KIWI count down for DETAIL FEST 2018!!!

Aaryn NZ

Aaryn NZ

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52 Days until this Kiwi detailer will be boarding the first plane of my 8000+ mile journey from New Zealand to Palm Beach Florida for the 13th Annual Detail Fest! :dblthumb2:


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I'm pretty excited about making the trip over, I had plans to attend Detail Fest 2017 but with plans to have the new shop open in June (Hahaha, yeah right!) I decided to concentrate on the workings of the shop/business & perhaps make it next year . . . 2018. Well, next year is now & with accomodation booked, flights sorted all that is left is to count down the days. If all goes well I will meet up with my AGO forum Brother - Don (Fly07sti) when I make it to Palm Beach. I hope to catch up with some more AGO forum friends too, depending on who is all going?

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I will be working until almost noon on the Thursday the 15th & then part one begins. I fly from Blenheim which is my home town & we are at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, to Auckland which is near enough at the top of the North Island. From there I board the big bird & proceed to fly to Houston & I think that takes around 13 & a half hours. I have a couple of hours waiting to do there . . . hmmm, I wonder if Curtis need a hand at Clarity Auto Detailing for an hour or so? Then a 2 & a half hour flight to PBI, arriving just before midnight on Thursday the 15th.

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Not bad - 8000+ miles in around ten hours. Leave my home town on Thursday at 1:30pm & arrive in Florida Thursday at 11:30pm! :props: For any AGO forum members, please stop me & say g'day if you see me walking around at Detail Fest, it'd be great to put a face to the names. This is a picture of me, so as you don't go talking to strangers now . . . :dblthumb2:


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52 days & counting down.


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
Thank you Mike. :props:

I'm really looking forward to it, & hey - If the opportunity arises, I'm pretty sure I still owe you a beer too.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
Meghan said:
So excited to see you!
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Thank you Meghan, I look forward to catching up. :props:

Chances are I'll have some spare time on the Friday if you guys need an extra set of hands to help out any.

I'm keeping an eye on the Seminars & other updates as you list them & have a couple in mind I must attend. Could you tell me if the IDA are doing any SV testing during Detail Fest or just sticking to the Seminars?

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
49 Days to go. :xyxthumbs:

Time is slowly ticking bye & excitement is growing, & I must say - nerves too. I already miss my family & I don't even leave them for another 49 days.

Lots to do & see at Detail Fest & one thing I'm super excited about is having a play with the cordless Flex tools. This could break my heart if these wont come down to NZ, or at least will not work down here. I have all but handed my pennies over for these, I am that confident that Flex have "got this" & these will be a fantastic addition to the shop. :buffing:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
It should be a great trip. Let us know what you think of those cordless Flex tools.
 
That is awesome! Wish I was attending, but always a work conflict that time of year.
Safe travels and have fun!
 
I think you might hold the record for longest travel to attend Detail Fest. Mike keeps track of these records.
 
AZ Mike said:
It should be a great trip. Let us know what you think of those cordless Flex tools.
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Hey Mike. :xyxthumbs:

Yeah buddy, it’ll be great for sure. Definitely, I have a feeling the cordless Flex tools will be spot on but I’ll let you know my friend. You should be coming too mate.

DetailKitty said:
That is awesome! Wish I was attending, but always a work conflict that time of year.
Safe travels and have fun!
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Thank you Monica. :xyxthumbs:

Yeah, the shop kinda ties me down too but in the same regards - Detail Fest is what the shop is about . . . So enough talking about how much I’d like to go - I committed this time & here I come. :props:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
Jaretr1 said:
I think you might hold the record for longest travel to attend Detail Fest. Mike keeps track of these records.
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Haha, yeah! It’s a long way for sure. I’m sure you’re gonna be there Jaret? Keep an eye out for me mate, come & say hey.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
44 Days to go. :props:

I have been following along here & on Facebook with updates from MTE & have been impressed by the goings on there. I really don't know what to expect from Detail Fest, well, I think I have some idea but hey.

Haven't seen too many forum members step up & say they're going, c'mon folks - who is all going?

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
I’m stoked! Flying in early Friday the 16th. Hopefully will be able to find a nice cigar shop/lounge, then actually make it into AG.
 
fly07sti said:
I’m stoked! Flying in early Friday the 16th. Hopefully will be able to find a nice cigar shop/lounge, then actually make it into AG.
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Yeah Brother, I got your email with your flight details etc. 32 days to go! :dblthumb2: Getting closer now.

Aaryn NZ. :xyxthumbs:
 
25 Days left until I begin my journey to Detail Fest 2018!!! :dblthumb2:

Its getting closer rather quickly. I physically have my tickets now, & I have been looking at the times of arrival here & there etc & I have enough time everywhere to surely find the next gate for the next plane. This may seem a strange thing to be thinking about but for those who have never traveled to New Zealand Before - every Airport in New Zealand can be entirely walked around in about 10 minutes.

25 days . . . . not long at all.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
I wish you safe travels, that's one hell of a trip your taking! I wish we had airports as you described, I once got lost at the Atlanta airport during a layover.
 
Hammer77 said:
I wish you safe travels, that's one hell of a trip your taking! I wish we had airports as you described, I once got lost at the Atlanta airport during a layover.
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Thank you Hammer77. :props:

Our local airport you can almost touch both gates with your arms stretched out, hahaha. Last time we made the trip to Florida, we had to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas Fort Worth & as we were disembarking our plane in Dallas we were handed a paper map of how to get to the next gate . . . sweet, we said amongst ourselves - "we'll just walk" & a guy standing along side us said "you will want to take the monorail". We just looked at him blank faced thinking whats this guy on? Monorail! Ha! Turns out he was right on the money! Would've taken us an hour to walk to where we needed to get to!

Just a little nervous about taking this trip on my lonesome but as us Kiwis say - "she'll be right mate".

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
That's where I got lost, I took the Atlanta monorail to get to a restaurant there, then after a few drinks got off at the wrong stop. I was good on time but it was a Oh S... moment!
 
. . . Sooo, this is coming around pretty fast . . . 17 days left. :dblthumb2:

I have been working as much as I physically can for a while now, not only to help pay for my trip to Detail Fest but to lessen the back log of work that will back up a little whilst I'm away. My gorgeous Wife & Good buddy Andy will run the shop while I'm gone which is a massive load off the mind. :xyxthumbs:

I had my first day off in . . . man, I cannot remember when . . . well, I had last Sunday off. That gave the bugs just enough time to grab onto me & make me sick. Man Flu! Would ya believe it! So I've been punching on best I can for the last week & I am starting to feel heaps better. I guess - better to be crook now rather than on my Detail Fest trip huh. No more days off now until I fly out from here on Thursday the 15th just around lunchtime.

Sure hope to catch up with a few forum members while I'm there.

17 Days & counting down . . .

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:
 
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