Mini Plank Series

Ivy League

Free Up Your Loven...

(artwork by my talented gram Pat)

Oh Free up your loven.

Free up your loven.

Free up your loven.

I'm only waiting

I'm only waiting on your love

only waiting on your love.

Come on and free up that little bit of love.

-Blackbird

Happy Camper

It's a Miracle! Someone tell me how I pulled it off this time. My half marathon took 1 hour and 30 minutes! I'm so stokked with those results. Haha and thank God my friend Caleb worked for me this afternoon, because there is nothing worse I could think of to do at the moment. Fuck it takes a lot out of ya. Haha. I'm knackered. Anyhow, everyone did incredible. We all fought the Hood Huntly, fully suited in camouflage gear and superhero tights. If you can only imagine. It was amazing how many people finished in under 2 hours!

Just returned from our refuel mission to the Sweet Little Chocolate shop, Pita Pita, and KFC for some DOUBLE DOWN action. Hahah if theres any day to load up, it would be now! Still haven't caught up on this Double down craze. In TIME kids. In the meantime, you can attempt to convince me. Warning: I'm a bit set in my ways with the Big Mac and Zinger sammy. But Chocolate. Thats another story. Dark. Always Dark. Always Keen. haha

Gotta run, or shuffle

MadLove,

Jill

Sunday FUNday... Thank God the World Hasn't Ended.

I don't know if many people would agree with the 'FUN' in my day approaching. Time again to put my endurance to the test in another half marathon. Wish I could confidently say that I am going to do better than my last one, but I haven't trained. Yikes. Definitely explains why I've been on edge these past couple of days.

Good News: I did however, get to watch my cheeky favorite: "Without Limits" running film. Just counting on strength from my man PRE to get me through.

And I've definitely realized that I need to start writing more. Without school and class everyday, my writing has been really crappy. I will definitely work on it these next couple of months. Scouts Honor. I just wanted to fill ya in and write a little excerpt before I conquest out tomorrow.

Gotta get some rest here folks.

Stay tuned,

Jill

"I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it." -Steve Prefontaine

Extra Extra News Buzz

Life at the moment.

Buzzin by.

A new Car.

New Scene.

Buzzin by.

The Illusionary Road.

No air.

Buzzin by.

Peculiar Adventures.

Trace song.

Buzzin by

Desperate for motivation.

Not to race.

Cinco de Mayo

Just spent the week teaching, traveling, and living. The latest and greatest on my priority list have been:

• searching for a car
• Guitar 101 (put on by my flatmate Dre)
• playing ultimate frisbee
• surrounding myself with cool-as kiwi people
• being happy

Should have some more cool photos up soon!

x Peace and love

A quick ocean escape...

Raglan and its gypsiness

Scared little fellas

just slid out of the school for a quick lunch break

Fish Out of Water

So life, aye! It has been a bit of a challenge lately. I don’t think it is possible to stay in cruise control forever. Wouldn’t make sense, would it? Life won’t allow you to get too comfortable. You must always kick your feet or wiggle your arms to stay afloat.

I’ve always thought of life as an ocean. We are all trying to get along with the fish and walk on water. I guess there has only been one of us able to do it, if I can remember back to my St. Mary’s studies. I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore.

Here’s another one for you (as you’ve heard a million times before): Life is like a roller coaster. Full of ups and downs, flips, twists, and turns. But imagine it without this variation. As I advise my consults at the gym, whatever type of exercise you do, it is important to mix-it-up and play with the intensity and incline levels. Not only with this help keep things interesting; it will generate more productive/worthwhile results. Imagine waking up, slipping on your shoes, and running the same plateau, unscenic marathon every day for the rest of your life. Not only would you risk getting injured, but most importantly, you wouldn’t grow! Grow, like I’m hoping my miniature herb garden back in Hamilton is at the moment.

As I ponder and use this free time on the bus journey home from Rotorua, I’ve realized over these past couple of weeks that I have been having trouble staying afloat. Many nights I bomb my pillows with heavy rains as I think about things and weigh out my life and possible choices.

Crash. Burn. Smile. No, I can’t. I wish. What is wrong with me? Me. Who is me? Excuse me. There it is again. Who am I? What’s wrong with me? Happiness? Where is it? Why am I crying?

See what I mean by drowning. I really need to get me some of those Finding Nemo floaties from the Warehouse. Haha. God, I may sound really insane at the moment. But I’m NOT one of those people that keep things bottled away. I’d rather play the detective and hunt for the truth and sort things out.

So last week, I did what I’m known to do. I drove to the ocean and JUMPED IN! Raglan, Indeed. To be closer to the familiar. The ocean. I just needed to remind myself that I am here, tens of thousands of miles from home, because I want to be!

But there’s a difference between confronting your problems and displaying them to the whole world on the web. The details will remain between my friends and close family, but just know that I'm starting a new chapter in my life: FINDING ME.

I’m on a search to find Jill again. Jill Carlene Krawczewicz. Yes the girl with the insanely long Polish last name. And spell check don’t think you are a genius either. Here are the facts:

1. I’m not cheery old Jill at the moment
2. Cam and I are on a break
3. I’ve narrowed down my work hours
4. I will be staying in NZ til December
5. I will be going home briefly to catch some sunshine in July
6. I have the best friends and family I could EVER ask for!

That’s enough for now...

Peace n love always,

Jill Carlene Krawczewicz

It's a Hard a Knock Life...

Man it’s been a while since I’ve had a moment to give you updates. Life is insanely busy. Not even exaggerating here. I’ve gone from no job, no home, no schedule, to a diary full of appointments and events. Each and every week is fully booked with Red cross courses at schools all over the island (Thames, Te Aroha, Linchfield, Morrinsville, Cambridge, Paeroa, etc) , exercise consultations at the gym, as well as social events and obligations to adhere to. It’s nice finally having work hours and money again, but boy is it stressful. I’m at a different school facility every weekday morning and on shifts the entire weekend at the university rec centre just down the street, where I’ve already managed to get a pay increase.

I’ve tackled the infamous O-week (orientation “aka” drunk week) without fail. A few of the nites were pretty cool, but I’m a bit over it to be honest. I’d say by far my favorite was TOGA nite. Never had a proper one until just recently when my roommates had a flat warming. You can only imagine how town ended up from a noise violation at the start of the night. Haha.

This past weekend was pretty mean kids. And When I say mean, let me remind you it’s in a good context. MEAN aka cool, awesome, spectacular, out of this world, etc. haha. In between shifts, I managed to sneak up to Auckland for a night and long extended morning with my good friend Jase. We stayed the night at Jason’s cousin Kate’s place on the North Shore and woke up at the crack of dawn to run an 8k race. Excuse me, I guess I should say: FUN RUN. AROUND THE BAYS is apparently one of the largest fun runs in the world.




Let me give you a sheer example here.

“Take Your mark…GO (buzzer goes off)” Alright, Alright. A minute passes by. I may have moved an inch by the 90 second mark, but that was into the person in front of me. My shoulders are at ease by my sides but I have an itch on my neck that I dare not aim for. Not in this crowd. Damn that would be risky unleashing my razor blade elbow in the massive ant hole of people. No room to run; not even in place. Thought I may also want add that I’ve been leashing my bladder for quite some time because patience cannot encourage me to wait in the everlasting que for the toilets. 2:31. 2:32… I take a hamster stride forward. And again.”

Later, at the finish, I was shocked to hear that over 70.000 people made up this jungle of a race. Holy moley just think about all those 140,000 feet to trip over and pointy elbows at the start. The race went well regardless. Even with the slug start and army of obstacles (people, children, prams-strollers, extreme power walkers), I managed to come in under 40 minutes, with Jase not trailing too far behind.

While I was up north, Cameron headed in the opposite direction to Napier to meet his 2 day old baby sister!

I’m eager to meet this little cupcake. Introducing…Ms. Lucy Grace Wise. I don’t have pictures at the moment, but I will post them ASAP.

So Life has been amazing from all angles. The reason I haven’t had the motivation to type a blog and let it gap over a month is because I really don’t have many funny or exciting adventure stories from the past few weeks, unless you want to hear about some of the country schools I have visited. Which may have to take the topic for my next blog? Haha. Honestly, some of these children I teach are hysterical.

The good news is, I may be getting used to this busy life. Thought it would NEVER happen. However, working your bum off is well worth it sometimes. I’m halfway to paying off my long overdue credit card debts in a matter of weeks. I reckon by mid April I’ll be well in the positives and onto saving heaps. This is unbelievable for me. Jill Carlene Krawczewicz. Saving? What?! Hahaha

Hard work now…play later. I think my latest goal is piggy-banking for a south island trip with Cam. It is either that OR a trip back home in July or August. We’ll see where the waves take me.

Have a wonderful week!

Miss everyone so much,

Jilly

Do it Live..

'Do it Live' as some kiwis say.

Still don't understand this crazy culture very much, but as you already know, I just roll with the flow of things. And don't forget, I'm still caught in the middle of summer here. The only other thing I could ask for, is bringing all of you guys over here with me. I know tickets are barely affordable, so i can kind of understand, but i can give you a 200% guarantee that you will have the time of your life. Everything about this country is beautiful. Just picture highways through thousands of rolling paddocks, beautiful unique coastlines in every direction, incredible natural springs and landforms, and who could forget about the hilarious dry kiwi humor. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty in any way. YOU are the only one that can do that, as my mom says. haha. Just give it a nice little thought though.

Haha, I'm currently sitting here, with the shades down in the living room of my flat hiding from the solicitor I just heard knocking on my neighbor's door. Man there's heaps of them. Greenpeace, Electric companies, Jehovah's witnesses, etc. The list is endless. I mean they all mean well, but I just couldn't be bothered talking to them. Have a list of things to do today before work and don't really want to spend it talking to them. And speaking of my list... I need to fill you in on this past week.

Lets see. Backtrack Jill. Alright, so this past weekend was busy with work and lacrosse. The NZ summer nationals took place on Saturday and Sunday right here in Hamilton. I know right. Weird? But it was amazing. I took a trail back to high school; playing lax competitively for St. Mary's. To be honest though, I wasn't even good enough to make my high school varsity team as an upperclassman. Just shows you how new the sport is in this country. Regardless, its wicked to be able to play again. And coach apparently. Hamilton may be starting up a winter league for schools and will be on the search for coaches. Haha, I reckon that would be so cool! We'll see what happens. Anyways, about the nationals. It was intense. And there's no telling that the girls from Auckland had the most experience of all the teams. I was still impressed with our Hamilton league though. We won a few, lost a few, and had a good time. And of course I came out of it all with about 10 new giraffe sized bruises. As always. Well worth the pain though.

Following the busy weekend, Cam and I ventured down to a campground in Aniwhenua (an hour south of Rotorua) for our friend Bryan's birthday. That just topped off the week. Man it was a blast. Escaping from work, rainy old Hamilton, and getting otp (on the piss) (easier translation: drunk) and rowdy with friends. Hahahah to give you a good definition, I'm going to share a facebook post that sums it all up.

Shelby Townspeople

"so what you move to another country and get to relive freshman year of college all over again!? BEER BONGS JILL!? MUD PEOPLE!? What in the world child you're having too much fun get outta here with that shit. Just kidding. Happy for you. I could seriously go for a beer bong right now.. at 8:48 on a wednesday morning... oh boy.

miss you sister glad you're killing it or whatever the kiwis call it these days! love you!!! "

There is no doubt about it; I feel like a freshman all over again. Heck, but whats wrong with that. Freshman year is about the NEW. Experiencing everything on your own, for yourself. Sure includes a bit of rowdiness. But who can honestly say that they have been frolicking in pastures, picking juicy raspberries and blackberries off the vines that explode in your mouth, and finally releasing all of your self-control and indulging in a massive mud war with friends. Its all extremely exhilarating. Experiences where pictures don't even do the acts justice. I will show you anyway here.

The trip was finished off with a visit at Cam's mum's in Rotorua. That night, I tried my very first RACK of LAMB. It makes my mouth water even now when i look back on it. I honestly, can't say I've had anything like it in my life on this earth. Delectable. Luscious. Yummy. Thank you Anna Hayes. haha. And to top it all off, Cam's grandparents won a pair of tickets to Raggamuffin this weekend and passed them off to us. Check it out. Its one of the largest Reggae festivals in the world. And I get to go for free!!!! Amazing!

RAGGAMUFFIN website

With all of this luck, I'm getting worried what the ying-yang effect might do. Eeek. Touch wood.

Catch ya later. xx

Hokey Pokey Mallow Puffs

The title of this post is in honor of the desert I just devoured. MMMMM... delicious. I'm still thrilled wandering down lolly(candy) and biscuit(cookie) aisles in supermarkets here. The names are mouth-watering. Makes me feel like I'm wandering through the Wonka factory. Just to give you an idea: Hokey Pokey, Goody Goody Gumdrops, Gingernuts, Squiggles, etc. I'm actually at a mind blank, but I will take better note and fill you in later on some more of the GOOD STUFF.

Lets see, what else. What else is new? I"m just working as normal here. Also ,working on my new/old school bike. I'm sure I posted a picture a few weeks back, but I'll take a picture soon to show and tell. Haha, at the moment it looks a bit ridiculous. Not matching, thats for sure. But I gave "PEARL" some racing stripes today. haha, shes a beast!

Ooo and I do have some good news indeed! How could I forget. New Zealand Lacrosse Nationals are this weekend. And I'm playing on the Hamilton team. Wicked, aye? I'm so stokked. May even have a few fans at this one. Haha thats what working at the gym does to you. I've made heaps of friends and definitely found my nook in this part of town. Each and every person has their interesting life story.

Well sorry I'm not going to have any messy stories this weekend. Straight edge and busy as with lax and work. But thats a good thing. Sobriety for a change. =). I have to run here though. Glad we got to catch up a little.

Ciao. Jillian x

Jillian's Ark

Alright... so I can now safely say its been raining for 3 long days and nights. I feel like light Mother Nature is punishing us for something. haha. It is seriously pissing down as I'm tapping the keys on my computer. So ark it is. And you're welcome to join me kids!

Anyways, Life at the moment is cruisey. Not too demanding. I'm just making it by to cover living and fun costs. And we've been cooking heaps here too. I've taught myself how to make home made dumplings, ravioli, curry, beef stew, Stuffed Chicken, soft boiled and poached eggs (I know this sounds pretty simple, but its not, trust me... lots of practice), hummus, etc. Cam even made pesto from scratch the other night. And if you're feeling crafty, Heres the recipe:

Fresh Pesto
2 cups of basil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of Parmesan
1/4 of crushed pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 cup of olive oil

It sits nice with a mixture of:

-Udon noodles
-diced tomatoes
-feta cheese
-grilled onion
-and a kick of hot sauce


Anyways, just a nice little light meal. Sorry, I'm starting to sound like a dumbed down version of Rachael Ray here. Nah, but yea other than that, life is good.

Lacrosse training is getting underway. And nationals are next weekend! Which is pretty cool. And last week, before the torrential rain hit us, my friend Jase and I took a day trip to Raglan Beach. The waves were gnarley! Best I'd had yet in this crazy little island. Beautiful glassy, spaced-out sets at Wainui Beach. 5-6ft, off shore winds (NE). Just perfect. Poor Jase. haha must have left him on the beach by himself for an hour or so. Oh well, I'm sure he'd love a good reason to tan. :)

Heres some pics but they don't quite do it justice...

Finally Moving

Christmas was a success.. As well as New Years. Went up to Waihi Beach and spent it in paradise. Surfing, hiking, running, digging massive holes, getting on the piss (drinking), going to concerts (Fat Freddy's Drop and another cover band on the eve), eating freshly caught fish, and practicing handstands. My apologies for the lack of photos. My camera is acting up. It was amazing though. Trust me.

Now I'm back in Hamilton. Just getting started on work. FINALLY. haha. About time. And Im playing lacrosse and just having the random motivation to start to do triathlons. Mini ones that is. Gotta get started somewhere ya know. But next little goal. Think I may sign up for 2 in February. holla holla. So i'm on search of a bike. But I've got to go here. Spending way too much time on the computer. Need to get some fresh summer air.

Later Gator.

and heres some pics from Waihi and Orokawa Bay (sorry they are not mine, but they are perfect portrayals of the place i spent new years break)

Move Along... R.I.P. Uncle Courtney

Dear friends and family,

Life is pretty good here. I finally am getting into my jobs. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, but I did end up getting both positions. I'm working as an exercise consultant at the U leisure gym just down the road. And it's finally Christmas Eve! Holey Moley. Definitely having trouble believing it right now. Its warm as and theres barely any lights and Christmas songs blaring over the radio system. Hmmm... Weird. I guess I can do this. We do have a tree though. Cam and his mum went on a little hunt down a beaten path in Rotorua and took care of that. haha. Theres a picture of it in my pictures... must say its an interesting one as well. lol. But it does have some mad decorations, thanks to donations from Nicola Blake. :) Other than that I'm looking forward to heading off here to Rotorua and Napier for the holiday and be around the family that I do have here.

Just thought I'd start off with the positive side of things. I have some awful news from your side of the world though. My uncle Courtney suddenly passed away 2 days ago. Its really difficult to cope with. Takes you away from busy life for a awhile. PAUSE. Shocking news. How can this be? How could this happen? He was so young. Just 10 years older than me. Suddenly you feel like you are in the wrong place. Trapped. Trapped on another planet. Unable to hop in a car and speed up to Delaware and mourn with family. Your heart aches and presses hard against your chest as you try to find someone who understands. Some one to hold on to. Luckily the phone line goes through. It only makes you feel more distant though. Its then you realize that you aren't alone. My boyfriend is there to sweep me from work the instant he hears, good friends are sending love from all parts of the world (texts, calls, emails, facebook messages, skype). The love is everywhere. It really helps. I'm sure you can all relate to this type of experience at some point in your life. Its hard. Sporadic tears come and go, but at least there are cushions around. I found a charm that Uncle Courtney gave to me when I was in middle school from Arizona. Its a kokopelli. Its a major icon of the Native American Hoki tribe in America. Primarily the southwest. The kokapelli has been a source of music making and dancing, and spreading joy to those around the world. Just reminds me of my uncle, so I have put it on one of my chains and will wear it around my neck in honor of him. I still believe people who leave us in this world are still here in spirit, guiding us along.

Thats where I'll leave it. Sorry for the down trodden news, but thats how life goes. Its a roller coaster. Up and downs. Constantly fluctuating. Like the ocean. Everyone's trying to swim and stay afloat in this world.

HOOray!

Jill is employed!!

Take TWO: New Zealand.

Just got offered an exciting job with the New Zealand Red Cross. People Saver Instructor, here I come! My role would include going to local elementary schools and teaching them life safety lessons. The people seem great, the pay is well more than enough, and I finally have a job again. I may even have a second one here. Charlie a manager from the University gym contacted me today (after my 2 interviews) and asked me to come by and meet the crew on Thursday for a brief orientation to the facility.
That can only mean good things, right? Anyways, I hope they aren't just messing with my head here.


Besides that, I'm just trying to get everything together for Christmas! Now that a job is settled, I can start budgeting for gifts, or at least xmas cards and postage to send home now. Still no tree, but I think that might be a weekend activity at this point.

Took a late night trip to Pac N' Save for a 'pic n mix' bag of lollies of only my favorites: milk bottles, jet planes, jaffas, gummi bears, and gummi strawberries. Probably not the best idea considering I haven't had a good sleep yet all week. Of course thats okay, because I can SLEEP WHEN IM OLD, right? Or so I'm told. Sleep is overrated anyway. Naps are the way to go. Anyways, I just thought of a genius idea for Cam's Xmas gift. Need to get planning here. Also want to fit in a nap before my intro at the gym tomorrow.

Holla Holla!

Happy Holidays Frosty People!
Te Aroha,
Jilly

All I want for Christmas is a real good TAN

Hows it going up there USA? Hope all is well and not too chilly in that winter of yours. I’m currently sitting at a free-wiFi booth in the garden place in Hamilton city as I type this. I guess I have lots to fill you in on since I’ve been away for awhile. Since I’ve last spoke, heaps have gone on in this pretty little place. For starters, I had to put rowing on hold, that is until I get a job and am on my feet again. Geez, I can barely afford my rent at the moment, let alone the $1,000 rowing fees. Secondly, I have had 2 interviews at the University gym on campus for the position of an exercise consultant, and they seem pretty keen to hire me. Fingers crossed.

I also have an interview with the NZ Red Cross on Tuesday for the new position of a People Saver Instructor. This role entails going to committed elementary and intermediate schools and giving presentations to the kids about basic first aid and cpr training. This would be another one that I could pursue on the side, which is pretty cool. Thirdly, I found out some interesting facts about my visa. It doesn’t actually expire in July of next year. The initial visa started when I entered the country on September 26th, so the 12-months would begin then. This is definitely a good thing to mention when pursing jobs.

Summer has taken a dump on this country here too. Man it just went from the 60s to hard-out 90s. It’s super hot at the moment. Already experienced my first case of fiery sunburn and mosquito bites. Oh the joys of summer. Lets see… what else have I been up to? Cam took me to the Hamilton Zoo last week, which was mean ! I loved it. The chimpanzees were the coolest, with the giraffes taking a close second place. Cam and I have a series of sweet photos that I’ll have to post in here shortly. Also, took a few beach trips with friends (that’s where the evil sun devil took its hit, haha). Anyways we went to Mount Maunganui and Wainui Beach at Raglan. Think I even have the pronunciation down on the two. Can’t wait to show off my kiwi-swag. Haha.






Other than that, I’m just getting crafty ideas for the holidays. You know my money situation, so please don’t feel offended if you don’t receive but a letter in the post this Christmas! I promise I will make it up to you all. The big city centre Christmas tree is lit up tonight, so excited! Again, I hope all is well back home. I miss you all heaps, especially now that the holiday fever has hit me . All good though. Part of me is floating in the ocean at Wrightsville beach and in the tradewinds of Annapolis at the moment. Sorry, I’m afraid there is no escaping Jill this holiday season. Just wanted to send out a giant nerdy ‘miss you hug’ through the world wide spiderweb.



Let it Shine, Let it Shine, Let it Shine,

Xxxo Jill

Row-tastic

So I’m pretty delirious at the moment. It’s been the longest weekend of my life. Honestly. I can barely move I’m so sore, cut up, bitten (mosquitoes and flies), bruised, and blistered. I know it sounds more like torture than a sport, but I actually really enjoyed myself. Rowing is the most extreme thing I have ever taken a liking too. In a period of 2 and a half days I have been plopped in a boat and taught the basics of rowing: sculling, sweeping, feathering, rigging, de-rigging, etc. I met heaps of new people too. Think I’m addicted. Hopefully I get a job here soon so that I can afford to continue it!

This week is exciting… I have more rowing this week, a job interview tomorrow, and a delicious Thankgiving dinner with American pumpkin pie (my parents sent the mix).
Anyways it’s about that time for bed. Catch up with you all later in the week!


Peace n love,
JFish