Bula!

So I had two lay overs during my plane ride. One was in California for five hours and the other one was in Fiji for about nine hours. California...not that exciting. Fiji was just wonderful. The moment I got off the plane I new I was going to love it because we were welcomed by these great people...

I didn't want to sit around in the airport for nine hours so I decided I wanted to do some exploring. This is the part where I am pretty sure if my parents knew what I was doing they would have been freaking out...but lucky for me and them I had no way of contacting them. I went and talked to some lady on suggestions on what I should do and she lined up this whole trip around the island for me for 150 Fijian dollars. This is about 70 bucks American money. Then she says this will be your driver. This guy gets up from a small table and he is this HUGE Fijian. I was thinking we were taking a few other people with us on this trip but I was wrong. It was just me and this huge guy twice my size in this taxi. I was slightly nervous to get in the car but then I just thought to myself...YOLO! haha It turned out being the best experience though. Walker and I became best friends pretty much. When I told him that my brother was named Walker he said, "this makes you and me brother and sister as well. We are like family!" Everyone in Fiji loved him and knew him and kept telling me "this guy really good taxi driver he is such a nice person. You really lucky." He has the best laugh in the world and everything was so funny to him. I had a hard time understanding him sometimes but I learned that if I just laughed I was giving him the response he wanted. Here is our wonderful video...I promise Mom I was very safe!

Fijian Money!

This was the only part of Fiji that I didn't love. And I hate to put this as one of  the
first photos but I cant figure out how to move it. haha Anyways Walker
dropped me off on their "main street" to do some shopping.
These people will just follow you around until you buy something
it got very creepy and I hated it. So I had the taxi people call Walker
to come and get me early. The positive thing about the experience was while I
was waiting I sat and talked to one of the store workers and ended up
giving him a Book of Mormon. He was pretty excited about it. Yay for missionary work!

Hindu temple in Fiji. Very colorful. I had to take my shoes off before I entered the temple grounds. 

I will post more pictures on facebook but these villages were so poor.
But these people took so much pride in their villages and houses.
Walker told me how there was a huge flood here in March and so many people
lost everything. He even lost so much. But he also told me that its ok because they
all just pull together to rebuild houses and help each other out because they are all like family.
He said  "we lost things we could replace...its no big deal!" Then just laughed. Haha I loved him. 

I got to see the sunrise in Fiji. So Beautiful and green!

One of the temple workers who was about to offer a prayer to a God.

Hindu Temple

Inside the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. This is the most peaceful , quiet and beautiful place.
I could have stayed in there for hours. 

Garden of the Sleeping Giant! So, I guess if you fly over this Garden
the mountain looks like a man sleeping. Walker told me how he dropped out of school
and he helped build the visitor center (thats not what its called but I can't think of what
it would be) when he was 15. 

This is Walker and I on the dock. He took me to this  shopping area and  I bought him
breakfast. That smoothie I am holding was DIVINE! It was a Papaya smoothie.

Bryce this picture is for you! This is the Fijian golf course. They are holding
a world wide tournament here in a few weeks. Did I mention it was super nice and
hot in Fiji? So beautiful. 

This is on our way to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. 

I honestly got a little teary-eyed saying goodbye to Walker and he gave me a huge hug and said when you come back to Fiji I will sing to you like Kenny Rogers. haha These people were just the nicest ever and had so much love for everyone they met. Wherever you went people were waving, smiling and saying "Bula!" (hello). I loved Fiji!! :)

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Ladies and gentleman it's real! I am finally in New Zealand. I feel like I have been waiting for so long that it really wasn't going to happen. Maybe just to preface for those of you who are wondering why the heck I am going to new Zealand...I am here to be a polka dot nanny! The polka dots is a singing group a lot like the wiggles in America. One of the polka dots is pregnant and they are doing a few concerts and tours in the next few months. They needed a temporary replacement for some of these shows so I will also get to be a polka dot! Woo hoo! I really am so excited to be doing everything I love while I am here.

Ok now that is all explained I will tell you about my journey so far! First you have got to know how much I dreaded two things about this trip, packing and saying goodbye to my family. So when I was packing I just stuffed as much as I could in my suitcases. I was feeling pretty accomplished because I stuffed SO much in there. Little did I know there is a weight limit...we ended up having to throw out 35lbs worth of crap out of my suitcase into this plastic bag for my parents to take home. It was pretty comical seeing us there with suitcases open and throwing stuff everywhere and me slightly crying because I didn't want to give up some things. It was so funny though but we got my luggage through and all was well.



my Dad being the champ that he is carrying around my 35lbs worth of stuff!

 You know you are going to a pretty great place though when this is your flight safetly video: New Zealand Safety Video no joke they really do play this on the plane! I was thourghly enjoying it. It reminded me of Shad Johnson...I think you should do this for a career Shad.

Now I won't bore you with every detail of the plane flight because ya, that would be boring. But I have to just share what was going through my head during this first flight. I get into the first plane and try to lift my carry on in the compartment...well I can't it's to heavy. So this nice man helped me...I felt slightly ridiculous. He didn't know that I tried to stuff the 35lbs out of my suitcase into my carry on as much as I could. Haha but anyways take off was just hilarious to me. I felt like I was living in an snl skit. I had the lady right next to me who didn't speak much English and she was just out before we even took off not caring one bit she was on an airplane right now. Two ladies down from me there was a lady who was sitting by the window just staring out there and would make flinch and clench her fists anytime the airplane made a noise or would go a little higher. She was tense the whole trip and wouldn't make much eye contact at all. The guy in front of me didn't speak much English either. And I am not trying to be rude but it helps paint the picture. He took up probably one and 3/4 of a seat. So the lady next to him is just trying to find a comfortable position on the 1/4 part of the seat that she paid a full price ticket for. Then there was me. I felt like the lady who plays the target lady or the surprise birthday party lady.As were taking off I just wanted to stand up and scream "I LOVE AIRPLAINES! I AM SO FREAKIN' EXCITED!" I could barely contain myself. . I was as giddy as a little kid on Christmas. The adrenaline was to much to handle. I was holding back any squealing or laughter. So I just sat there and smiled the whole time giggling to myself picturing how this snl skit would turn out.

But anyways I made it safely and it was quite the adventurous 32 hours worth of flying. I made a lot of friends a long the way from all over the world. I just love talking to people. The plane ride was what I was most worried about coming here because I would be traveling alone. But I can honestly say that I have never felt so not alone while being alone in my life. I was so grateful for that and just felt confident and safe the whole trip. It was wonderful. So happy to start this amazing adventure!

Pamela is the Grandmother of the Polka dots and her and Paul are who I am staying with. Keri is the other Polka dot nanny and I just love her to pieces. We get along a litle to well its crazy!