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Quick Jaunt to New Zealand
One of the first things on our Australia bucket list was to visit my grandmother in New Zealand. I am very close to my grandmother, and Nick loves her as well, so it was a pretty high priority for us to go and see her as soon as we could. That plan came together during the second-last week of January. Just to show you how amazing my grandmother is, here’s a picture of her in her heyday as a go-go/cage dancer, after she had given birth to 4 sons: And without further ado, we were off to the airport! The first thing we did upon arriving, after settling in, was…
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30 Before 30 – What I’ve Done
If you’ve never heard of a 30 before 30 list (or 40 before 40, or bucket list, etc), it’s a list of things that you’d like to try before you turn a certain age. I’ve been working on a 30 before 30 list for the last 5 years or so, and since my 29th birthday is rapidly approaching, I thought I’d do a status update/reality check on what I’ve been able to accomplish! What I’ve Done: 1. Skydive (I did this in Abel Tasman, New Zealand in Jan 2012) 2. Wine tasting in California…initially done October 2012, but many, many times since then as well! 3. Visit New Zealand with…
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New Zealand sabbatical
My employer has an amazing benefit – after 5 years of employment with them, they offer a 4-week sabbatical (and after 10 years, 5 weeks; 15 years, 6 weeks!). I have to say looking forward to my sabbatical definitely kept me going during rough times over the past 7 years (I’m overdue taking mine) – I wonder how much it affects retention for them. And now I’ve only got 3 & 1/2 years til my next one! Most people seem to use their sabbatical to travel, and I was no exception. I opted to spent three weeks in New Zealand with my grandmother (my dad’s mom). She’s very special to…