighs deserve lots of ice cream and chocolate cake after that one. Also: CHECK THAT STAFF! We picked up a couple along the way to wave around like Gandalf and pole vault over muddy creeks.

^ Mt. Alfred from the ground + from 1375 meters up.

^ Making out on a mountain top. INTO IT! Activities not pictured: munching on a quinoa wrap + yoga at the top. Getting into the swing of this van living.

K and E Abroad

Category: Uncategorized

Cathedral Cove

Kihikihi

Almost to Napier

3 Sisters + Elephant Rock

Egmont

Egmont

Westport

Alexandra

Oamaru

Queenstown