I've Been to the Land Down Under

April 02, 2016 by Torrie Hazelwood in New Zealand, Travel

Two and a half weeks, five people in a five person car, all of our camping gear and the west coast of New Zealand's South Island to explore. We experienced the beautiful contrasts between the cultivated and wild landscapes, felt dwarfed by the mountains and calmed by crashing waves that lulled us to sleep. We kayaked in the Tasman sea, hiked up mountains, drove (a lot), swam in blue pools, and jumped from bridges (bungees attached...sometimes). We are now left with indescribable moments of awe at what nature has to offer and a hunger to come back and continue exploring. This is an incredibly abbreviated version of our trip and it will take me a while to cull through my memories to choose one to recount here. In the meantime, enjoy these images.

*Sunrise on Te Pukatea, Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand*

*Sunset on Onetahuti, Abel Tasman National Park , New Zealand*

*Catching a water taxi in Awaroa Bay, Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand*

*Car trouble in Hari Hari, New Zealand (our car is not pictured).*

*Gillespies Beach Campground, Fox Glacier, New Zealand*

*Reflection of Mt. Cook at Lake Matheson, Fox Glacier, New Zealand*

*Summit of Roys Peak, Wanaka, New Zealand*

*Our trusty car entering Fiordland, New Zealand*

*Sunrise at Cascade Creek Campground, Fiordland, New Zealand*

*Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand*

*Setting up camp near Queenstown, New Zealand*

*(Somewhat successful shot) near Queenstown, New Zealand*

Becket-Chimney Corners Around the World, Part 2

January 14, 2016 by Torrie Hazelwood in Travel, Australia

Its a hard thing to convey to people and even harder to believe it when they say they understand. I talk about camp a lot (some may say this is a massive understatement) but there's a reason. Tucked away in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Town of Becket plays host to a community that is at once global and local. Many of us have lived and/or traveled with each other to distant places. We stay in one others' homes where they and/or their parents and relatives take us in as surrogate family/children, making us feel at home because they know it will be reciprocated when they visit us. We crave spending time with each other, whether to hear about one anothers day, a good travel story, singing or simply sit quietly in each others presence while doing our own thing. Being together flexes a certain part of my heart reserved for my camp friends. Having worked at a camp like BCCYMCA, we know the value of teamwork, we are (in most cases) aware of our strengths and where we can improve and each adventure is not left for one person to plan and no job is done without the support of another. For many, we feel our second home is in the Berkshires, a physical place for us to get together, but in reality, we are each others' second home, spread around the world and waiting to welcome each other home.

These are a few images from when my Kiwi camp friends and I visited Australian and USA camp friends living in Merimbula, Australia. Most of us met at Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA in Becket, Massachusetts, USA.

So Many Night Markets, So Little Time

December 01, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in Travel, Taiwan

Here are a few things I really like about Taiwan so far:

1. There are statues like the one in the first photo. This has led me to believe that Taiwan has totally embraced the technology-loving, selfie-taking, peace-sign wielding culture and to prove it they erected a monument. Amazing. P.S. all of the metro stations have free wifi.

2. Night markets galore. You can find just about anything you need and many things you didn't know you needed. From technology (yeah, I bought one of those mini lenses that clips onto your iPhone for $5 - watch out Instagram!), to clothes with some of the finest Chinglish, to incredible street food where you get one red bean cake and then return 20 minutes later to get two more and you end up taking a selfie with the stand's presider (hey, Ariel, catch ya on Facebook!), Taipei has THE best night markets.

3. Cassette tapes are readily available. I recently watched a video of an 8 year old trying to figure out how to use a cassette tape player and after it was over I took a hard look at my 25 year old self and marveled at how far we've come with technology. I also questioned if we are teaching the youth the important things (shouldn't we all still know the joy that is clipping your cassette player to your belt and cruising down the driveway on your rollerblades before running inside to watch Full House?). Yet another reminder that the 90's were a magical time.

Shida Night Market, part 1Taipei, Taiwan — *Shida Night Market, part 1*
*Taipei, Taiwan*

Shilin Night Market, Taipei, Taiwan — *Shilin Night Market,* *Taipei, Taiwan*

Shida Night Market, part 2 (photo credit: K. Walter)Taipei, Taiwan — *Shida Night Market, part 2 (photo credit: K. Walter)*
*Taipei, Taiwan*