When fate serves you and your girlfriend a day one crisis of losing a passport while overseas — putting your 10 day trip at risk of being completely ruined with no way to get home — you slap it in its dumb little face and figure out Plan B.

Initial freakout aside, New Zealand was absolutely stunning. Hikes were breath-taking, food was fantastic, people were friendly as hell, and the US Consulate was… well, not exactly fun but a generally pleasant experience given the circumstances that brought us there.

Plenty of shots from this trip are also up on my photos page.