Waiheke Island.

The ferry ride alone is worth the cost of the trip with its gorgeous views of Auckland City and Rangitoto.

Waiheke Island is just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland.  It's been called the "Hawaii" of New Zealand, for it's pristine beaches during the summer and it's reputation for food and art.  There is so much to do on the island, but one of the most common is wine tasting.  We hired out a private tour bus to take us to three different vineyards around the island.

The Bay of Plenty.

Beautiful Tauranga is located in the Bay of Plenty.  Without a doubt, this is my favorite place in New Zealand so far.  It is a small little town located along the strand of beautiful beach that stretches from Mount Maunganui to as far as you can see.  The walk around "the Mount" is lovely.  It took about a half an hour - maybe more because of all the pictures I was taking. You can also hike to the top which takes about a half an hour.  There are sheep on the mount and hardly any people.  Walking around the mount, I passed by 10 people max.  I believe that this is one of the best kept secrets of New Zealand (until now) and a local treasure.  The town is adorable with little shops and cafes, the waves are perfect for surfing, and the water is crystal clear.  I would move here right now if all the business wasn't in Auckland.  Auckland is beautiful - don't get me wrong, but the Mount is breathtaking.  It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life.

Goodie Goodie Gum Drops.

I made it to New Zealand, and I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised!  My flight in was like a dream... Think of the most luscious, green hills, surrounded by bright blue tropical waters, fluffy pink clouds and the most gorgeous sunrise you've ever seen.

Here are a few interesting things I've learned in my two days here:

• Goodie Goodie Gum Drop Ice Cream is ah-mazing.  It's bubble gum flavored and literally has gumdrops in it!
• You can ask McDonalds (aka: Maccas) to actually "steam" your buns.
• Fish and chips are pronounce "Fush and Chups," and it is very Kiwi to eat it out on the beach.
• "Flat out" means really busy, as in "We've been flat out."
• "Puku" is Māori for bloated stomach.
• Switching driving sides is really fun and surprisingly not as hard as I thought it would be.
• The cross walk signs actually have a picture of a man walking... so cool.
• "La-de-da" means fancy, as in "That place is really la-de-da."
• Kiwi birds only come out at night. Also, they are blind, endangered, and flightless.
• It is super green here, but the reason is because it rains alot.  I guess I should've expected that.
• The Sky Tower changes colors during the year to raise awareness for different causes.  This month it is pink for breast cancer awareness month.  It's also 1,076 feet tall, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Homemade Senior Pictures.

How gorgeous is my friends' sister?  We went out to Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado to take her senior pictures.  These have not even been edited, and they still look amazing!  My friend, B, took the pics, while I took these "behind the scenes" shots on my phone:

Georgia Peaches.

I went to Georgia to visit my BFF, A. She moved there 3 years ago, and I promised I was going to visit her when she moved.  So, I finally made good on my promise and went to the sweet, sweet state of Georgia... for 2 days.  It was a short and sweet trip, but of course we made some amazing memories and I finally got to meet Sally Monster, her puppy.

Here are some of my trip highlights:
Anitco Napoletana Pizza - The. Best. Pizza. of. my. Life. It is a secret locals-only spot that was jam-packed.  We sat in a little corner in the kitchen, but it was worth every bite.  We proceeded to eat leftover pizza for the next 24 hours.

Peaches - Well, apparently even though she lives on PeachTree Street, there are not actually any peach trees in Atlanta.  So, she kindly took me to the local grocery store, and I pretended that I picked one off a tree.  It was the best peach ever, still.

Coca-Cola Factory - Atlanta, GA is where Coca-Cola first originated, and we got to learn the history behind the fizzy pop.  Did you know that Coca is actually a cocaine-leaf?  Neither did I until I watched Drunk History, my new favorite show.  They don't tell you that in the tour.

Flying Biscuit Cafe - If you want a real southern breakfast, this is where you need to go.  I had biscuits, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, orange glazed french toast, and coffee. It was heaven.

The Varsity - They literally say "What'll ya have" and nothing else. They have their own lingo, where a burger is a "steak" and chips are a "bag of rags." It's crazy inside - a cultural Atlanta experience.  I still recommend going even though the food is not so good.

Color My World.

I did a little bit of colorizing on the plane back to Colorado from Georgia yesterday.  Let me know what you think of these that I did on iSplash.  Xx, Summer

The Camera+ App.

I have this new favorite app called Camera+.  It does this:

These photos were taken on my first Colorado hike in the Chautauqua Trails in Boulder.  I never knew why everyone said the air was thin here in Colorado because I've lived here my whole life.  But after living at sea level for about 3 years, I finally understand.  I couldn't make it to the top of the trail because I was so out of breath.

(This one was in Lakeside, CA)

There is one downside to downloading this app though...  I keep getting disappointed by real life because it's not as beautiful as it is in my photos. 

Live The Life.

I have a friend that can do this...

                

If you go to Sea World (which I have been doing almost every day for the past few weeks), definitely go see the Cirque de la Mer show!  It's pretty rad, plus my friend Kristin performs on the high plank and she can do some sweet stuff like this leg lifty thing.  Check it out.

Living a Focused Life.

Knowing your purpose focuses your life.  It concentrates your effort and energy on what’s important.  You become effective by being selective. 

It’s human nature to get distracted by minor issues.  Henry David Thoreau observed that people live lives of “quiet desperation,” but today a better description is aimless distraction. 

Without a clear purpose, you will keep changing directions, jobs, relationship, church, or other externals- hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart.  You think, Maybe this time it will be different, but it doesn’t solve your real problem - a lack of focus and purpose. 

The power of focusing can be seen in light. Diffused light has little power or impact, but you can concentrate its energy by focusing it. With a magnifying glass, the rays of the sun can be focused to set grass or paper on fire.  When light is focused even more as a laser beam, it can cut through steel. 

There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one living on purpose. 

“I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” The Apostle Paul.

If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling.  Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. 

Excerpt from The Purpose Driven Life

The Perfect Dome.

I am missing these perfect domed cappuccinos from Australia.  One of my favorite breakky places, Dôme, made them perfect every time.  Put two raw sugars in, stir it only half way, and sip the sugary foam off the top while reading Cleo Magazine or Frankie.  Then again, I'm sure I'll reminisce about my Dragon Pearl Tea Lattes from my local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, once I move away.

Where is a place I can find a perfect cappuccino like this one in Cali?  I'd love to know- I'm a bit of a coffee snob now.  I like them perfectly domed and perfectly perfect.  Is that too much to ask?  I've always thought that the most amazing job would to be a World Wide Coffee Taste Tester.  I could fly around the world reviewing coffee shops and get paid for it.

The Flower Fields.

I had a lovely weekend with my gorgeous friends.  I went to a drive-in movie for the first time.  It was picturesque in a little red convertible with the top down.   Then, some friends and I headed up to Carlsbad, CA for a beautiful girl's day out in The Flower Fields.  I hadn't even heard of this place until this weekend, but it was really fun!  I believe the flowers are only in bloom for 2 or 3 months out of the year, so make sure to time it right if you decide to go.