New Zealand Book is Finished!

I finally got all of my memories and photos into one semi-consolidated book!!! It's 154 pages, but who's counting. That was after much editing and deleting and re-adding and more editing of photos and fun stories. Understandably, it's just not easy to summarize the incredible year I had! My hard copy arrived very quickly last Friday and every time I look through it, more memories come flooding back.

You can preview my book here. A combination of blog posts, photos, and a few additional memories, I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I hope you like it:

Adventures in Aotearoa by Jessica Martin | Make Your Own Book

Please note: If you really like it, you can purchase a copy for yourself through the site. Although my main goal for posting it here is so you can preview the finished product, I know several people asked about purchasing a copy. Also, there are a lot of pictures so sometimes it takes a minute to load (particularly on slower connections) just be prepared for that.

It really was one of the best years of my life and so I thank you for being a part of that, even if it was just as a supporter through my blog. I look forward to getting back to New Zealand again sometime soon. Until that point comes, I'll have to be satisfied with my new visual reminder instead. And I'll continue to blog when I have new fun memories to share.

Photos Galore!

I realize it's been awhile since I last posted on my blog. I've been busy trying to get the most out of my summer before it's all over. As it's finally coming to a close, I thought it was time to cross a few things off my list that have been there for awhile. The first: posting photos from the remainder of my Asian Adventure on Facebook and on my blog. Enjoy! (Click on the album below to see it in full screen mode)

Cambodia


Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An)


Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa)


Guilin & Xi'an, China


Beijing, The Great Wall and Home

Photos: Chiang Mai and Laos

I've compiled the photos from the last part of my trip in Thailand, the slow boat ride down the Mekong into Luang Prabang, Laos, and our time in Laos. (Click on the album below to see it in full screen mode)

Chiang Mai, Thailand


Slow Boat ride down the Mekong and Luang Prabang, Laos

More photos...

More photos from Thailand.  (Click on the album below to see it in full screen mode)

Bangkok (March 21-25)

Photos: KL and Thailand

I've put together some of my favorite photos from Kuala Lumpur and Southern Thailand.  Enjoy! (Click on the album slideshow to see the images in a larger slideshow format)

Kuala Lumpur



Southern Thailand

Photos, Photos, Photos!

It's taken awhile to upload all of my photos to Picasa (I actually got them on Facebook first).  But I thought I would at least try to get them up before I started uploading photos from my Asian Adventure.

Spring/Summer in New Zealand (September - December 2010)


Holiday Touring in New Zealand (December 2010 - January 2011)


Touring the South Island (February 2011)


Saying Goodbye (March 2011)

Tonga Photos are In!

Beaches, whale watching, bike rides, bars, even a trip to church, it's all here. I have finally put together some of the photos from our trip.  Click on the album to see a slideshow of the images (double-click to open it in a larger window).




These photos are compiled from the cameras of everyone on the trip.

Photos...Finally

I'm finally getting around to posting my photos.  Here's a few edited albums for you to enjoy of my past few months here in New Zealand.


April/May 2010


June/July 2010


You can also check out the new "Photo Albums" tab at the top of the page to see all of my photos.

30th Birthday: My Own Little New Year

When I was younger my greatest fear was that no one would come to my funeral.  It wasn't that I didn't have any friends, it's that I couldn't think of anything that could be more sad.  I've told very few about that fear, but now as an adult I realize that it's not something I needed to worry about...afterall, I'd be dead.  Three weeks ago, this old fear resurrected itself, only this time I was afraid no one would help me celebrate my birthday.  As it turned out, it was again an irrational fear.

I didn't wake up to an alarm on May 7th because apparently it wanted to give me a gift that morning as well...more sleep.  What it couldn't have known was that I would then skip breakfast and rush around the flat trying to get out on time - still I appreciated the gesture.  Traffic was light and I actually made it to the office on schedule.  When my boss came in she brought with her a beautiful bouquet of flowers in honor of my birthday.  This was the way to start a 30th birthday!

We went out to lunch to celebrate my new role with the company (and my birthday).  I had a traditional pub dish of fish and chips and was allowed to leave work early.  Afterall, I had a party to prepare.  When I arrived home my flatmates were busy in the kitchen with a surprise cake for me (this was on top of the 31 cupcakes I had baked the previous night).  Another flatmate had a bouquet of tulips waiting for me as well.  Seriously - the day kept getting better.

I hurriedly got ready for the evening and then a few of us raced up the street to see some rally cars race around the Domain (a large park in downtown Auckland).  It wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be, but still pretty impressive.  We stayed long enough to watch several cars hoon around a hairpin turn before catching the bus back to our flat in time for the guests to arrive.

By 8pm the food was out and we were ready (cupcakes, Jell-o shots, fruits and veges, cookies...basically enough to feed an army).  By 9pm we had a good gathering of people.  By 9:30pm the flat was full, alcohol was flowing, and chicken wings and another birthday cake appeared (this was brought by a friend and masterfully crafted as a cowboy boot).  By 10pm my flatmates surprised me with candles and everyone was singing a chorus of Happy Birthday (my three attempts to blow out the candles clearly highlighted my age).   At 11pm the landlord, who is also our neighbor, came by to yell at us for the noise.  At 1am everyone was heading home and somehow I managed to make it out to the bars (I should have stayed and crashed).  At 3am (after falling three times on the dance floor), I shook off the guy making futile attempts to keep my focus, and went to sit down with my friends.  I was ready for bed.

Saturday I was completely useless.  Clearly not as young as I used to be, my hangover prevented me from doing anything productive.  In all, I hung out with a group of wonderful people, had a very memorable night (despite alcohol's attempt to add a haziness to it all), and brought in the next decade of my life in style...as a cowgirl. My wish: That everyone can be as fortunate as I was on my own little New Year.

Posting Photos

As of today, it's been three weeks since I arrived in Auckland.  It's taken me that long to finally post my photos.  Incredibly, I still haven't included all of them in my latest album.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure:



Click on the photos to see the full album with captions.