11 days . . .

I'm in Florida now, visiting my grandparents, and my grandmother gave me a copy of National Geographic Adventure because of an article it contained about extreme sports in NZ. While I'm getting excited to go, I'm beginning to realize that NZ is (and I should have know this) the destination for crazy people. One of the girls I talked to online (she's going to be in Auckland) informed the chat room that "as soon as I get off the plane I want to get on another one so I can jump out of it." So, that's just a little example of the adventure that awaits. I'm not sure yet if I'll be up for skydiving, bungee jumping, and other extreme sports.

If you don't know, the people of New Zealand are called Kiwis. This excerpt from the article explained why:

“But it wasn’t Kiwis . . . who bestowed an avian identity upon
themselves. During World War I, soldiers from other countries
referred to New Zealand’s fierce fighters as Kiwis. It’s a fitting name, I think now. A full-grown kiwi, which is about the size of a chicken, can face down a small dog or a stoat. They move fast and will rise up on one leg then strike with the other. All this happens very quickly. The birds are accomplished boxers. And they are fearless. As Kiwis are.”
- from National Geographic Adventure, “State of Adrenaline” by Tim Cahill

I took a trip to New Orleans with some friends from high school to do relief work. In an effort to not forget Katrina and the people it hurt, I'm posting the blog we wrote while we were there:

www.bigeasy5.blogspot.com

Also, check out some more pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/anniemurphy85/TheBigEasyTake5

We just got back yesterday and are all exhausted from gutting houses. The above picture is all of us after our first half-day of work last Sunday.

Pictures!

The post below (about my web album) is kind of confusing, so I'm just putting the link for it here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/anniemurphy85

I've started with some pictures from the farm, but I'll put my New Zealand pictures up there, too.

Grace and I on the tractor. I started a web album.

At the farm with Grace

 

Wake won the ACC championship!  

The Quad.  

Grace and I on the quad after Wake won the ACC championship!

Beth and I . . . liberated women :)  

mellow mushroom with my roomies to celebrate! 

what a fun card . . . 

card from mom! 

the jane austen doll from mom 

October

jane austen in jeans. click here and then click geeksoc. trust me.

it's from a magazine at the university of canterbury.

Christchurch, New Zealand! I think I'm going there in the spring!

This picture will give you a better idea of where New Zealand is - it's actually 900 miles from the coast of Australia, and the three islands combined are about the size of Colorado.

NZ population:
3.95 million humans
39.2 million sheep