A life-changing event: The discovery of Icebreaker!

When we headed on to Arrowtown (so small a town that my blog software doesn't include it on the list; it's about 15 km out of Queenstown), Karen was very excited to plan our next morning out together, no kids or hubbies, in the little outlet shops there. Now I am as thrilled as the next person to visit a good outlet shop, but I wasn't really sure what significance this had to me.

Oh, how naive I was! I had yet to be exposed to the MOST WONDERFUL merino wool in the WHOLE WORLD: Icebreaker! (Listen to the singing of angels in the background: "Laaaaaaa! Iiiiiiiiice-breakerrrrrrrr!") You know how diamonds are a girl's best friend? Well, move over, diamonds! Give me my Icebreaker!

"What is Icebreaker?", you say. (And possibly, "Why should I care?") When, my friends, Icebreaker is a SYSTEM. It's a way of life...it's, some might say, a calling. (I definitely heard little voices on the store shelves calling to me: "Soooooonja, pick meeeee.")

Icebreaker might be called 100% merino wool clothing, but that just sounds so... pedestrian... even... itchy. When I first looked at the various shirts, t-shirts and pullover sweaters, I really didn't think too much about it. Oh, how disrespectful! [Sound of Sonja slapping her own wrist]. Then I put on the lightweight shirt, which was NOT itchy, and quickly noticed that it was long enough for my body. ("Laaaaaaa! Iiiiiiiiice-breakerrrrrrrr!"). I then put a half-zip pullover on, and it slid right on top of the shirt underneath it (like a SYSTEM), and again, was LONG enough for me. ("Laaaaaaa! Iiiiiiiiice-breakerrrrrrrr!")

The real litmus test was the next morning, when I walked out of the campervan into the chilly New Zealand morning and felt cozy, warm and...sort of...SYSTEM-y. As the day wore on and the temperatures rose, I was able to take off the outer pullover and feel totally comfortable in my little undershirt - no overheating or suffocating; it felt lightweight and adapted to both cold and warm temperatures. Hence the SYSTEM idea. To top it off, it doesn't keep odors. Hello! Perfect!

Karen showed further enlightenment by having put on a short-sleeved t-shirt underneath her long-sleeved undershirt, topping it off with her pullover, so that she could take off the long-sleeved shirt at the hottest moment of the day and end up in short sleeves. For her (and of course, eventually for me as I searched out more Icebreaker stores all throughout New Zealand!), she used Icebreaker as a 3-layer SYSTEM which is just perfect for travel when you might go from cold to hot in one day. You understand? Do you really understand? ("Laaaaaaa! Iiiiiiiiice-breakerrrrrrrr!")

As our trip through New Zealand continued (through the very sheep farms that grow the pure merino wool!), I became obsessed with finding Icebreaker stores. They are not terribly common, although I discovered that they are in many airports of New Zealand. In fact, the day we left NZ for our return trip to Guatemala, I was able to buy a few shirts not only ON SALE, but also TAX-FREE. (Listen for the murmurs of approval from my mom and sisters in the background.) How great is that???!!! ("Laaaaaaa! Iiiiiiiiice-breakerrrrrrrr!")

My obsession continued when we returned to Guatemala. I pored over the catalogue I had picked up during a purchase, and went to their website to see what else they had. And GUESS WHAT?! I learned that Icebreaker is going to open its first Touch Lab (also known as a store) in America in my hometown, Portland, Oregon! Hooowheeeee, look out, Portland!

Women (and men) of the Northwest, unite and discover the wonders of Icebreaker! Icebreaker.com

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