From Rags to Riches- The Beginning of Maggie's Solo Yoloing Experience

Top 10 ways to transition from yoloing en masse in Christchurch to yoloing solo in Queenstown without becoming broke, lonely, or bored:

1. Make good friends while hitchhiking- not only did Tom rescue all 4 of us Yoloers at the end of the Routeburn track when we hitched a ride with him out of the torrential downpour, he also provided free lakeside accommodation for me while I took my time finding a flat of my own and introduced me to my first Q-town friends .

The view from Tom's flat at sunrise- not a bad wake-up call if you ask me.

2. Enjoy a classy dinner in Christchurch with the Pegnim family and the rest of the Yoloers, then immediately move to Queenstown and score another classy dinner with the Pegnims as they just happen to pass through Q-town on their vacay of the south island- thanks Pegnim fam for the amazing dinners and good times!

Dinner #1 in Christchurch with the Yoloers- clearly an enjoyable occasion that was made possible thanks to the Pegnim fam.

Dinner #2 in Queenstown (aka a Lafayette reunion)- there's really no need for me to go home if home keeps coming to me!



3. Get on the bus in Christchurch with a hometown friend who is traveling the south island, and then upon arrival in Q-town be a good mate and play the role of adventurous and carefree travel companion instead of embarking upon the hunt for a home and job - Annie Thomas came to NZ and accompanied me on my move to Queenstown!!!!


The bus ride may have been 9.5 hours long, but luckily it let us get off and enjoy a good view of Mt. Cook.

Annie and I decided to enjoy our first day in Queenstown and the great summery weather by taking a hike up Ben Lomond (aka my new backyard).



Annie turned 21 and Caitlin was in town- clearly some festivites were in order. Needless to say we celebrated with lots of beer and teapot shots.

The b-day celebration continued the next day when we took a mini vacation to Wanaka and enjoyed a nice hotel, suana, more drinks and good nibbles.

4. Quit work at the ChCh Dux de Lux (without burning any bridges upon exit) and then seek a job at the Queenstown Dux and land yourself immediate employment- I may have left Christchurch and the rest of the yoloers but I haven't left the Dux or the yoloing ways of earning a livelihood.

5. Stay true to the Yoloers' ways and make frequent trips to the super market....you never know what you might find, like a $0.99 cart of bakery items or maybe even a place to live- no, I am not living at the food store (although that would be pretty funny) but I did find my flat on the bulletin board there!

6. Move into a flat with people who work in the tourism industry and tag along on the expensive 4WD and ATV tours they lead- for FREE!!! It’s a good thing I never forked over heaps of cash for a Lord of the Rings tour at an earlier date because scoring free activities is clearly the preferred yoloing tactic.

Lance, my new flatmate, took me on a 4WD tour of Skipper's Canyon to catch the spectacular views around Coronet Peak.

7. Stop eating instant meals out of a grocery bag and instead get paid to prepare gourmet feasts for yourself while at work- in addition to getting a job at the Dux I somehow managed to land myself a job working at a café that lets me make myself breakfast, snacks, and lunch while working. Needless to say my grocery bill is dropping and my smoothie and pesto panini intake is skyrocketing.

8. Move into a flat with an avid runner and never have to search for a running buddy again- that’s right, my new flat may not have a gym but I finally found a reliable buddy to go with me on my daily runs. His name is Natas and he may or may not be a dog.

Natas got a little tired from our run and plopped down on my bedroom floor for some R&R.

9. When not slaving away at work (aka getting paid to eat and socialize with coworkers) embark upon the 500 meter walk to the lake and stake a claim in the sun to relax, tan, and enjoy true summer weather- although 280 Bealey had its merits I definitely upped the ante and found some prime real estate in Queenstown right near Lake Wakatipu.

Lake Wakatipu, as viewed from my new flat, is just a wee walk down the hill.

10. Stalk the blog and hope to get updated on the adventures of the rest of the Yoloers- Nick and Caitlin are doing some solo yoloing in Australia and X is still going strong in Christchurch.