In eateries, food, travel on
October 5, 2012

groove kitchen espresso

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wherever i go, i love to try different local cafes and coffeeshops. no starbucks or chain coffee shops for this girl, besides the starbucks in rotorua because 1) its the only coffee shop in town and 2) my awesome friend from church works there but anyways… while in napier, i went to groove kitchen espresso for coffee and lunch and it was fantastic! maybe the best coffee i have ever had (sorry intellegensia). the atmosphere was so chill and the cafe doubles as a disco club at night so they have a really sweet dj set up right next to where the coffee is made. overall, this cafe was an epic find!

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In travel on
October 3, 2012

light up the sky

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on our drive from rotorua to hawks bay, we stopped in a small lake town called taupo for dinner at burger fuel (best veggie burger ever) and this was the view we were greeted with. the pictures truly do it no justice! the sky looked like it was on fire and it reflected every color imaginable. God is such a beautiful artist.

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In travel on
September 29, 2012

australia!

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i finally made it to australia! i’m here till saturday on an outreach trip with a few people from my school to work at a family camp on an island off melborne, to help around the local church and to see this beautiful country! even though getting here was a bit interesting (first time i’ve spent the night in an airport!), we made it here in one piece and we were greeted by sweet people, amazing food and the australian footie finals on tv, which btw is a game i didn’t even know existed till we got here… i’m so out of the loop! so blessed to be in this gorgeous place so far from home and looking forward to an awesome week! remember to keep me and my outreach team in prayer! g’day, mate

//photos via flickr//
In travel on
September 28, 2012

hawkes bay road trip


{beautiful art deco architecture in napier}

this past weekend, i road tripped with a some friends to my roommates town for a few days. i had a great time seeing new places and meeting new people. it was so nice to decompress from school and get away to the shore. i’m sure my friends were sick of my constant comparison with hawkes bay to california but it really did remind me of home and my family trips to normal. i’m so glad i got to visit at this time of year because all the flowers were in bloom and the sun was shining. i’ve been so blessed to get two beautiful, but very different, springs this year: one in ohio and one here in new zealand. i still can’t believe my time at cedarville was just 5 months ago. it seems like years and worlds away.



{spring has sprung}
{loving new zealand magazines}


{more beautiful architecture}



{ducklings in the botanical garden}



{poppies everywhere!}

In food on
September 26, 2012

drinks and words

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i’ve been consuming a lot of two very important things lately: books and caffeinated beverages. i thought i was tea obsessed in ohio but boy was i wrong. i must drink 5 cups a day now and it doesn’t help that all my classes have mandatory half way breaks where everyone congregates in the kitchen to drink tea and chat. i’m usually a good earth spice or chai drinker but lately, i’ve been drinking more earl and lady grey (and feeling oh so british in the process). i’ve been drinking coffee quite often too and the discovery that it doesn’t keep me up at night has just added to my consumption. i’ve been known to brew coffee at 10 at night and proceed to be surprised when i’m the only one who drinks it. some things are learned with experience i guess.

i’ve also been reading alot. i’ve always loved to read but there is something about the peaceful environment here, mixed with the chilly weather and torrential rains, that makes me just want to curl up with a good book. along with the books i’m reading for my classes and of course the Bible, i’ve also had time to start (and finish… thats rare for me) some really good books. at the moment, i’m reading wild by cheryl strayed and so far, so good! i’m also loving the fact that i’m not the only reader here. it seems like people are always reading something awesome and are excited to talk about it. i’m so blessed to be around these wonderful kindred spirits.

candid photo of my roommate drinking coffee and reading the cost of discipleship
In travel on
September 24, 2012

jumping for joy

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there are a few trampolines on our campus and they are definitely my new favorite workout. seriously doing dance moves in the air while burning off my extra coffee energy is a total win in my book because the more i exercise, the more cookies i can eat! am i right or am i right?

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