One Year Anniversary!

The 9th of January marked my 1 year anniversary of arriving into the States!!! As most of you know, I have chosen to extend my program for an extra 6 months so I'm actually going home now in August. Still, to hit the one year mark was very special indeed! I reflected over my year and I see so much change in me. I am so much more open now, so much more loving and gentle and patient. I am stronger too, in different ways. I am much more organised and now I am a clean freak!!! haha there are also so many foods that I never ate before that now I looove (like sandwiches, peanut butter, tuna, feta cheese, artichokes - the list goes on!). 

The kids are looking so much bigger!

Then in the afternoon my host family surprised me with a lovely afternoon tea complete with celebration cake and blueberries, and a present and card!

I love my family!!!!

It was such a special day for me! It felt like my birthday! haha.

Goodbye 2012! NYE Seattle Style

Well well well! The very end of the year! 2012, what an amazing year it was for me, and I certainly saw it out in style! The day was a rare one of picture perfect weather. In the evening I headed to Greenlake and watched the most amazing sunset.

Wow look at that sky!!!!

Later on I met up with my au pair friend Dora and we went to a house party I had been invited to by friends at church. We got there and had a fabulous night dancing and laughing the night away!

The time draws nearer to 2013!

Raising a glass to the new year! Cheers!

Fireworks on TV!

It was the first American house party I had been to and it seemed fitting to do it on New Years Eve! We had a great night, got home at some ridiculous hour in the morning, and since I don't drink alcohol, I was still feeling great when I woke up the next day! hahah.

Christmas, USA

Ahhh Christmas!! My favourite time of the year! I was a little sceptical about having Christmas in the USA, I just couldn't imagine having Christmas in the winter!! New Zealand comes alive in the Summer, long lazy days on the deck have always been synonymous with Christmas for me! But I was certainly curious as to how it would be, and it turned out to really surprise me!

Christmas began for me on Christmas Eve, at my church's candlelight service. It was really reflective and special. It was the first time I had been to church on Christmas Eve because normally I am in on holiday up in Northland in New Zealand with my family, away from my church in Auckland. 

Coming down the stairs on Christmas morning was such a lovely surprise, seeing all the decorations and presents and the table all set!

Christmas morning was very exciting because of all the kids! Five kids, the host parents and both sets of grandparents - it was a wonderful feeling to have such a full house. It was full of joy, there were presents galore! 

After opening all our stockings (we all had one - even me!) we went and ate a delicious breakfast!

Cooked breakfast around the big table

During the day it took us hours and hours to open all the presents because their tradition is to have each person open one present at a time - so with all of us, it took a loooong time! We had to do it in two sessions of approximately 2 hours each. We stopped for a brief lunch in the middle, sandwiches and salad and other snack-type foods. Later in the evening we had Swiss raclette for dinner which is a dish of potatoes and melted cheese - the cheese is the main course, you heat large slabs of cheese on a special little table-top grill and then eat the cheese with a side of potatoes. It was the perfect end to a really relaxing day! I felt like I was home with my family, it was so easygoing and fun and filled with laughter! I really really really loved my American Christmas!

Day Trips: Shelton and Hood Canal

A few weeks ago now after church it was an unusually sunny day - it was just beautiful weather, I turned to my friend with a twinkle in my eye and said "let's go on an adventure somewhere!" And me being the traveler that I am, I already had a billion ideas on where we could go. We took off south, to head to Shelton, a small little timber town. On the way we stopped in to Stadium High School in Tacoma, which was the setting of the 90's movie '10 Things I Hate About You' - a classic for my generation! 

Such an impressive campus!

After the high school, we drove on to Shelton. We got there in the late afternoon, when the whole town was drenched in warm rich sunshine.

At the center of the town was a beautiful old steam train. My first instinct was to climb all over it. I did. It was great fun!

After spending a little bit of time in the town we continued on up the Hood River Canal, passing through the town of Union on the way. It was a beautiful area, spectacular views, and the perfect weather meant for some breathtaking moments.

My stallion was enjoying all of it. 

We headed home via Bainbridge island and took the ferry back to Seattle. I loved this trip because it was so spontaneous, so unexpected, and the weather was so spectacular it was very special. This is what I love!!

My To-Do List - Places I've been this year

Countries I passed through (including stop overs)

New Zealand
Australia
Taiwan
Japan
USA
England
Switzerland
France
Germany
Italy
-----------------------------------------------
Big Cities I visited

Seattle
Portland
Vancouver
New York
Paris
Berlin
Geneva
Zurich

-----------------------------------------------
States I travelled through

New York
Oregon
Alaska
Washington
Idaho
Montana
Wyoming
South Dakota
---------------------------------------------

Pacific North West Area

Seattle Underground Tour
Tillicum Village
Space Needle
Pacific Science Center
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle Aquarium
Burke Museum of Natural History
Henry Art Gallery
Frye Art Gallery
Seattle Art Museum
Museum of History and Industry
Seattle Asian Art Museum
Experience Music Project
Wing Luke Asian American Museum
North West African American Museum
Museum of Flight
Museum of Glass Tacoma
Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan; Alaska
Portland, Oregon
Bellingham
Astoria, Oregon
Cannon Beach
Victoria, Canada
Vancouver, Canada
Hurricane Ridge
Vashon Island
Bainbridge Island
Whidbey Island
Camano Island
Columbia River Gorge
Viretta Park
Mercer Slough Park
Ruby Beach
Aberdeed Kurt Cobain Memorial
Lake Quinault/Quinault Rainforest
Hoh Rainforest
Forks
Kalaloch Beach
Cape Flattery (most NW point of continental US)
Port Townsend
Stadium High School, Tacoma
Shelton/Hood Canal
Olympia
Lake Wenatchee
Lake Chelan
Seward Park
Discovery Park
Puyallup Fair
Snoqualmie Falls
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Mt St Helens
Mt Rainier
Vancouver, Washington
Largest Cowboy hat and boots (Oxbow Park)


WOW What a year!!!!!!