people, food, weather, history...
Change in oneself is so gradual that you hardly notice any difference at all until you place yourself into a past experience and realize your actions would now be different.
change in passions, relationships, talents, fashion, perception...
It's also interesting to notice the people in your life who you'd never miss and those who you now know you couldn't live without.
Anyways,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
It's crazy how not-in-the-season I feel. Im not upset about it, it's just that without the winter wonderland, songs, shopping, or family it doesn't feel like the holidays. I'm sweating my butt off here in Australia, not sipping hot chocolate by the fire and making cookies. I don't wanna complain either because this is all doing wonders for my tan ;)
A Game Called 'Catch Up':
I haven't written in over a month so I guess I should fill you in. I had THE MOST AMAZING trip in NZ to Te Anau and MILFORD SOUND. If you're keen to visit New Zealand, this is a must see. It was absolutely stunning and I went on the most perfectly sunny day in Spring! We had a great hike the day before but the fog was so thick that you couldn't see a meter in front of you... We also stayed in century-old cabins with coal and wood-burning stoves. On the way home, seeing that it was Laurel's birthday, I offered to drive while the other three girls started the nights festivities early ;)
Finals came and went (much less stressful than Richmond), and sunbathing began as Spring finally set in. Sadly everyone started heading off for new adventures whether it was the North Island, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, or Thailand. It was really hard to say goodbye... to some forever.
Then Dad came. Of course he arrived a day late (if you knew my Dad...) but we were able to keep the schedule. Our course was:
Christchurch -> Kaikoura -> Hanmer Springs -> Wanaka -> Queenstown -> Christchurch
in four days.
Quite a lot of driving. If you're also into geography check out a map!
All in all, we had a lot of fun and some great meals. Success.
Australia aka "Oz"
Our trip started with a 6:00am flight (3am wake up) and an extra bag costing $400. yikes. It could only go uphill from there. Dad stayed for 3 days, and now me and Lisa are taking on Sydney solo.
Sydney is awesome. Great city with MILLIONS of fantastic CAFES! I really dont know how Ill ever drink coffee again after this. We're living on the top floor of this gorgeous apartment building with roof access and an amazing city view from the kitchen and living area. I'll be spending the next 11 days reading books at cafes, relaxing on the beaches, and exploring the awesome morning markets before I'm off to Europe!
