More pictures!!!!

Bad roommate.

I've never had a bad roommate. My last two were pretty superb and even on this trip I have been blessed with friendly travelers and hunky Germans. So, last night was a new one for me. It was horrible. It brought back memories of living in the same room as my sister. But worst. It was a horrible, no-good, very bad roommate experience. Last night I was feeling very run down and crappy. I decided to call it a night at 7 and turn in with my oranges, tim tams and the hobbit. Well, about 10:00 my roommate... Let's call him Jo, came in and started to tell me all about his next adventure, which included traveling around the south island with his "Internet girlfriend" not making this shit up. It wouldn't have been a problem but then he tried to convince me to go with them to save money. After I politely declined, he started to watch shows on his lap top. Without ear phones. Then he left. And right as I was dozing off to sleep, he came back into the room with a steaming plate of food. The smell of which began to upset my already queasy stomach. Then the chewing began. No lie, he made his way through TWO ears of corn. The sound of munching could be heard through my I-pod. He finally got into bed. (oh, did I mention he took the top bunk above me... Even though there were two empty beds on the other side of the room. ) then around 1:00 I woke up from a restless half awake half asleep state to hear him climbing down the bunk, opening the window and a bunch of really heavy breathing. Well, at first I was just curious why he was standing behind the curtains with his head out the 6th story of a building. Then, our room began to smell like smoke. My roommate Jo was hanging out of our room, at 1 in the morning, smoking a cigarette, hiding behind the curtains. If that wasn't enough, his alarm went off at 5:30 and he began an hour long, LOUD process of packing up all of his gear. My dear roommate Jo is gone now. But I have a feeling that I will remember that little turd for a while.
Ahhhh hostels and the journey bring.
Anyway. Pictures. Here are some more updates. Xxoo

Photo update...

Leaving Raglan.

I'm off today. Hopped on a bus to the strange city of Hamilton to adventure farther south. It was actually a lot harder saying good bye to the place had been staying than I thought it would be. Update later on my first crush since I've started this crazy trip a month and a half ago.

Some updates so far!!

I can not believe it has only been seven days since I arrived in the Auckland airport. This past week has been one of the longest of my entire life. It may have to do with fact that I have fit more into a week than most people fit into a year, or perhaps it's the fact that since I've been here I haven't been able to sleep past eight. What ever the case, I've been productive and I like it. Quick update on where I am now? Right at this very moment I am sitting in the child's section of the local library. Local meaning a small surfer town on the western side of the north island of new Zealand. Raglan is the name, beauty is the frickin game. It's the most beautiful spot here. Simply incredible. While all of new Zealand has been stunning at ever turn and breathtaking at every new sight, as soon as I stepped on the black sand beaches here, and checked into the CUTEST backpacker joint, I knew I would be spending more than a few hours here. So four days it is. But, let me rewind a bit... I flew into new Zealand on the 1st of may, took the 45 minute shuttle into downtown Auckland and stumbled out of the bus with no inkling of a place to stay or what I would be doing for the next 27 days. As walked down the crowded streets of Auckland I stumbled into Nomads, a well known hostel that I ended up staying at for two nights. There, I met two girls from Canada, and a boy from Holland, all of us with one goal in common, to see the most of new Zealand for as cheap as possible. So, in the course of two days, the boy bought a van named Oscar, the girls bought a cooking stove and some utensils and I learned to read a map. We headed out on twisty highways to the hot water beaches of cathedral cove. cooking dinner, drinking beer and learning details about each others lives that I don't even know about my closest friends, slowly, we zigzaged down the east coast, stopping at hobbiton, where lord of the rings was filmed, more and more beaches, one crazy night in Hamilton and finally here, where I realized that as much as loved traveling with a group, I wanted to experience the thrill of striking out on my own. So, here I am. Learning to surf and playing soccer with some new German friends, planning my next big move and in complete shock that it's only been 7 days.

Travel Update!

Hello there everyone!
(For those of you who still check this thing, congratulations. You get a very special gift from my travels when I return home.)
This last month has been a complete mad-hatter of a time. I honestly have no idea where to begin.
It has been one month and (seven?) days since I have written a blog post. Yeah, I know. You may be asking yourself how I survived. Well, to be honest, it's been challenging.  This last month has made me very concious of my addiction to social networking sites and I have been working to rid myself of the need to feel self important by posting something silly for the world to see. The good news is, I no longer think in Tweets, Facebook updates or blog posts. Go me.
For the sake of keeping you all updated on my travels and future plans I going to share with you here the email I just sent to my family.

Hello everyone!!! I just wanted to write a quick hello and update you all on my travels so far, as well as my travels to come... As you all know, I flew into Sydney on the 25th of March. What you may not have known is that I was scared shitless of leaving such a loving community and family to venture into the unknown. But, travel and grow I knew I must so I packed up my gear into a small backpack and headed into the wild.
When I arrived in Sydney I instantly felt a connection to the people, places and smells around me. My first day was spent at a craft market helping Kate (the women I was staying with in Sydney, and one of the team members at Play in the Wild!) sell her incredible hand-made books. The fashion, the vendors and the accents were all too beautiful. The next week was full of fun, making myself a journal in Kate's workshop, planning Play in the Wild! activities and spending quality time on the white sandy beaches of Sydney.
When Catherine and Jesse (the founders of Play in the Wild!) arrived, planning Play in the Wild! along with Dialogs of the Heart ( a Nonviolent Communication Training that we did the weekend before camp) became our top priority. The adventure continued as we packed up our gear in the Rav. 4 and drove the 14 hour trip to Brisbane.
Play in the Wild! was amazing experience for every youth and trainer involved. We laughed, cried and danced our hearts out in the green bush of Oz. The trans-formative week reminded me of how much a community and individuals can share and learn together when a container of love holds them all.
As we said our tearful goodbyes, we all parted ways two saturdays ago, going back to our prospective homes around the world, taking with us the feeling of strong love, support, community and friendship.
One more successful Play in the Wild Youth Intensive under my belt.
The next few days were filled the brim with site seeing of the Sydney Opera house, relaxing on the beach and trying to regain my voice that I had lost due to allergies at camp. (Think Marcel the Shell type voice.)
Then we hopped on another plane to Melbourne for Catherine and Jesse's wedding celebration at a beautiful wildlife sanctuary. The wedding was on Sunday the 29th of April, surrounded by Dingos, Kolas and NVC trainers. We danced our hearts out and ate purple cake. It was a perfect way to part ways with friends and family, celebrating the love and connection that lives in us all.
Which leads me here: one more day until I am in Auckland, New Zealand. 28 more days until I am in Wales and a month and some time until I am back in the Capay Valley in California USA.
Thank you so much for supporting me on my walk-about, and know that wherever my travels take me, I am thinking of you and how fortunate I am to have such incredible family and friends. See you all soon! XOXOX
-Hannah Rose.

I'm Leaving.

Goodbye everyone!!!

I will try to update soon. 

Or maybe some of my friends and siblings will be kind enough to write a little ditty once in a while.