This spring break, I had the absolute privilege to travel to Queenstown, New Zealand for the week. Not only did I experience a brand new culture, which is something I hold dear, but I also stepped right into Peter Jackson's famous movies. Queenstown in scenery, vibe, and inhabitants was truly magical. It's not surprising that the "Lord of The Rings" director was so obsessed with this stunning country and used it as the backdrop of his iconic films.

Nothing I write here can possibly do justice to what I've experienced this week, but nevertheless, I will try!

The Accents

I'm a sucker for any foreign accent, but these were fantastic! We spent the whole week learning native phrases from the Kiwi's. Here are just a few that we learned:

No worries = You're welcome

Fanny = Does not mean butt! Something you should never EVER say!

Tramping = Hiking

The Wildlife

I was pleased to learn that unlike Australia, this friendly neighbor has nothing on the island that will try to kill you (except maybe an "irate possum"). In fact, the most dangerous things on the island were the introduced possums and rabbits that, without any direct predators, were wreaking havoc among the native birds and smaller critters.

The Mountains!

If you're a LOTR fan, you'll notice immediately that Queenstown is home to the mountains of Mordor, as well as the Rohan hills and some of the Gondor scenery as well. While in town, I hiked two mountains: Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill.

Coming from the midwest, where flat grasslands are about the only thing around, being able to see miles and miles while hundreds of meters above the city was breathtaking (in beauty AND in the exertion to get up there)!

The Food

I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the food NZ has to offer. I enjoyed LOTS of fresh seafood, burgers, cheese, and pizza! As a hub of tourism, Queenstown pretty much had everything. But what I enjoyed the most was the ice cream! It seemed like no matter where we went, from neighboring Arrowtown to Queenstown itself, even to hundreds of meters above the city in the Skyline market, I always managed to find ice cream. My go-to choice: vanilla and cookies (cookies and cream) from Patagonia, a local chain that is decadent, to say the least.

The City

For just a small city of about 26,000 people, Queenstown is vibrant and bustling with activity. From the gondola up above you can see what looks like hives of bees or armies of ants swarming around the streets, each one going about their business.

The Adventure!

From racing downhill in the luge to traipsing across mountain trails during a snowstorm, even to whitewater rafting down rivers full of waves and rapids, this vacation has had a plethora of adventure. And I've loved every minute of it!

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Travel has always been one of my favorite things to do, and I was so lucky to experience this fantastical realm during my spring break.