Easily Amused: A Look Inside the Mind of a Wanderer: Flying out tomorrow

Well, it has been a hell of an adventure, but my Aunt, Uncle and I arrived safely back in Auckland yesterday. We spent a couple of days checking out Taupo, Rotorua and the Coremandel Penninsula before returning, triumphantly. Aunty Flo and Uncle "chill" Bill are headed off to Northlands for a few days to do some scuba diving and view the Kauri forests. It's a bummer, as they make pretty awesome travel companions, and Bill has one of the most impressive reservoirs of really, really bad jokes I've ever heard. All in all, it was a great send-off for me to travel around with the people who really got me interested in traveling in the first place, so thanks Flora and Bill.

After we got back I was treated to my last Extreme Edge night here with members of the climbing club, and after that there was some pretty funny broom traversing at Owen's place.

I'm gonna play catch-up with the next few blog entries, and the friends I've made here deserve some kudos (pronounced Cue-Dahs in Kiwi) for being genuinely awesome people. They also deserve an explanation of why they need to come to the U.S. for climbing and mountain biking fun. Of course there are other important things in life...Hahahahaha! just kidding... *ahem* In all seriousness, 1000 apologies to all you readers for this blog turning into "Jake's latest climbing exploits", but it is honestly something I did a lot. Think of it as more what Jake has been up to viewed through his lens of interest. It's a great sport, sure. But I see it as a great avenue to check out some of the wild places on the planet, surround yourself with some of the coolest people around, and... of course, brag a little about your latest send. It is one of many ways of getting outside one's comfort zone, only to find it is pretty fascinating out there.

I'll end my last blog entry from this wonderful country with a few of my favorites from my recent adventures. Kia Ora

Greg, Inga and Ed on this random sofa at Pohara