Tomorrow is the first of March. 8 months away from home. I make this realization as I sit on a small stone beach in Queenstown, New Zealand. Straight ahead of me is the lake, lapping up onto the shore. It's cloudy at the moment and so the water is an ash green. I know its secret though - that when the sun appears the lake will glow the most glorious aqua colour, supplied by the glacier waters in the south island. Straight ahead are the tall, rocky mountains, illuminated in patches by the bits of light that escape the clouds. A man is playing spanish guitar behind me and all I want to do is look at the mountains. I find it strange that a large piece of land, unchanging, can entertain me more than any television show. My travel companion Brandon suggested that perhaps it is the fact that a mountain is strong, solid and grounded. He thinks that it is our instinct to be drawn to these forces and have an ongoing connection with the land we live in.
I've just completed a 27 day camping tour throughout all of New Zealand. I must admit that I am qutie tired and I never thought that I would look forward to a hostel bed so much. On this tour we hiked, biked, and completed daring feats such as sky diving and bungy jumping. I made incredible and close friendships with people - the best that I have experienced in awhile. For a month I had a family, people that looked after for and cared for me. Together we explored one of the prettiest and youngest countries on this planet.
I became the closest with 3 people in particular (although everyone else on the tour was great as well): Meryl, Andy, and Brandon. Meryl is from Colorado and reminds me of my sister in more ways than one. She came to New Zealand a bit naive about how the rest of the world functioned, but I enjoyed watcing her grow with new knowledge of life outside of America. I smiled with amusement as she started to pick up British/Australian vocabulary and even developed a bit of an acccent as the tour went on. She was always full of energy and life and reminded me a lot of when I was her age (24). We would laugh so hard together, but also bonded as we talked about failed relatoinships and other troubles in life we have had to overcome. I loved being with someone I could talk about anything with, as well as her 10 pound food back she carted around. Meryl was extremely American, making sure we were first in line to get a bed at a hsotel or to use the laundry machines. It made me think fondly of home but also made me realize just how much my way of thinking had changed. I know we will meet again someday.
Brandon is from Regina, Canada, a place I had never even heard of before I met him. Brandon is the first Canadian I have ever met who had the true "Canadian acccent" that they always get teased about. A few weeks in I found myself saying eh at the end of my sentences and stressing the o sound more in words like boat and about. Brandon is one of the most relaxed, chill guys I have ever met. We spent a good amount of time riding the bus together and man did we laugh. 3 weeks into the tour we joked about how we were all cracking up and losing it. We were in fits for days as we relived moments such as catcing our bus driver spear fishing in the ocean and seeing Meryl get silly off of cider. He and I would talk for hours about the world and meditation and life. As calm as Brandon did seem though there were also times when I could sense his frustrations on the tour over such things as having to buy water in a restaurant or paying extra for food on the tour. I feel almost special that I got to witness his little rants on the bus because I saw a part of him that not many people do. Brandon was awesome and I will never forget when he defended Meryl over a certain laundry incident that I won't get into it.
Then there was Andy, who joined the tour a week and a half after Brandon, Meryl and I did. Andy is from Aberdeen Scotland and on a working holiday visa here in New Zealand. Before the tour started he had just finished working on a farm for accomdation. He integrated well into our group and we immediately all got on so well. He is really into being outdoors, biking and walking through the mountains. You could imagine it wasn't hard for me to develop and instant crush. Together we compelted a three day walking trek through insane mountainscapes. It was nice to spend time with someone who appreciated life as much as I do. I really hope that I will be able to meet up with him again.
The four of us looked after each other and a combination of this security and the massive amounts of laughing left me the happiest I had been since Ireland and Scotland in July. The other people on the tour were awesome as well. I became close also with Agnes from Denmark (great tent mate) and Nick from Canada/US (like a brother to me). And everyone was so incredibly nice and caring. It was really sad to see everyone leave.
Half way through the tour I realized just how much I didn't want to go back to Australia. I'm not saying it's a bad place....far from the truth....I just think it's not the palce for me. I knew the second I got off the plane in Queenstown that this is where I am supposed to be at. This is home. as I write this I should be in Sydney now. But instead I have missed my flight - something I have never done before. My friends on my tour are gone now and I should be sad, but I am okay. This is defintiely the craziest thing I have done. I am waiting now, in this country with no ability to legally work, just praying that everything will get approved and it will all work out. I'm not going to lie - I will be crushed if it doesn't. I've got new challenges to face - such as finding a place to work for accomodation, buying a car, getting a phone, and making an ew life for myself. I'm thankful, so incredibly thankful for my 3 New Zealand friends. I thank Meryl for being a good friend to me and bringing me closer to home. I thank Brandon for makign me laugh and keeping me centered. I thank Andy for inadvertantly giving me the confidence to throw it all into the wind and live and work here. My only regrett about not going back to Australia is leaving behind the great friends I had made there. They have all been great to me.
This is it. I'm done. I'm finally ready to say it's time to settle. I'll let you know how the process goes. I wish you could see what I see, feel waht I am feeling. My future is open and scary but I have this confidence in the back of my mind that everything is going to work out. Let's hope so.
