COMING HOME AND THE BUCKET LIST

So change of plans. I am coming home in less than 2 weeks! I'll be home on March 12th wednesday. I have gotten so much from new zealand and am soo glad I went. Its really been a life changing experience. I do regret that I havent gotten to see the country outside of nelson but that is okay. If i had to do it again I would have did a 3 week tour of NZ with a group travel company then settledown. I can always come back one day! My heart is just shouting to come home right now. It really just can't bear staying in nelson another hour! To be honest I feel like I am in a jail cell here. The only way I can travel is to stay here in nelson or move somehwere else and work for 5 weeks. I'd have to work 5 days a week, find a new job, a new place to live.... I'd do 2 good hikes in NZ but it's just not worth it to me right now. On this decision I'm going to listen to my heart which is saying...do some hikes here in nz then go home and start accomplishing the things on your bucket list! Its been wonderful here but if your just not feeling it then rather then be unhappy, leave.

Okay, so I saw this great comedy with morgan freeman and jack nicholson called the bucket list the other night. They both realize that they only have 6 months to live. While sitting next to eachotherin the hospital being miserable they decide the best way to go out is to live their last few months to the fullest. The movie is about them writing a bucket list and completing all the things they listed on it. It helped them find joy and meaning in their lives. Some of the things on their bucket list included sky diving, race car driving, witnessing something majestic, climbing the himilayas. The movie was funny and very inspiring so I decided to create my own bucket list. If you guys like you should see it or just write a few things that would be on your bucket list. Things you'd really like to accomplish during our short time here on earth. My bucket list (which I now carry around with me everywhere I go) includes:

-Hike the California coastal trek
-Climb half dome
- Do 3 beautiful hikes in California
-Live in Santa Barbara or San Diego
- Do a hike or work a cool summer job in Alaska
-Do 2 other beaituful hikes in the US (outside california)
-Volunteer as an english teacher/hosptial aid in Thailand
- Work at the oakland childrens hospital-
Fly fish in Alaska-
Learn how to play 3 songs that I love on the piano and write my own
- Take a surfing lesson
-Do an adventure trip in s america, for 1 month and then some volunteer work after that. also do this in India, Nepal, and Africa.
- Go to a week long buddhist retreat.
- Go to a gigantic music festival
- Learn how to do an American indian dance
-Write a standup comedy and perform it.
- Learn to cook 10 very yummy meals
- Download 16 new songs each month and put them on my mp3 player
-Make my own wall calender with pics for each month that I took and that make me happy.
-Vaolunteer with habitat for humanity-Serve food at grace cathedral in SF.
-Create my own class at Cal.
- Be a tourist in SFO for a day and get a guide to show me all the neighborhoods
- Learn how to make coffees and cocktails
- Live each day as if it was my last b/c that's all I am certain I have.
- Keep up to date with close and distant friends and family. Be a great friend to them
- Journal daily
-Have an oscar weekend where I watch all movies that one best picture and listen to all songs that won best song.
-Memorize 3 great myths and tell them to someone else.
- Attend 3 incredible festivals around the world.
- Do 2 great hikes in New Zealand- read 5 great books
- Find a great irish pub in Sf with live music
- Take a guided tour of each of the 7 wonders of the world

My friend from ireland had the great idea of putting things on the list that you've already done. So I included a few things that I can already check off my list to give me a boost forward. These aren't all of them, but most. If you guys get time I'd love to know what would be on your bucket list!!! My bucket list is 1 lined piece of paper front and back.

Silent Dance experiment

Okie, so you all know that my form of exercise back in California was spontaneous dancing all around the city. Well, I haven't done any of that here, although sometimes on my run I do get a little crazy. Anywho, as I was riding the bus I picked up the newspaper and under the events sections it had Boston Silent dance experiment. Later on I went to check the website out and lo and behold there is actually a group of people, huge group, of people that are willing to engage in spontaneous fun loving activities! The next day they were all going to meet outside of Fanueil Hall, (A building from back in the 1770's where all sorts of political rallies occured...susan b, john adams, so on so forth) Anyways, lots of tourist, downtown boston...busy place! Everyone downloaded the same song and everyone played it at 1 pm at the exact same time! Over 400 people there! It was hilarious! 400 people jumping up and down, (silently) maybe a few giggles here and there, fist in the air, in the thinker pose, sychronized swimming, conga line....oh man!
Who knew? There is so much diversity in the Boston area, you can just about any group of people anywhere!
I will try and figure out how to get the pictures up!

hmmm.

Scot that was such an awesome quote . Lots of lovely quotes coming from your corner, well actually the twin corner indeed. I am doing really well. We are running a camp during this weeks vacation for elementary school kids. I have been doing arts and crafts with the kids for a couple of days, creating all sorts of superheros. Iceman, cureman, wonderwoman, ice girl, folding man. This little boy was so upset with his creation. "I....I...I messed up...."
"No way, there are no mistakes in art class, lets see..." He brings over his man covered in all sorts of scribbles and whibbles.
"Twister!" I reply.
His face lights up, he sees as I see. There was also a man that folded into your hands and then wahhlah! Reappearred in an instant!
Here are some photos from the last couple of months. I will try and remember to get some photos of their superhero costumes tomorrow! They are so adorable!
Iris
Oh yeah, and I am thinking of going to Brazil to live and work on a farm for free room and board. Somewhere in the mountains, somewhere beautiful.
Iris
yay
my room
muah

awesome geese

Hellooo!

In recent news, I'm moving on Saturday. I'll be leaving my wonderful home at the bug. I'm moving to another hostel which is right in the very center of town. I wont be cleaning anymore which means I'll be paying rent. I'll be living in one room with 5-6 other travelers who are also working in nelson for a while to save money. I think the change is a good one. It allows me to meet a lot more people my age from all over the world who are travelling as well. Since they will be staying in nelson for a while they will make good friends for doing activities. On the other hand I'm sad to leave the bug b/c it's got such a great kitchen, friendly owners, perfect size, free internet and I only share my room with 2 people---not 6! The hostel where I'll be moving to on saturday is called accents on the park and its just below.

With the change means my whole work schedule will be changed as well. I'll work split shifts 4 days a week with 3 days off. Split shifts go from 11-2 and 6-11:30. I'm still at the waterfront. It's gotten pretty busy with toursits, but the other 4 waitresses I work are so funny. We often laugh through the stress which makes it nice.

And I'm really learning how to cook here! I've perfected the quessidilla. I put mushrooms, sweet corn, spinach, onions, beans, cheese, tomatoes in it. Put some sour cream and salsa on the side and you've got the best quesiddilla ever! Here I made a fattachinee alfredo with mushrooms and chicken inside it. It was so freakin good!!

Me and Maddie (my fellow waitress friend) went out for a great night last saturday. There is a great night life here in nelson. Being from nelson maddie seemed to know so many people at the bars. We danced the night away. There were so many people out on the streets. People of all different ages from all over the world dancing, playing pool, talking....it was awesome!

I had a wonderful valentines day thanks to Nate! He sent me flowers with a wonderful card and a nice video saying hello. I'm planning on moving in with him when I get back. We'll live in berkeley over the summer. I'll be waitressing in the city hopefully and he'll be finishing up at berkeley taking a short summer course.

I still cant decide on Peace Corps or around the world trip. I've got to figure out the finances of the around the world trip before I actually commit to it. I'll do that when I get back I think.

Hope all is well with everyone. Please please please update me on how you are doing!!! What you've been up to etc.

Does anyone else feel as though Dad should be included in this family page. Maybe we could make a deal with him. Perhaps he has a word limit so he doesn't overwhelm the blog? Let me know what you all think.
I love you all so much
Iris

Iron

Sierra that sounds so wonderful! Why would you ever desire to leave! Well, I have my own ideas but please share!
Wow, hmmmm so amazing! I am so glad you are experiencing the beauties of New Zealand. That country has so much to offer you and the world!
Scot, type in Iron on wikipedia...fascinating stuff! Let me know what your thoughts are on the element and it's role on earth and the universe. Anyone else feel free to do the same.
Wow oh wow I love my family!
Iris

Hey mama

Glad to here your getting up to speed on computers. Time to catch the wave of the cyber revolution :). That's exciting about volunteer work. what church did you find?

I changed my flight and moved it back a month. Basically b/c I promised the people at work I'd stay till a certain time. While I told them this in the back of my head I wanted to leave much earlier then that. But they have just been so nice and i really just can't run out on people like that. So I am staying until the date that I initially promised them I would stay.

This means I am coming home on May 1st. I need to sign up so i can be at my Cal graduation by the way which will be around May 15th. Will you remind me. The plan is to work until April 10th here in Nelson then travel for 3 weeks in New Zealand. That's when I will get to do my surfing and hiking etc. No bunjy jumping for me!

I love you mum!

Hike, buskers comedy, work mates, and cooking

I've been truly inspired by all the meals I am seeing and have decided to start learning how to cook on my own! Here I am using 2 stoves, 3 cooking pans, and 3 boiling bowls to make a pasta. haha....I guess the motto is the more you do something the more efficient you become. I have to admit my veggie tikka masala is the shit and I also made some yummy curry the other night too. I've made a habit of taking pictures of the stuff other people in the hostel are cooking for dinner :) so I can make it myself.




These are my work mates from the restuarant. We had a holiday here in New Zealand so the owner decided to take all of us out to lunch!...so nice! We had 2 wonderful platters of food and drinks. The three girls sitting across from me are the other waitresses (tiffany, esme and mattie) I work with. The man and the women to the right of themare the owners (pete and carolyn) . To the left of me are the wonderful chefs and kitchen hands (greg and vikki).


I went on my 7 hour hike and forgot lunch. so i, thank god, brought some chocolate chip cookies as my food for feul. I had so many freakin cookies over the course of that 7 hours.


This is one of the view spots from the Abel Tasman Coastal Trek i took.



We saw some buskers and this is one of the girls. Its a comedy / circus show were people do things like sand on boxes and juggle "razor sharp blazed of certain mutilation.




and this is the waterfront cafe where i work! Hurray, I love this place. I work from 6-11 6 days a week. It takes me about 20 minutes to bike to work. February is the busiest month so its been really busy at the restaurant. I'm happy to have tomorrow and wednesday off. Tomorrow me and my hostel friends are going to make pizza. On wednesday one of the girls at work who grew up in nelson is going to show me around the area! Isn't that nice! i think we will go out to lunch then to cable bay.

Hope everyone is doing well!

tired but alive!

Hey guys,

Just wanted to write to say hi! Its pretty late. about 1 in the morning. Last night I went dancing at the grumpy mole in Nelson. I met a guy from Canada on my birthday. It was his last night in nelson last night so he came to my work with his friend and asked me if i wanted to go out after work. I met him and his friends at another hostel.

It made me really happy I was staying at the hostel I am at now. The hostel I am at is a house turned into a hostel so it feel very home -like and has a very warm feeling to it. There is one small kitchen and living room. the other hostel where i met my guy friend was huge almost ike a small hotel.

neway, we were dancing all night and got a ride home in this really random 3 wheel tuk-tuk thing. I woke up and started work then realized it was my day off! so I went back to bed from 10-3 in the afternoon! the hostel owner saw me when i woke up and said "bloody hell, 3 in the afternoon"---haha...if there's one thing garthwaites know how to do it's fall asleep and stay asleep!

after my nice nap which I really needed from all the social functions I've been attending and work I went to the restarant to start my shift. a co-worker there asked me if i wanted to go out with her on wednesday. She is going to show me all the hotspots in the area! so i think I'll go do that on wednesday as long as I have the energy. valentines day is coming up so I am trying to concentrate on getting nate a nice present.

Hopefully all is going well with you guys! Love you and nighty night!

oopsie I forgot to give you the website!
Go to wikipedia.com
then type in: Sadhus
at the search bar.

Sadhus

Namaste,
This one is especially for mama but I know all of you crazies will find this article interesting. It is about the Sadhus of India, or the marigold flowers devoted solely to God. They are the ascetics of the Hindu culture.They are the ones that live in the caves and forest of India living only to uplift and enlighten there soul and the soul.
Check it out!

Beam light water sun me

Hey Familia
So I was biking along and I realized something new about this bike ride...I never get to ride home right before the sunsets. It is usually in the morning or at night or in mid afternoon. Hmm so nice! So I raced to the reservoir across the street from my apartment. I went to watch the sunset, a pleasure I rarely have the chance to indulge in. I had many thoughts on this bench but the most striking one that you may be able to answer for me is this:
So I was on this bench.
Lake of water sprawled in front of me.
Sun setting behind a distant hill.
A beam of light streaming across the lake between myself and the sun. This will happen with many shiny reflective surfaces. Well...most surfaces are reflective but some more than others...such as a lake.
As I moved my head from side to side, the light beam on the water between myself and the sun also moved and ceased to pour anywhere else besides me and the sun. Well, unless other individuals were looking at the sun, the water and the beam....ya know.

If you have no clue what I am talking about place a drinking glass on a table, turn a light on and watch that stream, from the glass to you, move as you do.
Why?
If you rather give me a clue that would be fun!
Actually everyone, yes, lets all post our own answers this problem! Creative, funny, scientific, spiritual, whatever!
I am excited to hear your ideas!
Iris

Hello!!

went to buskers comedy/circus show tonight! Funny shit!

Going to do an 8 hour hike tomorrow in Abel Tasman National Park. The Abel Tasman Coastal Trek. weeehoooo!

Updates coming soon ...:)

Love you guys.Hope all is clear in your skies and ferries are dancing in it! haha....