big news

My dear friends,

I WENT BUNGY JUMPING OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(some unwholesome language to follow)

Allow me to elaborate: I have never wanted to go bungy jumping. Sky diving, sure. But I have never wanted to attach myself to a tenuous piece of cord before jumping off of something tall. And then, shortly before I left home, I suddenly started thinking that hey, maybe I would do it. And then yesterday, I woke up and thought "Yeah. Bungy jumping. Today." So I did. I was picked up at 2:30, got all harnessed in, then walked on this cool foot bridge under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and over the water (great views), then up up up into this weird little bubble/pod thing. And then I had these velcro gator-things attached to my ankles and all sorts of ropes and things attached to my harness, and then they had me stand up. And my heart was frigging pounding, it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. And then they had me hobble over to the end of a platform reminiscent of a diving board and I'm standing there with my toes out over open air a whole lot of ocean and I'm thinking (here's the unwholesome language): "holy fuck, holy shit, shit shit shit, what the fuck am I doing" and my heart's trying to kill me and huge adrenaline is soaring through my veins and there's this 120 foot drop that I'm supposed to willingly throw myself into and then the evil operator goes 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and...

I jumped.

Not fell, mind you. Jumped. Arms out at my sides, like I was about to fly, because it was my choice. The first moment was probably the scariest feeling I've ever had- this positively sickening lurch- and then, as I approached the bright green water, I realized I absolutely loved it and started screaming my head off (which to my mind indicates a good time.) So I bounced a bunch of times, then released my feet and they hauled me up, all the while being cheered by a huge crowd of Ozzie onlookers. Oh my god the adrenaline. I swear, I no longer have blood flowing through me- it's all adrenaline, even now. I feel like I could do anything. I could dodge bullets, or stop a speeding train, or save the world. Or all three. Most amazing thing I have EVER done. I can't wait to go again!

In other news, it's a great thing to be an American these days. And the Kiwis are so proud of us! It's a very cool thing. My days here have been filled with searching for jobs and going on fun day trips. I've been to the beach, the zoo, and this cute little seaside town called Devonport. Today's biggest news though is that I got a job!!! I applied for it last night when I was high on life and corresponded with the guy a few times before he called me and offered me the position! I think it'll be a good fit for me- it's working at a cafe in Lake Tekapo, Canterbury. Seriously? Check it out. Google that shite and see exactly what I'm talking about. A town on an intensly turqouise lake with mountains in the background; aka: beyond beautiful. I fly to Christchurch on Tuesday and will start work around Thursday. It'll be so great to have a job a feel comfortable with, in addition to the time and the means to explore the incredible countryside.

My name is Olivia Rizzo, I live in New Zealand, I am employed, I am a bungy jumping convert, and I am full of adrenaline and dreams.

Most happily yours,
*Olivia

"In the midst of our lives, we must find the magic that makes our souls soar."

here's that rainy day

My dear friends,

The first thing I would like to report is that yes, it is true. The flushing toilet water swirls in the other direction!

Okay, now that's out of the way. In other news, I'M IN NEW ZEALAND! From California I went to Fiji and was out there for about five or so days, during which it rained every bloody day. Like, for serious. I showed up on Wednesday and it rained Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and finally, on Monday, juuuuust when I was leaving, the sun decided to peak out and give us a lovely day. Charming, thanks. But you know what? I didn't care, because I had an awesome time as it was. Even though my river/village/rainforest tour was canceled (after I drove two hours to get to the start point...), I ended up chilling at my hotel with a bunch of fantastic people. The best part? I was the only American among them. We played cards, went for walks in the rain, drank the delicious local Fijian beer, went swimming when it was raining hardest, and had a generally fabulous time. And this just means I'll have to go back for another visit, preferably not during the rainy season.

What else? Oh yeah, New Zealand. I arrived only yesterday afternoon and was immediately struck by the lay of the land from what I could see from the plane. SO green and lush and mountainous and just gorgeous. I checked into my hostel in downtown Auckland, then went for a walk. My recipe for Auckland is this: Boston + London + a dash of the hills of San Fransisco, and there you have it. Except they have a weird accent that I wish I had too. I got so confused in the hostel- I kept thinking they were trying to talk to me about jewelry but then I realized that they were telling me about beds, not beads. So, still figuring out the accent.

Today was a bit frustrating- turns out there a lot of crap that comes with being an immigrant. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm an immigrant, how cool is that!? END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE) I spent a lot of time with the job search people, also doing some job research online on my own. Lots of coffee jobs to be had, so I might be on familiar territory again very soon. I don't mind at all! I set up my bank account and applied for my tax IRD number, which is like our social security number. That took up pretty much the whole day, but I did walk around for a while and check more things out. Tonight I also got a bangin' haircut from this super sweet, super chic Korean lady. It was a total spur of the moment thing and I'm not sure why I even went into her shop, but I had a cool conversation with her about what I was looking for and ended up with probably the best haircut I've ever had. The upshot is, I am a rock star. And all for the bargain price of NZD 20! Not bad, aye? (AUTHOR'S NOTE: They say “aye” at the end of essentially every sentence. END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE)

Tomorrow, my excellent singer friend Jayne is being nice enough to pick me up at my hostel and bring me to her house, where she's letting me stay with her until I figure things out. I still can't believe how generous she has been; I feel very lucky. What a fabulous woman. In her last e-mail she mentioned lots of beach trips, since the weather is so lovely. Oh right. The weather. This is the part where all you lot in the chilly northern hemisphere will actually hate me. What's the weather like here? Well, today was sunny, with a slight warm breeze, and temperatures somewhere in the 70's. Yep. A tough life, mine is. On a completely unrelated sidenote, please be sure to call my American cell simply listen to the message JP recorded for me. Don't bother leaving a voicemail because I won't get it, but I want to enjoy the amazingness that will ensue, should you call.

So anyway, that's the situation right now. Unemployed and unsure of the future, yet simultaneously fearless and beyond excited. I just keep smiling to myself because I still can't believe I'm here and having this adventure. And I think that my whole mission of “finding myself” should be no problem at all, given the backdrop I've chosen for myself. Life is very good.

Your Happy Adventuress,

*Olivia

"With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?" - Oscar Wilde

La La Land

Hello friends,

I woke up to a blizzard on Wednesday. I guess New England had issues with me leaving, too. Weather be damned- my plane was only delayed by 45 minutes. I think what makes this so hard is that I have no idea when I'm coming home. When I've gone away to London, New Jersey, Germany, etc, we always knew when I'd be back, and it was never for all that long. It's the "unknown" component now... But I left; I got out the door. I internalized all the crap and somehow found the words to say goodbye. Rough. I had a great send-off though: an evening of family, friends, photos, and fondue. A very good evening.

Contrary to what I had originally anticipated, I LOVE CALIFORNIA! It was bizarre to walk out of the airport 1. to see palm trees and 2. to see everyone running around wearing winter attire in 55 degree weather... But aside from that, the overabundance of neon lights, and the slight smog problem, LA is a pretty chill city. My first day I hung out around Hollywood Boulevard while my dear friend Cali worked. Weird place, but I still liked it. Grand, in a way. I ate lunch on the roof of the Kodak Theatre next to a Michael Jackson impersonator eating strawberry yogurt. He had the single white glove and the silver spangled belt and everything. At one point I walked by Catwoman, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Elvis impersonaters discussing the medical benefits of taking cranberry supplements. Only in LA? I got tired of all the celebrity nonsense though and took the bus over the Farmers Market. Oh my god what a place!

Friday was one of the most wonderful days I've in a long time. Not saying that I haven't had some great days recently, but DISNEYLAND takes the cake! For a Disney-lover such as I, it was like making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Mickey Mouse, princess galore, castles covered in white lights, the Matterhorn, fireworks, much talk about believing in your dreams (love that), and Space Mountain!!!!!!! It was amazing. Nine hours of magic. Saturday was brunch with Cali, catching up on posting pictures and e-mailing, and awesome Mexican food with JP! Today I got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time, which was way cool. I dipped my feet and took a lovely walk along the beach, then went for a walk along Santa Monica Boulevard.

My flight to Fiji leaves tomorrow at 10:30pm and I will be on the plane for a very, very, very long time. I arrive in Nadi on the 7th (yep, two days later) at 5:15am, to be picked up by the owners of the hostel I'm staying at. So, that's what I will be doing until you next hear from me. Be well, be safe, and have adventures!

*Olivia

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
it became a butterfly."