On The Road Again: Palmerston North to Lake Taupo
I spent most of today in the car on a 3hr road trip from Palmerston North to Taupo. Woke up feeling a bit groggy from loud singing Adele with mum after an amazing dinner and few bottles of wine with my cousins. We had so much fun together last night. I love having my family close, getting to know them, making jokes together, them making fun of me, and laughing. This trip has been so exciting.
I went to say my last goodbye to nana at the home this morning. She was doing better than yesterday but she’s had quite a decline from the first day I saw her over a week ago. Getting old is sad. Next, we visited my cousin Lisa and gave gifts to her three darling little daughters. It was nice. Lisa came to visit us in Canada when she was 9. Her and my sister used to look so much alike. Lisa is 1/2 Maori and beautiful. Mum is staying in Palmy this week to spend more time with her mum and I’m on the road alone.
The best parts of my trip today were stopping at least 10 times to take photos and post things on the internet. A long drive on the open road is nice but I like to take photos so luckily for me, New Zealand has a lot of rest stops.
Aside from driving on the other side of the road, it’s pretty challenging because the roads are narrow and twist and wind all over the place. You really have to concentrate. I had my GoPro along for the drive and haven’t even checked the card for that yet. I’m planning to do some data backup and management on the long, nearly 24-hour journey back to Canada.
I stopped to take some photos from this lookout.
Stopped at Mt Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. On the way in we drove past but it was too cloudy to see the peaks. Still looks good from the last time I saw it back when I was 18! The last eruption was in 2007.
Then went to the Tokaanu Hot Pools about 45 minutes outside Taupo. For $12 you can get our own private pool. I took a dip in the public one too and was out of there in just over 20 min. One of the joys of solo travel is zipping in and out of tourist attractions really fast. In Wellington, I did both the National Museum Te Papa and the War Museum in about 30 min each. That post is coming soon. I’m a few days behind!
At Lake Taupo I stopped for ice cream at the beach and read my book in the sun. It was so lovely. People were swimming, riding bikes, riding seadoos, parasailing, and boating.
After a little rest up on the beach, I drove over to my Airbnb. My hosts are super nice. We talked over tea before they headed out for a night swim at the pool. I took in the sunset and soaked up the wifi to write this all down.
I’m really having a great time. I miss Sean and home but I also love being on the road. Can you believe we sill have 5 more days!? Tomorrow I drive to Auckland to stay with a friend. Can’t wait!
With love from New Zealand,
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Being Human on The Internet #TEDx
This my TEDx Talk from late 2015 where I speak about innovation and social media. The theme of TEDx Western was The Human Condition. I start out sharing some things I’ve had the opportunity to do because of the internet and then move into how the internet has changed, how fast they change, faking it, followers, narcissism, influencers, and where all this social media stuff is going. The original blog post from the day I spoke at Western University in London, ON is here.
“If you’re in school there’s a good chance you’ll be working in a job that doesn’t exist yet.” – Casie Stewart
Posting this gives me anxiety because I don’t think it’s my best work but I can’t take it back now! Feel free to watch if you have 15 minutes. I would love your comments, good OR bad. I know I kept turning around to face the screen and don’t do that anymore, the monitor up front wasn’t showing my slides. I was also a bit heaver here than I want to be omg the internet gives me anxiety.
“If you have a vision, keep that in mind. Follow that. there might be people who may not understand but that’s because your vision is so far ahead they can’t see it yet”. – Casie Stewart
TEDxWesternU 2015: The Human Condition; a concept that is intimately intertwined with every single one of our lives. All of us subscribe to the human condition and the diversity of what that means makes humanity the enigma that it is. Together we will try to navigate its definition from the perspectives of a variety of professionals. From implications on healthcare to business to human rights, TEDxWesternU 2015 will explore what it means to be human.
The Best Fish & Chips Come Wrapped in Paper
The last couple days have been so incredibly lovely. We’ve been staying with Catherine and having so many laughs. The first day we visited nana who was doing ok but she seem’s a bit better. My last update I was feeling super emotional, it was real talk. Happy to report I’m feeling much better now. I’ve been meeting up with cousins and getting to know my family and my heart is full of love.
Yesterday we went to Himatangi Beach for a long walk and swim. IT WAS AMAAAAAZING. Both my mum and dad used to go there heaps growing up. My granddad used to have a beach house but I didn’t know which one so I don’t have a photo lol.
I walked along with mum, and my cousins Alec (dad), Margot (his daughter), and their two little Scottie dogs. It was so much fun. They call them ‘doggos’! We ran up and down the beach playing with the pups and walking on water while the tide was out. After we stripped down to our togs (kiwi for bathing suit!) and body surfed in the ocean.
That night Alec invited us over for dinner and we had a good kiwi bbq w/ salad, potatoes, steak, sausages, and wine. Lots of wine! Mum drove home lol. We all told stories around the table and laughed our heads off. We had more wine back at the house with my other cousins and I loved every minute of it. Doing a good job of making up for lost time while I’m here. Did a pop by and made dinner plans for my mum’s twin brother’s daughter and her family next week (another cousin party!).
Today we tried to go to yoga but it was closed for the week. It’s crazy how everything shuts down here for the holidays. After not doing yoga we stopped into one cafe that had a closed kitchen for the week. See?! Crazy! We had a nice brekky at another little spot before mum and I met a different cousin in the park. I bought her girl’s an ice cream each and it was so hot out they melted all over the place by the duck pond. It was pretty funny!
We had a few laughs and a brief afternoon visit with nana too. She remembered us today. Next week I’ll be on adventure by myself mostly. I bought mum a one way flight on a local airline so she can spend more time here with nana then meet me in Auckland a couple days before we come home. I’m looking forward to it! Have some fun stuff planned.
Tonight for dinner we had fish & chips from Mork & Mindy’s and MY GOD THEY WERE GOOD. They’re best when wrapped in paper. When I was a kid they were wrapped in newsprint. That would never happen now! New Zealand ‘fush & chups’ are so fresh and delicious, it’s hard to explain but they’re just so GOOD. We ate heaps with lots of laughs and had a nice night at the house.
Tomorrow we drive out to the coast. I can’t wait to be back there. It’s incredibly beautiful. Everything here is stunning. Another cool thing about New Zealand is how the air smells. It’s fresh, sweet, and exotic after a good rain. There’s a storm right now so hoping it clears up by morning!
LOVE FROM NEW ZEALAND!
I THINK MUM IS HAPPY!
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Hi from Palmerston North, aka Palmy!
Well my friends! It’s been almost 10 days since I’ve been away and it feels like forever! I had a nice time over the weekend at Coromandel with my family and the weather was beautiful. We had fresh fish everyday and I took as much time to read at the beach as possible. It’s lovely here but I can’t help but miss home, I miss everyone, my bf, my house, and even the snow. I’m grateful but it’s been a bit hard.
I’m in Pamerston North now which is about 6 hours south from Auckland in the North Island. The air is warm and the air here smells fresh and clean. I love the smell of new Zealand. Yesterday I met some of my cousins for the first time and we shared laughs and stories at a cafe called Baristas.
We’re staying with a friend of mum’s, like a sister, and she is so incredibly lovely. An artist who is all about positive energy with a garden full of monarch butterflies, apple & lemon trees, grape vines, and green grass. She also has 5G wifi and I’ve got my own room, so, about as good as it gets!
Travelling with a parent is kinda stressful and if you have any tips please share. Stayed at a great Airbnb at Lake Taupo yesterday and then drove to our next destination Palmerston North. We visited my nana yesterday, mum’s mum, who isn’t doing that great and tbh don’t think will be around much longer. I’m glad I was able to bring mum to see her but just the weight of it all is heavy. I’ve cried a lot the last two days.
It’s kind of weird being here because a lot of it is familiar from my previous trips but so much is different. I’m taking it one day at a time but knowing in the back of my mind that nana could go at any minute is hard to ignore. This afternoon we’re planning to go to the beach if the rain holds up. I’m sitting outside at a cafe drinking a flat white and using wifi outside. I found a yoga studio and am planning to pop by for a class in about an hour.
Sending sunshine from New Zealand!
I’ll be home in 11 days!
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Happy New Year from Coromandel, New Zealand!
G’day from down under! Haven’t had great wifi the last couple days and it’s actually been quite lovely! We’ve got a small cabin at a park on the beach about 2 hours north of Auckland. I was 12 when I was last here.
It’s so great to spend time with my cousins and family. Today we’re having a New Years Eve H?ngi, a traditional M?ori method of cooking for special occasions. Instead of cooking it in the ground, uncle Donald and Linda are cooking the food all day in a beer keg! How cool is that? Luckily they remembered to remove these Custom tap handles for your beer keg which they picked up when they bought the keg, beer and all.
Today I went fishing w/ my cousin and caught this big snapper!
Being out on the water was incredibly beautiful and HOT. My god the sun here is brilliantly warm and sun block is essential because there’s a hole in the ozone layer. I’m going for safe gradual tan and we’ve still got 2 weeks to go.
Tomorrow we drive to Taupo and stay in a farm house Airbnb for one night. Next we head to Palmerston North for a couple days then out to the coast near Masterton for the weekend.
Sending love and sunshine from the future (18 hours ahead of Toronto)!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Land of the Long White Cloud
Some photos from our first full day here in Auckland. We went to the beach, the mall, had a meat pie, and a nice visit with my auntie, mum’s sister.
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This is the Best Travel Accessory EVER.
Mum and I arrived in New Zealand earlier this week and the flight was pretty great. I was a little nervous about driving in NZ on the other side of the road with a right-hand drive car but it was totally ok.
I was super alert after sleeping half of the flight from San Francisco to Auckland.
Everyone knows the travel pillows below but they’re bulky, not that stylish, and don’t really hold up your head.
Well, do I have the best travel accessory ever for you!
I ordered the Trtl pillow from Amazon and when mum came over before we left, she was like “ok I need one of these too”. So now I have ordered two. It was an absolute lifesaver for the journey here. It wraps around your neck like a scarf and the plastic bit under the cover holds your head up. I slept 5 hours on the 11-hour flight, incredible!
I picked up a few other things for this trip and they’ve already come in super handy. We’re in Auckland this week and driving up to the Coromandel Peninsula tomorrow to spend some time at the beach with some family on my dad’s side. I love it here so much.
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With love from New Zealand!
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2018: Do What You Love, Do It Now
Don’t waste time. Don’t stay in a job you hate or a love you don’t have.
Do what you love. Do what makes you happy.
Whatever you truly want is out there waiting for you to grab on and take it for a ride.
Find it. Build it. Break it. Make it. Bring it into your life.
Find your happiness and take it everywhere you go. Share it around and it will spread.
It’s contagious in the best kind of way.
If you don’t want to do something find a way to change it. Don’t feel bad about staying home or changing your mind. It’s ok to change your mind, realize you don’t want something anymore. Make lists and cross things off. Do the thing you have always wanted to do.
Do what makes you happy. Find a way to make it your life.
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Paris in the Springtime?
I’m nervous/excited today and that’s my favourite feeling in the world. The feeling you get before something big happens, before you make a significant change or a go on a great adventure. Tomorrow I’m on set for a few scenes of my cameo in a feature film. Yes, me! Huge call sheet with lots of scenes and set times, characters, craft, lighting. So exciting! On Sunday mum and I leave for New Zealand.
This is where we are spending 3 days over New Years with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.
If you’ve been following, you’ll know Aeroplan covered the tickets for mum and I to go back to NZ. The video I shot with 1188/Aeroplan is now out and I am genuinely so excited. Scroll down to watch it!
In other exciting travel news, Aeroplan just launched a new tool for using your Miles to book flights and get travel deals. I’ve been an Aeroplan member since I was a teenager and redeeming miles has been helpful in my adventures. I also have a credit card that helps me earn rewards.
I got a chance to check out the site as soon as it launched and obvs my first instinct was to check the great deals. As more people book the great deals, more will come available. Some of the destinations on my vacation dreams list are Barcelona, Venice, Lisbon, and Athens. The interface is nice and clean and it’s easy to navigate.
I found a great deal to Paris in the springtime which has been a dream of mine for the last few years. I imagine Sean and I riding bikes with berets and baguettes, romantic walks by the tour Eiffel. Lots of flowers and cafes.
I’m really excited and can’t wait for adventure that lies ahead.
See my Aeroplan video below and check out the new travel site here.
FYI I talked about my partnership with Aeroplan here.
