New Zealand 2007

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Please forgive me because I am just getting around to posting my blog from New Zealand. I know it's been half a year... Anyway, I wrote these entries during my travels and am just now uploading them online, so please read them from the perspective of a person on the road. I've included dates and such, so it shouldn't be too confusing. And always feel free to drop me a comment if you have any questions!

Thanks!
Rachael
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July 16, 2007 (En Transit)
Columbus, Ohio USA

Being my punctual self (for once), I am sitting in terminal A4 of CMH anxiously awaiting my flight to LAX, en route to New Zealand. I decided to book my flight with Southwest Airlines, not only because I’ve heard good things about the company from my pilot friends and fellow travelers but also because I found a great deal on CheapTickets.com. (And great deals are always a great thing for a person on a budget.)

Just to preface this trip, I’ll let you in on all my pre-travel activities. About a month and a half ago I graduated from good ol’ Ohio University (go Bobcats!) with a degree in journalism. This opened the opportunity for a possible career path as a writer or editor, but not being completely sure if that’s really the direction I wanted to take, I began working as caffeine provider at a Starbucks back home. Needless to say, as nice as the job is for now, I already need a break from early-morning zombies demanding a fresh dark roast drip and pre-teen mall shoppers with Frappachino cravings.

That being said, amid all the bustle of graduating, moving home and adjusting to the “working world” my ever-anticipated trip to the land down under snuck up on me fairly quickly, which made packing an interesting challenge. Because of flight regulations imposed last September (shortly following my return from Europe), all the liquids in my carry on had to fit in a quart-sized ziplock bag and everything had to be in three-ounce containers. Because I’m a girl with an endless supply of styling products, this turned out to be quite a pain to coordinate. (A word to the wise: a 3oz. bottle of shampoo, body wash, etc. will last an average of 2.5 weeks when used in reasonable doses.) But in the end the transferring of liquids into smaller bottles made my load much lighter – a definite plus because packing for New Zealand’s winter months was tough.

I had to pack two weeks worth of sweatshirts, sweaters and jeans in one suitcase when the only thing I had on the brain was hot hot weather. I chose the “roll and stack” method as my particular strategy to make everything fit, so we’ll see if it works. This meant taking every piece of clothing – t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts, scarves – rolling them, and stacking them four or so items high. In my four years of college life, I’ve acquired a knack for making a lot of things fit in tight spaces, so I’m thinking I will be ok. I just hope I don’t return home with a big mess of jumbled laundry.