'Not all those who wander are lost'- J. R. R. Tolkien

I love to travel, and I hope that never changes. Coming to New Zealand has made me realize how much I love to travel for an extended period of time. Backpacking around is fun and all, and I love that too, but I loved meeting the people here, spending time with the Kiwi's learning the Maori Culture, taking classes, going to food stores, and being fully immersed in a culture the way that you can never experience in only a few days or weeks at a time.

In new zealand I became an adventurer, I bungee jumped, horse trekked, white&black water rafted, rock climbed, kayaked, biked, swam, and splunked (caving). 5 hour hikes became the normal everyday. I hiked across beaches, valleys, and forests through caves and rivers, over mountains, down ravines, through rain, snow, and sunshine. New Zealand turned me into an adventurer. It make me say 'yes' to experiencing new things, trying new foods, and talking to new people. So on my last week in new Zealand when a friend asked me to go on a 5 hour hike, I did it mostly barefoot, and when I found the most perfect patch of moss along the hike, I laid on it and felt like frodo waiting for gandelf to walk by and have a chat. I have never felt more like a Kiwi, than I had at that moment. It explains their relaxed nature, and love for the outdoors, with just a tweak of 'Tolkien' hidden in the magical-ness of the image.