hello me its me again.

Hello all, I'm back for another. Things have changed a bit since my last post. I have indeed found a job, but not the one I thought I had previously. The other job fell through do to their flakiness. It took them over a week to call me back so I went and found another job at a place called Prime dining. It's a burger joint that sells some of the best burgers I've ever tasted. The owner said he wanted to make it taste like a burger you find in the states and I think he's succeeded and then some. All the meat and produce here tastes so much better than the States because all of their produce and meat comes from their farms here. It's all "organically" raised being that everything is free range, and grown on multiple small family farms. The food is probably just as or less expensive than food in the states. It's a small country so it's easy for them to do, but the food here is probably some of the best I've tasted.
I think I've found a flat to live in with 2 other guys. They both ski quite a bit so it's a good resource to get on the hills. They both are from farms as well and said they get a ton of free meat and seafood from home, so I won't ever have to buy meat. That's pretty sweet.
I still don't have any pictures to post. I'm kind of bad about taking my camera places. I'll try and get some up on the next blog, and I'll include the All Blacks rugby game I went to.
On a more somber note I've just found out that my Grandma Cashie passed away two nights ago and I wish I could be there with my family to morn her loss. She was a wonderful woman with a heart bigger than most. The laughs and memories she left with us with always be with those she loved and she will be greatly missed. I can still feel the kisses on the back of my neck that she used to steal from me as a child, and I can't help but sit here and smile as I write about her. I'm glad she has moved on to a better place, and I know she left with many prayers and love surrounding her.
I hope life is good for all and I miss everyone. Until next time...

Christchurch it is.

So i've officially been in New Zealand for ten days. It's very cold, very damp, and if I don't have snow to play in I usually don't like the cold. However! I am having a blast. I just landed a job (I'm pretty sure). I had a working interview last night and had the whole system down after three hours. (well a good understanding anyways.) I'm bartending once again. It's a very versatile skill. If you can pour booze you will never go hungry. I got the job on the same day that I applied, actually two hours after. Pretty sick. I'm counting my blessings on that one, and very thankful that it happened so quickly. How could you refuse this face right? (try not to throw up in your mouth, its hard, but think about how bad it tastes.) I actually haven't been officially hired yet, but I'm almost positive I will. The guy I trained with said as far as he's concerned I'm hired, but the powers that be haven't talked to me yet. Almost everyone there is on a work visa though. Last night I worked with two Brazilian girls, one French Canadian, one girl from the north island, and a guy that is from Christchurch. There's two guys in the kitchen that are from Brazil as well. It's a really small place, and very laid back. It's right up my alley.
After work, a few of us went out and got pissed/smashed/buggered etc. (really i just had a few, I like to keep my wits about me in a new place, but people here might give Glenwood folk a run for their money on alcohol consumption.) The people that I work with and the people they're friends with remind me of the people at the Brew Pub...so they're a bunch of ass holes. Kidding, kidding, I can tell I'll fit right in. I probably shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch but I like to think positively.
So the next quest is a place to live. Figure I'll stay close to Payson, Lindsay, Bridget, and work. Once I get that duck in a row and I hammer out a work schedule I'll figure my travelling adventures in New Zealand. I'll take some pictures and actually have something to post on here besides my rambling babble.
Snowboarding obviously is in my future, but I have to buy my gear first. There is a web site here that is basically New Zealand's E-Bay or Craig's list might be a better comparison, but I think I'll find my stuff on there. I also checked out a web sight for Heli Boarding. I can get 4 runs and a "gourmet" lunch on top of one of the mountains for $800 NZ, so right around $500 American. I'm gonna do it. Obviously I have to save money first, but I don't think I'll ever have the same opportunity for the same price. So if you want to send money to the "Heli tours or bust" fund feel free. Do it because you love me, and if not, do it because there's a good chance I could crash and you could be rid of me forever! (Mom it was joke, I won't crash, don't worry. The world needs me too much to just kill me off. But it'd be a pretty epic way to go, so either way.) I'll get pics up as soon as possible and have even more to say when I actually start travelling. I'm getting all sorts of good advice from the locals, so I think I'm in good hands. Love you all, and miss everyone. Thanks for reading my Blog. Bye!

New Zealand doesn't know what's about to hit it.

Hello all.  I have arrived in Christchurch New Zealand.  It was a grand total of 19 hours total on the plane, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with customs or security, or economy class again for at least a few months.  New Zealand is incredible and I've really only seen if from the window of the plane.  The north Island has jagged shore lines, and inland lakes the contrast green foliage, rolling hills, and a sudden uprise of mountains here and there.  It's crazy how the perspective on plane makes everything look so surreal.  I felt like I was looking down at an incredibly executed diorama.  The south island views reminded me a whole lot of colorado from the plane.  White capped mountains stretching past the arc of the globe, even at 35,000 feet.  Can't wait to go explore.  I think I will be doing my first road trip this Saturday, and I'll start acquiring pics of New Zealand.  I haven't really snapped any so far.

Rarotonga was incredible.  I met a ton of awesome people, and made memories for life in the short seven days I stayed.  I went on a cross island trek that started on the north side of the island and fed us out on the south side.  I think it was only like a 10k hike or something of that nature but we climbed 400m on the trek, and at the very top I could see the shoreline on the north and south side of the island.  It has been my favorite view so far.  If all goes well I will have the pics attached to this blog.  Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries at the peak of the hike, so I missed out on the photo ops for the entire decent, including the water fall and pool at the end of the hike that we had a rather refreshing swim in.  Patricia (a french canadian bad ass) that I did the hike with has my back on those pics though, and I'll post the decent when I get them from her.  I also did the hike with a guy named Matt from Aukland, and a girl name Anita from Germany.

I also went sea kayaking and explored three of the four small islands just off the shore line of the main island.  I had my own private beach on one island that was inhabited with an army of hermit crabs.  One that I found looked like it could have been served for $39.99 at your closest Red Lobster, it was massive.  

I went deep sea fishing for the first time in my life.  We spent five hours on the water and circled the entire island.  We were targeting yellow fin tuna, but unfortunately we didn't hook anything.  I actually did get to reel something in though.  About forty minutes before we called it a day one of the rods hit, and i got to man the chair.  It was about a twenty minute fight, and felt like I was pulling up the ocean floor.  It didn't feel all that alive, but none the less I was enjoying struggling against what ever it was I was pulling in from the bottom of the ocean.  As my struggle came to an end and we looked to see what we had caught, disappointment set in as I managed to find the only piece of drift wood within 100 miles I think.  Oh well, at least I got to reel something in.

We went and shook our groove thang on the friday night I spent there and I danced so much that I had a sweat stain that would make Rocky Balboa jealous.  Needless to say Rarotonga got a heavy dose of rhythmic thrusts, mowers, sprinklers, and loved every second of it.  I was surrounded by beautiful women from around the world, drunk as shit off absinth (non-hallucinogenic kind) and beer, and gettin it.  What else could I ask for?  Virginia and Patricia have my back on those pics as well, and I'll post those when I get a chance as well.  

The last two days were filled with sunshine, sand and sunsets.  I almost missed my flight to New Zealand do to a slight oversight on my part about my departure and arrival date.  I was arriving in New Zealand on the 16th so had it in my mind that was when I was departing, but did not take into account the international date line.  In fact I was leaving Rarotonga on the 15th and arriving in New Zealand on the 16th, after just a 4 hour flight.  I went back to the future, just by crossing an imaginary line arbitrarily drawn on a map of our globe.  Isn't time funny.  One of the grandest illusions man kind has ever tried to measure and master.  In New Zealand Colorado is 6 hours ahead of our time, but a day behind us.  So right now it is 5:15 pm yesterday in colorado.  Meaning right now it is 11:15am a day ahead of you as I write this.  I guess I shouldn't just limit this to colorado readers though.  I hope to acquire international followers as my travels progress.  

I've decided to try and master an accent while I'm here so I can use its magical powers on the women back home when I return.  I can't decide if I want to go for Kiwi, Aussie, South African or British, nor do I know if my brain will ever be able to differentiate between them, but I think if I just form a hybrid the girls back home won't really be able to call me on my bluff unless I'm really bad at it.  Well this entry feels like it is turning into a Tolstoy novel so I shall bid you fair well.  Cheers for stopping by (not sure if I even used cheers correctly there but I'm working on my jargon).  Until the next time.

Rarotonga!

I've spent the last two days in Island paradise. This place is literally an hour long bus ride around, (going 50km/hr) and a four hour hike through the middle of it, which I'm going to do tomorrow. There are lagoons, and water falls all over the middle of the island, and coral reef and crystal blue waters that surround it.
I'm also convinced this is dog heaven. There are dogs everywhere here that all seem to roam where ever they please. They are grungy, stinky, and all have collars and are registered with the island yet really no owners. Where every they go they are taken care of by island folk, and are probably some of the nicest dogs I've ever met.
I came across one named scabby that sticks around the hostel I'm staying at. His name really fits his looks. I woke up to him attempting to burrow into my un opened sour patch kids bag, and then rewarded him with one after I opened it. I had a shadow for the rest of the afternoon. All is well so far, I will post pictures soon. None of the Internet cafes here allow you to upload photographs from your camera, so pictures will probably come once I hit New Zealand. Thanks for stopping by my blog, and keep checking in for the latest updates. Soon I shall be in winter once again, shredding and staying warm. Can't say I really miss Colorado yet, but I love you all. Keep on keepin on.

Nick.

Just a little test.

I decided to start a blog to keep in touch and share my upcoming travels with all the bad mo fo's I've befriended or been related to over the years. I've never blogged or, even looked at other blogs, so this is my maiden voyage (in my traveling and blogging experience really). I'll be sure to smash a champagne bottle over my face before I'm through with this blog, or at least before I set foot on the plane. There will be little added to this sight until I actually get underway. I'll be leaving June, 7 at 6:45pm from DIA and arriving in Roratonga, on June 8th at 7:00am their time. Can't wait to go, can't wait to share what I see. Until next month...