Life Update

Yes, I realize I haven't posted anything in almost two months but a lot's been going on. Quick updates on life:

1. Been driving to work for two months and as predicted it is not fun anymore. Yesterday it took two hours to get from Kapolei to downtown because of the horrid rain. This morning I decided to leave a half hour early since I ended up being a half hour late to work yesterday. Today it only took an hour to get to work so now I'm an hour early. *sigh*

2. Found out that bonuses are not being distributed till the end of February. This throws a wrench in my plans as I had hoped to quit work at that time. Now I must debate whether to give two weeks and quit mid-month or stick it out the entire month of March. This will mean trying to wrap things up in April and leaving in May.

3. Started planning my trip using low-cost carriers with an estimated timeline of an April departure. Interestingly enough, I can get to Europe cheaper this way with more cities to visit on the way. However, with the bonus situation thrown in, I'll have to revise my itinerary. Instead of doing three months in Europe before heading to New Zealand, I may go straight to NZ and hit Europe after my year there.

4. I've been contemplating whether or not to do a separate blog for my travels while maintaining this personal blog. In reality, I don't think I'll have time to update both (case in point the length between this post and the last). And once I hit the road, traveling will literally take over my life and it will become personal. Thus, I could theoretically just continue on with this one. However, after all the stuff I've written here, I think I'd prefer to keep this away from any co-workers that may want to follow my travels. Decisions, decisions. On top of that, I've been researching how to do a proper blog with a custom domain name and host. It all seems so complicated to set up though. And what about when updates are needed?

5. I have been refraining from making any clothing and shoe purchases, which was a bit difficult during all the holiday sales. I did, however, buy some clothes to be used on the trip for super cheap. I've also received some things for the trip through my Secret Santa gift exchange. No one knows I'm going but apparently it was meant to be since I got a sporty water-resistent watch and an entire first aid kit. My uncle also sent me a small faux-Swiss Army knife and an NZ guidebook. Scored a free water bottle from my sister-in-law.

6. One of the biggest hurdles for traveling is deciding what kinds of electronics to bring. My sister gave me a Sony Bloggie point-and-shoot/video camera that I've been trying out. But I may have her return it and put that money toward an iPod Touch. I think they have the same basic functions except the iPod Touch can get a wifi connection so I can check email or book hostels with it. That should be convenient.

7. This weekend I'm headed to the Big Island for a girls-only weekend with my best friend. We haven't been there for several years so it should be fun just to kick back and relax. Unfortunately, the weather has been very crappy these past few days so I hope it gets better. We wanted to hike down to see the lava, see the waterfalls on the east side, drive up to Mauna Kea and see the stars (and snow, which I hear is falling) and hike down Pololu lookout to check out the little beach there. I'm not sure if the Mauna Kea trip is allowed with rental cars though.

8. There have been some major changes at work. And no, I don't mean that the light bulb finally went on and the new girl is actually a functioning person. What I do mean is that we had a big blow out and now our boss isn't our boss any more. We report directly to the VP (as does he) and he isn't involved as much in our daily activity. The VP and president were supposed to talk to him a couple weeks ago but several people go sick and it's been postponed a number of times. Overall, I think this is a good change but, as mentioned above, the new girl still isn't pulling her weight. It's going to take work to have this department functioning as a "team," which is the main goal. Either way though, I'm so over it. I'm over her. I'm over the departmental issues with our (ex)boss. I'm over the politics. I'm over the favortism. I'm over it all.

Manuscript Update: 2011 Fall ETA

I got a call from my publisher's VP of Creative and was told that they found an illustrator. I won't say who it is though, because who the hell knows if it's for real this time. We all remember what happened last time.

Anyway, they wanted to confirm that I was still interested in publishing my kids book with them. As I mentioned before, my contract ends at the end of the year so they need to update it (again). Once I agreed to this, they were going to contact the illustrator to confirm.

God, I hope this is happening because I've waited over three years now. I know exactly how long it takes to produce a book and it's not three years. But whatever . . . if I've waited this long, then fall 2011 isn't that far off. Yes, apparently it'll take another year to publish and get it out on the market. By then I will probably be in New Zealand having the time of my life. I'll need the extra cash influx so maybe this is working out for the best.

My fingers are crossed for this illustrator. I think this illustrator does some amazing stuff and will add so much to the story. This illustrator was, and still is, my first choice. Let's hope for the best.

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Approved

Just a quickie before I head off to work . . .

I checked my email just now and was happily surprised to find a new message from the New Zealand immigration people: "We are pleased to advise that your application under the Working Holiday Scheme has been approved."

Awesome!

It actually only took about two days. I sent it in on Sunday night (Hawaii time), and they apparently sent the approval email Tuesday night (Hawaii time). That was really efficient of them.

I'm supposed to go log in to the site and print out some approval paperwork, but I think I'll do it from work. Ironic, huh? Well, they do have a better printer than me. LOL

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Submitted

I did it. I submitted my online application for the New Zealand working holiday visa (WHV) today. Since they're a day ahead, it's officially July 19th instead of July 18th.

The application questions themselves weren't too hard to fill out. There were a lot of yes/no questions, and you had to fill in your identifying information. I'm not sure if it's this easy for all countries though and can only vouch for U.S. applicants.

The NZ immigration website is kind of confusing though. First, you need to register a username and password, which is fairly easy. Next, you need to log in, which again is very straightforward. However, once inside their system actually finding the link to apply for the WHV was another story. I had to click a bunch of things before I stumbled upon it. There wasn't a link that said "Apply Here" or something obvious like that.

Other than that, things were easy peasy. I've heard that approval can come as quickly as a few days. I think the site said a few weeks. We'll see how it goes.

Work Sucks But Not For Long

I know. It's already a week into July and I'm slacking with the blogging. I don't really have a good excuse though. Laziness would be the honest answer. Being extremely tired throughout the day but wide awake when I need to sleep is another. Is this how insomnia starts?

Work has been really tough this week. The company is doing ridiculous things and expecting us to make everything happen. We're definitely overworked. I'm starting to feel the stress as events start piling up. None have even happened yet so they seem to be backlogged and overlapping.

I am so over this kind of lifestyle. Why would people choose to live this way? No wonder people are dropping dead of heart attacks. I'm so ready to stress out about different things, like what extreme sport I should try next or how to find a cheaper hostel. I am so ready for a life of traveling.

With that said, I still have not started the Working Holiday Visa application process yet. I'm thinking I'll begin this weekend and see how far I get. I'm not sure what type of information I'll need to provide. In some cases, you'll need to see a doctor to verify your health. I hope I'm not one of those lucky peeps as you know how much I dislike the white coats.

Even though I haven't been blogging and haven't applied for the Visa yet, I can boast that I've continued my NZ homework. I've been reading up on all these different websites to help myself transition from a life in the U.S. to a life in NZ.

I must admit though that this is still causing a bit of stress. I find myself hopping from one topic to the next and never really deciding what I'm going to do. I'll start by researching NZ banks to find the one with the least amount of fees. Then I'll get sidetracked into looking for credit cards with minimum fees. The next thing I know I'm reading up about WWOOFing and Help Exchange, two different programs where you trade a couple hours of work for free accommodations and sometimes food too.

Apparently we Americans freak out about too much. We just need to do it and things will be alright. I guess it's called trust, but I'm a suspicious gal to start off with so that's not helping matters much. Add that to my somewhat Type A personality and you've got yourself a stress party.

One thing I've decided is not to take that month-long vacation to test the waters. Why waste the money for airfare and a tour? I might as well just go over there and see how things turn out. If I don't like it, I can always get a flight home.

So, the new plan is to hightail it out of here in early 2011. I've been checking one-way flights and they range from about $600 -$1000+ depending on when you fly. I can't go too early as it's peak tourist season (aka summertime in the southern hemi). I'd like to avoid a lot of the crowds so I'm looking at late February or early March. I figure people will be on their way out at that time. However, as my research continues this could change.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I've busy with my massive research project on New Zealand, working holidays and round-the-world traveling. However, I'm not sure this is a very effective way for me to go about this whole adventure.

As some of you know, I lean more toward a type A personality than a type B personality. Because of this, I continue to have this need to as prepared as possible. While other people would just buy a ticket and go, I am stressing out just from researching a potential trip.

The more I scour the web for information, the more I feel I am sinking under all that information. Yet, I cannot seem to stop myself from learning more. What's worse is that I hop from one topic to the next and never find a definite answer for anything. My mind is just buzzing with activity and before I know it, it's past midnight every night and I'm nowhere nearer my goal.

Each search just seems to creates more and more questions. What's the best credit and debit cards to use? Which financial institution has the least amount of fees involved with currency conversions and transaction fees? Should I open a bank in NZ when I get there? How do I go about setting up a NZ tax ID number? What's WWOOFing all about? How safe is it? Which mode of transporation should I use - public bus, backpacker bus, rental car or purchase a used car? What's the deal with travel insurance? How do you get covered for stuff like skydiving? How do you get work? Is it easy? What kind of work is available?

The questions are endless. I've started posting some questions on a New Zealand backpacker message boards and most of the advice is the same old Nike saying, "Just do it!" At some point I think I'll just be so overwhelmed with my researching that I'll end up just doing it out of frustration. The other info I'm getting through this site is pretty helpful though, and it calms my nerves because it proves other people have already done it so I'm not exactly blazing any new trails. The fear comes from the unknown, which is pretty normal, so I just need to jump this one hurdle and be done with it.

All Blacks Make Haka Hot

As you know, I've been doing my due diligence and Googling for info on New Zealand to prep for a potential vacay there. I'm still undecided whether I want to backpack it on my own or join a small-group tour that's a cross between adventure and budget. I'm leaning toward the tour, even though this vacay is supposed to simulate what it'd be like to be on the road alone.

Most of the tours I'm looking at treat you to a traditional Maori dinner and the videos I've seen of these things look like the Maori version of a luau. Instead of doing hula, they do the haka. My YouTubing research quickly led from these tours to haka done by various sports teams. The majority of the videos are of the All Blacks, a Kiwi rugby team. I don't know if they're the only team that does the haka or even if they're the only team in NZ. I don't know anything about rugby, but once I started watching the videos I couldn't stop.

There seems to be a variety of different haka, but the most common is the one that starts off, "Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora Ka ora." This is the one with which I'm familiar (and I assume most other people are as well). It bothered me that I didn't know the words beyond those first few lines. I think it's mostly because the chants are shouted and the words are never distinct enough to understand. Even after watching several videos, I still couldn't get the words down. I finally had to Wikipedia them and read the words while listening to YouTube. Who knows if Wikipedia is even accurate though.



Watching the various videos of the All Blacks, I noticed that these rugby guys are pretty hot . . . even with the ugly, macho-man faces they're making (or is it because of that?). The guys, of course, are all fit and muscular and they're yelling at the top of their lungs as I imagine the cavemen of old used to. And yet, despite all the movement and progress gained through women's lib, I still find their behavior oddly sexy. I mean, there's something to be said about the masculinity, agility and dare I say virility that these guys exude while doing this haka. Their intensity and focus is both intimidating and alluring. It's kinda like looking into the eyes of a wildcat.



And just so you know, I still can't get the words to the haka right. But I'm going to keep trying . . . you know, for educational and cultural exchange purposes and all! LOL!

Go Jump Off A Bridge

Honey, maybe I just might! And why stop there? Why not a plane as well?

I spent a lot of time yesterday looking into different options for a vacation to New Zealand. Yeah, I know it's rather sudden. It's not someplace I've mentioned here much (unlike Italy *sigh*). But all my previous research has pointed to NZ as a backpacker-friendly locale. There's a lot of young people who travel there so it should be easy enough to make friends while traveling alone.

Yes, undoubtably I'll need to go it on my own as my friends have various issues that aren't likely to be resolved before I completely implode. So, in order to relieve my own inner anxiety and escape the doldrums that is my every day life, I'd like to plan a solo adventure.

Since it'll be my first time traveling alone, I figured why not go big? NZ is the home of all extreme sports and I couldn't possibly go any bigger than that. So, I've been skimming through websites about various tour companies, transportation and lodging options and of course extreme fun by means of skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, hiking and even zorbing.

I'm debating whether to do the true backpacker thing and plan my own trip and bounce from hostel to hostel while enjoying the sights and activities or hooking up with a tour group. The good thing about going to NZ is that most of the tours are focused on active things so it's likely that the crowd will be younger and not your typical tour group. Still it'd be nice to just bum around on my own a bit too.

Anyone ever been to New Zealand? Any tips?

Bad News - No Japan For Me

I just checked the USA JET website and am sad to report that I wasn't selected for an interview. *frown* Ah well, at least I tried. At this point, I'm not too bummed about it because I wasn't one of those people who were betting everything on it. I was hoping I'd at least get an interview, but I suppose it wasn't in the cards for me. At least I still have a job right?

A special thanks goes out to everyone who helped with the application and for writing reference letters. I'm sure they were wonderful. I guess this was probably a bad year to apply since there were a record number of applicants (more than 5,300). However, that's what happens when you do this kind of stuff on a whim. If I had given living abroad more serious thought, I would have applied years ago. Then again, I probably didn't have this wanderlust going on back then so traveling didn't even come to mind.

Now that I know I didn't make it, I can concentrate on other things. I am still seriously contemplating spending a couple months backpacking through Australia and New Zealand with Elle. She and I will probably have a good time just getting lost.

I have also read an entire blog written by a local guy who did a cycling tour through NZ and is backpacking it through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It's a guy named Dug, who seems to be from Maui, and his blog is called Rompingground. He's already been gone for over a year. Amazing! While I definitely cannot live up to his long-distance biking, the WWOOFing sounds pretty interesting and a good way to learn about a foreign country and really get to know its people.

Now, I know what you guys are thinking. And yes, I am definitely a city girl (which is why I love San Francisco so much). But I think I can kick it in the backwoods as long as I'm doing something interesting like milking cows or herding sheep. I'm not sure about clearing the land as Dug did, but I'm game to at least give it a try.

So I guess the main point is that my future is wide open. (I was getting a little stressed out as Elle and I would talk about Australia and NZ but couldn't really do much because everything hinged on a reply from JET.) I plan to reevaluate the next year or so of my life and see what direction life will take me. Moving up to San Francisco is still a possibility, but I don't think I can do it without a job. That'd take some cojones that I do not have right now.