WELCOME.

Hello all,

If you know me, then you also know that traveling the world while I work has been a goal since I entered college at 18.  This is the beginning of that journey, where I have sacrificed solid plans and a steady source of income in order to jump between hemispheres twice a year to make wine in various countries and travel between jobs.  My first traveling-vintage job is in New Zealand, where I am finishing my second-ever vintage as I'm writing this initial post.

So -- You asked for it (maybe), and here it is -- a non-traditional blog in the sense of simple text and rich photos.  Honestly, I'm on a traveling spree, and I'd rather show you what I'm up to rather than write paragraphs at a time for you to read. That way you still have time to live, work, eat, whatever, and escape the black hole that is the internet.  This first update is coming to you partly out of laziness and party out of working 72 hour weeks.  Anyways, the eye candy is below.  Feel free to email me at tylerwill09@gmail.com or Facebook me if you care to chat, ask questions, or in general just keep in touch.


After I quit my previous job in late January, I spent three weeks packing, tying up loose ends for the coming months, skiing, and visiting friends.  Despite the dry early season, I was able to pack in a few pow days before I left the country (thank you... just in time for me to leave ;) )

Greta and I flew to Fiji on February 22nd.  The mainland city of Nadi, where most people fly in and out of, is dirty -- Not a place to spend the entirety of your vacation.

But, there were some gems.  We visited the world's largest orchid garden...

...and happened to book the coolest little room in a back-packer hostel.  For 30 USD.  At the end of a long dirt road.

The food throughout Fiji was delicious.  The owners of this resort were typically also the people cooking our meals.

There was also this -- 

The next day, we took a boat about 60 kilometers to the west of the mainland to an outlying island group called the Yasawas.  We spent five days at a small resort called the Octopus Resort.  Days consisted of lounging around and drinking between activities, should you choose to participate in them.

 We figured out the way to do it -- Buy the pineapple / OJ combo from the bar and bring it back to your room to spice it up a bit.  Yes, the rum was good.

One day, we walked 15 minutes from the resort to one of the local villages of the island.  From my understanding, there are six in total, but this is all that we ever saw.  The resort is operated as a non-profit from a dude who owns a number of resorts around the world and who lives in California.  All of the earnings from the resort are used to employ the villagers, who typically walk to work in bare feet along a dirt trail.  Below lies a few snaps of the village and the school house of the village. The school is sponsored by the Australian government -- Along with water filtration systems and emergency services to the village.

 The children sang for us.  It was precious.

The women spend their days in "Fiji time" and craft small goods to sell both locally and to tourists like us that come to the resort.

Another day, we learned how to make a Fijian-style whitefish ceviche with lemon and home-made coconut cream.

Greta was a pro at making a basket in a pinch.

We had the opportunity to go on a guided hike to the top of the mountain peak on the right of the picture below.  It was easily the hardest, most intense, high consequence hike I have ever been on.  It was a six-hour round-trip journey...

This is our guide, Api.  He climbed the whole thing with bare feet.

Don't fall.

Up the start of the path were the family plots of the villagers, planted in the more fertile soil above the beach.  This is a patch of cassava that one family tends.

Greta tried her hand at scuba diving.

Fijian night.  SO GOOD...

 ...It also entailed a ceremony with all of the employees from the village.

Part of the reason we booked five nights at the resort was the inclusion of a 1-hour massage and a seafood dinner for two free of charge.  

 Best meal of the resort.

 Here're a few snaps of the resort.

 The bungalows we stayed in.

So -- all in all, if you need an affordable vacation, come here.  Seriously.  It's away from the main drag of uber-tourists and it pretty much fits the description of the classic tropical vacation.  More info at www.octopusresort.com.

Our Australian chronicle will follow shortly, so stay tuned! I'm also closing down the vintage here in NZ so a re-cap will also be on the way soon.  I miss you all!

Cheers,

TW