PIHA BEACH

Black sand at the west coast's Piha Beach. 

VALENTINE'S DAY

This year Scott learned what it's really like to date an American: we treat Valentine's Day like an episode of The Bachelor. 

Flying over Auckland!

LIFE LATELY IN AUCKLAND

Making friends at the zoo via food bribery. 

Day at The Cricket. I had no idea what was happening. 

Mount Eden crater

Smokey!

Hiking in the Waihi Gorge.

Western Springs Park

HIKING THE WAITAKERE RANGES

Sometimes I get all eye-roll-y-American at Auckland because it's a small place in a tiny country and everything closes at 3 PM.

Other times, I drive 30 minutes outside the city and arrive at a magnificent landscape that's a cross between Jurassic Park and Eden. And then I'm just... in awe.

Hiking the Waitakere Ranges was one of those times. 

A lot of the photos I take end up being back-of-head shots of Scott, which may seems like a creative choice or a way to make Scott look ~mysterious~ but really it's because I'm a slow walker and meander my way through life. 

Hiking. It's just walking! Until there is an ascent involved. 

Repping the alma mater at the top. 

Almost caught up to him...

...aaaand he pulls ahead during the descent. 

CAMPING IN RAGLAN

Cooking a "Sandy + Rachel Signature Dish" out the back of the van: omelettes and lettuce-less salad 

Truly working remotely.

My van, looking rather rustic from the rocky, dirt roads.

Camping at Ruapuke Beach. 

Last view before sleep...

...and first view in the morning. 

SMOKEY THE DOG

I like dogs (cats are another story) but I've never really understood people who are suuuper into their dogs. As in they personify their dog, talk about their dog, take their dog everywhere and talk TO their dog in that particular high pitched voice usually reserved for infants and toddlers.  I've never understood it. Kind of similar to the way I feel about folks who opt to have standing desks. 

This all changed when I met Scott's Dad's dog, Smokey. I officially became one of those people. 

Smokey is smarter and more pleasant than a lot of humans out there. He doesn't require a leash, will wait patiently outside a grocery store for you while you shop, loves hanging out in cafes while you work, is an ideal wingman for meeting new people because he's so handsome people just want to pet him AND he does tricks. He's the ideal running and hiking companion, loves to explore the city, always down for a road trip, is incredibly friendly and relaxed, loves the beach and on top of all of that, is wildly photogenic. 

He's just a dreamboat. I don't know who I've become. I've never felt this way about a dog before. 

CHRISTMAS ON WAIHEKE ISLAND

Smokey!

Bird that attacked Scott, and rightfully so, because he threw a shell at them.

We took the ferry over to the insanely beautiful Waiheke Island for Christmas to celebrate with Scott's family.

Between eating an extraordinary amount of brie, we beached, hiked and once the sun set, binge watched Master of None. I also finally saw the New Zealand film Boy which is so, so wonderful. Again, put me on a tropical island and I'll still manage to get excited about Netflix. 

BACK IN AUCKLAND

Full disclosure: this blog is (perpetually) a little behind... so be prepared for Xmas in NZ posts even though it's actually currently March and I'm in Australia. Lots to catch up on! 

Here's the start of an Auckland summer:

Smokey. Who you will see many, many more photos of because he came my best bud/photo muse during my time in NZ. 

The cat, Slinky, would also come on walks. 

This summer was filled with lots of work (mostly from my remote offices: The Ponsonby Library and The Raw Kitchen) but also road trips in my beloved van, beach days at Piha and many runs around my new temporary home: the Te Atatu Peninsula.

It was a good summer. More soon. 

AROUND THE INTERNET #2

Because you haven't seen enough Bali sunset photos on this blog. 

Links for your Thursday/Wednesday (depending on what part of the world you're reading from): 

A good read: This interesting + witty article by Helen Kim whose author blurb reads "Helen S. Kim made her Korean immigrants' parents dream come true by graduating from from Harvard Law. She then horrified them by leaving her law firm job to write."

Untranslatable Words. My favorites: "eudaimonia" and "fika".

I'm not super into fashion but I do love me some street style photography... so this collection is a bit of a jackpot. 

With EditMate now on in full-force, the books + podcasts I've been consuming lately have all been in the "for work-related educational purposes" category. This Start-Up podcast is full of gems of wisdom if you're building a business, plus it's just wildly fascinating to hear how the start up world operates (Season 2 is proving to be particularly juicy). 

Videos of folks slowly taking off their clothes sounds like click bait but this series by StyleLikeU is wonderful, specifically this interview with an incredibly articulate Australian actress. 

Watching American current events from a distance (the other hemisphere and the other side of the world) has been interesting this year... this is baffling + concerning while this is horrifying. However, this gorgeous example of freedom of speech (while being a super hot jam) makes me proud to be an American. 

Speaking of which... while I do feel the Bern, I feel like everyone needs to remember this as well. 

I want to read this and this and this as soon as my "for work-related educational purposes" consumption phase takes a break. 

Made me laugh. 

Lastly, a song -- from me to you. 

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA

Scott's friends Karl + Jemma showed us a lovely time in Newcastle -- complete with BBQs, a trip to the Ocean Baths and playtime with their delightful little babe, Charlotte. 

EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA ROAD TRIP

After flying cross country from Perth, we landed in Brisbane! We stayed a few days in the Gold Coast and then took a road trip down to Newcastle, stopping along the way in Burleigh Heads, Nimbin and Byron Bay.

A surf at Burleigh Heads. Note Surfers Paradise (all those tall buildings) in the background. 

The beach at Burleigh Heads.

We of course made sure to hit all of the important cultural landmarks... including this giant shrimp and a big banana.

White girls can't jump. 

We also had a pit stop in Nimbin, an ultra-hippie little village.

Byron Bay was as stunning as I remembered it. Though the main things I remember from my time there (when I was 22) was an outstanding chai latte I drank and coming THISCLOSE to winning a limbo contest at a bar called Cheeky Monkeys. Which just goes to show you that memory is a strange thing and it's important to take photos. 

If you squint here, you can see a dolphin jumping out of the water. (!!!)

The local flora, which appears to be exotic pinecones. 

Along with pods of dolphins, I also saw lone lurking sharks so Byron Bay was a mix of magical and terrifying. 

FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA

It's nice to return a place that you were enamored with when you were 20 and realize that it wasn't just youthful foolishness that had you swooning. Fremantle is a hippie port city that I frequented when I studied abroad then later moved to when the travel bug hit hard, post-college. I'm happy to report that with it's Victorian architecture, eclectic markets and eccentric residents... it's still as delightful as ever. 

I visited my old place of an employment: Little Creatures Brewery. Still has the best pale ales and frites (friench fries) + aoli in the world. 

We spent a couple of afternoons poking our heads into artists studios and eating our way through the Freo markets. Fremantle seemed slightly smaller than I remembered (I've covered far more ground now then I had back then) but even more charming.

If you ever find yourself in Perth (fun fact: it's the most isolated city in the world!) make sure you take the train down to the wonderful little gem that is Fremantle.  

PERTH, AUSTRALIA

After Bali, we flew to Australia!

We landed in Perth and stayed with Scott's sister in her stunning new house. We washed the Bali off us and spent 10 days enjoying the noticeably fresher air, authentic Aussie BBQ's and bike riding all around the spotless city streets. 

LAST OF BALI

Low tide on the reef. 

Coconut cemetery. 

Vito getting barrelled. 

Uluwatu cove. 

Family scooter ride. 

After a final shopping trip in Kuta. 

Bali was full of crystal clear water and dirt, coconuts and exhaust fumes, sunshine and sweat.  If you want to live like a Queen on the budget of a freelance producer trying to bootstrap a new business: go to Bali. If you want to expedite a 6 month relationship: travel together in Bali. 

It didn't feel like real life but it made "real life" at home feel even less "real". And it was a real good time.

It was a successful 3 months on the incredibly photogenic island of Bali. 

WHAT I LEARNED IN BALI

4. How to build a website. Example: EditMate. 

3. Anything is possible in the sense that everything is negotiable and anything can be arranged. 

2. Things are only worth the value assigned to them.

1. A big wide smile makes anyone beautiful. A rotten toothed, one eyed, wrinkly old woman becomes absolutely adorable when she sports a giant smile. 5 purchased bracelets later, her sales approach cat call of "Helloooo sexy sexy lady look at your sexy sexy bum" was effective as well, further proving point #2.