I love you New Zealand!

This time of my life is called “Happiness”

Last Tuesday, 1.00am in the morning, my sleep was cut off with a phone call, which will soon change the destination of my life.

I was selected for the AIESEC internship in the Global Headquarters of Kraft Foods in the US; they wanted to offer me the position if I would accept their offer. I answered at that moment without any hesitation: “YES!” with tears in my eyes. :)

Soon, I’m heading to Chicago to stay for 1.5 years - from one windy city to another :) - ! I don’t know how to explain that moment or how I feel nowadays; however, it reminded me a scene from the movie called “The Pursuit of Happiness”, and thought it would nicely fit to say:

- This time of my life is called “Happiness” -

Life without internet...

After my 25th birthday party, my laptop was stolen. Even though the party was a really good fun, it ended up being an expensive birthday celebration and a wise 25th birthday present for me. :)

Since then, I don’t have a laptop, internet and therefore no extensive access to the world whatsoever at home. That is my new primitive life… However, I got used to it and even better; I started enjoying it. ;)

Ozge Flintstone.

My VisualDNA - Here I am...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

copied from Tee, thanks. :)

Summer in Wellington - Release 2

Eastbourne Originally uploaded by ozgeh.

Yes, it's time to make your togs, jandals, towel and 30+ sunscreen ready. Summer, here I come!

Lying on the beach, chatting with friends, reading a book, listening music and sunbathing... This is how I have been spending my last few weekends. And the first time in NZ, I even managed to swim in the ocean yesterday.

By the way, has somebody asked if I was tanned?

FYI - Yes, I am! :)

Summer in Wellington - Release 1

Wellington Harbour Originally uploaded by ozgeh.

Summer has eventually arrived... Blue sky, glittering sunshine, gentle breeze - may be a bit more than a breeze and not that gentle but anyway :) -, hot, hot and hot... This is life!

Fear

A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man, who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day.

Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant.

That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.

(One of the Grey's Classics...)

A Beauty of Nature – South Island, New Zealand

I have been thinking to start bloging again since I eventually have had an internet connection at the flat although I’m afraid I have never been totally counted as a blogger because of my on and off (most of the time ‘off’) blogging experience. :)

However, now, I have a good excuse to start… ‘8 days road trip in South Island – West Cost’

The trip started on Monday, 18th December from Interislander Terminal, Wellington towards Picton.

Route; Wellington / Picton / Nelson / Abel Tasman / Westport / Franz Joseph / Wanaka / Milford Sounds / Arrowtown / Queenstown / Wellington)

It was definitely going to be such an experience as my companies were ‘Anzboecks’, an Austrian family! Simone, her parents (punctual, organized and always planned Austrians) and myself (last minute even late, not as organized and kindda spontaneous Turk)…

So, the trip was an experience as expected but not just a culture wise… :)

New Zealand is definitely a beauty of Nature, full of breath-taking sceneries and therefore it is fairly called ‘Godzone’ (God’s own country). :)
Even I, call myself as a city person and have never been close to nature too much, was impressed/amazed with the scenery throughout the trip and constantly said ‘woww, look at the view!’ by taking heaps of photos at the same time and complaining that pictures don’t reflect the beauty as they are seen with naked eye.

Here are some photos/proofs for the ones who have been away from NZ and missed the country to remind and the ones who have not been yet and kept finding excuses to not to visit me to make them regret and think one more time while I’m still here. :)

Lake Mahinapua

Wanaka

Milford Sounds

Genuine NZ Sheep :)

That was my 8 day relaxing, refreshing, memorable trip; full of,

* Trees, mountains, lakes, sea-sun-sand-blue sky-hot weather - but still not hot enough -, sheep, sheep and sheep - baaa -
* Sunbathing - wherever/whenever sunlight appeared which was luckily throughout the trip -
* Look out points
* Photos
* Sportive activities (kayaking, glacier hiking, paragliding)
* German but unfortunately nothing more than ‘Guten Morgen’ and ‘Schön’ from my side :)
* Rush (trying to wake up, get ready and at the time saying that ‘I am almost ready, just 2 more minutes’ every early morning btw 6.30am to 8.00am while Anzboecks were ready to go) :)

So, it was sweet as… :) Or, how can I say, hmmm? - ‘Schön!’ :P