to the mountains

Yesterday I bought a spare spork and some trail mix. I've just finished the last two assignments standing between me and a trip backpacking through the South Island.

Tomorrow my friend Lauren and I are catching the sunrise ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton. Then we're hopping aboard the Magic Bus.

Not this kind of magic bus.

The real Magic Bus might be a bit lacking in hallucinogen-fueld orgies and sitar-playing longhairs. It's actually a cool NZ travel company that buses backpackers around the islands.

Our bus leaves from Picton and heads southwest down the coast, stopping at all the coolest tourist spots.  There's gonna be beaches and breweries aplenty - along with glaciers and mountain ranges. You can get off and on the bus whenever you like, so you're never really tied to a schedule. Lauren and I are planning on staying in Queenstown for a week to tramp the Kepler Track. Plus they'll book hostel beds for you and provide generous bathroom breaks.

I'MSOEXCITED.

Here's where we're going. The olive-drab map doesn't do my excitement justice. I wish it were neon yellow.

So I've set some goals for the trip:

1. run at least 10k a day
2. sample a coffee at a different café every day
3. go to the legendary Fergburger
4. not die on the Kepler Track
5. ride a bike at least twice
6. hitchhike out to the Milford Sound
7. meet sweet-awesome people everywhere we go

As they say, it's gonna be sweet as, bro.

Now I just need to pack my bag and pray for good weather.