Less than 24 hours left in Australia, and this is my Thank You.

About a month ago when we first arrived in Australia, I posted on Facebook about the wonderful hosts we were staying with surrounding the Tough Mudder. The inspirational notes left around the house and huge hugs as we said our goodbyes made quite the impact to both Adam and myself. We have now found ourselves back at Chris and Noel’s home to close out our trip in comfort and relaxation. In a way, it feels like we’re home.

We were able to settle right in, use the same food storage box we used when we started, and make our way to our room. For me- this means more than just a place to stay. This has been the longest time I have ever been away from home. I graduated college, bought my house and went from living at my parents to living 15 minutes away. Yes, I may have traveled a ton for work, but it was a maximum of 8 days at once; not three months.

We have come back to a familiar place. We know where the pots and pans are, we know the sound of the animals early in the morning, and we know the place we are in is home to two of the most wonderful people we have come across.


Picture of a picture of Chris & Noel!

Chris & Noel- We will forever be thankful for your open arms and smiling faces. Your hearts are filled with so much love and we love you for that! We are sad we never were able to get a photo with you, so we took one of the photo you already had framed HAHA!

After traveling around a bit, we started our HelpX work for stay experience. Here is where we met Harvey and Jane- two more hearts of gold. They came over for dinner and after a bit of conversation, they opened their home to host us if we made our way back to Melbourne before we left. Sometimes we just have to sit back and think, is this real life!? Can people REALLY be so welcoming and kind? Well, they are!

We stayed in contact and after a week of camping in the pouring rain, we made our way to their house in Melbourne for some warmth, shower, and a comfortable bed. What we were greeted with and received was so much more. As soon as we arrived, Jane, Lara [daughter], Alex [Lara’s boyfriend] & Simon [son] were cooking up a delicious stir-fry while Harvey was absent due to playing a late game of squash. We filled our bowls, grabbed our seats and talked with everyone- it was so comfortable and felt like we have known this family for a while. Everyone is so interesting in their own way. It was awesome to hear about Lara’s incredible travel stories, Alex’s off roading Subaru [Adam loved it!], and Simons interest in sports and adventure. Lara photographs her journeys to different countries so beautifully we really felt like we were there while flipping through. Awesome people.

Melbourne, Australia

We stayed with Harvey & Jane for 3 nights and we truly just wanted to spend more time with them. Coming originally from Zimbabwe and spending time living in South Africa, these two individuals were intriguing to us and the more we talked to them, the more that escalated. Harvey can tell a story in a way that just captivates you. Jane can make you smile and laugh with just about anything she says- you know those people who can just bring a smile to your face? She’s one of them. And the relationship that Harvey and Jane has is so wonderful. I hope Adam and I complement each other as much as they do!  

The second night we stayed with them, we all [minus Lara- she was out on a research trip] went to a DELICIOUS Indian dinner. We sat around and talked about accents, our time in Melbourne, living in the US, what it was like to life in Africa, and so much more. The food was amazing and the conversation was even better.

L to R: Simon, Jane, Me, Alex, Harvey & Adam

We took the next day to explore the city of Melbourne and met again for dinner at home. Harvey and Adam shared their enjoyment of Scotch while Jane and I shared ours of wine. We felt like we could converse for days. Oh, and they had two wonderful pups- Buddy and Oly. Buddy wasn’t too fond of Adam, but he seemed to warm up when I was around. Smart pup!

Harvey & Buddy!

Harvey & Jane- Thank you for opening your home to us. We are so glad we have connected with you two and can’t wait until we can meet again. Until then, we will stay in touch and forever remember our time spent with you.

We have been so fortunate to come across heaps of incredibly nice people during our travels so far.

We are almost out of Melbourne. But until then, it’s time to relax.

Here’s to new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

From a 4 hour flight from LA to LA, to the airport management office in Tahiti, we FINALLY MADE IT!

Our trip took about 100 more interesting turns..

Our flights [on 1/18] from Buffalo to California were as smooth as can be. We arrived in LA and made our way to our hotel for the night. The smoothness stopped there.

Just landed in LA

We packed everything up the next morning fingers crossed the weight of our packs would be good to carry on. We had to do a bit of re arranging as the overhead bins are tighter than we expected [which we found out during our flight in to LA]. Security at LAX was smooth and we were on our way to our gate. We relaxed for a bit and showed up about an hour before boarding. 30 minutes go by and we hear “Nicole Hauser & Adam Bautz please report to gate 121”. Oh boy…

The representative at the gate explains to us that in order to board this flight, we must provide a departure flight out of Auckland, NZ… FYI: we are only rolling with one way tickets and apparently this is a no-no. She then told us we must show proof of a flight out before boarding began for THIS flight if we wanted to board it- we had 10 minutes.

We sat down and I jumped on Kayak.com and started searching. Knowing that we have signed up for the Tough Mudder on March 23 in Melbourne, Australia- we had a good idea when we were going to exit NZ for a little while as it was. They were making announcements in French which made me even more nervous and pressured since I had no idea what they were saying- all I was hoping was that it had nothing to do with boarding that’s for sure. Bingo- nonstop flights came to the top and I booked us on a direct flight March 20^th from Auckland to Melbourne- ran to the counter, showed our proof and we were good to go.

Talk about a close one.

From there we will decide if we head back to New Zealand, which we think is the plan right now, or head elsewhere from Australia. We are still waiting on our FIRST ticket money back from the insurance company [the claim is still in progress] so that may play a part in what we do as well.

As I type this we are now two hours into flight #3 [LAX to PPT/Tahiti_8hr40m flight].

We just enjoyed our Chicken dinner which was actually quite delightful [even though the picture doesn't appear so] and so graciously accompanied by complimentary wine- thank you Air Tahiti Nui [keep em’ coming]!

Air Tahiti Meal

We will land in Pepeete around 10pm their time.  After customs, we will find the shuttle to the hotel we are staying at for the night, which is where I will have WIFI and be able to post this. Thankfully, I noticed on the booking reservation that they only accept cash in their currency for payment. We stopped at Currency exchange to get the 9,500 in Tahiti money [$130USD] and exchange the rest of our USD for NZD [New Zealand Dollars].

We depart Tahiti at 9am Jan 20 and arrive in Auckland at 1pm Jan 21. This flight is only 5.5 hours but considered an overnight flight because of the time difference and date change. Once we arrive in New Zealand, we booked our first 2 nights stay through Budget Backpacker Hostels NZ [BBH] so we are able to get situated and relax. BBH is a network of approved hostels and better pricing if you are a BBH member. We can pay for and pick up our BBH member cards at the location of our first stay [$65NZD]. On the BBH website, you are able to put requests in for different locations based on the accommodation you would like- single room, private room, private room with private bathroom, single bed in a multi-stay room, etc.

From there we will have a few days until we start at our first WWOOFing location.

The flight attendants also gave us cute little flowers while en route Tahiti.

Flower Power.

CHANGE OF PLANS.

Literally as I pushed SAVE and was about to put my Surface away, an announcement came on in French and all I could make out was “LA”. The English version came on which informed us that due to mechanical issues, we are heading back to LAX and will arrive at 7:30pm, which is in about an hour and a half. 4 hour flight, and we will be back where we started. Update: Mechanical Issues=a bird flying into the engine. W.T.F.

Side note: they requested the cute little flowers pictured above back, since you can't bring flowers into the United States.. 

We have to fill out brand new customs forms to enter back into the US, they are taking care of hotel accommodations, and who knows what else….

And let me tell you, the worst flight ever to have is a 4 hour flight from LA to LA. Fact.

LAX Hell..

After sitting in LAX for three hours, they prompted us to board again. We got back on the plane and were off at around 11pm. We tried to sleep most of the time, ate the meal they served at 4am which threw us both off, and finally arrived in Tahiti around 530am. Our flight out of there was at 910am so we were looking OK there. We go through customs, out of the airport, and right to the check-in counter for this flight. More issues.

Apparently Air Tahiti Nui didn’t update their system with the flight out of NZ- so they asked us to show proof. We had no WIFI and nothing to show that we had that flight to Melbourne, so they brought us into the management office of the airport so I could log on to my email and pull up the receipt. The keyboard was different and I was basically a hot mess.

Tahiti Airport Management Office

All in all- the boss logged in for me because I was not capable of doing it myself with their wacky keyboard, we showed proof, and we were checked in. All I could think was- when will we catch a break!?

Waiting in the Tahiti Airport

We had 2 hours in the Tahiti airport and we boarded our LAST FLIGHT of our 4 flight disaster. We were FINALLY en route to land in New Zealand…

and finally... THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!!

I am finishing this from Freemans Backpackers Lodge [Hostel]. We walked around to get a bite last night and check out what was around us, and immediately crashed when we got back. I think we are both ready to get out of the city already, and get into some pretty epic scenery and nature.

Freemans Backpacker Lodge- Our Room

It’s a bit rainy this morning, but we are on a mission today to possibly purchase a campervan so we have something to drive/sleep in while we are here [when not camping or WWOOFing] and a few other things [wall plug converters, etc].

All smiles from Auckland, New Zealand,

Nicole

Wednesday January 22, 8:31am

 

2013: The Year of Change

What a whirlwind this year has been. I started with no idea it would end up this way- which goes against so much of what I feel strongly about: planning is EVERYTHING! Don’t get me wrong, I will always be a planner and will always try to plan as much as I can, but I never could imagined or planned a year ago what I am about to embark on in a just about a week.

The Year of Love.

The biggest unplanned event this year has to be Adam. Meeting someone like Adam is life changing, even if you don’t end up falling in love and traveling the world as we may be. He has made me stronger than I ever have been before- believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself and picking me up when I needed a little help.  He is the most incredible support system and told me that if I had a dream and really wanted to make it a reality, I am the only one stopping myself- 100% true. Dreams do come true. Cheesy- but only when it happens to you, you believe it.

First Date!

The Year of Long-distance Love and THANKYOULEAH.

While meeting Adam was one of the best things, we started our relationship as a long-distance one. He was hiking the Appalachian Trail with Warrior Hike. We didn’t know when we could talk as service was spotty, so every day was a stare-at-your-phone-until-he-calls kind of day. In addition to not knowing when we would talk, we saw each other just about every two months when I would visit where he was. How did I stay so strong? I was lucky enough to have an incredible friend who would listen when I was having a hard day and who would continue to make me feel strong when I wasn’t feeling that way myself. As I said previously, meeting someone like Adam is life changing but I have to say- meeting someone and having a friend like Leah is just as amazing. Thank you SO MUCH Leah for being there through thick and thin, as I’m sure you wanted to say SUCK IT UP about a hundred times but didn’t. If I could pack you in my pack and bring you to New Zealand I would- I know I’ll need you while I’m there!! Love you, Freebird!

Adam took BOTH of us off-roading the morning after our first date. 

The Year of Selling Things.

What didn’t I sell this year? The most emotional sale was that of my house…my first home.  This was bittersweet as it held so many memories for me, but it was so incredibly satisfying. I lived on Harvest Ave for four years, and it was a learning experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I know what I would do different and what to look for when buying: what I want [a bigger bathroom] vs. what I don’t want [a tiny bathroom]. The important things of course. In addition to selling the house, I just about sold everything in it the weekend before hosting an epic yard sale with some amazing things. The house was sold the first day of my week vacation that month- luck. That brings me to the most recent- I sold my SUV yesterday. LUCK for sure. Perfect timing and it was to someone I know which is even better. Sell. Sell. Sell!

My first home.

The Year of Heartache.

I debated writing about this [because it makes me so emotional] but it was one of the hardest things I had to do this year. Due to my crazy work schedule and traveling in 2012, and the start of planning for this travel adventure, I had to find a home for the two most amazing fur babies anyone could have- Raisin and Lilly. I refused to separate them, and I wanted nothing in return other than finding a new forever home for these two peanuts. Thankfully, with the help of The Island Pet Lodge on Grand Island, NY, and knowing some incredible people, I found the most incredible place for them to grow up in. Thank you Kim & Jeffery Pardee- you made one of the hardest things I have ever had to do just a little more bearable. I fought through the tears [and still do when talking about it…like right now] but I know, without a doubt, they are with two INCREDIBLE people that would raise them just as I would have.

Lilly & Raisin

The Year of The Freebird.

I’ve worked since I was 14 so leaving my job was one of the strangest things I have done this year. Since I am a planner, and the thought of the unknown financially makes me a bit CRAZY, I wasn’t happy and I knew that. From our first date [which Leah attended by the way…I’ll never live that one down] we joked about being Freebirds. Not until this moment did I feel like a true Freebird.  There is comfort for me here though since we will be volunteering while on our journey. As it will be in exchange for housing & meals, we have a purpose. We will learn new things every day while we are gone, knowledge that will benefit us for years to come.

Dave Matthews Band Concert

This year has truly been amazing.

As New Years Eve is here, I do not have a New Years Resolution as many do. There is no specific thing I am looking to change or make different, but in turn hoping that during my upcoming journey I find more about myself than I knew when I left.

I open my arms wide to 2014: The Year of Happy.