New Zealand's Whanganui River Journey Great Walk: It'll Strengthen Your Relationship

"Well, we went down yonder on the Whanganui, never knew how much that muddy water would mean to us!" The Whanganui Journey is considered a Great Walk in New Zealand and traveling the river is the only way to see Whangnanui National Park. Heck yeah! We couldn’t miss out on this new type of adventure!

Most folks hire a Canadian Canoe and all the gear, but since we have our inflatable kayak we decided to save some dollars and kayak down the river. Only after a few hours, we realized the reason for the canoes and began looking longingly at all of the canoes that passed us. Our kayak has a wide, flat bottom causing tons of drag and making us take. for. ever. to get down the river. No rain in awhile meant the water was low and the current was slow. Other canoeists would just look at us curiously (we were the only “different” ones in an inflatable kayak), make small talk for the few moments it took them to effortlessly pass us, and would continue on. With constant paddling and no help from the river, we quickly realized the physical meaning of team work. We had no choice but to work together. To paddle separately was a waste of precious energy and wasn’t worth much as we had to paddle the 56 miles down the Whanganui.

True professional rowers, Ingrid and Berend from the Netherlands. They put us to shame:)

Just to share the stats, the first day we kayaked from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm! After 8 hours of kayaking, morale was low and I was tired and cranky. Where was this stinking campsite?!? Then, BAM! Ah! Ah! Something was stinging me! I went flailing all over the kayak and screamed for Adam to get it off me. “Lindsey, stop it. It’s just a splinter.” Had I been rubbing up on trees for the last 8 hours? I don’t think so! We had been in the middle of a river for the last 8 hours! With no help from Adam, I flailed around some more with screaming and crying. I knew something had stung me and through some adreniline flexing magic, I had thrown the wasps body from inside the back of my shirt to the front of the kayak. What a stinkin' bugger! The so called "splinter" was a daggum stinger! Geez, Adam!

Awesome side journey!

Well, with exhaustion and shock, my flood gates opened and I had a complete meltdown. I just cried and cried and cried and cried even more. “I just want to go home. And, we don’t even have a home to go to!” We were in the middle of nowhere, on a river, with no way out except to keep paddling down the freaking river! We had two more days to go and I was thinking, “What have I gotten myself into.” While I was crying and moaning, the ridiculously slow moving current of the Whanganui brought us in sight of our campground along the river. Those green and yellow DOC signs became our best friends on that river. A sign of hope, a sign of progress and a sign of home for the night!

Well daggum, doesn’t that always happen. You have your meltdown and moment of giving up just right before you arrive at your destination. That’s where the quote comes from, “Never give up on a hike,” because you are probably 5 minutes from the best part.

Well, day one ended with exhaustion and a messy dinner with knocked over tea (our dessert for the day). This day was the worst and it was done. From there, the journey only got better. Day two we went less miles and kayaked from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Better! Adam found us a beautiful slot canyon at our lunch stop only after escaping the grasps of a monster spider and prehistoric eel.

Our evening was spent in a traditional ceremony with local Maori where they welcomed us onto their land with an introduction to their culture, their origins, who they are and enriched the speech with songs. Each of the guests that had canoed past us on the river were also invited. The men were given a wooden spear to designate who was speaking and who he was introducing. To enrich Adam’s introduction of the Nuberns, we chose to sing, “Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee, never knew how much that muddy water meant to me” for everyone. Needless to say, we received a standing ovation. Bah! Not really! The ceremony was an incredible international experience with Canadians, French, Dutch, Germans, Kiwis, Maoris, and the Americans all singing to one another of songs of home. What a night! To get us even more out of our comfort zone, once the guests introduce themselves, the Maori’s welcome the guests onto their land. To confirm the welcoming, everyone lines up and the hosts and the guests all touch foreheads and noses and breath in each others' spirits. What an intimate tradition to really get comfortable with one another!

The Maori Mari where they welcomed us!

Day 3 came and I didn’t want to get off the river. The last day of a long journey gave me fresh eyes and I loved it on the water. Not to mention, our arms were looking pretty ripped! The river gave us an incredible last morning with every bend covered in mist and the white cliffs and bright green bush slowly coming into view as the mist lifted from the sun’s heat. It was gorgeous! Our biggest rapids on the river came the last day and with Adam’s expert steering skills, we made it through each rapid without capsizing. The canoeists couldn't boast the same:)

Our new Canadian friends way ahead of us. 

"The Whanganui, the Whanganui... the Whanganui, the Whanganui" became our chant along the river in the boat with just Adam, myself, the water, the birds and the sky out in the middle of nowhere.

Looking to mend a relationship? Get in a kayak and head down the Whanganui!

We say, "Do it!"

New Zealand Adventures When You Say Yes to Everything!

What would happen in your life if you said yes to every single invitation you received? Ha! You could expect loads of awkward moments, because you really don’t know this person that just invited you for dinner. You could expect a plethora of moments of being out of your comfort zone, because what will you talk about? What are they going to serve? It’s too much of the unknown! On the other hand, who will you meet? What will you talk about? What will you learn? What food will you try? With the right perspective, saying yes is heaps of adventure!

Read the book The Yes Man recently? The author shared his journey of challenging himself to say yes to every invitation he received and the amazing and crazy adventures that came along with this challenge. Our lives have strangely paralleled the pages in this book over the last three weeks. Doors opened and opened and nuventures were had!

These three weeks were committed to house sitting and caring for the pug, Master Zeus, and Madam Kitty in Hamilton, New Zealand while their owners were away on holiday. We got this opportunity through trusthousesitters.com. Check it out! However, every travel book and website we visited didn’t have much to say about Hamilton. That didn’t extinguish our excitement. We were eager to have a home to stay in, animals to care for, and we dreamed of having normalcy over the holidays.

Exploring Hamilton Gardens

The maze of gardens feels never-ending. We got lost in the maze all day. 

The only souls we knew in Hamilton were Iris and Mike, the family we were sitting for, and they were leaving the coup for three weeks while we were filling in. Now, what do we do in a town for three weeks without knowing anyone?

So, we did what we know how to do. We got out there and started doing! Farmers market? Yes! Let’s go. Free bikes for hire? Yes! Let’s go! Along the way, we learned to say yes to every opportunity that came across our path. Our only commitments for three weeks were feeding Master Zeus and Madam Kitty, so I’d say we had plenty of free time.

Meet Master Zeus. 

Meet Madam Kitty. 

Walk through the park? Yes, of course! While walking, we saw a group of folks in uniforms tossing a rugby ball around. Alright! We were pumped to watch our first live rugby game. So, we asked what time it started, which led to asking if they needed subs. We thought we would be watching, but instead got to play in our first touch rugby match! Heck no, we had never played before and were getting a crash course while we played. We were being yelled to and instructed constantly from left and right with corrections by our teammates and even the referee who now knew us by name. “No, Adam, roll it between the legs.” “Linds, get back. More, more. There. Good!” Oh, the challenges and humility that comes with learning a new sport. By saying yes to touch rugby, though, we met Taila who invited us to Christmas lunch with her family on the beach! What an experience!

Go Team Jucy!

Church? Yes! Let’s go! Chapel Hill Church was just a short walk away from the house. We expected to head out right after the service, because there was a lunch honoring everyone for volunteering all year. Well, this was our first service and we definitely hadn’t volunteered. Christine and Gavyn’s little girl was playing peek- a- boo with us all service long, so they struck up a conversation with their daughter’s new friends and invited us to the church luncheon. Well, “Yes! Why not?” We had nothing to do that afternoon. One yes led to meeting tons of families and getting invited to go blueberry picking, having dinner with families, game nights, pool parties, and sharing New Years with new friends! Just to clear the record, we helped clean the dishes to fulfill our volunteer duties for the year.

The best part was snacking along the way!

Blueberry muffins on the to-do-list after this. 

Volunteer? Yes! Let’s do it! We sent out emails to different conservation groups. These emails led us to receive invitations to the beach? Yes! To the gully? Yes! To kayak? Yes! To build a canoe? Yes, yes, yes!

Bridal Veil Falls with Tania, Stuart and Nigel. 

Low tide in Raglan. 

Spontaneous picnic!

Kayaking in Raglan, NZ!

The water! Wow!

The kayak mobile to Tania and Stuart's favorite spot: Te Toto Gorge. 

Te Toto Gorge. 

The crew for the day. 

Rex and Adam working on the canoe. 

Lastly, our old Burly Bernie needed a maintenance check up. With Adam’s southern charm he talked the mechanic, Solomon, into having Adam as his apprentice for three days to get a discount on our maintenance work. That yes led Solomon treating the Yankees to an adventure of deep sea fishing off Raglan! You bet I made a delicious ceviche with the blue shark we caught!

Solomon. 

Sunrise to a great day of fishing. 

King fish!

Not as eager to hold the fish as I am to catch 'em!

Caught tons of Garnard. 

The colors!

And, another catch!

Driving the boat. 

Reelin' one in!

Caught us a blue shark! Watch your toes!

Oh, and while we are at it, Adam had an interview to be a model in Hamilton. His modeling career almost took off, however, our traveling lifestyle wasn't what the company was looking for. Saying yes also brings random, hilarious and unexpected opportunities, too!

We recently watched a TED Talk featuring Rick Steve and the value of traveling. Watch it! He was brilliant when he essentially said that travel experiences without meeting new people are flat. People connecting with people is the mark of a good trip. He completely summed up Hamilton for us. The people that invited us to be a part of their lives transformed our three weeks and enriched our lives. We were meeting fantastic people with new ideas, new strengths, new skills and new ways of doing things. We learned so much by people just opening up and sharing time with us. What’s crazy is we began seeing people around town! We actually had friends in Hamilton that knew us by name and we felt a part of the community.

The wise Peter and Christine, who invited us over for dinner, gave us a quote we will always remember. “God’s love takes us on journeys we do not wish to go, makes us travel by roads we do not wish to use, to take us to places we never wish to leave” by Thomas Cranmer. Before arriving in Hamilton, no one would have directed us or suggested us to go there. By the end of our three weeks, we had lists of people to say farewell to and it was a sad afternoon when leaving. The generosity, hospitality and friendliness of our new friends have changed us as individuals and who we want to be.

Have you said yes recently? You are now officially challenged to have your own nuventures by just saying yes!

Our Experience Buying a Campervan in New Zealand and How We Escaped Auckland

Backpacking New Zealand done right is to Step 1: Arrive in Auckland and stay in a slammed hostel on Queen Street. Check. Step 2: Mad dash and throw bows to buy a campervan before all of the other backpackers snag them before you. It took us seven nights and six days in Auckland to check this puppy off our to do list. Pull up your sleeves boys... it’s on!

Hike up to Mount Eden's volcanic crater after campervan scouting. 

As the story goes, we quickly realized New Zealand is best seen by way of the retrofitted campervan that you live in for the time you travel here and then sell to the next backpacker arriving in Auckland. This is the lifecycle of the NZed campervan. However, these aren’t the notorious macdaddy, white RV's that you see lined up one after another after another cruising through the National Parks of the American West. Oh, no. Instead, these campervans are usually soccermom minivans that are transformed by the backpacker. The rear seats are stripped out and replaced by 2x4's that are nailed together to create a platform that holds a sheet of OSB and a foam mattress. Voilà! There you have it! A backpacker’s dream of transportation and accommodation wrapped in one! Given our fresh year visas in NZed, we set out to find our new home. Who knew we would be so eager to buy our first minivan before we have car seats? We definitely didn’t expect this. Oh well, this should be easy, right? What fools we were! Let the craziness begin.

Relearning the joys of a seesaw while waiting to see a campervan. 

So hungry! I'll eat anything!

We spent a total of six full days (I mean full , jam packed, exhausting, please let my feet fall off days) searching for a van. These days were of Adam waking up at 6 am hopping onto our hotel’s one GB limit internet emailing every campervan advertisement out there. After the one GB limit was out, our days were filled with running from Queen Street's McDonald’s to Starbucks to Wendy’s to the library to the second Starbucks and back through the rotation again every hour to get a free hour of internet at each spot. After two days running to and from internet sources every hour waiting for campervan replies and attempting to communicate by email, we realized we had to get a phone to just have a simple conversation with people. The vans were going like hotcakes and we couldn’t wait for email conversations. We talked to two German travelers that expressed the same frustration. You had to show up to the prospect with cash in hand and ready to buy. Bam!

Catching a random parade while running from Starbucks to Wendy's. 

Discovered the Night of Lights between campervan viewings!

All in all we looked at fourteen vehicles. Everyone thought we were crazy for looking at that many. But, we (Adam) wanted the best deal out there. The best part of van shopping was meeting all these travelers from all over the world that had blazed a trail for us and were selling their campers as they headed on to other countries. Folks from Korea, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Britain, Basque Country, Dutch, Czecks, and so many others all sharing their awesome adventures and the best spots of NZed we needed to go ourselves. Their recommendations were better than any in Lonely Planet!

Playing our first match of touch rugby between seeing campervans. 

First pick up soccer game!

Getting back to the camper race, here comes the adventure. The first vehicle we test drove was a manual. The pressure was on and Adam’s palms were sweaty. His first time driving a stick in a very long time and the first time driving on the left side of the road. Stressful! Just for good measure, I had white knuckles clutching the door handle bar and the side of the passenger seat. A few times I had to yell out, “On the left! On the left!” as Adam veared to the right side of the road. Thankfully, we were cruising in a 15 mph neighborhood zone. It was a close one, but we survived. Whew!

A walk to a movie night on the lawn after a crazy day of camper van viewings! 

Watching the American movie Good Morning, Vietnam! with Robin Williams in Silo Park. 

After five full days of urban hiking that consisted of walking miles and miles around Auckland looking at campervans from morning til dark, we had narrowed down our options to the top four. We had the crème of the crop, she’s our perfect girl white minivan that we drooled over. Second, we had the it’s really nice but the bloke is weird camper. Third, we had the tattoo parlor’s van turned to campervan. Lastly, there was Burley Bernie. We thought our Auckland days and urban hikes were over as Adam prematurely gave a gentleman’s handshake with an Irish lad to make a deal for our crème of the crop, she’s our perfect girl camper. But, we quickly realized mid handshake there was a misunderstanding. Oh, geez! The price was higher than what we thought it was advertised for (we had seen too many advertisements and were mixing them up at this point) and she wouldn’t be available for us to set out into the sun for another two weeks. Two weeks?!? We couldn’t stay in Auckland another two weeks! Low and behold, we had seen fourteen camper vans, went through hundreds of questions and note taking on each one and forgot one of the most important questions. “When is it available?” Ugh! Learning experience.

Deep breath moment. 

We were heartbroken. She was the one! But, in the end we had to move on to our next choice. Well, the van was still it’s nice but the bloke is weird. We couldn’t do it. Something just wasn’t right. So, onto the next one. Burned again. The tattoo parlor’s van wasn’t available for another five days. Five days?!? We want to get out of Auckland already! Last option... Our boy Burley Bernie. He truly was the one! Finally! His name derives from the British backpackers that sold him to us. We couldn’t quite tell if they were calling him Burley or Bernie. So, now he’s our good ol’ bloke Burley Bernie. Ay!

Can you see the joy of freedom!

This is it! Tah-DAH!

Yes, Dad. Of course, before buying Bernie, we had a mechanic check him out. Our boy needed a new strut and a new battery. Check and check. And now we are learning his secrets. The sliding door sticks, the glove compartment won't close and his gas mileage isn’t the best, but Bernie hasn’t failed us. We just gotta give him some TLC, that’s all.

At the mechanic. This was a big moment for us!

On the road again!

And, we were off into the sunset, the windows down, the music up loud with the wind in our hair again. We finally hit the road with our new ride! It was glorious for the first hour until... wait, are those red and blue lights behind us? Oh, no! You have to be kidding me! Cop car! We got pulled over within the very first hour of being on the road! No way! Come to find out, we didn't stop at a pedestrian crossing that we didn't see. We just so happened to get pulled over by the nicest officer we have ever met and he proceeded to give us the ropes of NZed driving laws and escorted us to the nearest auto shop for our new battery. What service!

Had to save this memory of following the undercover officer in front of us. What a moment. 

Our adventures continued as we hit one week of full on tree limb breaking wind and torrential down pours in the Coromandel Peninsula. Are you serious? We can finally get out and explore and it won’t. stop. raining. We spent the week soaked. Finally, Adam figured out a way to get all of our food and cookware out without getting out of the van. Nice!

Just making breakfast in Bernie. 

But hey, when travelling this long, we have learned to always be thankful for whatever situation we are in. Thankfulness always brings light to how great we truly have it. When we stopped complaining and thought about it, our entire week of urban hiking around the city looking for vans was in clear weather with no rain. So thankful for that! In the week after we got our van, we had shelter from the rain. Now, that is a whole new perspective. We truly believe God blesses us continuously on this journey of nuventures. We just have to change our perspectives, seek thanksgiving and have our eyes peeled to see all the blessings.

It's raining! It's pouring!

Bernie on his newest adventure in the Coromandel Peninsula!

Morale Check: Lindsey

Well, we thought that Lindsey would sound like a nut job if she were to interview herself. You just wouldn't be able to hear the different accents. So, she signed me up for the task.

"Well daggum. Alright, Linds, your turn. Here goes."

1. "You have been gone six months now. How is the traveling life?"

A: Overall, it’s the adventure of a lifetime. It's awesome and exciting! But, with every great and exciting moment, there’s a challenging and tough one. Thankfully, it seems whenever we feel low, something special always happens. We have learned from other travelers that this phenomenon is known as trail magic. We'll take all we can get! I try to remind myself that this adventure could end any day and this is the only time in my life that I will have this opportunity to travel and live with only today in mind and go wherever the wind takes us.

Last day in Colorado for awhile! Steamboat Springs, Colorado

2. "Great outlook there, Linds! What has been the most surprising aspect of traveling so far?"

A: I can actually do this! I wasn’t sure before we set off, but I was at least going to try. Surprisingly, this nomadic lifestyle has become our normalcy. I thought I would always be battling the frustrations of traveling (like re-packing my bag everyday), but they have just become a part of our every day norm. I have been surprised how I don’t freak out about bugs and spiders anymore; we have camped too often to worry about them.  I did see the biggest spider of my life in the Badlands. It was as big as my fist! Okay, I did freak out about that one, and I made Adam stand outside the bathroom to protect me. Haha! Maybe in denial about that one. I have also become a lot more flexible and spontaneous. I don’t have an internal meltdown if the plan doesn’t work out or even if there is no plan. But, I guess you would be the judge of that! Ha!

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. How could I leave this view?

3. "Whew! You've come a long way with bugs I tell ya. Seems like yesterday that you threw our last bit of the toilet roll in a lake just because a fly buzzed you. Geez. Anyway, so, what has been the most difficult aspect of traveling?"

A: Not knowing when my next shower or laundry day will be. I have learned I love being clean, smelling clean and feeling fresh. So, I shower and do laundry every chance I get. I used to hate doing laundry, but now it’s a luxury and I love laundry day! Would never guess I would ever say that.

4. "Even though I fuss about it, I'm glad that you enjoy doing the laundry so much. So, getting deep, what has God been revealing to you?"

A: A ton! It’s overwhelming. He has us on this journey for a purpose. He is teaching us and molding us to further become the people he created us to be. He is always with us on the gorgeous sunny days and when we are on the ledge, in the storm, with the rain pounding on us.

So much of our journey has been driving by wide open spaces in God's country!

5. "So, this is a good one. How is marriage? You are with me almost 24/7."

A: Marriage is awesome! We have gotten closer in every aspect of our relationship. We read each other's moods before the mood takes full force and before we say anything we regret. We also don't push each other's buttons as much since we can't really escape one another. We also respond to each other in a more understanding way. We just get each other more. I often wonder what our relationship would be like or how many years it would take us to understand each other the way we do now if we had not traveled.

Devil's Tower! Did you know a guy landed on Devil's Tower after skydiving for a political stunt? He was stuck up there for six days!

6. "I fully agree! What is the newest thing you admire about me now?"

A: I really admire your courage and innovation. You have started your own accounting business and have taken the adventure in stride. To see your dedication in learning, in researching, in adapting and stepping out of your comfort zone has had me admire you more and more. You are awesome!

Hiking in the Colorado Aspens. 

7. "Ah shucks...thanks, Linds. On the other hand, what is your newest pet peeve of me?"

A: You already know this answer. You love logistics and you always talk logistics. You love the journey of transportation and how to get from here to there and back again. However, I despise logistics and would rather not have them. I love to talk about the heart, how you feel and fluttery things. So, you know, we clash at times. But, in the end, we need logistics, so I’m thankful that you get pumped up about the details.

Looking out over a glacier in the Icefields in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. 

8."Ahha! I will remind you about that answer often. So, what is your favorite memory of me on the trip?"

A: The first time you could ride your mountain bike after you had endless problems with it. From the wheel getting bent into a taco, which was hilarious, to your frame cracking, to your seat breaking, and all of the other issues. You were so bummed for the several months you couldn't ride. You were finally able to hop back on the bike in Kickapoo State Park, Illinois. I will always remember how giddy you were with your huge smile hopping off the bike at the end of your ride. You were glowing and just radiating joy and couldn't stop talking about the ride. It made me realize how much biking makes you feel alive. I get it now. It was an awesome moment.

Roosters Lookout, South Dakota

9. "Glad you got to see that and get me more, Linds. So, what is the biggest way you have grown?"

A: I would say in my courage and my faith. We have done what has seemed impossible and what has been really difficult by saving, quitting our jobs and living as nomads. I didn’t know I had this in me and that I could really do it. We know God has us on this journey. He has led us through every step of the way and through every day. This wouldn’t have happened without His changing and transforming me.

Coldest night camping of our trip. Did it once, not sure I want to repeat. Made the best of Spray Lake, Canmore, Alberta. 

10. "I can totally see that! So, what has been your biggest learning lesson?"

A: Shout out to Mollie Kinsman. Mollie taught Adam and I a simple habit that has helped us so much each day. We ask each other our morale level between one and ten and then have to answer honestly. There have been days when I’m a 3 and Adam’s an 8. Ugh, that’s a bummer and it’s humbling. But, it’s helped us to be honest with each other about our feelings and it helps us understand each other, encourage one another and talk through things. We always end up feeling better after talking through it.

Banff National Park, Alberta Canada

11. "So true! I can't thank Mollie enough for that nugget of wisdom. So, next, what has been your favorite place so far?"

A: My most memorable place thus far has been the Badlands in South Dakota. I think the dry landscape and stunning canyons were shocking to me when I didn’t expect much in South Dakota. Maligne Lake in Alberta, Canada was beautiful! I spent hours walking around the turquoise blue lake and sitting in the golden bushes staring at the snow capped mountains. Gosh, it was amazing. I want to go back!

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

12. "Yeah, I missed that spot while I was biking. Bummer. So, what place would you like to go again?"

A: Canmore, Alberta. This town is surrounded by the Canadian Rockies just south of Banff National Park. Within 30 minutes of being there walking through the farmers market, I was brainstorming how we could live there part of the year. It’s spectacular and has a Boulder, Colorado-esk vibe.

On a bridge right off the main street of Canmore. Loved this place!

13. "Yeah, I said the same. We'll go back. So, do you miss home?"

A: Of course! I miss my family and friends, most. I had several stints of feeling lonely at the beginning of the trip. These moments haven’t come around in awhile. It may be surprising that loneliness is a factor since I’m traveling with you, my best friend, but you aren't my everything. I needed to learn to seek God first and find my purpose in Him.  I have found it’s important to find friends that can relate to our lifestyle. When we meet other couples, it’s important for me to connect with the other girls and relate on what our traveling lifestyles are like. I’m not the only one that freaks about jellyfish or scorpions or heights or whatever it may be. It’s always good to not feel like we are going through something alone and find others we can relate to.

Epic moment finishing a frolic game in Steamboat with our new British pals Peter and Pascale. 

14. "So even when you miss home, what keeps you traveling?"

A: I feel like we haven’t even put a dent into seeing the world. There is so much more out there and I can’t wait to keep seeing, learning and growing.

First view of a waterfall overwhelmed by rain in Kauai 

15. "Sweet answer! Okay, how have your experiences changed your life?"

A: I have realized that life can be however you want it to be. There is no template on how to live life. Thankfully, we have the freedom to think this way and do it. We don’t have to work the traditional job. We can try to live in different places year round so we can travel. We can create other ways to make money by starting our own businesses or renting out rooms, cars, or whatever it may be. Who knows, anything is possible!

Northwestern lake in Glacier National Park, Montana. 

16. "Heck yea! It's so true that we don't have to satisfy the mold of the 9-5. What is your next exciting experience you can't wait for?"

A: Being amazed by New Zealand’s mountains. I have seen so many pictures for so long, I just can’t wait to be there!

Finally made it to New Zealand! YAHOOO!

17. "And, we are here! We wouldn't get to be here without your dreams of coming. So, what are you excited for me to experience?"

A: I don’t have a specific experience in mind. I just want you to have the time of your life on this grand adventure. We have both dreamed about this separately from before we started dating, so I want you to feel like you did it and it was everything you dreamed of and more.

Dead River, Maine

18. "Now, who is the most interesting character you have met along the way?"

A: Jacqueline Scarola. Hands down. You are friends with Jacqueline from Semester at Sea and I have never met someone so in love with God, full of life, and so joyful. She has more faith than anyone I have ever met. She hosted us for a month and hung out with us almost every day. We became a trifecta, the three muskateers as Hika, Conq and Donkey. We were stunned that she wanted to spend so much time with us. We know God had it in His plan, because she taught us more in three weeks than we have learned in five years just by being herself.

The one and only Jacqueline in Kalalau Valley, Kauai!

19. "Yes! Jacqueline is going to be a lifelong friend. I'm so pumped about that! So, do you have any new goals or new interests?"

A: Yes! I want to finally take improv classes and I would really love to get into archery. We are going to be settled in Hamilton, New Zealand for a month house sitting, so I really want to give it a go. Okay, so truthfully my ultimate goal is to be an Olympian in the Biathlon event that has a mix of cross country skiing and archery (instead of rifle shooting). That’s what I’m really shooting for. I know, I know, I need to start training asap for Pyeong Chang 2018!

Morning yoga along a river in Banff National Park, Alberta. 

20. "Rrrrright. Now this an opportunity for me to be one of those super encouraging husbands, right!? Last question. What’s a funny story from the trip thus far?"

A: Well, we were in Banff National Park on the Icefields Parkway. We had camped across the street from a hostel and one morning we decided to go over to the hostel to meet new people and get new hiking ideas. As we were looking at a topographic map, this older gentleman greeted us and we started chatting. From conversation, we were showing him the trail we wanted to do and were talking about the steepness of the trail with all of the contour lines being smacked together. The gentleman was so pumped to give it a go and decided to join us. The hike was 12 miles out and back on a steep incline. So we started out on this grueling hike up the mountain. Adam was leading the way, I was in the middle and Ken pulling up the rear. Since it was so steep, we were all huffing and puffing at this point. Ken started sharing his life’s story and pouring out his heart. Ken started talking about how his former wife had a passion for horses and they started a business selling saddles. Then he said, “Then, after our kids left, my wife turned to me and said she wanted her freedom.” Adam, not hearing what he was saying while being in the front and huffing and puffing responded with what he thought Ken was saying. Adam thought he was still talking about horses so he replied, “Oh, you started breeding them?” Uhh... what?!? “Freedom,” “breeding them.” Sounds similar right? But in the moment, I’m in the middle of these two and cringing like crazy! This man is in the moment of opening up and pouring his heart out to us and Adam is talking about breeding horses. Geez! Well, Ken was well into his 70’s, which we had no idea! And, thankfully he was hard of hearing while we all could only hear our own heavy breathing. He hadn’t heard Adam! Ah... now that was an awkward moment.

Loved the views from this hike!

Last one:)