I landed in Wellington, New Zealand last wednesday night - just past midnight. Since my flight was arriving after midnight I found a hotel right near the airport. Before this trip I didn't really pay attention to where NZ was on the map, I had a general idea. Flying from Perth, Australia I had a layover in Melbourne for about an hour or so, each flight was about 3 and a half hours. I left about 11am and by the time I landed in NZ I had gone through 5 different time zones. Even though it was past midnight, for Perth time which i was slightly adjusted to it was only 7pm, which meant stayed up until about 2am. Breakfast was delivered before 9am and my day was started.
Matt & Donna from MAD CF came and picked me up around lunchtime and brought me to where I'd be staying over the weekend. It was a nice place, overlooking the water which had some stunning views. It's hard to find words to describe the essence of NZ - it's absolutely stunning and breath taking. Just from the drive from the airport to Petone which is where I'd be, it was absolutely incredible views...just wait till I post the pictures
After getting comfortable at hotel I got picked up to go check out the place where I'd be teaching course over the weekend. Their CF is great, a nice space and very fun to workout in, I knew it was going to go well over the weekend! Afterwords we went into town for dinner and that was about it, I as feeling a bit of the effects from all the travel and the different time zones - I needed some rest.
Friday worked out in the morning, we went to breakfast and did some swimming in the afternoon, have to keep up with my IM training :). After that I went into Wellington, which is about a 15 minute train from Petone. The city itself is like a mini San Francisco, super cute, fun, hilly, lots of coffee shops and seemed very diverse. I spent most of the afternoon wondering around which is always something I really enjoy doing to get familiar with a new area.
Friday Matt & Donna hosted a small BBQ of some of the folks that would be attending course over the weekend which was fun. Notable from the course was the down pour that we got Saturday afternoon when we were about to start the workout - it wasn't light at all. The weather is quite interesting here, it's quite windy almost always, and the sun can be super intense - I guess there's a whole in the ozone here. 20 minutes in the sun is about all that one can take. I got dark right away - love it!!!!!
Sunday I could feel something coming on, I wasn't sure what it was, but could sense it...turns out with the wind being quite strong peoples allergies can flare up easily, which is something I hadn't prepared for. Towards the afternoon on Sunday it was starting to get to me, but I pushed through it and gave them my best. We had 21 attendees in Perth, and 22 here in NZ.
Monday came and I felt like crap - my head felt like it was going to pop out of my ears. We had picked up some zyrtec(allergy medicine) but it wasn't working fast enough. I managed to get in a workout in the morning and another in the afternoon, but I was in quite a bit of discomfort throughout the day, and a bit tired from coaching course over the weekend - the group was really fun, even had someone come all the way from the middle of Australia, about an 8 hour trip for the course.
Monday night Matt had something that resembled the netti pot and I got busy with it - I didn't use to be a believer but sometime last year I couldn't shake off a sinus headache for awhile and tried it and found immediate relief. This time it worked well once again, I woke up Tuesday still congested, but no headache - yeaaaa!!!! This was great since Donna and I were going to the South Island for a day trip - it was a 3 hour ferry and the views were seriously breath taking, coming in through the sounds and docking in Picton.
We spent the day near by, we looked into going to some of the near by places, but it was too expensive or too late in the day, so we had a lunch in town and did a great 3-4 hour very near by which was the perfect way to spend the day. The weather was incredible too, nice and warm clear sunny skies. We came back on the ferry later that afternoon.
Wednesday Matt had a work meeting that he had to drive to, which was about 3 hours away and I tagged along and got to see a lot of the North Island thanks to this opportunity. During his meeting I managed to do a 30 mile bike ride (super windy - great IM training) and then we drove a little further to Lake Taupo which is where IM New Zealand takes place and it's a sight that words can't even begin to describe. We also went to Huka falls, had lunch and made our way back to Wellington. On the drive I saw the most incredible nature display, volcanoes, trees of all sorts, desert - yes in the middle of all this, and lots of sheep!!!
It's Thursday now and I return to San Diego tomorrow night, I've had the chance to see quite a bit of NZ during my short stay thanks to my gracious hosts Matt & Donna. New Zealand is beyond amazing, it'd be super fun to do a backpacking trip for 3 months here with my brother sometime - maybe someday...
I'll be posting pictures from entire trip this weekend - stay tuned :)
I help people re-define what's possible in their lives
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Trip down under
This has been quite an interesting trip so far...
I'll write some highlights tomorrow with details, but for now all is well- I arrived in new Zealand and I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing place to spend the next 9 days :)
How fast time flies - it's been over a week since I have been gone, and I haven't been very good about updating the world on what i have been up to.
Here's the highlights so far: left San Diego last Tuesday night, jet to LA and direct to Auckland, NZ where I had a 6 hour layover, I didn't realize this until the week I was leaving which is when I got into action. I remembered Darren from CF games last year and touched base with him via facebook. Let's just say this was the best layover ever. He was awesome to pick me up from the airport, we went to CF NZ right away and I felt right at home and within a few minutes of being there we were already plotting a workout. A great met-con of front squats and ring push ups later we were both feeling pretty good about getting that done! If that wasn't the best thing, just wait- we then jumping into the ocean and since it's summer here in this part of the world it was a very special treat. It gets better though- before heading back to the airport went to darren's pad and he made a super delicious gigantic paleo omelette - what a treat!!!!! Before you know it we were headed back to the airport - I really couldn't have imagined a better way to spend my 6 hour layover than this - completely unexpected, and totally a kick ass way to start this amazing trip.
From auckland to Perth it's another 7 hour flight - and if you are doing the math the total travel time is now up to 30 hours by the time I arrived in Perth. The weather here was incredible, and I was picked up at the airport by Jason from 'the cell' which is the original Crossfit in Perth. It was super nice of him to come and pick me up and drop me off at the hotel I had booked which was about 45 minutes away- more on this later :)
I lost a day in the traveling, not literally but considering the time difference, perth is 16 hours of SD which meant I arrived at my hotel early evening on Thursday. I was staying in Scarborough Beach at a place about 5 minute walk to the water. This was definitely one of the perks, but the place I stayed was not the nicest in the world - let's just say that I made due with what I had :)
The plan was to stay until Wednesday the 26th in Perth, and I'd be coaching all day saturday and Sunday, which left me with Friday and Monday and Tuesday to get settled and explore. Jason & Carol were absolutely amazing incredible during my stay in Perth, they came and picked me up every day and took me anywhere I wanted to go - super outstanding individuals that showed me some great hospitality. I ended up working out at the cell everyday I wasn't coaching which was a blast since I got to meet a lot of their community and it's no wonder why they've been so successful - they really care about their members and quality is preached across the board in all they do!
The course over the weekend went really well- had people from all over, including someone from japan! I love the international courses because everyone is super eager to learn. The course was held at SF Gym (West Coast Crossfit), and it was a great space for it. We had a parking garage we could use without interruptions, which made it fantastic for the drills and such.
Notable about Perth - city is very expensive, I came thinking it'd be cheaper than US and was shocked the average meal eating out was somewhere between $25-$35 I suppose that's what happens when you are isolated from the rest of the world, you have to import everything and it drives up the prices for everything. The beaches are incredible, I went for a great run on Monday morning up the coast only to be greeted by the super strong winds on the way back, which made the run very mentally challenging - great training for my ironman:) Perth as a city can get very windy, but the warm temperatures made it very nice.
that about does it in terms of highlights so far, aside from everything I decided to buy myself an iPad before I left which I had been considering for quite sometime. Before the trip I debated whether to bring my laptop or not, I decided to keep it at home. It's been an adjustment so far but totally able to manage without laptop, there have been a few instances where it would have certainly been convenient, but I have made due without and it's much lighter on my backpack carryon :)
One of the best things about taking a trip is having time to reflect about where I am at in life, but that's another post in itself - let's just say that I have been reading 'the four hour workweek' and super inspired and dreaming big like I never have before!!!!!
I'll write some highlights tomorrow with details, but for now all is well- I arrived in new Zealand and I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing place to spend the next 9 days :)
How fast time flies - it's been over a week since I have been gone, and I haven't been very good about updating the world on what i have been up to.
Here's the highlights so far: left San Diego last Tuesday night, jet to LA and direct to Auckland, NZ where I had a 6 hour layover, I didn't realize this until the week I was leaving which is when I got into action. I remembered Darren from CF games last year and touched base with him via facebook. Let's just say this was the best layover ever. He was awesome to pick me up from the airport, we went to CF NZ right away and I felt right at home and within a few minutes of being there we were already plotting a workout. A great met-con of front squats and ring push ups later we were both feeling pretty good about getting that done! If that wasn't the best thing, just wait- we then jumping into the ocean and since it's summer here in this part of the world it was a very special treat. It gets better though- before heading back to the airport went to darren's pad and he made a super delicious gigantic paleo omelette - what a treat!!!!! Before you know it we were headed back to the airport - I really couldn't have imagined a better way to spend my 6 hour layover than this - completely unexpected, and totally a kick ass way to start this amazing trip.
From auckland to Perth it's another 7 hour flight - and if you are doing the math the total travel time is now up to 30 hours by the time I arrived in Perth. The weather here was incredible, and I was picked up at the airport by Jason from 'the cell' which is the original Crossfit in Perth. It was super nice of him to come and pick me up and drop me off at the hotel I had booked which was about 45 minutes away- more on this later :)
I lost a day in the traveling, not literally but considering the time difference, perth is 16 hours of SD which meant I arrived at my hotel early evening on Thursday. I was staying in Scarborough Beach at a place about 5 minute walk to the water. This was definitely one of the perks, but the place I stayed was not the nicest in the world - let's just say that I made due with what I had :)
The plan was to stay until Wednesday the 26th in Perth, and I'd be coaching all day saturday and Sunday, which left me with Friday and Monday and Tuesday to get settled and explore. Jason & Carol were absolutely amazing incredible during my stay in Perth, they came and picked me up every day and took me anywhere I wanted to go - super outstanding individuals that showed me some great hospitality. I ended up working out at the cell everyday I wasn't coaching which was a blast since I got to meet a lot of their community and it's no wonder why they've been so successful - they really care about their members and quality is preached across the board in all they do!
The course over the weekend went really well- had people from all over, including someone from japan! I love the international courses because everyone is super eager to learn. The course was held at SF Gym (West Coast Crossfit), and it was a great space for it. We had a parking garage we could use without interruptions, which made it fantastic for the drills and such.
Notable about Perth - city is very expensive, I came thinking it'd be cheaper than US and was shocked the average meal eating out was somewhere between $25-$35 I suppose that's what happens when you are isolated from the rest of the world, you have to import everything and it drives up the prices for everything. The beaches are incredible, I went for a great run on Monday morning up the coast only to be greeted by the super strong winds on the way back, which made the run very mentally challenging - great training for my ironman:) Perth as a city can get very windy, but the warm temperatures made it very nice.
that about does it in terms of highlights so far, aside from everything I decided to buy myself an iPad before I left which I had been considering for quite sometime. Before the trip I debated whether to bring my laptop or not, I decided to keep it at home. It's been an adjustment so far but totally able to manage without laptop, there have been a few instances where it would have certainly been convenient, but I have made due without and it's much lighter on my backpack carryon :)
One of the best things about taking a trip is having time to reflect about where I am at in life, but that's another post in itself - let's just say that I have been reading 'the four hour workweek' and super inspired and dreaming big like I never have before!!!!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Travelling and such
It's been awhile since I've update this blog - i've had a few ideas in the past couple of weeks, just haven't been disciplined to put thoughts into writting.
I've been traveling once or twice a month with Crossfit Endurance to put on the certifications all over the country and I absolutely love it - getting a chance to meet people in the Crossfit & Endurance community is a blessing. I get to do what i love and travel while i am at it and get to make friends all over :) Could it get any better? I sort had this lifestyle vision in my mind about a year ago, and its funny how its come true.
I thought I would share some travel tips that I've learned...
I've been traveling once or twice a month with Crossfit Endurance to put on the certifications all over the country and I absolutely love it - getting a chance to meet people in the Crossfit & Endurance community is a blessing. I get to do what i love and travel while i am at it and get to make friends all over :) Could it get any better? I sort had this lifestyle vision in my mind about a year ago, and its funny how its come true.
I thought I would share some travel tips that I've learned...
- Pack lightly - i used to think that I didn't want to be without something, but now i realize that less is more, and if i really need something, i can always pick it up at the destination. Nowadays i pack so i don't check luggage in, and makes the in and out of airports much quicker
- Eat well - i typically always eat a big meal before i leave, this way i know I won't be starving. I typically always pack a few snacks - most of the time i take some sort of jerky with me, nuts and fruits - these are always a great healthy snack.
- It seems that most places i travel to have a layover somewhere - i typically find my way to a sports bar and order a salad with chicken, and always ask for extra meat if possible.
- Water - take a water bottle with you, even if its empty - this will save you $3-$4 at the airport, if you bring your own water, you can then fill it up at the water fountains, and every airport has them...Make sure you stay super hydrated, if you are traveling a long ways it will make the jet lag pass sooner
- Bring entertainment - wether its a book, magazine, computer - make sure you take this opportunity to catch up on things you don't do. When i travel, it gives me an opportunity to get caught up on email - i don't like to sit at my computer for long periods of time, and i coach full time and still get tons of email questions and can't always get around to responding to them right away - so i take this opportunity to do so. I always travel with at least one book - i love reading!!! My dad has taught me some great lessons and one that sticks out is to always strive to continue to learn and educate yourself - evolve!!!!
- If the airport doesn't have free wifi - see if you can spot up next to a president's club, or frequent flyer clubs - those typically offer free wifi and you can usually snag it for free!
- Be nice and appreciative to the people that work in the industry- they probably get barked at all the time, make sure you thank them and always be corteous, even if your flight is delayed or something happens - more than likely its not their fault, and you being angry and taking it out on them will not make the situation any better.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
101 Things to do before i move on...
In no particular order of priority....
- Live in Miami
- Live in Portugal
- Be completely debt free
- Have kids - i am thinking 3 at least :)
- Teach PE
- Write a book
- Go to Italy & Greece - this will most likely happen next year!
- Fall in love again
- Speak to my family on the phone every week
- Live for a year without a car (currently doing so - see if i can hold out till June next year)
- Brazil - need i say more here?
- Take care of my brother
- Own a temperpeudic bed
- Tri Bike
- Read 1,000 books
Friday, August 20, 2010
Almost time to come home....
My trip is finally winding down and I am just about ready to come home - not quite yet, but will be after this weekend!!!Its been very relaxing to have a few weeks of to enjoy Portugal and be. My life back in the states is never this calm - i usually have a lot of things going on and am typically always on the move, to have some down time usually makes me uneasy.
Part of me feels as if this might be my last visit to Portugal for the next few years - not sure why, but its almost as if a part of my life is becoming complete and I am ready to go out and explore different parts of the world. Not that i haven't already done so, but I have had the feeling the past few days that its time to move on and spend my vacations learning more about the world rather than revisiting the past.
I am super lucky to have the opportunity to travel, being in Portugal helps me realize how blessed i am to be able to do this - take 5 weeks during my summer and go to 4 different countries. Not many people are able to do so, which makes me very grateful for the life I have.
From wikipedia -
Wages
The average wage in Portugal is 804.22€ per month, and the minimum wage, which is regulated by law, is 475€ per month.
If I lived here, I don't know if I would have the opportunities to do what I do and go everywhere that I go.
I have gone back and forth with the idea of coming back to Portugal to live, but after this trip I have come to the conclusion that doesn't interest me anymore. At least not for now, i may change my mind though - i often do. But for now, i don't think its in the cards for me.
With that being said, I am looking forward to being back in San Diego - I am still not certain whether or not that is a place i want to live permanently, but i do know that its a place that i am able to make a very good living, where I am very comfortable, confident and close to family.
I am definitely feeling recharged and the last few days began itching to get back to my 'regular' life. I have a lot of fun things coming up in the next few months - traveling for Crossfit Endurance certifications to Washington, Texas, Florida before the end of the year. In September I am also attending Hot N Dry in Palm Springs - this will be my 3rd year attending and I have had such a great time the last 2 years and am really looking forward to going again this year.
Who knows what the next few months will bring - I have a few things planned but I am ready for anything. The past few years of my life have unfolded quite nicely and I have learned so much about myself and the world. Last summer I imagined being able to travel for work and share some of the knowledge and passion for training/health with people all over the world. I am blessed to have this opportunity and to make an impact in peoples lives.
Ok, i think i am rambling now, so i better rap this up and peace out!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Our imperfections are perfect
I have been on the road for almost 5 weeks already - this has been quite a trip/journey.
I left San Diego on the 15th of July for the Crossfit Games in Carson, CA at the Home Depot Center for a weekend of competition. On the 19th I left LA to London where i spent a couple of days before heading out to Copenhagen to coach a Crossfit Endurance Certification. Back to London after that for a few days before heading to Cologne, Germany to compete in the Gay Games. After that i came to my home town of Lisboa, Portugal to finally relax and recharge for 2 weeks before returning to San Diego.
Whooo that's a lot of traveling, i can't believe i have been gone that long - part of me wants to return, and another part of me wants to continue to travel and see the world.
I am truly blessed to be able to do this in my life - be able to pick up and go and spend almost 6 weeks in Europe for the summer, how did life get so good?
When i was in my twenties i did a bit of traveling as well, and i got in the habit of sending out an email to my closest friends sharing with them what i was experiencing, what i was seeing, hearing, etc....This is now my means of communication so that more people can see, read and hear about my adventures.
Exploring different cultures is always a neat experience for me - being in London i felt quite comfortable, and in Copenhagen we were surrounded by people that spoke really good English so that was easy to communicate, but i was surprised in Germany that quite a few folks from there did not speak the universal language of English, i had a tough time communicating on a few occasions.
Being in Portugal I've also experienced a bit of difficulty communicating. I learned Portuguese till 7th grade when i lived here, but when we moved to California i basically stopped speaking it unless it was on my trips to visit. I can speak it, understand it, read it, but at times i find it a bit harder to communicate what it is I am trying to say - or i feel that the flow of the conversation isn't perfect....or maybe it is....
I find that i do a lot more listening here, which in my opinion is a good thing - sometimes i talk too much, and when i am in a position to listen i often learn a lot more about people, what they are sharing and the world.
I really love traveling and observing people from different cultures - its humbling, just when i think that i have it figured out, i realize i have so much to learn still...
I left San Diego on the 15th of July for the Crossfit Games in Carson, CA at the Home Depot Center for a weekend of competition. On the 19th I left LA to London where i spent a couple of days before heading out to Copenhagen to coach a Crossfit Endurance Certification. Back to London after that for a few days before heading to Cologne, Germany to compete in the Gay Games. After that i came to my home town of Lisboa, Portugal to finally relax and recharge for 2 weeks before returning to San Diego.
Whooo that's a lot of traveling, i can't believe i have been gone that long - part of me wants to return, and another part of me wants to continue to travel and see the world.
I am truly blessed to be able to do this in my life - be able to pick up and go and spend almost 6 weeks in Europe for the summer, how did life get so good?
When i was in my twenties i did a bit of traveling as well, and i got in the habit of sending out an email to my closest friends sharing with them what i was experiencing, what i was seeing, hearing, etc....This is now my means of communication so that more people can see, read and hear about my adventures.
Exploring different cultures is always a neat experience for me - being in London i felt quite comfortable, and in Copenhagen we were surrounded by people that spoke really good English so that was easy to communicate, but i was surprised in Germany that quite a few folks from there did not speak the universal language of English, i had a tough time communicating on a few occasions.
Being in Portugal I've also experienced a bit of difficulty communicating. I learned Portuguese till 7th grade when i lived here, but when we moved to California i basically stopped speaking it unless it was on my trips to visit. I can speak it, understand it, read it, but at times i find it a bit harder to communicate what it is I am trying to say - or i feel that the flow of the conversation isn't perfect....or maybe it is....
I find that i do a lot more listening here, which in my opinion is a good thing - sometimes i talk too much, and when i am in a position to listen i often learn a lot more about people, what they are sharing and the world.
I really love traveling and observing people from different cultures - its humbling, just when i think that i have it figured out, i realize i have so much to learn still...
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