My Gregory Deva 60 has been packed. Cats fed and freshly littered. Plants watered, dog loved to pieces. I have successfully minimized my caffeine habit and have been (unbelievably) working out in order to prepare for some challenging hikes. Yes, it's true, I am leaving for New Zealand, today!

My past experiences with travel have been short-lived and infrequent. As kids, my parents took my sister and brother and me to tourist Mexico many times. It's probably where I learned so much bad Spanish. I spent about 10 days in Spain in high school. I think I was so insecure during that time, though, that I was more concerned with how fat I was going to look in the pictures than the gorgeous mosques and cathedrals we visited. I spent five weeks in Germany as an undergrad, studying the correlation between Wagner, opera, and WWII. Suffice to say, I spent most of that time avoiding the depressing subject by studying German beer instead. (The only German I can remember are references to beer--I couldn't tell you how to ask for a bathroom, but I could still order you your brew of choice in German.)

Traveling now is different. I don't plan to drink the weeks away (although apparently NZ has amazing wine), and now I realize the pictures aren't about how fat I look, they're actually about capturing the allure of other places.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to:
1) Seeing my sister
2) Seeing the ocean
3) Hiking on the South Island
4) Kayaking with Aunt Linda
5) Eating fresh apples and avocados
6) Respectfully learning about Maori culture
7) Seeing the Southern Cross

Here are a few things I am not looking forward to:
1) The plane ride
2) Missing my girlfriend and our pets
3) Figuring foreign currency
4) Coming home completely broke

Luckily, I have no qualms about going--even though I am afraid of coming home without any money, I know it will be worth it. I have only heard wonderful things about New Zealand--about how beautiful it is, how breathtaking, how wonderful.

So...check the blog...I will try to post once in a while if I can. I may even post some pictures, since Stacia has so generously offered to let me take her camera.