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.  

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 3^rd 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!!

Un Mil Gracias a Argentina!

Steve and I spent the last 4 days doing what we do best: EATING. The week we spent in Buenos Aires was great because all we did was just walk around the city, enjoy the different sites, did more shopping, and eat great meals. We spent time in the following neighborhoods:

La Boca
We went to the Boca Junior vs. Arsenal soccer game. Wow, what an event! This was the first international soccer game for me and Steve. We've seen plenty of games on TV but to be in the midst of all the action was definitely a great experience! We loved all the chants and songs the crowd would sing during the game. I wish I knew all the words to the songs because I would have loved to sing along. I was also amazed by how many different songs/chants there were. We probably heard 7 different songs for different moments in the game: a song to get things started, a song for offense, a song for defense, a song for corner kicks, a song for scoring, a song for just the heck of it, a song for the final 10 minutes, etc. It was a lot of fun and we loved seeing the passionate fans really stand behind their team!

We were also glad that we made it out of the game in one piece. Since the Argentines are so passionate about their soccer, we were told that the games can get very hostile and intense. We were advised to take an escort to the game so that we will be out of harm's way. Escorts cost around $100 per game. Fortunately, our hotel arranged for us to go with a group or travelers like us and everything turned out great.

San Telmo
We spent a day in San Telmo which is the Tango District and the Antiques District. I'm awful at designing rooms so I typically have little interest in looking for unique decorative items. However, when we were walking through the different shops, it gave me ideas and inspired me to put together neat things when I have a home of my own. After walking through the shops, we grabbed ice cream and beer at Plaza Dorrego. This Plaza is in the center of San Telmo and it is basically a big outdoor cafe where you can sit and enjoy the tango performances at the center of the Plaza. I love watching Dancing With the Stars so this was like watching a live performance! Too bad I'm a horrible dancer.

Puerto Madero
We stayed in Puerto Madero because it is central to all the neighborhoods. This is the area where all the boats and ferries dock. There is also a lot of shopping in this area. Before Steve and I arrived in Argentina, he told me he wanted to find a leather jacket and a leather overnight bag because Argentina is known for their leather. There are so many leather shops in Puerto Madero and each shop aggressively wants to earn your business. You can bring in a design that you want to have made for you or you can shop from the many choices that they offer in the store. Since there are so many shops, you have the opportunity to price hunt and negotiate a good deal too. Steve ended up going with 2 different jackets and a new overnight bag. He was a happy camper!

Back to Palermo Soho
We spent a few nights drinking in Palermo Soho. This is the area that reminds me of NYC Soho with all their boutiques but the nightlife in Palermo Soho reminds me so much of Chicago. You have many outdoor patios with lots of people having drinks so it's a great place to wrap up your day. It's so funny how much energy you have on vacation. People know I'm not a night owl so one night Steve and I were having drinks and talking on this rooftop bar in Palermo. I asked him what time it was and he said it was 3:30am. Surprisingly, I managed to adjust to Argentina time very well. We typically would go out to eat at 11:30 pm and finish up around 1:00 am.

El Tigre
We took a boat trip out to this vacation area where the Argentines have weekend/summer homes. All these homes were located on mini islands where cars are not allowed. People have to get around in boats. We were advised by several people that this was a great tour and El Tigre was comprable to Venice, Italy. This place was okay. It was neat to see some of the homes but this was nowhere near Venice. When you describe something to be like Venice, that is raising the bar REALLY high. The only thing similar to Venice was the water and the fact that cars were not allowed. Anyways, Steve and I joked that this was comprable to the Swamp Tour in New Orleans (and the Swamp Tour was actually really cool, El Tigre was not as cool).

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving was spent at our favorite restaurant La Estancia. We had to eat our share of meat once again. Seriously, the food was my favorite part of Buenos Aires. Here's a tip though...we had heard that you could get by on $15/meal in BA. Okay, that is true but you might not be getting the best that BA offers. We tried a couple of these $15 meals for lunch and they were so-so. You definitely have to a pay more to get the higher quality meals. The meats are amazing. Seriously, the best meat we have ever had. We were eating Morton's caliber steaks every night. Since BA is more affordable than the US, your "Morton's" meals would end up being $75 for 2 people instead of paying $150 in the US. These meals would include a bottle of wine too.

Steve and I loved exploring Argentina and we definitely plan to come back. Aside from all the great hiking, food, culture and shopping that we experienced, I really enjoyed being able to speak Spanish. In the beginning I was very rusty but by the middle of the trip, I started to pick it up again. It made me feel great to be able to have a conversation and understand everything that was going on. Steve really impressed me with his Spanish too. He has taken a few Rosetta Stone courses and he was able to pick up on the gist of most of our conversations. He is also a good student because anytime I would teach him a phrase or a word, he always knew how to use those phrases/words at a future time in the correct way. Nice work Steve! Now time to learn some Korean!

We arrived in the US yesterday morning. Yesterday was our first day not eating any type of red meat or having any ice cream in 2 weeks. Steve looks up at me at 11 PM and says, "I'm hungry." I replied, "Really? We just had salmon and pasta." He responded with, "I really want a steak." I felt the same. We are having major withdrawl. Anyone up for Fogo de Chao?

Repeat Twice Daily: Steak, Wine, Ice Cream

We have spent the last 3 days in Buenos Aires and enjoyed every minute of it. So many people have asked me how I decided on coming to Argentina. In early 2009, my friend Jaclyn took a trip to Argentina and raved about it. I always trust Jaclyn´s traveling advice because she has been everywhere and she also knows me well enough to understand what type of cities and places I would like. So Jaclyn planted the seed, then Keith took a trip here in late 2009 and told me it was one of the best places he´s been to (just like Jaclyn, Keith has traveled a lot too). Thanks guys for painting a great picture of Argentina --- you both were totally right!

Steve and I love the energy behind this city. We love the hustle/bustle of any large city but Buenos Aires isn´t just a big city. It´s a big city with a charming Eurpoean/NYC/Chicago/DC twist plus more! It´s a city that everyone can fall in love with because it offers something unique for anybody.

Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America. When you walk down the streets of Recoleta, you will find buildings and architecture that remind you of the streets of Paris. Then you walk through the outerparts of Recoleta and you will see tree lined streets of high rises and brownstones that remind you of the Upper East side of NYC. After going through this neighborhood, you can walk into Plaza Serrano - an area with lots of outdoor bars and cafes. This reminded me so much of the summers in Chicago!

Then you can walk to the Palmero Soho neighborhood and find blocks and blocks of boutiques. There are hundreds of boutiques - imagine Soho in NYC but 10 times bigger and this is Palmero Soho. I could definitely see myself living in this neighborhood. It´s picture perfect: tree lined streets, boutiques with character, lots of cafes, great people watching. With all the great shopping on this street, even Steve was inspired to shop! Steve hardly goes shopping back home. I´m the shopper so typically I buy things he might like and bring it home. Then he can decide if he likes it or not. When we were in Palermo Soho, he was jumping into stores and excited about shopping. It was great! Good thing we wear the same size, I´ll just borrow whatever he bought :)

Aside from walking around the city, shopping, and checking out different parks and national monuments, Steve and I have been eating. EATING A LOT. EVERYDAY. I don´t need to get into much detail about the food because it´s straightforward. We eat steaks. We drink wine. We have ice cream. We repeat this routine 2x a day. Seriously, the steaks here are that good and it is basically the "national" food. There are 10 parrillas on EVERY block so it's hard to resist. Each morning we wake up and we say, "Hmmm, maybe we should give our bodies a break and try some fish today." Then we get to the restaurant and we order a Filet or Rib Eye.

Another thing we do everyday is drink. Steve and I are not big drinkers back home but we have been drinking everyday since we got here. I love the wine here. I'm not even drinking anything fancy but it's sooo good. My Chicago friends would be proud.

After our steak and wine dinner, we walk over to an ice cream parlor. Again, ice cream parlors EVERYWHERE. I usually go with the 1/4 kilo of ice cream which is a mini bucket of any flavor you want. I typically go with dulce de leche and a lemon sherbert. So delicious. Sometimes I feel like a dog when I'm eating ice cream because it's gone in 2 minutes as if I slurped it down in one gulp. By the time I´m done, Steve is only scratching the surface.

In between our meals, I stop into the many bakeries located everywhere. This has been my M.O. since I studied in Spain in 1998 --- Buy a baguette and eat it while I´m walking around doing my sight seeing. I can do this everyday for the rest of my life. On that note, we need to grab breakfast and head out for our day trip to Tigre. We'll write more soon!

Gracias y Adios Bariloche!

Thank you Bariloche! We couldn´t have asked for a better place to start our Argentina adventure. When we first planned this trip, we wanted to combine two of our favorite things: outdoor activities and a vibrant cosmopolitan city life. This is how we decided on Bariloche and Buenos Aires.

Aside from all the amazing hikes and the great food we had in Bariloche, here are a few of the major takeaways from the last 4.5 days....

Smile at Work???
After we did the hike up Lopez Peak, our clothes were filthy. We took our laundry to a laundrymat that washes/dries your clothes in a few hours. They charged us $4/load so it's a steal! When we went to pick up our clothes, we thanked the clerk that did our laundry for us. She was so appreciative and had the biggest smile on her face. Steve and I were happy campers because all our clothes were clean but the enthusiasm and smile this clerk had for us was indescribable. I really don´t think it had anything to do with me and Steve. I think she just enjoys what she does because I saw the same smile and perkiness when she was handling other customer transactions at the store. It just made me think, ¨Do I have the same gusto for my job? Do I do my job with a big smile on my face and with the same skip in my step?" Well, I should. I have a great boss who teaches me something valuable everyday. I have the job that I always wanted - a position where I can teach and develop sales reps. At the same time, I learn just as much from them. I´m also challenged by the obstacles we face everyday in the marketplace - so I continuosly grow and learn from these challenges. On top of it all, I have the flexibility to work from home, anywhere in the US, with great pay and benefits. I think I have a lot to be smiling about. It´s too bad I sometimes get bogged down with the minor issues (aka my annoying reps) that drive me crazy. There is no perfect job out there and based on what I listed, this is close to perfect for me and my expectations. If the girl at the laundrymat can be skipping for joy at her job, why can´t I? Seeing her really made me evaluate how good I have things and put a big smile on my face.

This is the Life!
Speaking of being grateful and appreciative....Steve and I were having dinner on the patio of our house in Bariloche. We had great steaks, fresh vegetables, wonderful wine and the most unbelievable setting. We were eating at the traditional Argentina dinner time: 11 PM. As I was eating my dinner, I looked up in the sky and saw a bunch of stars shining. Then I looked to the left and I saw the moon in the background right behind the Andes Mountains. On our left, we have the cutest house that we rented which is a mini Paradise (pics to come!). I sat there thinking, "This is the life!" This is what I love the most about traveling. I love being inspired and energized by new surroundings. We are fortunate to have everything accessible to us in the States but sometimes I get caught up in the hustle and the daily grind of my normal responsibilities that I forget to take time out of my life and create these special moments. I shouldn´t have to travel to another continent to experience this. I can create this in my own home (minus the Andes Mtns).

Charming City
We can´t say enough about this great city. Bariloche offers so many great activities: skiing, hiking, swimming, spas, boating, biking, shopping, fine dining, sight seeing, and above all great people. You walk around town and you feel like you are at home. Bariloche is also the home of the best chocolate in South America --- you literally see 3 to 5 chocolate shops on every block. Shawna, are you booking your flight right now? So quick food recap.... there are hundreds of steak restaurants, chocolate shops, bakeries, and wineries in Argentina. Why w0uld anyone leave here?

Traveling with Steve
Most of you know that my blog title is Traveling with Nancy because I started this when I quit my job in 2008 to travel. Well, I definitely want to note that this trip has been great spending it with Steve. I love sharing all these neat experiences with him. I get excited thinking about the future trips we plan to take. He´s a great boyfriend and a great traveling companion. I know I can be a pill at times but he´s good about going with the flow :) Aside from enjoying his company, here´s another great thing about travling with Steve..... We wear the same size shoes and same size clothes! This came in handy because I didn´t pack hiking boots or enough long sleeved layers to go up the snowy trails. This was a tough trip to pack for because we had to pack for 3 different temperature ranges: 80s, 60s, 40s. I packed well for the 80 degrees and 60 degrees but not so much for the 40 degrees. I purposely didn´t pack my hiking boots because they are so big so I figured I would use my running shoes for running, walking, and hiking during the trip. Besides, I would rather pack an extra pair of heels instead of my boots. Nina Garcia would understand. Well, Steve let me wear his outdoor shoes (looks like running shoes but sole can handle rough terrains) because he brought his own hiking boots. Perfect - we´re the same size! Then he let me borrow several of his dry fit long sleeve shirts to layer up for the cooler hikes. Once again perfet - we´re the same size! Glad Ranger Steve packed for me and for him :)

We arrived in Buenos Aires a little after midnight. We are excited to experience the city life here this week. You know where my focus is - food and shopping. Plus, I´m thrilled that the temperature is in the 80s here. Time to put our hiking gear away....it´s time for heels and flip flops!