Monday, September 3, 2012

Trumpets and the Rocks: Home Safely!

Before we left for our honeymoon, Shawna told me, "Our honeymoon was by far the best trip we have ever taken, not because of the location or the activities we did, but because it was the first time we traveled as a married couple and it made everything thing feel like magic." She was right.  It was definitely fun to travel around with my hubby :)  We had the best time on our honeymoon!  We feel well rested and we are ready to go back to work tomorrow.

My hubby is an interesting guy.  Obviously I know pretty much everything about Steve.  His quirks make me smile and they also drive me crazy just as my quirks drive him crazy.  The neat part is that we accept each other - good quirks and odd quirks.

Here are some of Steve's quirks showcased on our trip....

Rock Collector - I mentioned in an earlier entry that Steve loves everything to do with nature.  So when we were in NZ, he started collecting rocks.  I didn't think much of this. Well, as we were at the airport leaving NZ, the airline tell us that our bags exceeded the weight limit so we have to pay an excess baggage fee.  Hot Head Nancy is annoyed and finds this whole thing shady.  We took the same airline to NZ and we didn't buy anything in NZ...THERE IS NO WAY OUR BAGS CAN WEIGH MORE.  She said it is over 10 kilos more which is about 22 pounds.  Again, I'm annoyed by the airline and I find this whole thing impossible.  Then Steve whispers to me, "It's because of my rocks. I packed them in my bag.  Can I take them home with us?  I'll take them out if you really want me to but  I think they're cool."  FINE. He kept on thanking me all day.  

Fashion - We wore active gear for NZ.  NZ is a very casual place so you are totally fine wearing your active gear to even the fanciest restaurants.   I knew Bora Bora would be nice so I brought dresses to wear during the day and at night.  I didn't pack Steve's bag for him.  I typically do but this time I didn't get a chance to.  Well, good ol' practical Steve packed a great wardrobe for Bora Bora --- workout shorts, dry fit tees (most of the dry fit tees were from our prior races so they have writing all over them).  I came into this trip thinking we would take nice pictures by the palm trees and the beaches with him wearing polo shirts or button downs shirts and jeans.  I wasn't expecting him to wear a suit.  I do give him credit for bringing 2 polos but I asked about his shorts.  He brought a pair of cargo shorts and he said one of his hiking pants turn into shorts if you unzip the lower half.  OH JOY.  Right there I had flashbacks of the nicer outfits he has at home that I would have packed for him.  Gotta love Steve for being practical.  This whole thing set me into a frenzy so I said to him, "When we get home, we need to clean out your closet again.  We need to get rid of all those pleated pants that you still wear."  Practical Steve says, "Why are we throwing those out?  They still fit me and they don't have any holes in them."  I had to go through my long explanation why. I had the same talk about the jean shorts when we first started dating.  He never wore those around me but he had a whole stash in his closet that he didn't want to throw away because they may come back in style.  OVER MY DEAD BODY.  Lo and behold, we saw this European couple in Bora Bora and the guy was sporting a pair of slim fit jean shorts that went down to his knees.  His whole ensemble looked good together because he had the look for it.  Steve looks at me and says, "SEE. IT'S COMING BACK." I shook my head.

Love for Thrill - Steve is crazy.  He just loves to dabble with anything that gives him a rush.  We took a private tour to swim with the manta rays, sting rays, and sharks.  I wasn't too concerned about this.  I've seen this stuff at Sea World.  Looks harmless.  OH HELL NO.  This was totally different.  Our guide just drops you off in the Pacific Ocean and lets you swim with the sharks.  Obviously these sharks are harmless because he wouldn't have dropped us off there BUT STILL....these things have a mind of their own.  I told Steve that I had the impression that we were going to swim in a big fat swimming pool with sharks and I thought the sharks would be drugged up so they would just lay in the water as you pet them.  He looks at me like I'm crazy.  Somehow he convinces me to jump in the ocean.  The minute I see one of the sharks I jump back into the boat.  Steve is loving every minute and is swimming around chasing the sharks. The guide looks at me and says, "Your husband is crazy. Most people hear the word shark and they jump back into the boat.  Your husband stays in the water and wants to play with it."  It was finally time for us to move out of the shark zone but Steve was determined to pet the shark so he asked the guide, "Can we please stay longer so I can touch the shark?"  The guide was cool about it.  Steve finally grabbed a hold of the shark and touched his fin.  He came out of the water with pride.  After our shark encounter, we went to another part of the ocean to swim with the sting rays.  I stayed in the boat this time.  Steve gets in the water as the sting rays start clinging onto him.  One of the sting rays sucked his chest really hard and it made Steve scream, "OWWWW!!  THAT HURT!!  This is so awesome!!!"   Again, I'm in the boat shaking my head at this crazy boy.  He could've stayed there all day.  Finally it was time for him to get back in the boat.  He comes over to me and says, "Nancy, this is the best adventure. I'm so happy." 

Now we're back to reality.  I am looking forward to settling into married life.  I love my nerdy, rock collecting, dare devil that will never wear pleated pants while I'm his wife!!! 













Friday, August 31, 2012

Relaxing with Jacque

As much as I love the beach, I'm not the type of person that can lay around the beach all day for a week. In the past, my idea of a beach vacation has always been staying at a hotel that is on the beach and laying by the pool that faces the beach.  Infinity pools are a plus!  But even hanging out by the pool leaves me restless.  Last year when we went to Costa Rica, we did about 1.5 days at the pool and then the rest of the week was spent doing other activities and eating.

After being in Bora Bora for 6 days, I have now experienced what people do on vacation: RELAX!   We are not worried about the date/time and we have no daily agenda except eating.  I've also been getting a lot of sleep.  At home,  a good night's sleep for me is 6 hours and I've been getting 8-10 hours here.  I feel well rested and refreshed each morning.  Our daily routine here is simple....sleep in, big fat brunch, lay out on our deck, jump off our deck and snorkel, snacks, head to the lagoon and snorkel again, go to the pool, maybe workout, shower, dinner, and then go to bed.  I'm usually in bed by 10 pm at the latest. Yesterday I woke up in the middle of the night and Steve was missing. I freaked out and started screaming for him because I was worried Jacque Cousteau went for a night swim.  He had been talking about it earlier in the evening and I didn't think it was a good idea because the currents were really strong.  He was curious to see if different types of fish came out at night. Anyways, I started to panic and continued to scream for Steve.  Then Steve runs in from the other room and says "What's wrong!?!?  Did you have a bad dream???"  I told him I thought he was out swimming and I had these crazy flashbacks of recent honeymooners in the news when one spouse is reported missing in a drowning accident.  He told me he was researching for his Fantasy Football team.  I called him away from his Mock Draft.

Asian Steve is still in full force here.  In fact, he is now recruiting me to be his apprentice.  The other day he was snorkeling. I was just laying around in the lounge chair as I saw his head pop out of the water for air. He looks around from the middle of the lagoon and then screams over to me, "Nancy, go help that couple on the bridge!!  They are trying to take a picture using the self-timer on the camera!"  You would have thought someone was getting mugged by his clear cut instructions to "HELP THAT COUPLE ON THE BRIDGE".  So I was a good apprentice and walked over to the bridge to take a picture for them.  The couple was very happy and appreciative.  Asian Steve was happy about our good deed and went back in the water to reunite with his fish.

Today we are heading out to swim with the sharks and manta rays and then have a picnic on the other side of the island.  Steve is ecstatic about the sharks and manta rays.  My enthusiasm came when I was reading the picnic menu..."LOOK!  Steak, Lobster, Shrimp, Crab, Chicken!! I can eat your lobster, Shrimp, and Crab since your'e allergic, Steve. YUM YUM!!!!!!"  We head back home tomorrow night.....



























Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Trumpets Retreat

We arrived in Bora Bora on Sunday.  As much as I really wanted to go to Bora Bora on our honeymoon, I was so sad to leave NZ.  I even started to think,  "Why didn't we just do the entire honeymoon in NZ?" during our flight to Bora Bora.

My first glimpse of Bora Bora was when Natalie and Allen came here for their honeymoon in 1998.  I remember seeing their pictures and thinking, "Where is this place??  It looks amazing,"  Then a couple of years ago, I watched Couples Retreat which was filmed in Bora Bora.  The movie reconfirmed my feelings from 12 years ago about Bora Bora.

As soon as we landed,  my thoughts about NZ faded into a wonderful memory.   Steve and I looked at each other and our eyes lit up once we saw the bright blue shades of blue and our  Over Water Bungalow.  We knew this is why we wanted to come to Bora Bora --- relax in paradise before heading back to reality.  As I mentioned in my first blog,  Jim (travel agent) knows his stuff.  Even though I butted heads with him a few times to finalize details,  he stood his ground and made sure we listened to him when we needed to.  He couldn't have been more adamant and more firm about where we needed to stay in Bora Bora. "Listen to me.  When you go to Bora Bora, you have to do it right.  There's only one way to do it.  Four Seasons." Once again, Jim was right.   I'm glad he talked us out of the other hotels I had in mind.  We love it here!!

We said goodbye to Ranger Steve in NZ.  Now we have Jacque Cousteau Steve running around.  He loves strapping on his snorkel and diving off our deck to see what type of marine life is underneath our bungalow.  When we go on walks, he will point out crabs and tell me about their habitat.  His favorite thing so far is feeding the fish and the crabs.  He likes to swim in the lagoons and dispense bread to them.  He is so giddy tearing off bread for the fish as hundreds of them surround him.  When he comes up for air, he says, "The fish were nibbling at my fingers. This is so fun."  Then he dunks his head back in the water to reunite with his fish.  He suggested I take part in this feeding fun but apparently I'm not a good bread dispenser. I give out big chunks of bread at a time.  I'm probably thinking about myself and how I eat.  Big portions.  Anyways, I'm only able to feed a couple of fish with one baguette.  Steve coached me on dispensing smaller pieces "so all the fish can eat, Nancy."  Then he gave me bread for the crabs.  I took a big piece and threw it on the crab's back.  I heard a thud.  I was impressed with my aim.

Where does Steve get his bread?  He takes them from our dinners and lunches.  In the beginning he wore his cargo shorts so that he can fit a lot into his pockets.  Then the wait staff figured out why he was asking for all this bread.  Now they give Steve a box at every meal so that he can take as much bread as he wants for the fish.

Steve and I tried Stand Up Paddle Boarding yesterday.  I didn't get far.  Steve did great as usual.  Since I wasn't making progress, I just sat at the end of his board as he paddled me around the island.  Now that's what I call fun :)

Aside from the sea life and water sports, Steve and I have been eating like maniacs every minute.   The food has been great and we just love stuffing our faces like we do at home.  I ate 7 macarons, half a pineapple, 2 passion fruit tarts for dessert last night.  That was after eating ribs, grouper, scallops and squid ink pasta for dinner.  I'm sure I'll look fabulous in my bathing suit today.  The good thing is that you hardly see anyone here.  We see a few folks at brunch or dinner but the rest of the day is completely isolated.  There aren't any other guests running around and this is peak season.  I'm not complaining.  I love that it is quiet and relaxing.  









Sunday, August 26, 2012

Thank you, New Zealand!


On our last full day in NZ, we took it easy and went bike riding.  I had to start my day off with the long run though.  Steve is running again but he’s easing into the weekly mileage so I did the long run by myself. Again, the long runs in NZ have not been painful because the cooler temps and the change of scenery kept me going.   After I was done with my run, Steve and I grabbed brunch and then hit the bike trails around Lake Wakatipu.  Our bike ride showcased NZ’s beauty just as all our activities have been throughout our entire trip.   Our bike ride was a great way to say goodbye to NZ before we took off for Bora Bora the next day.

We were both so sad to say goodbye to NZ.   NZ definitely exceeded our expectations.  It is a beautiful country that offers something for everyone.  Here is what I concluded about our NZ trip…

1.    You don’t have to be an outdoor enthusiast to fall in love with NZ.   It is a gorgeous country that offers something for everyone. My parents would love the scenery and enjoy the beautiful landscape.   Our friends who love beaches would love the multi color shades of blue from the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.   Then our friends who just love to chill and party would love the energy and nightlife of Queenstown.
2.    The Kiwis are so friendly and warm.  They are extremely helpful and genuine.  I love their enthusiasm for life and their passion for the outdoors.   You know when you go into REI,  you can tell everyone there loves working at REI and they love sharing their outdoor passions with  you.  That’s how all the Kiwis are. 
3.    I was very impressed how well all the outdoor activities are operated in NZ.   Prior to arriving in NZ, the skeptic in me was thinking,  “how can they have so many activities and operate them all at a top level?  I’m sure some of this stuff is really corny. ”  I was totally wrong.  Everything is top notch.  Their ski resorts hold world championships, their mountain biking trails have held many X Games, their mountains are training trails for climbers who want to attempt even higher mountains like Mt. Everest.  And for surfers, NZ beaches are paradise.

We are so happy that we kicked off our honeymoon in NZ.  It was an incredible experience. We definitely plan to come back in the future!  We arrived in Bora Bora today.  We are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the last week of our honeymoon.  Bora Bora details coming soon!!  






Watch Out, Shaun White!


I have never skied or snowboarded in my life.  I hate snow.  I’m clumsy on pavement so my clumsiness  is 10x worse on slippery surfaces.   These factors made my snowboarding day quite interesting.  Steve and I signed up for a full day of lessons at Coronet Peak.  Our instructor was a very sweet 26 year old Kiwi who has been snowboarding for over 10 years.  She was very patient and extremely helpful.  20 minutes into our lesson, I realized snowboarding wasn’t for me.  I had fallen 3 times.  One fall happened as I was just standing still listening to instructions.  Everything about snowboarding just seemed hard.  Even carrying the board was hard because it’s such an awkward thing to walk around with because it’s not easy to grip.  I fell just walking with the board.  After my 3 falls in 20 minutes, I took of the bindings, I took off my gloves, I took off my helmet and goggles and said I was done.  Steve came over to me and said “You can’t quit.  I really want you to hang in there until lunch time.”  We still had 2.5 hours until lunch time.  I felt like I was in gym class all over again.  Counting down the minutes until class was over.  I started getting moody with Steve and said, “you don’t understand how difficult this is for me.  I’m going to leave and do my long run.”  Again, Steve pleaded with me to hang in there.  I responded with, “You don’t know what it’s like to be in my shoes.  I’m not good at this type of stuff.  You know I find these experiences dreadful.  Just because you like it doesn’t mean I have to.  You can totally stay here all day.  I won’t be mad. I just want to leave.”  Keep in mind, Steve is doing great throughout the whole lesson. The teacher said, “Wow, Steve.  You’re a quick learner.”  He had already gone down all the practice hills without falling.  Once again, Steve pleaded with me to give it another shot.  So I told him “I will stick it out but I will be hating every minute of it.”  Awkward silence as I strapped myself back into the snowboard and went back to the instructor.

The instructor showed me a few other skills and I started doing them with her as she would hold my hands so that I didn’t fall.   There was a time when she let go of my hands and I slowly went down the hill and fell.  Steve was at the top of the hill and screamed, “Are you okay?  I’m coming down right now to help you get up!!”  I was my bratty self and screamed back “Don’t bother.  I’m fine.”  The truth is that I could’ve used his help.   It’s hard as shit to get up from these falls when your stupid snowboard is attached to your feet.   I got myself up and made my way back to the top of the practice hill.  I started going down again. This time by myself. I was able to go about 50 feet without falling. Steve started cheering for me,  “Yay!!  You’re doing a great job, Nance!!!”  I pretended that I wasn’t having fun because I was still playing the “I’m hating every minute of this” role.  I must admit that I loved going down that hill.   By the time I finished the hill, it was time for lunch. 

At lunch, I told Steve I was sorry for being mean to him.  When I’m mean to Steve, I feel bad soon after I unleash my venom because I know he is only trying to help and I know he means well.  I also hate to see his face when I snap at him with my mean spirited ways because I can tell it hurts his feelings.   I always own up to my mean ways and apologize.  After my apology, he responded with, “Nancy, it’s okay.  I know it’s really scary to try something new.  The great thing is that you didn’t quit today.  You know why?  Because you have a lot of courage.  Your courage made you hang in there. I’m so proud of you.”  The pep talk was very sweet but also seemed like something out of the final minutes of a Full House episode when Uncle Jesse is trying to teach DJ a lesson.   Regardless, I always appreciate the love and support from Steve.  After lunch we went back for the 2nd half of the lesson.   The instructor worked with me to refine the basics that I learned in the morning and she showed Steve new tricks that he could build on from his earlier lesson. 

At the end of the day, I’m glad I tried snowboarding. I have no urgency to do it again anytime soon.  I only made it down the hill 2x without falling and even those 2 times were on mini hills less than 70 feet long.   Steve on the other hand……advanced from the practice hills to the intermediate hills and then he took on all the advanced hills!!!  It’s official.  My husband is a snowboarder.  

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Fly, Fly, Fly Away

Yesterday morning we took a trip to the Milford Sound.  It is a 40 min flight from Queenstown.  Once we landed there, we took a 2 hour cruise through the fjords before flying back.  The highlight of the trip was seeing the landscape from the boat and in the air.  Of course the Trumpets were in full force with their cameras and video camera.  Another highlight for Steve was when he saw the sea lions.  When the cruise conductor said that we were approaching sea lions, Steve jumped out of his seat to get his video footage. 

During the cruise, we met a very cute couple from Barcelona. They were in their 30s and traveling through NZ for the first time. We had a lot in common with Ana and Salvador:  They have known each other for 13 years but they didn't start dating until a few years ago. Now they're getting married next month!  Sound familiar?  Salvador also works in sales.  Ana is an artist.  They love watching sports and they love to travel.  Salvador is a lot like Steve - both thrill seekers. Ana and I traded war stories about wedding planning.  Now I know bridezillas aren't just a US thing.  Clearly all brides go nuts.  It's too bad I'm not a bride anymore.  I have no excuse.  Talking to them made me miss Spain which I forgot to mention in my last post as a country where I NEVER get sick of the food.  They left Queenstown after Milford Sound. We exchanged emails and FB details so that we can stay in touch. 

Here are some of the activities we've done in Queenstown....

LUGE - Steve wanted to do this.  I was indifferent. We did it in Jamaica and I thought it was fine but nothing mind blowing.  But I figured I would do it since Steve was into it.  When we get to the luge spot, I realize this is nothing like the Jamaica experience.  In Jamaica, your luge locked into the track so it can't go anywhere.  It was basically a slow moving roller coaster.  Here in NZ, you are given a luge and then you have to navigate it down a windy and down hill course.  The worst part is that people can pass you.  I hate going down hills at a fast speed.  It freaks me out.  Especially when I'm in a device that I'm not familiar with.  I start telling Steve I don't want to do it.  He tells me it's going to be fine and that I'm going to love it.  We have these kinds of conversations a lot.  Steve is always pushing me to do something crazy and I'm resistant.  Then 10 times out of 10, I end up loving it.   It was definitely the case for luging.  I did end up loving it.  We did it twice!  I luged down cautiously but made it fun in my own way.  Crazy Steve waited for me to get near the bottom so that he can floor it down the luge and pass me at the end.  He flew around all the curves and hills and then I heard him laughing and screaming when he passed by as I was gripping on the breaks and taking in the scenery.  That's one of the neatest things about all the activities in NZ.....everything has an incredible backdrop.  You're luging and seeing mountains and blue skies.  

PARAGLIDING - Even though I'm a big fat chicken.  I've always wanted to do this.  It looks so easy. You just fly around in the air.  In this case, you're flying 3000 ft above Queenstown.  3000 ft is nothing compared to people who sky dive at 10,000 ft.  Another reason why I was drawn to paragliding is because there is no free fall.  The free fall from sky diving terrifies me.  Steve says that is the best part but that's Steve.  So I was excited for us to paraglide.  We had to take a gondola up near the top of the paraglide launch.  Then we had to hike up the remaining part of the mountain to reach its peak.  At the peak, we got strapped into our gear with our tandem pilots and I was excited to take-off!  Then it all dawned on me when I saw Steve getting ready to take-off.  HOLY SHIT.  You literally have to run off the mountain to fly in the air???  For some odd reason, I thought paragliding take-off was like a hot air balloon ride. You just stand there and the parachute just lifts you up in the air.   Steve already knew the drill and with no hesitation, he waves bye to me and sprints off the cliff and he's up in the air.  Of course he adds a few expressions of excitement as he takes off..."wahooo! yippee!!!!!!!"  i obviously didn't share the same enthusiasm.  

Then it's my turn and I look at Richard (my tandem pilot) and say, "There is no way I can do this."  He's telling me it's fine and don't worry.  Clearly he didn't hear me well enough so I had to turn on my forceful tone and say, "HEY. I'M DONE.  GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME DO ANYTHING."  He starts to push me slowly towards the edge of the cliff and again, I stop and plant my feet on the ground. "LISTEN TO ME.  I DON'T FEEL SAFE!" Next thing you know, he just starts running and I'm forced off the cliff and up in the air.  Once we were up in the air, I LOVED IT.  It was so awesome to be floating around and taking in the amazing scenery through a totally different experience.  Richard applied the Steve method when I start to wuss out on something.....just nudge, nudge, nudge me along and I'll end up loving it.  

It is a little after 7:30 am here.  We're leaving to go snowboarding in an hour.  This will be my first time.  Hope I end up loving it like everything else here.  









Wednesday, August 22, 2012

We HEART Queenstown!!!

We arrived in Queenstown 2 days ago.  We will be spending the last 5 days of our NZ trip in Queenstown.  HOLY MOLY.  Queenstown has now moved up to my #1 favorite place in the world.  It is a gorgeous city with plenty of restaurants, shopping, bars, nightlife, right in the heart of mountains and lakes.  I've always said my dream place to live would be NYC nestled in the Rocky Mountains.  Queenstown is basically that but obviously a much smaller version of NYC.  Our hotel is a block away from Lululemon which proves my theory.  When I travel for work and I'm not familiar with the area, I always search for a Lululemon because I know I'll find good restaurants and cute boutiques nearby.  This method never fails me and it holds true in Queenstown too.  

Queenstown is known as the Adventure Capital of the World.  Adventure wasn't the reason why I was drawn to Queenstown 4 years ago.  When I was backpacking, I really wanted to go to Australia before returning to the States.  Unfortunately my budget did not allow me to spend time in Australia so I was bummed.  I shared my disappointed to other backpackers that I met along the way and they all said the same thing, "Australia is cool but New Zealand is so much better.  You should plan to go there instead.  Especially Queenstown."  So that was my first intro to Queenstown.  THEN, I was watching The Bachelor - Jason Mesnick season and their final destination for the proposal was in Queenstown.  I remember seeing it and thinking, "Wow, it really is beautiful.  I MUST GO THERE SOME DAY."
So that's how we ended up here.

Once we arrived in Q, Steve and I had a strategizing meeting to put together a priority list of what we want to do, how long is each activity, and figure out which days we want to do it.  We basically want to do more activities than the days we have left so we will have a few double headers.   Other than strategizing, we've been walking around the area and taking in the beautiful scenery.  We took a gondola ride to the top of Queenstown to see the most amazing views of the area.  Our Canon point-and-shoot camera does not do this place justice.  We have never wanted a nice camera until now.  We will have to get one for our next trip here.

Another great thing about Q is the number of international restaurants.  NZ is known for their meat and fish so you have a lot of steak places and fish and chips places.  Everything we have eaten has been fresh and tasty.  Since NZ is a destination for a lot of international travelers,  they have a lot of good ethnic restaurants.  I've seen more korean restaurants in NZ than I ever did in Chicago.  Now I'm sure you're wondering why would I want to eat korean, thai, indian while I'm in NZ.  After eating fish or meat everyday, you get tired of it.  You want other types of food.   There have only been 2 trips when I haven't been tired of a country's food: Italy and Argentina.  Last night Steve and I had korean bbq for dinner followed by cookies at Cookie Time.  It's basically like Mrs. Fields but they have Cookie Happy Hour each day when it's buy 1 get 1 cookie.  Now that's my kind of Happy Hour.

So far it's been fun just being with Steve 24 x 7.  Just like any couple, friends, or family....you are rarely with someone 24x7 every single day unless it's the weekend or you're on vacation.   Even on the weekends, you will most likely have other friends with you but when you're on vacation, it's just you and the other person.  Sorry for constantly being so sappy by saying, "another thing I love about Steve..."  Well, another thing I love is that we always have something to talk about.  I know this is not unique.  It's obviously common in relationships with spouses, friends, and family.  Steve and I always have talks about serious things and broad random topics. Here are a few of the discussions we've had on our trip....

Steve vs Usain Bolt
I asked Steve if he could beat Usain Bolt in a 10K.  Usain Bolt is WICKED FAST.  But that's in a 100m and 200m race. That doesn't automatically translate into all distances.  Carl Lewis was the Usain Bolt in the 1980s but Lewis never competed in a 5K, 10K or a Marathon because he specialized in 100m and 200m.  Steve doesn't think he could beat Bolt but I think he can.  Last spring, Steve and I ran in the GW Pkway 10 Mile race against Scott Jurek (famous 100 mile distance runner mentioned in Born to Run).  Steve and Grace beat Jurek in that race.  I was only 2 minutes behind Jurek.  Now, that can mean 2 things....Jurek may not have given his best.  OR Jurek is not focused on short distances so he isn't going to be as fast as he typically would be for a 100 mile trail run.  I guess we can invite Bolt to our next 10K and see.

Animals
Since Steve is always watching National Geographic, Animal Planet, Discovery, etc., I ask all my nature related questions to him.  I'm not very sharp when it comes to nature and wildlife.  My questions are so elementary but he always has the patience to explain.  For example, when we were driving down the West Coast of NZ, we passed by a bunch of chickens at a farm.  I asked Steve what causes a chicken to lay eggs vs lay chicks.  He explained to me about the rooster and fertilization which then leads to laying chicks instead of laying eggs.  I'm 34 years old and I had no idea.  I don't remember us learning this in elementary school.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to a lifetime of these "deep talks".  I welcome anyone to join in our conversations....the more the merrier!!

























Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Franz Josef Glacier

We flew down to Christ Church and started our Planes, Trains, and Automobiles tour through the South Island. Christ Church is in the north east side of the South Island.  Once we arrived at CC, we jumped on a 4.5 train ride to Greymouth.  Jim advised that this was the scenic train ride that takes us to the West Coast of the South Island.  It was definitely a beautiful train ride - going through mountain ranges and crossing gorges and rivers, and endless bright green valleys.  As soon as we arrived at Greymouth, we picked up our rental car to head down to Franz Josef (2 hours).  Again, another beautiful drive because you're driving along the coast line of the South Island so you have the ocean on one side and then humungous mountain ranges on the other side.  SIMPLY BREATHTAKING.  

We arrived at Franz Josef which is a very small cute town.  As soon as we arrived, it was time to go out for a recovery run - 5 miles.  I love recovery run days!  This time, Steve joined me.  First time running for him in 6 weeks and he did great.  After our run we had dinner and went to bed.  We had a big day ahead of us.  

The next morning, I woke up and I had to do my 9 mile run.  Running has been very enjoyable here because the scenery is incredible.   You're running at the foothills of snow capped mountains all around you.  Temps are in the 50s so it's ideal.  Cool temperatures generally make all runners into beasts.  It just makes any distance seem effortless no matter how fast you are going.  We all know I like to have my Pump Up Nancy pep talks in my head when I run. As I was running up this long windy hill at a much faster pace than I would ever run at home, I said to myself, "THAT'S IT.  YOU NEED TO ENTER RACES IN ALASKA. YOU WOULD WIN EVERY SINGLE ONE."   That little boost helped me sprint the last 5 miles.  As I was wrapping up the last 5 miles, I heard a familiar pair of footsteps.  These footsteps have passed me in races and judging by the shadow on the right, I knew it was Steve joining me for the final leg.  He said he wanted to do a recovery run to break up the lactic acid from the day before.  Once again, he's running great and feeling great.  It's nice to have my running buddy back!!  

After our run, we took a helicopter up to the Franz Josef Glacier.  Glacier hiking has been on my bucket list.  OMG. This was an incredible experience.   We heard great things about Franz Josef from our world traveling friend Amy,  but to actually see a glacier in person and to hike it was really cool.  Steve and I were the biggest dorks.  Every few minutes we would look at each other and say, "THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!"  We couldn't get enough.  They gave us the proper clamps to put under our boots so that we can hike all over the mounds of ice without falling.  After the glacier hike, we relaxed in the hot springs and talked about our adventurous day. 

Obviously I love Steve for many reasons.  The neat thing about traveling with Steve or any of my friends is that you see all sides of that person during your travels.  

Asian Steve - I swear Steve should take on my last name.  I thought I took a lot of pictures.  Steve is me times 20.  Just picture this on top of the glacier - Steve has a video camera AND camera as he is hiking and climbing ice.  (P.S. Popp and Small Fry --- thank you so much for the Go Pro Video camera....we love it!).  He took more pics than the 5 Asians in our group.  Even before we jumped on the helicopter, the guide had to go over standard safety procedures.  Steve probably took 5 pics of the No Smoking sign and Seatbelt sign.   The 5 Asians next to us started pointing at Steve and they started taking pics of the signs. They must have thought they were missing out on a gem of a photo.  

Ranger Steve - Steve loves everything associated with the outdoors.  He loves nature, animals, rocks, seriously everything.  He is always pointing out things that strike him.  For example, during our run, I'm thinking about how much of a bad ass I am and Steve is pointing out trees and leaves and saying, "Did you see that leaf on the ground?  We don't have trees like that back at home.  Very neat stuff."  Then when we were hiking up the glacier, he calls me over and says, "You have to check this out." So I walk over to him and he points out this leaf that is embedded in the ice.  He starts wondering how long this leaf has been there and then thinks about how fast this glacier is moving.  I'm just looking around the glacier, taking pictures and eating my gummy bears.  Another example is when we stopped to take pictures of the beaches on our drive down.  I just want to take a quick pic of the sunset and then head back to the car so that we are making good time towards our next stop.  Steve is wandering around picking up rocks and running over to me to show his new rock collection.  It is like a kid in a candy store.  He is telling me about the smoothness and shapes of the rocks and why it is so interesting.  How can I rush him out of there when he is THIS happy???  

Caretaker Steve - I've always had the mentality of I am Woman Hear Me Roar.   Being single for most of my life has made me independent.  Being with Steve these last 3 years has been nice because he always takes good care of me.  Most people would find these simple things to be a given for any husband or boyfriend but nonetheless, I really appreciate them.  For example, when we had to put our clamps on our boots, Steve took care of mine first before he put his on.  We all know I would've screwed it up.  Or when we are moving our luggage from one place to another, he always makes sure he has this covered so I don't have to do anything (even though I would be happy to help).  He also makes sure I am fully equipped with everything I need when I run or hike.  He makes sure I have enough layers and tells me when I need an extra layer or a jacket.  His layer suggestions may conflict with my color coordinated outfit but I listen to him because I know he is right.  It's better to be warm on top of a glacier than stylish.  I think.  I know I'm always in good hands with Steve.  I'm still my independent self but it's nice to have him always thinking ahead so that we're not in harm's way.  

Monday, August 20, 2012

ZORBING


NZ is split into 2 islands:  North and South. The South Island is where most people go for all the major outdoor activities and the thrill seeking adventures.  We are spending  8 days in the South Island.  I would have been fine with spending the entire 10 days in the South Island but Adventure Steve wanted to do the following: ZORB.   Zorbing originated in NZ and it is only offered in Rotorua and in the Smoky Mountains.  Basically, you get inside a big plastic globe and roll down the hill.   I still remember when Steve and I first heard about Zorbing.  Jim told us about it during our honeymoon meeting, and Steve’s eyes lit up.    

We got to the Zorbing site and I was not intimidated by it.  The hill didn’t look too steep and it didn’t look like you’re rolling down the hill very fast.  SIGN ME UP FOR 3 ROLLS, PLEASE.  Steve signed up for the same package.  The only difference between my package and Steve’s package is that I did the Dry Zorb.  I was harnessed into the globe.  So I can’t move around in it.   I’ll still be turning over and over once the globe rolls down the hill but I won’t be thrown around inside.  Steve on the other hand, chose to do the Hydro-Zorb.  Yup, his globe had water in it so he’s going to be swishing around in the globe while he’s going down hill. 

There are 3 different types of hills you go down. 

1.    Gradual, Straight Decline
2.    Zig Zag Decline 
3.    Steep Decline, Free Fall Drop, Fastest Drop

The Dry Zorb only allows you to do the gradual, straight decline.  I was strapped in and ready to go.   OMG.  It was the most nauseating activity I have ever done.  I have never had to tumble so many times.  Probably 12-13 times of just tumbling.  I was in it by myself and started screaming, “Honey, I hate this!!! I Don’t want to do this anymore!  Get me out of here!! “   Even though the roll is only a minute long, it felt like 5 minutes.  I got to the bottom and the nice guy that works there, pulled me out of the globe.  I told him I didn’t want to do any more rolls even though I paid to do 3.  He said it was fine.  They refunded me for the 2 rolls. 

Once I was out of my globe, I watched Steve roll down his zig zag track.  This globe is uncontrollable so it’s rolling down and then bouncing off the track so fast that it looks like the globe is going to just pop off and roll down a different path.  Finally it comes to a stop at the end of the hill.  They open up the bottom of the globe to let all the water out. The water is 114 degrees so it kept Steve warm. Steve comes out after the water is emptied and he looks disoriented.   Poor guy was thrown around in there like he was in the washing machine.  Of course he was happy because it was fun but even he said it was crazy because he had no control over his body. Steve took the underwater camera that Keith let us borrow and taped the inside of the globe as he was rolling down --- video of him sliding all around and flipping upside down! 

We had the option to do a roll in the hydro globe together but I said I was done after the first one.  Steve did the hydro globe 2 more times on 2 different tracks….Free Fall and the Gradual Decline.  After his 3rd roll, he was glad he experienced zorbing but glad it was over too.  Oh! Side note…. So when we were standing in line for zorbing, this British woman (who we never met) goes up to Steve and says, “You barely made the height requirement.”  Steve laughed it off and thought it was cool she could joke with him even though he was a stranger to her.  I love Brits and their charming accents!!  We left straight to the airport after zorbing.  Flying to the South Island!


Kia Ora!


Kia Ora!

After our 13 hour flight from LA, we arrived in Aukland at 5:45 am.  We picked up our rental car and drove 2 hours to Rotorura. Steve is in charge of the driving for the following reasons:

1.    They drive on the left side of the road.
2.    The cars are also positioned with the driver side on the right side of the car.
3.    Steve hates my driving.

Jim was right.  The landscape is beautiful.  Steve and I drove through so many bright green valleys. Even though it is winter now, everything was green and colorful.  We also saw so many fields and fields of sheep grazing.  I loved seeing the baby sheep. They are as small as Mannishevitz! The highlight of the road trip was stopping at all the villages along the way to grab a bite to eat.  Since Steve is the driver, I’m in charge of locating food stops.  First stop grabbed my attention with a COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN sign outside.  Who doesn’t want fried chicken?  It was delicious!  Then we made another stop at a bakery and ended up eating another breakfast style meal.   It was great.  2 meals in 2 hours…this trip was off to a great start.

Once we checked into our hotel, we were a bit jet lagged so Steve took a nap and I had to do the unthinkable…my freakin’ long run.  16 MILES.  Marathon training sucks because you become a slave to the training.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been a good slave for 3 weeks prior to the wedding because I was running around tying up loose ends with the wedding and at work.  Anyways, now I have no excuse. I started my long run outside of our hotel.   Fortunately, NZ’s winter temps means 50s which is ideal running conditions.  AND, there are so many trails and paths for bikers and runners so it made it easy to just start this dreadful run outside of the hotel.  BTW, Steve hasn’t been able to run for 6 weeks because he is injured.  After I finished my run, Steve was awake and we had to get ready for dinner with the Maori Tribe.  This tribe is the oldest living settlers in New Zealand.  Just like the American Indians, the Maoris were pushed out and now only a few are living throughout NZ. 

When we arrived at the village, we were greeted by Maori rituals.  Then we walked around the different huts where the Maori invited us to take part in their activities and chants.  Moments like this reminds me why I love Steve so much.  Steve embraces every situation and loves to get in the thick of things.  My way of embracing a situation is observing and then sharing my observations with Steve and/or my friends.  Steve will roll up his sleeves and be the first to try something new.  So Steve learned the following…

Haka – this is the Maori chant. The Maroi used this chant to scare their enemies.  Now the NZ rugby players display the Maori chant at matches to intimidate opposing teams.  Steve has been doing this chant everyday ever since he learned it.

Hand – Eye – the Maori used very basic means to prepare their tribe for hand-eye coordinated movements.  Sometimes it would be as simple as passing sticks around or moving around in circles and catching other tree branches.  Steve did this exercise with a group of other volunteers and he won this exercise! 

After walking through the village, we had a big feast.  This is when I roll up my sleeves.  Just like a Hawaiian luau,  the Maoris cook their meats and vegetables under the Earth using hot stones and fire.   The food was delicious!  After dinner, they  invited people to perform the Haka.   You know Steve ran up there with the other eager volunteers. I was eating my bread pudding w/custard and wondered how they made this bread pudding underground.  

Our Honeymoon Begins!


Steve and I both love to travel.  Typically we figure out where we want to go and then make our arrangements by researching online and asking friends. For our honeymoon, we decided to go with a travel agent that came highly recommended to us by our friends Risa and Rob Vandermark.  They used Jim (travel agent) to plan their honeymoon and they loved him so much, they have used him to plan all their following trips after their honeymoon.

Prior to meeting with Jim, Steve wanted us to keep an open mind about honeymoon destinations.  I already had 2 places in mind and I shared those 2 places with Steve.   He liked the suggestions, but he wanted to hear what Jim had to say.   During our meeting with Jim, he asked about our past vacations: What did we like?  What did we dislike?  What are our hobbies?   Then he got to know our personalities throughout the meeting. Finally after talking to us for 45 minutes, he found out that we love being active.  So an ideal trip for us is hiking, running, biking, kayaking, anything outside combined with our love for beaches.  “You guys should go to New Zealand and Bora Bora. New Zealand is Colorado on steroids and Bora Bora is the mecca of amazing beaches. ”  Interestingly enough, I WAS THE ONE THAT HAD THAT IN MY MIND BEFORE WE MET JIM.  It worked out great that Jim came up with this idea on his own because it allowed Steve to hear that an expert agreed with me J

So Jim planned our 2.5 week trip.   Jim was cool about making modifications when I suggested different ideas.   At the same time, if he thought my idea wasn’t that great, he had no problems telling me that my idea sucked and I should just listen to him. For example, I hate to admit this, but I’ve now resorted back to my American ways of traveling….go at 100 mph  and see everything we can.   When I came back from my 4 months abroad, I really experienced true relaxation.  I enjoyed every day and every experience and I was in no hurry to get anywhere.  I would find joy in the simplest things and life was not a blur. We only have 10 days in New Zealand and there was a lot of ground to cover.  We are getting around NZ through flights, train, and car.   Once I saw the train and car rides, my red flags went up and I called up Jim.

NC:  Jim, what’s up with this 4.5 hour train ride?  And I see that you want us to do a 2 hour drive to Rotorura, and a 5 hour drive to Queenstown. Why can’t we fly to all these destinations? I looked online and there are flights available daily. PLEASE PUT US ON A DIRECT FLIGHT TO ALL THESE LOCATIONS ASAP.  We want to make the most out of our time and all this trains and rental cars nonsense make me feel like we’re wasting time.

Jim:  Nancy, you need to chill out.  Why would you fly to a destination that is only 120 miles away?  That’s like flying from Chicago to Indianapolis.  Do you understand how amazing these drives and train rides are going to be?  It’s not like you’re driving from DC to Newark or taking the Amtrak through industrial shit holes. Most people come to NZ for 2 things… the adventure/outdoors PLUS the scenic drives.  The train and car will help you take everything in and you will not regret it.  Listen to me.  I know what I’m doing.  Haven’t you heard it’s the journey not the destination?

NC:  Fine (I was still reluctant but according to Risa and Rob, they said I should let him take full control so I listened.)

Well, let’s see what Jim has in store for us!  I’m excited to take my first trip with my husband!!! 

Side Note….During our flight from LA to Aukland, we sat next to this guy who was heading to the South Pole.  He works for a shipping and cargo management company in Antarctica.  Anyways, he has a wife and a 11 year old daughter at home.  He only works 6 months out of the year and then he’s off for 6 months.  BUT, those 6 months are down at the South Pole where he can’t get visitors but he can call home and email.  I told Steve there is no way I could do that.  You’d have to pay me a lot of money for either one of us to be sent off for 6 months to Antarctica.  I determined $2 million cash is the minimum I would take.   Maybe that’s the newlywed in me talking.   I bet in 10 years, Steve will pay me $2 Million to never come home!!