It’s Raining Jen is for me to keep track of all of my new experiences, and to share them!
Hi, I’m Jen. Previously an elementary school teacher, at the moment I’m a full-time traveler working seasonal backpacking jobs in New Zealand! Catch up on my adventures here.
The End of an Era
And with that, the New Zealand season has come to an end. I’m on a bonus travel journey as I make my way home, traveling first for two weeks to Thailand, Bali, and Singapore. Then, I’ll make my return back to the states by spending a week in Hawaii before hopping a plane back to…
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The Final Stretch
Apparently, living in a van isn’t exactly conducive to writing regularly. Oops! There have been so many adventures since I’ve hit the road that I hardly knew where to start until they were all over. The past two months or so have seen me enter the South Island and complete an entire tour of the…
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On the Road Again
Well, friends, my farming days are officially behind me. While I’m happy to have tried it and gotten such a unique New Zealand experience, I don’t quite feel a pull to pursue the field any further. And during the duration of my time in New Zealand, I don’t think I’ll find myself mourning the loss…
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Wine and (A Lack of) Dine
My family’s favorite wine has been a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for years now. Whenever I go to Fine Wine & Good Spirits back home, those are the wines I stock up on, opting to try different labels and New Zealand regions every time. Our favorite region is the Marlborough wine region, but as that’s…
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Let’s Go to the Beach, Beach
I didn’t want to leave Tauranga. I’m not sure if it was the sun infiltrating my system like a drug, or the warmth on my skin, but as soon as I got out of my car, I was obsessed. I’ll preface this all by saying I wish I’d written this weeks ago when it happened.…
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The Great Escape
Anyone who knows me probably knows that I love Twilight. Unfortunately for you all, I’m going to reference it for a moment. In the book, the vampires describe drinking blood in a way that describes it as setting them into a “frenzy” at the first taste of blood. My calves are the same way when…
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Working (Way More Than) 9-5
My farm works on a schedule of 6 days on and 2 days off, with workers on different rosters for differing days off. For my two days off, I’ve planned different trips around the North Island to make the most of my time here. My first days off, I traveled the 3.5 hours up to…
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Dairy Queen
As what happens anytime I work, I’ve been too tired to write. But I took some lazier days off today, so I figured a small update on farm life was necessary to put on the agenda for today. The season has started to pick up, and the last few days have had us starting at…
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Prairie Woman Era
I’m officially a dairy farm worker now, folks! We’ll see how this turns out for me after the next 3 months. The job provides accommodation on the farm, which is nice so I don’t have to look for anything myself, and it’s cheaper than anything I would be able to find. The house is pretty…
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Lord of the Road
After Whangārei, I still had the rest of my week-long road trip to go. By now, I’ve found I’m not entirely made for sleeping in hostels – not that I’m that surprised – and left last night’s hostel just as the sun was coming up. I didn’t have any plans left in Whangārei, so getting…
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What, Like It’s Hard?
I’ve officially made my way up to the North Island. I always hear that the South Island is the most beautiful, and has to be seen by taking a road trip. I decided to push that adventure until the warmer months and took my road trip up north. I was able to rent a car…
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The TranzAlpine Train
This one’s kinda long. TL;DR: I made a friend and saw pretty mountains. Just when I thought I’d absolutely mastered the Metro, my confidence got the best of me. My latest adventure included a ride on the TranzAlpine train. This train travels from coast to coast on the South Island and boasts scenic mountain views…
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Where the Sun Don’t Shine
The impossible finally happened – the sun came out! Not a cloud in the sky. I was beginning to doubt I would see it again until the springtime. Every day since I arrived has been cloudy with a constant threat of rain. The first day I saw the sun, it felt like a miracle. And…
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Christchurch Chronicles
Life is feeling pretty settled so far. Despite being so far from home, I feel very comfortable and at home, which I didn’t think I would feel so soon. The highlights of my days have consisted of sitting in different cafes with a cup of coffee, sampling my way across the city. I still haven’t…
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Who Let Me Do This?
Surprising myself, I have made it to New Zealand alive. It feels very surreal having this moment finally arrive. All of the anticipation and nerves that I tampered down for so long have culminated in this: me finally stepping foot in a country whose name came up more times this past year than I previously…
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Who’s Jen Cautilli Anyway? Ew.
Why hello there! Come here often? Yeah, me neither. Anyway, if you’ve never met me before, my name’s Jen! Born and raised in Pennsylvania, USA, I’ve always had grand visions and dreams with no real idea of how to achieve them. I’m hoping this is my first step. To introduce myself better, I’m a 26-year-old…
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It's Raining Jen 