(162-164) I'm Back

I got home on June 29th...so just a couple of days ago.

(162) I spent my first night at home uploading 1500 photos and showing and explaining them to my family.

(163) The next day (yesterday) i slept in til 10 am. I then spent the whole day on my computer uploading photos to photobucket and facebook. I spent hours catching up on three episodes of the bachelorette. My day flew by. And i am not use to it staying light so late. That is surly throwing my time off..not to mention the 19 hour time difference. I didn't fall asleep until 3am.

(164) I woke up at 11am when mom came in my room and left the cat to get me up. I poured a coup of coffee and finished that paper that i planned to write before i left. The benefit of writing it after i got back: i actually enjoyed writing it. I had a better understanding of Maori culture. I ate lunch once the paper was finished. Me and mom went out and i turned in my paper and journal then we got our nails done. I got back home and found out my 3 besties are all going to be home this weekend. So much happiness right around the corner.

***

New Zealand was absolutely wonderful.

My words can't even begin to explain how much fun i had, the awe i was in, or the friendships i made. 

Photos can't capture this country's beauty and vibrant colors.

I wish the trip would have been longer and that all of my friends and family could have been there to experience everything i did.

New Zealand Recap

Over the next few days i will try to give a recap of my 21 days abroad.

(NZ 1)

Flew from LAX (6/7) to Auckland(6/9)...we lost a whole day due to the time difference.

We landed around 5am and had a full day ahead of us.

-orientation 

-lunch at Da Vincis

-sky tower

-dinner at waterfront cafe

(NZ 2)

Got lost on our way to the AUT Marae

-It was pouring

AUT Marae-lesson on maori language and leadership

(lunch included)

dinner on our own

-me and joanna walked to the grocery store

-ate left overs in the hotel room with Anna, Joanna, Cassie, and Nicki

(NZ 3) 

Muriwai Beach

-rained on us

Auckland city tour

free time

-me, joanna, and anna walked through town

dinner at O' Hagans

Foxx's bar to watch rugby

-was very crowded...me, anna, and medora left after 15 minutes and got a taxi home

(134) Memorial Day

Everyone was home today. It was so weird but really nice.

I slept in til 9am

had coffee

listened to music

read a magazine (and by read i mean looked at pictures and if it looked interesting, skimmed the article)

did a mini workout

went outside

made lunch...it took quite a while 

ate outside as a family

we had: bratwurst (role+caramelized onion+sauerkraut+ketchup), zucchini, and pasta salad

dessert: dump cake and drumsticks (ice cream)

so much good food

after eating i came inside and turned on a movie and worked on sudoku puzzles

took a long nap from 5:30-7pm

watched tv

at 8 i watched the bachelorette (i also had another bratwurst) and then extreme makeover weight loss edition

other stuff about today:

*throughout the day i was on polyvore and more of my favorite time wasters 

*i had multiple helpings of dump cake 

*got a little sun on my legs...i am way too white

*music that i listened to:

Random

Movies i look forward to seeing...look really good...seem interesting

50/50

A Little Help

Project Nim

The Tree of Life

(133) Kick back

Today was a really relaxing day.

woke up at 9:30

drank coffee

listened to music

unloaded/loaded the dishwasher

mom made breakfast

ate with dad at the kitchen table

spent time outside

went on my computer

spent more time outside with my parents and the animals in our backyard

Velcro on her leash getting ready to roll herself across the deck

Chewy the tortoise 

Monarch caterpillar 

(flowering) Blackberry bush with a bee

Frank

Later dad and i went to ganahl lumber and to my work

(i had to check my schedule. I don't work this next week. This means i don't work again until july...if i even get scheduled during the one week i am back)

While in the backyard, later on, we heard crash, screech, crash, (the sounds, not the words) in the distance. me and dad went for a walk to investigate. It sounded like a really bad accident that involved multiple cars. It turned out that there were only two cars involved. Nobody was injured. One of the cars was up on the sidewalk. They got hit and really skid. I think the second crash was it going up on the curb.

After that adventure I spent time being artsy and listening to music in my room

Makeshift desk in front of the window for a cool breeze

 I started sketching on my linoleum block (carve it and make prints)...it will be a print eventually

Design 1:

 part of design 1:

 Redesigned:

 Close ups:

 I came across this big fellow crawling on my floor.

Unfortunately i had to put an end to it. I felt kind of bad for him/her/it.

After the drawing was done i moved onto collage-ing, or at least cutting out words from magazines.

It is for my New Zealand Journal.

At 6, I turned the tv on for the first time that day.

ate dinner

at 8:40 erin came over and then we went to her house to take the last of her things to the apartment.

we all hung out there for quite awhile and got things set up.

I got home at about 12:30ish give or take some time.

Here is today's outfit:

Hairdo:

(131) I love Fridays Again

Only 11 more days until New Zealand

I am ready to leave and yet i am still very unprepared to go.

Gotta love mixed feelings preparedness.

I still have to get warm clothes/raincoat and pack and figure what exactly i am packing. 

Ok, so i am happy that i still have over a week to pull everything together.

Today...Friday

woke up at 8:15

drank coffee

watched morning tv

got dressed

used my new dry shampoo (it kind of worked...my hair looked better than it did before)

ate some breakfast

walked to the bus stop

rode the bus to school (today is the last day i can ride for free until fall semester)

class from 12-3

(so much information...it went by a lot slower than the last two classes. Watched a film on the Maori)

caught the bus with three minutes to spare...great timing today

got home

ate soup

watched tv

ate salami and ham

compy time

found these really cute shoes made by keds

 

Listened to music

Ate dinner: Der

Watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

felt somewhat guilty about my dinner of choice...oh well it still tasted really good

Randomness

yes i did it again... there is just one more cup of ice cream left and then my binge will be done

So delicious

 Our Family Photo came today:

Yes, I am really that white
(and it won't be improved until mid july)

 Today's Outfit

(112) Mothers day

Here at the Brookhyser household, we had a fairly kick back get things done kind of day.

We ordered breakfast from Village Cafe. 

Dad went and picked it up. We ate out on the pond deck.

I folded laundry. 

Mom painted some lawn furniture.

It's my dad's favorite color.

I took some photos.

I ate a second breakfast.

Pancakes with peanut butter and chocolate chips. YUMMM.

Then i got caught up in a project runway marathon.

Spent a lot of time on stumble upon.

Stumbled upon this:

AND found this on a blog:

I really want to try it.

For a late lunch we had El Pollo Loco.

I took a nap.

continued watching project runway.

Started working on my volunteer reflection paper.

Ate my leftover burger from yesterdays lunch form ruby's 

Project runway ended at 8pm then the apprentice was on.

I finished my paper around 11pm.

SO now that i look back at today....all i did was eat, watch tv, do a little homework, and fold some laundry. I guess that is getting stuff done. I think the rest of the family was more productive than i was.

(111)

It has been an absolutely wonderful saturday.

9am:woke up

coffee

showered

ironed my dress

 hair and makeup

got dressed

11am: Family photo shoot

11:30 lunch at rubys on the pier

1:45 Home

Nap

3:00 got ready for work

3:30 left for work

4-8pm work

I had someone close for me. i was so happy to be able to go home early.

Icee after work

Home sweet home.

Some random tidbits:

Movies I look forward to seeing:

Thats What I Am

One Day

The Art of Getting By

In exactly one month from today I will be leaving for New Zealand.

So what stands in the way?

-1 week of school

-one presentation

-one paper

-4 finals

-one week of study abroad classes

-2 new zealand meetings

(110) A wonderful day

I woke up a little after 8am.

Had a very relaxing morning.

It was so nice to have the morning to myself and not have to be anywhere for some time.

Outfit of the day:

Note: I ended up switching out the brown shorts for dark jeans. 

It was cooler weather than i anticipated.

At 12:40 I left to catch the bus to school

It was my last day of friday class. (A bitter-sweet day)

2 groups presented their parent programs.

I gave a summary of how my parent program went. I made a powerpoint with photos but we couldn't get the projector to work. So i made due without it.

Around 4:30 mom picked me up and we spent the evening having girl time.

manicure (mom) and Pedicures (both of us)

Target to look for white dresses for our family photo shoot tomorrow.

dinner at wok & sushi roll....formerly chopstick express

Marshall's: found a dress. me and mom have joint custody of it

Kohl's: found a white dress!

got home around 10pm.

Showed dad the purchases.

The whole family went through what they would be wearing tomorrow.

Today was so wonderful. Wow that is two good days in a row. Im on a roll. I hope tomorrow continues the good streak.