Northside, about a week ago.

Huntington sunset.

One year, yeah!

Firstly, I must apologize. It has been a solid spell without any updates to this blog, which has been partially due to working, faffing and general slackness. Again, I'm sorry.

BUT.

This particular blog has a special significance. Not in the crazy, disneylanding, road-tripping kind of way, but in the mere fact that It has been a full year since Paul and I left New Zealand for a new adventure. And I happen to think that is pretty cool! So, I thought I'd attempt to condense a year of travel into a single blog - not to specify all of the details and stuff we've done - but to simply put into words how we got here. Here goes. 

It's so wierd to think that a year ago, we were just a couple of freshies flying out of Auckland airport, unsure of what to expect in a country we really knew little about, except that it bordered the United States to the north, and that it offered some pretty good snowboarding. For those of you who are still clueless of the destination, I am talking about Canada. Vancouver Island to be precise. We already were, in a sense, set up. We had the job at a kids’ camp organized, and all we really had to do was get there from the airport. Nevertheless, it was an important experience. We were out of university and out of New Zealand, and ready for something new. Camp signified the beginning of our travels, adventures and shenanigans to come. Yeah.

Camp was, in many ways, the perfect start to our expedition. We just lived, talked and breathed it. Accommodation was provided, food was available (if not always edible!) and loads of fresh faces were always about. It was great to meet so many new people and establish new friendships and connections for the future.

By the end of camp, however, we had little idea of exactly what we were gonna do next. The little bit of cash we got at the end of it was a helpful buffer, but hardly enough to embark on a Canadian tour of sorts. We needed work fast, and that was all there was to it. Thankfully, we had a weeks’ time to think about it as we stayed with our friend Mel and his awesome family in Salmon Arm, B.C. This was a great time of re-coupe ration after the hecticness of camp, yet Paul and I were plagued by the fact that after this week was done, we would be on our own in this huge unexplored mass. We frantically began contacting the oil rigs on the arctic fringe of Northern Canada, hoping to score work as some bottom-of-the-barrel labourer amidst the freezing temperatures. We had little luck however, so figured we needed to just trip it up there, and talk to them directly, rather than deal with the tired receptionists directing your calls to either answering machines or to painful online applications. Yippee.

Unsurprisingly, this time was filled with prayer. I mean, we weren’t quite at the desperate stage, but we were getting close. Paul had only about $800 in his New Zealand bank account, and I had only a bit more. Yet despite all sources pointing to pushing the ‘panic button’, we didn’t. It might sound a little hippy, but we really knew it was going to work out, because God was in the picture. We figured that if we tried our absolute best to find work and a place to stay, God was more than willing to meet us in the middle. Indeed, my relationship with God grew drastically during this time. It’s an amazing and refreshing feeling to diligently seek Him in times of need rather than want. We needed this to work out.

Literally the night before we were to leave Salmon Arm, I got a facebook message from my friend Jen who I had met from camp, albeit for a week. She was living in Calgary, Alberta, and was house-sitting for a friend of hers. She said that we were welcome to come stay for a bit. We obliged, and jumped on the infamous Greyhound bus the next morning. We stayed at her house for a couple of nights, until she needed the place for a youth night she was running. She kindly offered to have us stay for the weekend at her parents’ house, so we did. Her family was great. There was immediately a real connection between all of us, it was uncanny. On the last night of our stay there, we were still unsure of where God was going to lead us next. Yet we were strangely calm and completely unphased by it all. The next morning, Jen’s parents greeted us with not a goodbye, but a proposition. They had been praying, too, and really felt that God wanted them to have us stay longer. We couldn’t believe it. It was such an amazing blessing; a testament to what relying on God alone can do. We had a job within the next few days (again such a blessing) and ended up staying in Calgary for about three months. Praise the Lord.

Our next adventure involved moving to the little ski town of Fernie, B.C. We had hooked up a job working at the ski resort for the winter, as well as living in a flat and reuniting with a few of our good friends from camp. This marked the first time we had actually lived entirely independently since leaving New Zealand in May. We would have to work, pay for utilities and buy groceries and cook. And live with a bunch of guys. So naturally the living was not always clean, but we had the time of our lives. Highlights included learning to snowboard, having our first white Christmas with an awesome family (thanks the Francks) and of course meeting some more awesome people along the way. Love you all.

Back in Calgary, we had realized that we were in fact eligible for an all-new one year working visa in the US, as long as we had completed our application before April 2009. Yet in typical ShaunPaul fashion, we left it until the last minute. We naively thought that it would be a similar application process for the US visa as it was for the Canadian one. In short, a doddle. However we soon realized it was going to in fact be far more difficult. But it had to be done, and we knew it was all going to happen. Pronto. So, after countless pages of paperwork, haircut, phone calls, photo id’s and interviews later (where I got hauled out of the building by security – another story entirely), we got the visas. We later learned that we are in fact the first New Zealanders to get a visa of this kind. Crazy huh. Anywho, we booked the flights into L.A Airport and flew out of Canada and into a new and untapped foreign experience. So here we are.

I have come to expect things from God. An experience [I will recollect later, I promise] I had taught me that we should never be concerned with ‘waiting’ on God to perform or help us in times of need. The truth is He is in fact waiting on us, waiting for us to believe. If we do our utmost in times of need, God will always meet you in the middle if you expect that from Him. One year overseas has been a time of fun, growth, maturity, and, I think achievement. As cheesy as it my sound, Paul and I are proud of what we’ve managed to do. From dreaming of travel on the couch at our Cook St flat in Hamilton to the hustle and bustle of Orange County, California. For me, I’m stoked. I have a feeling that this journey is going to continue for a wee while yet. If you’re still here with me, thanks for reading this little note of nostalgia. I know that it’s not all related to the current ‘American Adventure’ theme of this blog, but its important to us and how we got here. So to everyone, thanks for being part of this experience thus far. Thanks for caring, and we hope to see you soon – whatever hemisphere that be in. Over and out.

Just down the road.

Main St, Huntington Beach.

Our home.

Livin' the dream.

Well, over the past couple of weeks we are finally starting to get settled here in Orange County. The initial hustle and bustle and uncertainty that marked the opening months here is being replaced by a real sense of belonging, and even security. Ironically enough though, I have loved the journey. I mean, coming here with nothing - no friends, job or accommodation and expecting to 'make it' in the middle of  an economic recession - was always going to be a tall task. So, to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and start actually living is such a blessing. Thank God for that.

Paul and I have just had our first week of work at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Hotel. The first day was an orientation day, so I didn't really expect much, except for maybe a couple of cheesy greeting excersises in some bland room deep in the heart of the human resources department. I couldn't have been more wrong. We were led through the main lobby of the hotel and ushered into a large, elegant-looking room, which sported a giant wooden table scattered with corporate-like leather seats that wouldn't have been out of place in Donald Trump's 'The Aprentice'. There were about eleven of us newbies altogether, and we were each designated a seat at the table. A friendly lady named Kea greeted us all and began her presentation, going through all the nooks and crannies, policies and procedures and so forth. I won't bore you with all of that. We were, however, allowed to grab complimentary drinks and goodies throughout her presentation to fight the boredom - which wasn't actually too bad anyway. The treats ranged from soft drink to starbucks coffee, chocolate brownies and muffins. Oh, and a complimentary lunch straight from the menu of one of the hotel's finest restaurants. Yum. For an orientation, the day couldn't have gone any better. Indeed, I could barely keep myself from grinning with quiet pleasure the entire time. Hehe.

Needless to say, Paul and I were pretty amped for the following day of actual work. It's amazing how much you actually desire to work after a month and a half's hiatus. Plus, we were working at a freakin' pimping hotel. We rocked up to work at 8.30am - right on time - put on our uniform (nike tee, khaki shorts) and headed for the pools. I expected to be shown the proverbial 'ropes' of the job right away, however through some miscommunication our supervisor was late, which gave us some time to chat with other staff and get their insight into working here. Everybody we talked to seemed really chill, in a good way. I could already tell this was going to be an epic summer. Our supervisor Ben finally showed up, and gave us the ins and outs, ups and downs on exactly what it means to be a 'recreation attendant' at the Hyatt hotel.

In a nutshell, our job throughout the summer is to delight people. We do this by maintaining the pool area, hand out fresh towels to guests, as well as to provide friendly chit-chat, really. On top of this, we are responsible for running 'Camp Hyatt' - the department of the hotel that entertains kids. This involves many strenuous activitis such as: playing with kids in the pool, building sandcastles down the beach, oh, and watching the occasional Disney movie. It's great. Nedless to say, we are loving our jobs thus far, and plan to give it 100 percent, and inquire if we can possibly work here after the summer, as our positions finish at the end of September. But we'll see.

Working here also has a number of pretty sweet benefits. Firstly, we get free food for working here. It's buffet-style too, so you ca just waltz on in, grab a plate full of fresh salad and veggies, sip on some fresh apple juice, and relax while watching the NBA playoffs (go the Celtics!). Another benefit is the discount we get on rooms. For friends and family, we enjoy roughly 70 percent off of the usual room price! Thats a hefty saving, considering that for just a standard room here is upwards of 300 bucks a night. Yikes. In addition, the people here are just great. Everybody is really nice, and obviouslt love working here. I figure that a positive work environment is truly an awesome benefit, and yet another reason why we love our jobs! Okay, spiel officially over. Woo!

So, in a very general conclusion, life has been just great of late. Our place is three houses from the ocean, we've been surfing everyday. Not only that, but we are in walking distance from our work, which is a 20ish minute beach-walk - hardly excruciating. Indeed work, as it is commonly called, doesn't even feel like work. In fact, sometimes its even more fun than no work! I never thought I'd say that, but there you go. Livin' the dream, livin' the dream, livin' the dream. Over and out. 

More beaches.

Monarch Beach, view from the parking lot.

Monarch Beach. The famous 'Ritz Carlton' hotel is up on the left.

Newport Beach Pier.

This past month.

Over this past month since moving to California, life has been surprisingly hectic. I mean, for two pretty chill kiwi guys without jobs or agendas - we have kept fairly busy. However, things are finally starting to pan out. Yay.

The search for employment had been a tad strenuous. Amidst the economic downturn, California boasts the highest unemployment rate of all the US states: currently between 18 ad 25 percent. On top of this, the surging US dollar, bolsted by the government, virtually halved our savings in the exchange rate when transferring our funds into American currency. With no income filtering into our bank accounts, Paul and I devised a bit of a financial plan. We figured that, if we spend ten dollars or less on food per day, we could last unemployed in California for at least a couple of months.

We started our job hunt with hotels. Fortunately, we have been really blessed in meeting some awesome people along the way, one of them kindly offering us a car to borrow for a couple of months (cheers Christian!). So, we were able to google-search hotels in areas where we wanted to live - Huntington, Newport, Laguna beaches - and drive to them rather than take the dreaded public transport. Yeouch. Yet at almost all of the hotels we went to, we were told that you had to fill out your application online. So, a little bit down on ourselves, we went home and did just that.

Filling out the applications was painful at best. We really wanted to talk to someone about a job, but apparently human interaction is no longer cool, as the IT age continues to 'revolutionise' our lives. Meh. Filling all those forms out felt robotic - there was no way to emphasise your personality, or get 'a connection' with anyone. Our motto for finding a job was "people are everything", meaning that in order to fulfill anything in life, all you need is a positive personal encounter with somebody. We spent hours everyday filling out applications, and feeling like we were getting nowhere fast.

In between job hunting, we were constantly on the lookout for accommodation. There seemed to be plenty about, so we figured we might as well get the best place we can, so we could officially live the dream. We were initially torn between Laguna and Newport - and live a life of the rich and famous. However, Laguna was beautiful, but it didnt seem to offer the sort of young community (or surf) we were after. Newport was also great, yet it was overpriced and lacking a main town hub. Five minutes north of Newport was Huntington Beach, and it seemed to offer everything. Pumping town vibe, pumping surf and pumping beach scene. It was just such an active community - always things going on, people volleyballing, skateboarding and frisbee-ing. Exciting stuff. We must have emailed about 50 people about accommodation, and checked out maybe 8 or so of them in person. We finally settled on a place in Huntington, which was close to town and about 3 houses from the beach. With the house now sussed, there was evermore a need to find work, as a deposit was promptly required.

 

With the funds running lower day by day, we started searching other possible areas of employment. We'd jump on craigslist.org everyday to check their daily postings, which seemed to be full of those 'too-good-to-be-true' type jobs, where you can in fact be a millionaire - right from the comfort of your own home. Naively, we inquired into a couple of these places, and we were (amazingly) hired right on the spot. We later found that one job was selling cutlery to hapless families, the other running around a parking lot, stalking unsuspecting customers to buy into a 'once in a lifetime' beauty salon treatment offer. 90 percent off!

We had rarely put God into the equation during our quest for employment. I mean, He was the reason for making it to the States in the first place. I pondered over the words of Philippians 4:13. After a quick prayer, I figured it was high time to follow-up all of the hotels that we had applied for...I was frustrated at not hearing back from them. My first couple of calls went nowhere, but I figured hey, I have nothing to lose here. Then I rang the Hyatt Huntington Beach Hotel, where Paul and I had applied for the position of recreational attendant a few days earlier. I talked to a nice lady named Anna, who actually seemed willing to help. She said that she would forward our files to the recreation manager later that day.Less than 24 hours after I had prayed, we recieved phone calls saying we both had interviews at the Hyatt hotel in Huntington that day. We were both stoked, but figured that there would only be one position - so we wished eachother the best of luck.  

We dressed up as fancy as we could for the interview. Paul went first; my interview was about 20 minutes after his. I eagerly waited him to return, but after 20 minutes, he wasnt back. I shot off to my interview. Just before I was in the intervew room, Paul burst out, sporting a huge grin on his face. "I got the job!" he shouted. "and you'll get it too..its super chill! There are a couple of jobs going...you'll get it bro!" I jumped into my interview with a refreshed sense of confidence. I was met by Anna, the lady I talked to on the phone. She introduced me to Dane, the recreation manager. He had just interviewed Paul, and knew I was coming. "Ah, you must be the other New Zealander!" he proclaimed. He sat me down in front of his desk, and asked me a few questions. Really, it was more of a casual conversation than an interview, which I liked. It was as if I had the job before I had even entered the room. Sure enough, he promptly stuck out his hand, and offered me the position. Full of stoke, I ran out of the hotel buzzing, even jumping a couple of times on my way back to the car to meet Paul. "I got the job too!" I screamed. Finally, our hunt was over, and our real lives were about to begin. Yes.

A few more shots.

Further up the Orange County coast. Seal Beach.

View of Corona Del Mar from 'the Wedge', Newport Beach.

Classy living. Newport Wedge.