Like so many of these NZ adventures, my recent overnight camping trip to the Marlborough Sounds started out without a great deal of organization or preparation, a real fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants operation.

I’m about to hit you with some real talk here: life abroad is still life. I think people forget that.

There’s not a lot I won’t do for a good donut. Sure, there are people who might say that forty minutes is too far to drive for a donut. But I’m not friends with those people.

Most people are either surprised, appalled, or some mixture of the two when they find out that I am one of few and far between, that rare breed, a child of the Pacific Northwest with zero snow sports experience. The follow up question is usually an incredulous, “You’ve never skied or snowboarded?” Nope, never. 

I have never liked running. Sure, I grew up playing a number of sports and I consider myself naturally athletic, but there was always something about running that just never clicked with me the way it seemed to with other people. 

Hola! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted a blog, I’ve been busy tramping around the Nelson region, (which is not what it sounds like, Mom.) Remember, tramping=hiking in Kiwi-speak.

The final destination of any trip westward at the top of the South Island is Cape Farewell, where the sunny Nelson region meets the wild West Coast.

There’s something to be said for going to bed and rising with the sun. Anytime I’m camping or hiking I’m always struck buy how much more natural it feels to sync your sleep schedule with daylight hours.

This particular mish started on another one of those crisp, clear, sunshiny fall mornings that Nelson does so well. The vehicle? My very own Kiwi whip, a little silver Subaru Impreza hatchback that I love not for her looks, but for her fuel efficiency and durability. I dubbed her Lil’ Beezy

It is my firmly held belief that when one is living in a foreign country, one should aim to fully embrace the local customs and culture. This belief can be loosely adapted to mean, eat what the locals eat, and eat as much of it as possible, as often as possible.

It’s hard not to like Nelson. It’s kind of got it all; a gorgeous beach, the sea, mountain ranges to the West that are splashed with pink light every morning as the sun rises behind the foothills of the Richmond Range to the East, oh and did I mention it’s the sunniest place in New Zealand?

For six and a half glorious days during the third week of February, Auckland was graced with the presence of an American icon—no, not Bruce Springsteen or Nicholas Sparks (though I did see both of them)—it was the one and only Olivia.