Skradinski Buk, Krka National Park, Croatia
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Mon, 25th Jan
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, 23rd Janurary
Breakfast was pretty good, we headed off for first tracks just after 8am. It was nothing like heli skiing but still lots of fun. We did a number of runs in the group (about 5 of us) then by lunch it was just bash and I shredding.
We did 7th heavenly run a number of times and then it was 2pm. We stopped for water before meeting up with two of the girls from the morning session. We did two more runs before skiing all the way down to the bottom. My legs were on fire but the bottom. I mean seriously on fire.
We headed for a bar and bought some jugs and some beers at Crystal Lounge.
Walking back was manageable because the apartment is so close!
I cooked chicken in the oven with broccoli and roasted carrots. I poured some maple syrup over the carrots to sweeten the deal.
After dinner bash, cat, and I headed off to Anna whites place to hang out in the apartment spa and drink a few beers. It was fun hanging out with them. We eventually got kicked out of the spa and headed back (5 min walk) to the pad. We found out that Point and Clarke had both made centuries.
The house headed off to bed and I pulled out the sleeping bag and went to bed. Hayden was on the pull out couch.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
8th– Thursday 12th Janurary
I spent a few days catching my breath in Calgary. Saturday night I went out with Dad, Harry and Neal to the Calgary Flames NHL hockey match. Dean let me wear his jersey. We were lucky as Iggy scored his 500th goal – it was a fluke goal too. But the crowd went crazy for him.
It was really weird being back in the city after the week in the mountains with CMH. Walking with the crowds to the hockey match I felt out of place.
On Sunday morning we dropped Harry and Dad at the airport. Then I was by myself again.
For the next couple of days I didn’t do much. I worked on my movie and caught up with a friend of Dylans St Jacks that he met on exchange – Julia. She was at the uni of Calgary, which was across the main hwy, just a 10 min walk form the house. On Monday I caught up with her and had coffee before her lecture at 12.30om. It was on change mgmt. and I didn’t have anything to do so I sat in on it. I had to introduce myself as if I was actually taking the unit. Everyone turned when I opened my mouth- I had forgotten how strong my accent was!
We watched Sherlock Holmes number 2 later that evening. but not before dropping in on some friends at a pub close by. It was great chatting to strangers and meeting them for 20 mins.
On Tuesday night I went out for dinner with Julia and Lese. We ate mexian food. It was twice as expensive and the portions were half as big as what I’d been having in new mexico!
It was fun hanging out with two people that went on exchange. We shared stories and opinions on the world.
On Wednesday I caught up with Mike who happened to been in Calgary. He heard that I was in Calgary through facebook! That’s why I love the network…We went up the revolving tower and had a 360 deg view from our chairs over a coffee.
On thursday I went to a happiness lecture with Julia and Liss at 4pm. It was extremely funny and I had a good laugh.
Later that night we drove to Canmore and arrive just after 10.30pm. We picked Mike up along the way as Dean wanted to bring him out to the mountains!
Sunday, 15th Janurary
I woke up at 8.30am… I had a super heavy sleep and a much needed one. I headed up stairs and had my regular morning cup of tea before cutting in half a grape fruit that was perfectly ripe. I had a small bowl of vanilla yogurt and some roasted oats.
I couldn’t get the internet to work so I relaxed for a while and worked on the puzzle. I finally nail the last piece in the boarder of the 1000 piece puzzle. That took me a while to crack out. I think it will be downhill from here now – I hope!
I shoveled all the fresh snow on the ground off the drive way and the footpath. I didn’t know what to do with all the snow so I started the foundations of a snow man, positioned thoughtfully in the middle of the driveway!
I did a quick abs session before having some turkey in a wrap for lunch. I headed out for a walk and stayed outside for a couple of hours. I had my walking pants, then ski pants over the top. Then I had my thermal top, t-shirt, polar fleece, and down jacket with neck warmer, beanie and ski gloves. I didn’t get cold, maybe except for my toes.
After the walk I turned up the fire, made a cup of tea and started reading down stairs on the recliner. I feel asleep in the warmth and woke up an hour later.
I skyped Sammy who was now back in Abq. It was good to hear his wrist was almost back to normal although he didn’t think he’d be on the flight to florida in 2 weeks time for some matches. It ended when the internet dropped out.
I turned the TV on and the first channel was the golden globes. There were all the famous actors and actresses and they all looked seriously hot. Ricky Duvet was the host – just my luck. He started of really well dropping good jokes, but not as inappropriate as the year before – unfortunately!
For dinner I slow roasted a breast of chicken and ate it with hummus and pita bread - I wasn't all that hungry!
I eventually went to sleep after reading for some time.
Saturday, 14th Janurary
We all slept in late. I didn’t rise till 9.30am. Dean was in the kitchen and had already cooked bacon and was eating his breakfast. I cracked some eggs and put toast in the toaster. In a few minutes I had a breakfast that would cost $10 back home. It was fun cooking again.
The other slowly rose mid morning. Mike gave Dean and Neal tips on traveling through Cambodia as they were heading to that part of the world in March.
We all headed to the town center as I needed to do some shopping for the week. It costs me $36 to buy everything I would need. (with a few items already in the freezer which I could use – like fish and steaks).
I said my good byes. Dean is a clever, witty and fun chap and I look forward to seeing him again in the future. He was flying to Toronto for business so I wouldn’t see him when I head back to Calgary later in the week.
I had the house to myself. It was quiet and peaceful. I skype Hannah, the family back home (Harry and Dad had walked in only an hour earlier). They were all in their bathers going for a swim in the pool!
I found the NHL channel on tv and watched the play offs between the Patriots and the Broncos. Brady’s patriots walked all over Denver. It was a once sided affair.
I caught up with Rosie over skype which was great to talk to her.
I cooked half a breast of chicken in the oven and had some hummus and a wrap for dinner. I wasn’t actually that hungry.
I headed off to bed around 10pm and read for 30 mins before falling asleep in a bed that swallowed me 3 times over – a big king size bed. It was glorious!
Friday 13th January
I woke up early and excited – so I thought. It turned out to actually be 7.40am. I headed upstairs and turned the lights on as it was still dark. I had a cup of tea and a peanut and banana sandwich on toast. It was actually rather filling and tasty.
Dean was up soon after. I started making everyone’s sandwiches for the ski day as I wanted to get moving as soon as possible. Neil and Michael soon woke up and we slowly got ready for the day of skiing.
We left the house at 8.40am. By now the sun had risen and it would promise to be another stunning day. Blue sky’s, a handful of clouds and warm sun slowly raisin the thermometer.
It took around 40 mins to drive to Sunshine Ski resort. It wasn’t clichéd or anything but it was sunny. There was no one around and the car parks were empty to the amazement of Neil and Dean. That made me excited. 
We organized Mikes snowboarding boots and board and bought the lift pass. It cost me $82 for the day of skiing. I really hope prices don’t increase any more over my life time – skiing is a darn expensive sport! We finally made it onto the slopes just after 10am. It was Mikes 4 turn snowboarding and he was doing really well. But the skiers had to split off and ski at a faster pace.
Neil took us under a rope – down a favorite run of his. It turned out to be a disaster and Dean ended up taking his skis off and sliding down through the tress for some of it. Neil also skied off ahead and we lost him. It was thick forest on a steep angle and wasn’t that enjoyable… especially on the skies I had borrowed! They were about half the width of the ones I had used heli skiing!
After that run we stay on piested runs and I enjoyed carving again on the edges. The snow was OK, they certainly needed another few inches of fresh snow to ease the tracks as it was ice in many sections.
We went in for lunch at 12.30 and I enjoyed my tuna+mayo +cheese san
dwich that I made for myself. Influenced by Sam and Jason from my ski in Taos, I copied their recipe. It tasted great at lunch.
Mike came in at 1ish (when we had agreed to meet) and he was still in one piece. We agreed on a meet up time and then the skiers headed out. We went to the top of the ridge, where the great divided separates BC and Alberta. It was an incredible view.
Dean went in soon after and had a hot drink but is ankle was really sore I believe.
Neil and I skied a number of runs and I enjoyed being out among the mountains. It was very inspiring.
We came in at 4pm and met the others. Mike took the gondola down to the car park as there were a number of flat parts on the run down he would have had to of un clipped and walked. It was a nice ski down with the mountains seeming to grow bigger and bigger as the sun set.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, 18th December - Final Hours in ABQ
I woke up at 8am and messaged Lee. He was a top bloke and ended up driving to campus. I did buy him a nice bottle of whiskey to say thank you. I must talk to G to persuade him to come and do an elective in Perth.At 9am I had ticked off the most important on the list. Sam and I eventually caught the bus to Coronado Mall, a 30 min bus ride away. We caught the 10.14am bus and made it to the bus stop just in time. It was such a beautiful day for my last couple of hours in Albuquerque. It was rather warm considering the time of year and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
We walked around the mall, Sammy got some breakfast. Surprisingly I wasn't hungry, I think the stress of the coming days were keeping me occupied and I didn't end up eating properly until 1pm!
I bought a new wallet, one just like Lucas's. It was a small Tommy one and only set me back $20 with 30% discount.
I headed to the book store and went shopping, before we headed back to the bus stop and caught the 12.14pm bus back.
it dropped us off outside UNM and we walked the 200m to Frontier restaurant.
We caught up with Johan and Vincent who were leaving the next day. These were two close friends that I would miss much.
I ate a mexican plate - had a mix of all things mexican and thought that was fitting. I also bought a dozen of the breads - they are the highlight at frontier with honey (for me anyway!). It was economical to buy a dozen (4 individual =12 in a bag).
We all feasted and enjoyed each others company. We told jokes and reflected on the adventures we all had on our exchange.
We also met the manager of frontier. I didn't have the guts to ask her how much they turn over each year - but Sam told me that they donate $2million to the UNM lobos... So I would assume it was a lot. We had a good discussion with her and she told us some stories when it wasn't so busy.
After lunch I printed out some pics for only $1 each. They looked great for the price.
I headed back and Sara from my public speaking class came over. She was kind enough to drop me off at the airport.
We packed up the car at 4pm and headed off... It only took 15 mins to get to the airport. It was bittersweet.
Sam was great enough to come with me and see me off. I can't wait to see Sam succeed with his tennis. I had left him with Lance Armstrongs book. I think him and Lance are very similar.
It was hard and easy to say good bye. I couldn't wait to see the family, but them leaving me at the airport marked the end of the exchange here. It was ironic, I could remember so clearly when I touched down and walked through the airport.
Southwest airlines checked the bags in outside so I didn't have to carry everything inside. It was excellent. The lady didn't weigh my bags which was fortunate!
I went through all the check throughs and scanning areas and hung out at the boarding door for an hour. I messaged friends and said good byes but promised I'd email them soon.
Jumping on the plane was fun - it was good to be traveling again, even though I was carrying way to much gear to be traveling comfortably.
The flight to Tuscon was just over an hour and was smooth. The staff are very friendly with the airline and I'm not surprised the firm is doing so well.
The cross over was easy. I had a 30 min wait and send an email to dad saying I would be seeing H+G in an hour. I wondered though if he knew how to check his emails!
The flight to LA international airport was just an hour and 20 mins. I continued to listen to Steve Jobs Biography. It is really addictive as he is a very complex character.
Saturday, 17th December
Abby was so kind to come over at 11am and help me move all my stuff out. I had so much - having said that I had a lot of stuff for my friends. I think there was about 25 bottles of Gatorade for Abby!
And someone had to look after my bamboo and cacti!
It took a while to clean everything up. I packed all my bags and took all the posters off the wall. It was sad.
A 2 hour clean up session completely transformed the room from a fun and warm place into a cold and empty place. I felt really sorry for Dylan who had to come back to a room so empty. 
I had a lot of gear there and it made it something special.
Eventually, after two trips and leaving stuff in Sams dorm and Abby's basement for other exchange students who would be coming over in the spring semester. It was a good goodbye. I would miss the room, the window and everything else that came with it.
I picked up two pumpkin pies from Lapo (they had nothing to offer me to eat which was disappointing. ) because I wanted to bring something for the dinner later in the evening.
I hung around at Sams for a few hours - trying to come down after the move out and all.
Around 3pm Abby picked us up and we were joined by Lucas and Vincnet. We headed for the Old town to have a look around and do some xmas shopping. I found some great presents for Mum and jewelery for Georgie.
Kate and Sara picked us up at 6.15pm... Sammy took so long in the shower I had to tell him to hurry up!
We drove over the Nadeems house - a nice Indian gentleman who works at Lapo and is always friendly to me. He wanted a few internationals to join him and his family for dinner in his lovely family home. It was a nice way to wrap everything up in Albuquerque.
We along with two others, enjoyed a filling dinner that was traditional pakistan themed and his family were all dressed up in lovely clothes. It was a nice evening and a great way to spend my last dinner and evening with close friends and some unique food.
We made it home around 10pm and Abby came over soon after. She was heading off to costa rica the next morning. We started watching a movie while I tried to fix my laptop but never succeeded. Abby and I feel asleep on the couch and around 11.30pm I said I was keen to sleep so we said good byes. It was just like saying goodbye to Lucas, but I knew I'd run into them again so I wasn't too sour.
I slept on Sams memory foam and it was actually very comfortable.
Friday, 16th December
Today was shooting day. Jason and Sam took me out shooting to fire a 12 gauge shot sun, and a .322 or something sniper rifle. Both guns were great to fire.
We drove out to Rio Peurco and heard some rather interesting stories from Jason about events that had happened out in the 'boonies' as he would call it.
We spent a good 5 hours out before making it back to campus. I took Sam to Lapo for a burger before showing him my room and saying goodbye. He was heading off to Taos the next morning.
Thursday, 15th December
Back at college I ate at Lapo before I changed, put on my jacket and headed to my last strategic management class. We were presenting a strategic plan for ebay to the class. It was a 25 min presentation.
In the mean time I checked my mark for engineering – I got an A. Which I thought was pretty awesome.
I headed off to the gym;i t would turn out to be my last gym session.
The weather had cleared up and it was a beautiful sunny day. There had been quite a bit of snow on the mountains and it looked really pretty against the blue sky.
I went out for dinner with Hannah and ordered a big steak at a nice restaurant. It was a lovely way to wrap up the semester and celebrate. Hannah was good company too.
I slept well that night, the bed was warm and I had no stress in the world about anything.
Wednesday, 14th December
I went to the gym quickly before coming back to see my room mate was packing up his gear. He finished his last exam today and was heading home.
It was actually hard saying good bye – firstly it meant I was alone in the room, but secondly it meant my exchange was coming to an end. I took a picture with him and wished him all the best for the future, and told him I’d keep my fingers crossed that he had a room mate as relaxed as me next semester.
I headed to Lapo – they weren’t ordering nay more food as there was only a few days left, so there were a few grumpy people walking around. They had cut their food options in half – at least.
I headed back to my dorm, showered and walked around the room naked. It was actually nice to not have to change with a towel around my waist. I headed off to my last human resource class and was all set for the test.
It went well; there were extra credit questions and Im confident I answered all of them correctly.
After I caught up with Hannah and watched Good will hunting. I face-timed harry and georgie on the iphone – which can be done for free! They had just gotten back from a big night out on the strip in las vegas. It was nice to chat.
I sent mum and dad a funny christmas clip
elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/1z6ydIG0996HEATAaV92
I fell asleep soon after.
Tuesday, 13th December
I did legs and shoulders.
After I got some good news, but want to keep it a surprise.
I ate dinner then came back and studied. Hannah came over and studied for a while before I went to bed at 11pm.