[img[beach_napier.jpg]]\n\nYou are not particularly a fan of the peculiar architecture of Napier, and seek the comforting presence of the sea.\n\nThe air is crisp and refreshing. The sea purrs under the caress of the wind. Birds yells at you.\n\nAfter a while, you begin to shiver and head back to the city center. You find a park right next to the town, and follow a trail into a small forest.\n\n[img[forest_napier.jpg]]\n\nYou take a lot of pictures and enjoy the quiet of nature. There are no tourist and no car to disturb you. It does feel a bit surreal sometimes, as if you were the last human being of Earth, alone among the birdfolks.\n\nAt the end of the day, you go back to your room, tired. It is a good time to keep up with your writing and to sort through your pictures. Your room is exquisite and warm, but the large window opens up to a menacing sky, and [[your thoughts darken|your insecurities creep up]].\n\nYou grab your favorite novel and read until you fall asleep. Tomorrow you will go to [[Wellington]].

You are a French student, excited to leave your country for the first time for eight months abroad.\n\nYou chose to discover New Zealand, a dreamlike place on the other side of the world.\n\nYou have been hired by a publishing company as a trainee for six months, but you can spare a week to travel.\n\nThis is your journey.\n\n[[Take off]].

[img[coeur.jpg]]\n\nAs you gaze upon the grey horizon, you feel utterly lonely. During the past days, you have been overtaken by the excitement of stepping into a new world full of wondrous possibilities, and did not stop to think for a minute. Every morning you were swept up by the pace and rhythm of a foreign city, drunk with the new smells and colors of your surroundings. \n\nYour feet carried you to every corner of the map, until you dropped on your bed, falling asleep the moment your head touched the pillow.\n\nTonight, you feel the quiet town weighing on your mind. There is no excitement here. It is a place best suited to relax and think. But thinking leads your mind to its darkest corners. You used to like the solitude, but there was always someone to talk to when you wanted to. Here, your family and friends are so far away that they almost feel like ghosts. \n\nIn truth, you are never really alone, except when you are in your room. There are always people all around you, but you experience some difficulty trying to connect with them, mainly because you do not master the language well enough. Being shy does not help, as well.\n\nFeeling empty, you grab your camera and browse through all the pictures you took. It helps you remember why you came here in the first place. Somehow, you know that these sometimes incomfortable and lonely moments will become treasured memories. In the meantime, you read your favorite novel for a while before falling asleep.\n\nTomorrow, you will leave Rotorua to get to your last stop, [[Wellington]].

[img[room_auckland.jpg]]\n\nYou awake with the sun, since there is no shutter on the window. New Zealanders, like in most English-speaking countries, favor simple curtains to shelter them from the morning light. Being French, you are used to sleep with closed shutters, and find their absence oddly disturbing.\n\nYou are still tired, but the excitement of a new world waiting for you is more than enough to drag you out of bed. Despite feeling like a fool everytime you open your mouth, thanks to your heavily accented speech, you manage to exchange a few words with the manager of the backpacker. He happily gives you directions for you first day in town.\n\nYou can enjoy the warm sun [[on the wharfs]], or take advantage of Auckland's [[numerous parks and gardens]].

[img[money.jpg]]\n\nBefore leaving the airport, you exchange every euro in your pocket for local dollars. You look at the colorful banknotes in your hand: pretty birds replace the traditional faces of whatever famous white men made History in this part of the world. \n\nYou don't know if it is because of the colors, the birds or the texture, but it does not feel like real money.\n\nCautious, you booked a shuttle to take you to a backpacker in the city. When you arrive, everybody is asleep, but the key to your room awaits in the mailbox.\n\nYou elected to book a single room tonight. It is small but clean, with red carpeting on the floor.\n\nIt's two in the morning.\n\nYou dump your backpack and [[go to bed]].

Thank you for reading this short interactive story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you can spare some time, I'd love to hear from you: your thoughts, comments, criticisms are welcome.\n\nAmandine B.\n@NimToasterGirl\n\nAll pictures are mine.

[img[coeur.jpg]]\n\nAs the cursor flickers on the shiny screen, you feel utterly lonely. During the past days, you have been overtaken by the excitement of stepping into a new world full of wondrous possibilities, and did not stop to think for a minute. Every morning you were swept up by the pace and rhythm of a foreign city, drunk with the new smells and colors of your surroundings. \n\nYour feet carried you to every corner of the map, until you dropped on your bed, falling asleep the moment your head touched the pillow.\n\nTonight, you feel the quiet town weighing on your mind. There is no excitement here. It is a place best suited to relax and think. But thinking leads your mind to its darkest corners. You used to like the solitude, but there was always someone to talk to when you wanted to. Here, your family and friends are so far away that they almost feel like ghosts. \n\nIn truth, you are never really alone, except when you are in your room. There are always people all around you, but you experience some difficulty trying to connect with them, mainly because you do not master the language well enough. Being shy does not help, as well.\n\nFeeling empty, you grab your camera and browse through all the pictures you took. It helps you remember why you came here in the first place. Somehow, you know that these sometimes incomfortable and lonely moments will become treasured memories. In the meantime, you read your favorite novel for a while before falling asleep.\n\nTomorrow, you will leave Napier to get to your last stop, [[Wellington]].

After a quiet but tedious twenty-four-hour travel accross the globe, your plane lands. Your body is cramped and you feel exhausted. \n\nYou grab your huge backpack, feeling a little like a lost snail, and trudge through the crowd into the warm night. You left France in the cold grasp of November. New Zealand greets you with the sweet exotic scent of late spring.\n\nIt's midnight.\n\n[[Welcome to Auckland]].

[img[roses_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nYou leave Auckland early in the morning, eager to discover what awaits you outside of the economic capital of the country. You arrive in Rotorua just in time for lunch, although you loose your appetite immediately upon setting foot in the town, because a foul smell assaults your nostrils. You quickly recognize it: sulphur. The stench permeates the whole town, even on the wind-beaten beach. It feels like Rotorua has been built on a graveyard of rotten eggs.\n\n[img[sulphur_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nRotorua is a place of strong geothermal activity. The whole town bursts with hotels and backpackers, like a giant spa for tourists and elderly people. More importantly, Rotorua is historically in Maori territory: many Maori still live in the region. \n\nYou wander a moment in the city before collapsing on your bed. You pick up your travel book and plan your next day. You could enjoy the solitude and [[spend the day outside of the city]], or you could attempt to find out [[what this odd little town had to offer]].

[img[park_auckland.jpg]]\n\nYou want to see the green lung of this city.\n\nYou grab a quick breakfast in one of the dozens of coffee shops lining up the streets. You hungrily tear into a fat chocolate muffin that fills your mouth with sweet sugar. \n\nYou have some difficulty understanding the colloquial English. The accent of the New Zealanders, or Kiwis as they like to call themselves, is unlike anything you ever heard in English class. At least you can order food and book bedrooms. You should survive.\n\nAs you walk downtown, heading towards the park, you forget cars drive on the left side of the road and a truck almost runs over you. Twice. Besides, your jaywalking does not go unnoticed: people actually wait until the little man goes green before crossing the road. Such orderly behavior violates your French heart. Still, it's nice to walk in the streets alongside people who actually take great care not to trample other human beings just for standing in their way.\n\nYou have to climb up for a while before you reach Auckland Domain, a great expanse of grass and trees close to the city center. This park is very different from French parks: less orderly, and so much more alive and refreshing. You find yourself following a trail through a real forest. You cannot see or hear the city anymore, even though you know Auckland is all around you. \n\nThe forest clears up, revealing a large grassy area. Many families come here to enjoy the fresh air and let the kids play. An imposing museum stands in the middle of the park. You spend a couple of hours in this eclectic museum, learning everything you can about New Zealand's history and geography. You marvel at the size of some extinct species, like 1.50 meter penguins.\n\nAfter a day spent walking and taking pictures, you eventually go back to your room, exhausted but delighted.\n\n[[Tomorrow]], you will have to secure accommodations for the next few days.

I created this quick Twine game to participate in Merritt Kopas' game jam #nakedtwine in January 2014.\n\nThe story is based on my personal experience in New Zealand. I discovered this country in 2007-2008 and loved every piece of it. Back then, I wrote a diary and took a lot of pictures, but I've never had the incentive to do something with that material, until now. Writing a book about it seems a bit dull; but tweeking my story into an interactive experience sounds interesting.\n\nTraveling Abroad is a simple attempt to translate my feelings and experiences into a game. This is only the beginning of the story - specifically the first week I lived in New Zealand.\n\nSince #nakedtwine is about creating a Twine game without bothering with "looks" and stuff, I didn't modify the CSS. \n\nThank you for reading, I hope you enjoy this little story. Feel free to contact me on Twitter (@NimToasterGirl) if you have any comment, question, or if you spot any mistake or mispelling.\n\n[[Begin|Begin]].

[img[wharf_auckland.jpg]]\n\nYou want to see the sea.\n\nYou grab a quick breakfast in one of the dozens of coffee shops lining up the streets. You hungrily tear into a fat chocolate muffin that fills your mouth with sweet sugar. \n\nYou have some difficulty understanding the colloquial English. The accent of the New Zealanders, or Kiwis as they like to call themselves, is unlike anything you have ever heard in English class. At least you can order food and book bedrooms. You should survive.\n\nAs you walk downtown, heading towards the wharfs, you forget cars drive on the left side of the road and a truck almost runs over you. Twice. Besides, your jaywalking does not go unnoticed: people actually wait until the little man goes green before crossing the road. Such orderly behavior violates your French heart. Still, it's nice to walk in the streets alongside people who actually take great care not to trample other human beings just for standing in their way.\n\nThe wharfs are deep within Auckland's heart. Skyscrapers reach out to the sky mere meters from the sea. Fortunately, the wooden wharfs are large and welcoming, providing a great urban promenade. \n\nYou enjoy the soft wind on your face, even though the fierce sun pierces your skin. The ozone layer protecting us from UV rays is very thin in this part of the world. You have seen harbours in the past, but every little thing seems new and fresh. Even the light seems different somehow. Warmer. Softer. \n\nEach boat, each seagull, each building is a marvel to your eyes. You spend the rest of the day walking and taking pictures, before going back to your room, exhausted but delighted.\n\n[[Tomorrow]], you will have to secure accommodations for the next few days.

[img[beach_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nThe city center of Rotorua is not as interesting as you thought, so you choose to spend your day outside of town. \n\nYou walk on the beach, alone with your thoughts and birds. Many birds. The air is crisp and refreshing, when it does not smell of rotten eggs. Clouds run in the sky, playing with the sun.\n\nYou take a lot of pictures and enjoy the quiet of the nature. There are no tourist and no car to disturb you. It does feel a bit surreal sometimes, as if you were the last human being of Earth, alone among the birdfolks.\n\n[img[lonely_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nAt the end of the day, you go back to your room, shivering. This backpacker is not a small family business and does not feel comforting. The room feels impersonal and cold, with a tiny window. Outside, the grey sky is slowly darkening, [[as are your thoughts]].\n\nTomorrow, you will leave Rotorua to get to your last stop, [[Wellington]].

[img[napier.jpg]]\n\nYou leave Auckland early in the morning, eager to discover what awaits you outside of the economic capital of the country. You arrive in Napier many hours after lunch, starving, and spend the better part of the next hour trying to find somewhere you can buy food. \n\nNapier is a very quiet town, particularly at this time of year. There are not many tourists. Even though accommodations are cheap and easy to find, restaurants and fast foods are few and far between. Eventually, you decide to buy food for two days in a small supermarket.\n\nThe architecture of Napier is quite peculiar, since most of the town has been destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in a popular style called Art Deco.\n\nYou wander a moment in the city before collapsing on your bed, feeling sick and exhausted. You probably caught a cold. You pick up your travel book and plan your next day. Since you basically already saw the main attractions of Napier, you could [[stay in your cosy room]] to rest, or you could battle your sickness and [[explore the surroundings]].

[img[wellington.jpg]]\n\nYou arrive in Wellington under a shining sun. The city is sprawled lazily along creeks and nooks, rising gently on the slopes of several hills. \n\nIt feels good to be back in a big town, full of life and activity. Every town in New Zealand, even Auckland, provides a certain quality of life thanks to their open surroundings and the proximity of the ocean. It is impossible to feel trapped in New Zealand: anywhere you stand, you can see the promising horizon taunting you.\n\nAs usual, you spend most of your time on the wharfs, enjoying the sea air. At sunset, you slowly walk back to your backpacker. Tomorrow, you will [[take the ferry]] to reach your final destination.

Amandine Bru\n@NimToasterGirl

To the Other Side of the World

[img[nakedfeet_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nRotorua is definitely a weird town. Curious, you brave the stench and wander the streets.\n\nYou encounter a bunch of kids in uniform, probably going back to school with their teacher. Almost all of them walk barefoot on the asphalt. Later, you will be told that many Kiwis, including grown-ups, like to walk barefoot in the streets, even when shopping. They will tell you it is a real pleasure, because the ground is warm. You will try to walk barefoot eventually, ending up with bleeding feet. \n\n[img[bowl_rotorua.jpg]]\n\nLater during the day, you stumble upon white-clad men and women playing with big balls on a cricket field. You learn this game is called "bowl" but you fail to understand the rules despite watching them play for a while. \n\nAt the end of the day, you go back to your room, shivering. This backpacker is not a small family business and does not feel comforting. The room feels impersonal and cold, with a tiny window. Outside, the grey sky is slowly darkening, [[as are your thoughts]].\n\nTomorrow, you will leave Rotorua to get to your last stop, [[Wellington]].

[img[ferry.jpg]]\n\nThe next morning, you spend a couple of hours in Wellington, wandering through the streets, before it is time to get on the ferry. It is a clear day, and almost all the passengers are on the deck. \n\nYou watch the northern island getting smaller and smaller until the horizon swallows it. Your turn your eyes to the south, where a new coastline appears. You enjoy the touch of the sun on your face, and the gentle playfulness of the wind in your hair.\n\nYou have never been more alone in your whole life than in the past days. Having to rely solely on yourself is both frightening and exhilarating, but you think you are up to the challenge. Moreover, you feel free for the first time. You are on an adventure, and you cannot wait to see what the future holds for you.\n\n[img[end.jpg]]\n\n[[To be continued.]]

[img[auckland2.jpg]]\n\nYou wake up with the sun again. Despite sleeping like a log, you feel a lingering weariness that you attribute to jetlag.\n\nToday, you have to decide where you will go for the next few days. You have to be in Wellington by the end of the week, in order to take the ferry for a quick trip accross the sea to Picton, on the southern island. Then you will take a bus to Nelson, where you will settle for the duration of your training period.\n\nBefore you pay a visit to the nearest tourist office, you seek to purchase a travel adaptor. You did not think about plugging issues while you were planning your trip. Finding out that the oddly shaped sockets in your room were definitely not compatible with your devices deeply discomfited you.\n\nYour host directs you to a low-price mall called The Warehouse. Unfortunately the shelves are empty; it looks like you are not the only unprepared traveler searching for their magical item. You lose a couple of hours looking for another mall selling adaptors before finding your Graal in an expensive place called Westfield.\n\nYou briefly pause for a tasteless lunch, then head to the tourist office for information on accommodations and travel fees. Many places seem worth looking in the northern island. Nevertheless, if you want to spend a couple of days in Wellington, you cannot visit more than one other city.\n\nYou choose to visit the east coast; there will be plenty of time for you to visit the west coast when you will return to the northern island. Between Auckland and Wellington, two smaller cities catch your interest : geothermal [[Rotorua]], nestled deep within Maori lands, or the Art Deco city of [[Napier]].

[img[room_napier.jpg]]\n\nThe jetlag and your exhaustion made you an easy target for microbes. Your head is numb and you sleep for most of the morning. Your room is really comfortable and well-lit, so when you wake up, you take this opportunity to rest, write and sort through your pictures. \n\nYou use the free wifi to access your emails and write detailled messages to your loved ones. It feels good to stop for a while, even though [[your insecurities creep up]] whenever you think about yourself. \n\nHopefully you will be in better shape tomorrow to enjoy the city of [[Wellington]].