Miss you heaps NZ!!!

New Zealand was amazing. Definitely one of the best choices I have made in my life. I’m home now and have pulled off a great surprise with some even greater reactions from some of the people that have always meant the most to me in my life and always will! The last few weeks in NZ were great met some more awesome people went on a great fishing trip, swam with dolphins and even jumped out of a plane! Life is good!

Here I am now at some god awful time in the morning wide awake… must be morning in NZ or something I think I’m still feeling the effects of jet leg and really wish I could sleep right now! Reality is setting in and I’m starting to realize I really need to figure out what I’m going to do with my life. I know a lot of people say I’m young and there is no fun in that… But you know what that’s not me and who I am. I know that I want to do certain things with my life and feeling like I have made a great effort to be the best I can be is part of that. I’ve got this far in my life with relatively little effort. I think it’s time for me to get serious though. What am I really going to do with my life???

I remember when I was taking Marketing in Niagara I always joked that I would become an educated bum. But right now at this crazy time in the morning I am starting to believe that this may be truer then I knew. My thoughts tonight keep taking me towards law school… is this a possibility? I’ve always know I have what it takes to do whatever I really want, and often said that if it wasn’t for the guts and blood I would be a doctor. For some reason lawyer just seems to have escaped in the past from my ideas. But why? It fits with everything that I’ve wanted from a career. Well at least as much as I know about it, it does any way. I have never really looked to seriously at it. I’ve got to pick something to get serious about. Is law going to be me? My future? Is it something that I could get serious about and make a career out of? I’m thinking of specializing in real estate law or something related. I guess will have to see what the future brings. I’m still going to need to find something to take me though the summer!

Looks like a great day to jump out of a plane…..

A few things have happened since I left you all last. I’m currently writing this in National Park while I wait for my bus to Auckland. I got on intercity to Dunedin on the 10^th of April. Got on Stray on the 12^th and headed up towards Welly. Stops on the way include a night at Mt. Cook the highest mountain in New Zealand. A night at Rangitata (as stray no longer stops in Christchurch), and a night in Kaikoura which I think was my favorite stop. A few of the girls off the bus and I went fishing and had a great time, Sea Perch, Sharks and Crayfish (Rock lobster… ummm yummy!!!) The next morning I also did the dolphin swim where we were with a few hundred dolphins in the water it was pretty amazing!!  From there we arrive in Welly. I spent two more nights there and have decided that Queenstown was definitely the place for me… wwwaaayyy to many people in Welly, it also had that city smell and its simply just not as pretty!  Everyone off the bus took off and headed up to Aucks on the 18^th. I was on my own. Which one mission left to complete in New Zealand!

                I’ve now learnt the hard way it’s a VERY hard thing to do to book yourself on a bus to stay at a hostel that you don’t know anyone at and know that you are only doing all this in preparation to chuck yourself out of a plane in the very near future. It’s really not a natural thing for your brain to deal with…. the jumping out of a perfectly good plan part especially.  But it was great and I did it! There is a video I’m sure you will all see to prove it as well! Photos can also be found on facebook!

                So now what? Whats next? Well I’m sure by the time you all read this blog you will know what the next move was. So I’ve written this on the 20^th of April… but I’m not posting it till today! So glad to be home! I’ve missed you all loads and can’t wait for the near future good times to begin!

Ps…. Those in NZ still reading this… You are all AMAZING people and I’m so lucky to have met any single one of you let alone get the option of meeting so many of you absolutely amazing people! I hope that I get the opportunity to cross your path again! Live your lives and enjoy every moment! Thanks so much for all the good times!! You all rock!!

I don’t know what I want so don’t ask me……

…….cuz I’m still trying to figure it out. Don’t know what’s down this road I’m just walking.

Right so I’ve made it to Clevedon and tonight will be my third night sleeping here. My last week in Queenstown was super! After my awesome long weekend I continued to stuff my face for the week. Hey I was going to work on a horse far what did I care? I would work it off and I really don’t think horses care. So Tuesday was leftovers from the BBQ (mentioned in previous blog). Wednesday was mine and Collette’s super hot date night! She had swung a really amazing dinner and Hauka show for herself, Tash and I. Tash decided not to show though. We went up the gondola to have buffet and watch the show it was a perfect last week in Queenstown thing to do. We even got the photos that you get from the Gondola! Oh I should probably mention the best part! It was all FREE, because Collette works on photos at the gondola. Trust me this was super cool because it’s a pretty high end place with a much more high end view. Thursday I had Tash over for dinner since she couldn’t make it out the night before and cooked her a real shit supper as I was trying to eat up everything in the house before leaving. We went for drinks and met up with some people and had a good but chill night.

Friday was my last day at work, and I actually got a surprising amount of work done. Then as the good group girls do on a Friday night we headed out for drinks starting at Harry’s about 5:00 (one of our goodbars). Really what would my last night in Queenstown be if it wasn’t a 8 hour drinking shift? Love you girls we all had a really great night and of course Ann and I went to Ferg on the way home right after our sneaky dash out of Bardeaux at about 1.  

Saturday, Plane leaves at 1, should be at the air port for about 12:15, wake up approx 10:00 with about half my packing left to do a room to get ready for Rochelle to move into and a full ferg left to eat in the fridge (probably should shower and straighten my hair too). I think Ann and I left the house at about 12:15 to head to the airport. We did have to make an emergency pit stop and my bag was the last one on the plane. But not before I paid the fee for it being overweight. My mind was not capable of making any decision on what was heavy and what wasn’t that morning. About 20 minutes after paying the $50 fine and about 10 minutes after sitting down on the plane I realized how stupid it was to pay the fine. All I would have had to do was take my new jeans that I had bought to wear on the farm out. Given Ann some of the food that I brought with me (because I was unsure what the food situation was going to be when I got there) and I would have been well under the limit! %@##@!!!!...... Whatever!..... So I can’t decide which is worse when on a plane hung over, the kid screaming behind you because its ears are popping and it doesn’t know what going on or the turbulence. Let me tell you this may have been one of my shortest flights but it was also one of the worst.

Get to the farm around 4:30 find my room, change and head out to help them finish feeding for the night. Luckily by this time the hangover seems to have subsided. Tess is my “boss” the head groom and rider. Absolutely lovely girl she’s 23 from Vancouver and has been around horses forever. She mentioned that she also spent some time working with Jay Hayes in Ontario. I also met Kevin who is living in my house with me and doesn’t really speak English. So I helped them finish up and come inside. The place that I’m living in the “grooms house” is really dirty. I don’t think anyone has cleaned in here well ever.  I had an absolutely horrible sleep that night mostly because it was ssoo humid out but also I think the reality of what I had just done was setting in. We started work at 7:00 the next morning feeding mucking stalls and turning out the horses. I quickly come to discover that these people love to blanket these horses and they need a different blanket for outside than in. They also need their hooves picked about 3 times a day.

The panic is starting to set in by now, my mind is going at a hundred miles a minute and horses pick up on this quiet quickly. I have no car here I was told there was one we would share, apparently it broke down.  Fine whatever I can handle that it was probably standard in this country any way.  Tess asks me if I can tack up “Lesbos” a real fancy horse with a real attitude I got nervous she bit at me and I cracked. By this point complete panic is setting in. What am I doing in New Zealand, stuck on this farm working 6 days a week for next to no cash, stuck in this little shack house with people that don’t speak English. Even on my day off I’m not going to know ANYONE to go visit or hang out with. I can’t stay here. I’m NOT staying here. By this time Tess has come back and can see something is very wrong with me, Megan the owner’s daughter who had also picked me up from the air port is also with us by this point. I had a complete panic attack and had to go for a walk and chill out.  I got through the rest of the day ok had made the decision I will give it the week and when we were done went almost straight to bed. I was still thinking like crazy before bed and I don’t know what I’m going to do next.  I got through today really well would even maybe go so far as to say I enjoyed today the weather was great and the work was a little easier now that I knew some of the horses names. I still think I’m moving on at the end of the week.  Will see. I’m just a girl trying to find a place in this world.  

We danced all night without a care, no place we'd rather be….

It does seem that I managed to pull of the almost perfect last weekend in Qtown! Grabbed a Fat Badgers pizza for dinner on Wed. Left work early on Thursday for Paddys day and met Collette at Pog Mahones for a Guinness in the sun! She had been there for a few hours already with some of her also Irish workmates. From there we headed to her place for a few and then back to town for some fun.  I also met up with Sonia again who I hadn’t seen since I left Nelson so long ago! Friday morning Sonia and a couple of her friends and I went for breakfast at Fergburger. 

                We had a little house warming party at our new place on Friday night. Turned out to be a real quiet night after the antics everyone got up to the day before, but was still good. Played a couple drinking games, and had a laugh. It was basically the roomies and Bobbie and Andy who use to live in my room before I moved in. They had been running a lodge in Japan since I had moved into the room in Dec. (Japans ski/snowboard season).

Saturday afternoon Ann, Bobbie and I headed out on a road trip to Balclutha. It took us about 2.5 hours to get there. Ann use to work down there and one of her friends was moving to Oz. It was a really really good night Cluther is a “small town” of about 4,000 people. Bobbie who was with us was pretty much a celebrity. She must have ended up telling her story about being in Tokyo during the Quake a million times.  We has some really amazing Kiwi’s put us up for the night and I think we had been adopted to stay at 3 other people’s houses for the next night. Although we didn’t end up staying and headed home the next day. Not after heading out to the beautiful Catlin’s area for fish and chips. It somehow took us about 4 hours to get home. It was early to bed that night for some much needed rest.

The next day I managed to book myself on for a FREE Skippers Canyon Jet Boat ride that I had won at Red Rock the night Toni and Kate were leaving town.  The trip was really great! It takes nearly an hour to get form Queenstown to where the boat is and, not because it’s very far away but, because you head up a windy road which turns into a bit of a goat track on the way there. They tell you loads about the history of the canyon and show you a few of the spots where some of the Lord of The Rings stuff was filmed. It also just so happened we drove by another film crew on the way in. These boats are basically Jet ski’s only bigger and can turn on a dime and pretty much go anywhere in the water. The drivers like to head full speed into a rock that may have a jut out that goes just over your head and pull a full 360 just before hitting the rocks.  They also took us up to see the Pipe  Line bungee which shut down about 10 years ago because they built the Nevis which was higher. The full trip took about 3.5 hours and I’m really glad I did it!

Once I got home again I had to get ready real quick as we all headed over to Claudia’s for a BBQ. It was a great afternoon the sun was shining and we had loads of great food on the BBQ. Garlic bread, curry rice salad, pasta salad, steak, pavlova with strawberries, chicken, and more! It was really great to have such a chill afternoon with such a great group of people. We even finished with a game of Cranium, although we weren’t really playing by the rules and it is still a little clear who actually won.  Not sure there is anything I could have changed in the weekend that could make for a better last weekend in Qtown! Even the weather was great all weekend! Sunshine and summer time!

Blog4NZ

If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me

I’m as free as a bird now, and on my way to start another new ADVENTURE! Ssoo ….I didn’t see this change coming. I’m leaving Queenstown in less than two weeks and I’m having a lot of mixed feelings about it. I’m obviously excited to get out of my comfort zone again and try something new. But doing physical labour for 6 days a week and long days is making me a little nervous. I have had “desk jobs” for the last… well I guess… as long as I can say I’ve been working real jobs….  I’m going to work on a horse farm which claims to be the #1 breeding farm in NZ.  45 Horses and I’m feeding them, brushing them, tacking them up ect. Should be a blast!

I’m a little worried that I’m going to be stuck on this farm with the same small group of people for at least a month probably longer! Not something that would usually worry me as there really aren’t many people that I don’t get along with. Well none that I can think of really. But, these are horse people and horse people are always a little nutty! Guess I’ll have to wait and find out!  

I’ve also made some pretty good friends here in Queenstown! The girls that I work with at the office have been great and the only thing that has kept me doing accounts payable! My flatmates are really great too as you know we JUST moved into a new place and it was starting to have a nicer feel to it then the last house! I’m going to miss everyone from NOMADS also! Its all part of travelling though I knew it would happen sooner or later. I guess I just thought that it was going to happen later rather than sooner.

 

A reason, a season, or a lifetime! I know I’ve experienced some of each in Queenstown!

BUT IT AIN’T OVER YET!!

Can’t wait for our Paddy’s and long weekend adventures everyone!! What a high note to leave on!

Beached As

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_Y5OjStfY&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOWL0KMAIek&feature=related

Lose yourself in the music the moment……

They say that you haven’t really travelled until you have lost something while you were doing it. It didn’t take me long after getting to NZ to lose something. I Left my deck of cards, some brunch bars and a lunch container in Raglan after only being in NZ for about a week.  I’ve lost my favourite shirt to sleep in someplace between Queenstown, Invercargill and Milford. Since being in Queenstown I have lost one of my favourite necklaces, I believe it is at Nomads some place. The thing that I’m most upset about losing however is the NZ guide that my amazing friend Laura had given me! She had written in and I had been writing in it along the way. Laura…. I was loving that book. Not only because it was a very thoughtful gift from you but I was well on my way to completing the top ten things to do in NZ list it contained. I had been writing on the pages and dating when I had done each thing. I’m sure I can get another one and replace it, but there is no point as it just won’t be the same. I guess maybe in other cases this is the best part of losing things you get to replace them with something better!

These “things” I’ve lost are just the ones that I can think of. This brings me to wonder what else I have “miss placed” while in NZ.

But maybe… they aren’t referring to the material things that you lose but also the emotional, more personal things that you “lose”. I would have to think on some level,  I must have lost some logical thinking power or something to think that it was really a good idea to “Chuck myself off a bridge” the day I signed up and paid for the Nevis Bungy!

I’d like to believe that I have lost some of what has held me back in the past from being the true me and the person that I want to be. Allowing me to have more self confidence (I hope).

I don’t know everything that I have lost on this trip. I mean really, how do you know if you lost something? What does lost actually mean? I lost it… I don’t know where it is… but someone else does… so are these things lost or just donated involuntarily to another cause? If you lost it did you really ever have it?

One thing I do know, is that I Have found myself LOST in the moment and that this must be my favourite version of the word ………lost!

Mom, I know you once may have said that you didn’t want to go and you were just going to get lost! But you know what! I can’t wait to get lost someplace again! I think almost every time I do get lost I think of the kid version of you throwing that fit … well maybe it was me… It is a good story to grow up with either way!

Right… So

~~GET LOST!!!!!!~~

Needing some help with this eh??? Try this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4839941_get-lost.html

A breath of fresh air! (Or…… Stay the Night… In Musical terms)

Right

You know that commercial? You know ....

                ….Where the girl jumps and lands on her bed and just bounces forever and instantly falls asleep it just looks like she is SSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOO comfy…  Ya that’s my new bed! I slept there for the first time last night and I’m literally freaking out.  Any one that has ever worked with me knows that I’m not exactly always a timely person I tend to be late now and then.  With the new bed…. I’m screwed (Look at it on a positive note) I am Screwed J……(Thanks Ten things I hate about you! And my lovely Sister) Yvonne I’m telling you now I will NOT be at work again by 8:30…… hummm… I guess that is unless I sleep on the floor!

                I spent a total of a half hour in our new place last night and I have fallen in love! We had an amazing view from our old place which you have all seen pictures of! The view at the new place is somehow MORE amazing? Weird I know it’s not as high as the old view and there are trees in the way now… but we have a more panoramic view!

SIDE NOTE: So I’m addicted to tea now… I guess, what would I expect after living with a bunch of English for 3 months right? So any way I’m writing this at 11 am… and I have already had two teas…just went to take a drink now…. #?*#!! its gone again… how does that happen?

                So the new place I have a bigger room, the light works,  and my bed rocks… I’m happy!

SIDE NOTE: I am SSSSSOOOO Keen to see Lady A at Bayfest!!!

Thinking of you Chch!

           Today while I was sitting at my desk at work, just after hanging up the phone with a creditor in Christchurch at approx 12:50 I started to relaize that my desk was moving, actuall my whole office was moving, wait I think the earth is moving... no big trucks... stand up and move towards the door. look at my purse should I be taking that with me?! It is an earthquake right? and it was over. So, I continue out of my office and up the stairs where I see Ann who I know is thinking what i'm thinking so we both head into another co-workers office and the two of them felt it too. One not so sure that it was really a quake. Our manager who was standing starting to think were all crazy. Discuss our own past earthquake experiences and then head back down to my office. Moments later I feel it again this time much less. To the point I wouldn't have felt the secound one if I haden't felt the first. Continue working.... momentarily head upstairs to get someting from the printer and am informed that there has infact been another major earthquake in Christchurch. This one said to be much worse than the first (Sep/4/10 when I was still in Cananda) and things are really not in good shape there.

      Obviously you continue on with your day as you have to, and as the day progresses you hear more little bits and you never know how true they actually are. The last numbers I have heard say that there are 65 casuilties and bound to be more.

       Today was as much as I think I ever need to experience of an earthquke, can't imagine how you are all feeling in chch my thoughts and prayers are with you all!

Oh Life....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_kOOmqXxnQ

It’s only the rest of your life!

               The future, its big, its unpredictable, its scary and its exciting! No one knows what the future will bring to them! They could win the lottery or they can lose their own version of the lottery in one day and it would change their life forever! So how do I go about making my own best possible future! I’m starting to realize that the best way to ensure you have an amazing future is to live in the moment! You may have noticed that the people who are late are always much happier than the people that have to wait for them. That’s because those people have other things they are doing, things that keep them busy and they are LIVING their lives. Or at least that’s part of it, one way to think of it.

                I have always known that I’m happier when I’m busy and things are happening around me. This is partially contributed to the fact that you have less time to focus on the negative when you have other things that you need to be worried and fussing about. Also, something else I find always brings me joy or maybe even a sense of pride at the ability to look back at the things that you have achieved. Especially if those things you look back on also benefit those around you!

                All this brings me to the real dilemma that I have in my life! What to do with the rest of it. I have been blessed or maybe rather cursed with the belief that I can do anything that I want, ANYTHING is possible and finding the thing you love and turning it into a career is more than a possibility. Loads of people in this world get to do their favorite thing every day and get paid for it! My problem is, I don’t really have a favorite thing. I have lots of things that I like and I always find myself analyzing them to see how I could fit a few together to turn into some type of business. My latest is a high end movie theater; you know the ones with cheese platters, that you can get a nice glass of wine and a refill at intermission. The lobby is full of great books and especially the ones that are coming soon to theater! Also some great art and deco things that are on display of course also available for purchase. Sounds great right? I think so. It is just an idea though and I don’t have a clue if this would really make me any money! LOL…… which is kind of the point.  I also know that the financial planning thing is a very real idea and maybe I just need to get after it and do the dog breeding, wine making, book, art and deco selling on the side? Although I also like the idea of interior design so maybe I should become a real estate agent and sell my deco services on the side….. I think you are starting to see why I don’t even know where to start!

                So for now, I think what I’ve decided is that I’m going to spend some more time writing my thoughts down and sharing them. That way I have them to reflect on will also get a little feedback, which ultimately will only make me a better person and lead me towards a better future… or so I can hope. Call it my new hobby! Oh side note: I’ve also been thinking I would like to maybe take up jewelry making.

                And who knows maybe I'll just turn out to be one of the most interesting people in the world who never find out what they are going to do! You know the ones that never grow up!

It’s all part of the Experience!!

              So, I have now spent a full 4 months in Queenstown. Overall it really has been a GREAT TIME! I have met people from every corner of the world……….. A lot less Kiwi’s then I had expected however, I do have to admit! Last Friday after work we stopped in at Pog Mahones (Which is Irish for Kiss my Ass… A.K.A the local Irish pub) Got talking to some people from Wisconsin that were amazed at the fact they had just met a Brazilian, Canadian, 2 Irish and English that all work in the same office. I have to admit that when first getting to NZ I use to find this pretty cool too that you could have as many different nationalities sitting at the table as there are people. However, I found it even cooler to realize that this was normal in Qtown and I have started to take it for granted.

Where I am now with my Q-town experience is to be honest in a little bit of a rut! I LOVE it here and am so glad that this is the place I came to know in New Zealand. Famous for the invention of bungy and the Adventure Capital of the World (or so they say), I really can’t think of a better place to settle for my once in a life time trip! However, you have heard me say it before and you will probably hear me say it again! Queenstown is also REALLY expensive to live in! I seem to have myself in this place right now that I’m OVER the drinking that this town encourages, and to be honest there isn’t a lot else to do. Which makes me think, maybe I should move on and try another place….. but I can’t leave here…… mostly because I can’t afford to, it would be hard to get another job that gives me the hours and awesome people I work with here, but also because I like it here.

In the last few weeks every so often I catch myself thinking to myself; it’s only a few more months if you can make it though them you’ll be off to Thiland and the Calgary Stamped and HOME in No time!! ……………….. I’m finding this strange especially because I have also caught myself thinking I can’t believe that I have been in New Zealand for 5 months now it seems like maybe 1!! And to be fair I haven't really thought of my self as missing home all that much, I mean I know in the back of my mind I'll be there soon, I do hate missing whats going on at home sometimes and I do miss everyone but on average....  

I think this weekend especially I have been thinking of home A LOT more than normal. Most of my family has just taken of or got back from Cuba and I missed out on going with them, and mostly missed on going with my Grandma. I have also put myself on a limit of $20 a day for the week, because of a little thing called a letting fee for our new place (which we move into March 3)  that put a dent in my spending for the week.  And …. $20 in Qtown means I watched a lot of movies this past weekend! Which really worked out well cuz the weather here was less than average any way.

The past few weeks, I have got to talk to home a little more than I had been also, had a great catch up with Meg! Its really great to know that just because you don't get to talk to someone for a few months it doesn't have to change your friendship and we could go right back to the regular anticts that is the nature of our friendship! Right jerk face?!?! I Also finally caught up with Jenn who I feel like I have been calling for AGES!! First time I got to actually talk to her since Ryan and her had got engaged! Luv ya buddy! lol 

This got me to thinking about what the first thing I want to get when I get off the plane is and depending on where in Canada that actually is, who is there and what is open… Its either going to be a carton of REAL Chocolate milk, or a Ceaser!! This also led me to thinking about the first few days back at home and how nice they really are going to be! I can't wait!! ...... but I'm definetly not ready for them yet. INFACT! one night not so long ago, I had a dream (verging on night mare) that for some reason I was on a plane, and was suppose to get off at the next stop which was another part of NZ. Somehow though I had missed my stop and had arrived back in Canada. I was freaking out! I'm not done I'm not ready to be home yet I don't want to get off here! Its the last stop?! NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!  Then I woke up! A little shocked but glad to see that I was still in my room in Queenstown!

Mini up-date also! 

This past few weeks I have also had a bit of a screwed foot and looks like I may have gout, which is just great, no more red meat, prawns and alcohol for me! To be fair though who am I kidding maybe I’ll just keep an eye on how much of them for now! We went to see The Tourist, 127 Hours and tonight we watched the Black Swan in Arrowtown! But mostly the last few weeks have been more of the same Qtown routine!

PS!! SUNSHINE SHOTOVER FESTIVAL!

        Totally can't belive that I almost forgot to tell you all about the festival!! It was Feb 5 2011.... GREAT TIME! Well other than the fact that I had to gimp around the whole time with my swollen possible gout attacked foot, which yes enevitiablely did get steped on while I was there!

Any way, all day festival at the base of some really great mountains that surrond the whole event! Live music for 12 stright hours, featuring Kiwi music! Hollie Smith, Shape Shifter, Fat Freddy's Drop, ect!! They also have live Dj's inbetween the acts that mix up some fresh Dub-Step ect. I has a really great time at the concert and I'm super glad that I went! Although you deffinetly won't be seeing me their next year! And that's not just because I won't be in the country. No my kinda music but great to experience it!

The boys are back in town....

.....but a few of the girls took off.

                The past few weeks have been busy and full of fun! Since my last post Charlie was back in town on Wed before his training trip of the rest of the south island. We went to world and had a Badger pizza, and just had a chilled out catch up night. The next night I headed to Red Rock, for Kate’s bday and to have a few last drinks before her and Toni hit the road to continue their travels. That was Wed and Thurs night down…. Friday again. I need a night off and apparently so did the rest of our work girls Friday night drinking team… we went to Brazz as always… Claudia bought me one. Ann had water and we sat in the sun for one and then all headed in different directions. I wasn’t feeling well that night and I can see now it may have actually be because I was getting a little worn down. .. Sat morning was great had a proper lie in and got to enjoy the weekend. Later on JOEY came back to Qtown!!  I went to meet him at the hostel and had a good catch up with Jemma and Collette as well. Then we (Colette, Joe, Touchie and I) came back to my place and watched a movie and all headed to bed. The next day Joe and I went for a walk around Lake Hayes which was good while we waited for Caleb and Brady to get back to town too. It just so happened to be Calebs B-day and also the first secret Sunday session at World bar. So we spent the rest of the afternoon with some great friends catching up, enjoying some drinks in the sun and having a laugh. The boys being back in town caused a little bit of a reunion effect and we all had a great night out on the town!

                The next week was fairly chill went for dinner with Collette and Tasha at Atlas where we tried some Tapas which were pretty amazing. We decided it was going to be our new Tuesday thing… to go for dinner and try a new place. Were thinking it’s close enough to the weekend to catch up on the gossip… but not need to go out and drink after… so we should be safe. Had a few more chill nights around the house and then it was weekend time again! Ann and I headed to a friends for a quick b-day drink and then were home by 8.  Which was perfect timing for a great start to another great night out with Tasha, Em and Chea! I think we were at just about every bar in town, and it was over all just a great girls night out! Evelyn and I had planned to go to Arrowtown the next morning but that didn’t work out for a few reasons, one being our matching hangovers, lack of dependable car and the morning drama that went on in her flat. So instead we went for breakfeast and then headed to the beach for a while and had a BBQ at her place that night! GOOD DAY!!! Sunday brought some more beach time, and a walk up Qtown hill. Went for Pad-Thai and for Johnny Bar’s also…. Just a simple great day.

                Conclusion… "what I have been up to" blog posts are good for me… but maybe a little boring for you guys to read because I’m sure a lot of what I just wrote means nothing. However, I haven’t been keeping a diary so I want to remember this stuff and I think this may be one of the best ways to do so.

                The future…. So I’m pretty much half way through the time that I had planned to stay in NZ at this point. Some thoughts that I have been having for the future include a possible trip to Thiland in April or so! I’m planning on being home for Lady A at Bayfest!! Which fits in pretty perfectly with the idea that Laura has presented me with, head to the Calgary Stamped the week before!! Hopefully these ideas all work out… At this point they are more of a plan that I realize I think! I’m pretty sure they are on the same level that my decision to go to NZ was at the time…..

                So there is your quick boring catch-up! Again…

Oh Life.... Engagements, Babies and Weddings?? Cool it kids!

            “Were adults?? When did that happen? How do we make it stop?” – Meredith Grey

            Friends at home... and you know who you are! I told you exciting things WERE NOT allowed to happen while I was gone. However it seems not many of you (if any) were listening! As if knowing I was going to have a few little ones to meet when I got home was exciting enough a few of you have decided to go ahead and get all engaged on me also. You know there was a phase there I was right there with you and this was all ok! Now I’m not. I’m single and in another country. Not your fault I know but common really?? Lol...... I miss you all loads and wish I could be there to celebrate with you! I will be home soon enough though. With lots of exciting stories of my own to tell! In the mean time can you just hold off on everything else not sure how much more I can handle missing! You may cause me to make my trip home sooner than planned! Meg that goes for you especially! And Ashton NO you can’t move out West you may never come home!

            On a serious note... I’m so happy for you guys and I can’t wait to see what the rest of our lives have in store! The memories to come and the laughs were about to share! Miss you more than you know!

Live in the Moment!

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99:

Wear sunscreen.
 
            If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
            Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters.
           Throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
            Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
            Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen.

Birthday Fun, Rugby 7’s and Curry!

            So I know I haven’t even wished you all a Happy New Year yet, I’m once again slacking on the blogging! So.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! To you all! All the best to everyone in 2011!!! Can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us all!!..... .. ...  I guess you could say I’ve been busy! New years was great they had loads of tents set up on the rugby pitch that we could see from our place for everyone that rolled into town and didn’t bother to think, maybe we should BOOK a place to spend the night?

            As we do after work, us girls all went for drinks at Brazz, and anyone that was still around came back to our place for some drinks later on. Had some bubbles at our  flat till 11:30 and then headed down to Pub On Wharf to have some more drinks after skipping the line. Watched some AMAZING fireworks from there! After that headed to Pog Mahones (Irish Pub) and then to Winnies for some more laughs! Devil burger for a late night snack and home! The town was buzzing they closed down a few of the streets and had set up some stages around the beach, where they had free live music! Great night! With some great friends! The best part, not much of a hang over the next day and it was another gorgeous day in Qtown! Which I took advantage of! In NZ you get two holidays for New Years and so for the second week in a row I had a 3 day work week and 4 day weekend.

Walked up Qtown hill again and then a walk around lake Hayes! Attempted to read a movie in Wanaka at the Paradisio Cinema, great to get out of town didn’t matter that the movie stunk when we got there. Also, made an attempt to make it to the Rodeo in Wanaka the next day, got there and it took us a heck of a time to decided if we should go in or not due to the weather. In the end we didn’t which was good because it did pour the rest of the day! Tuesday my first @ Thai dinner and a green chicken curry fix yum!! Wednesday (back to work) Birthday which was quiet, but exactly what I wanted! Friday another session that got messy! Thanks girls for everything you made it a great night! Sat was spent making sure the couch didn’t think it had some place to go, and sleeping. Then Sunday brought another beautiful day. Frankton in the morning for a little shopping and then watched some Rugby in the afternoon! After that went for another great @ Thai dinner Red Curry... little less Yum... but still yum.....then off to Boiler room for a little, but in Bed by Mid-night and got some great very exciting news!!

I can’t sleep I’m dreaming way to loud!

        Any one that knows me at all knows that I’m fairly obsessed with music. But do any of you know just how obsessed I really am? Yes I constantly have it on, and yes all my facebook photo albums are song lyrics but there is more. And maybe this is everyone and I’m just completely normal, But I also gauge my over all happiness using music. When I don’t have the creative words I would like to have to explain how I feel I know that I will be able to find a song that can express it for me and maybe even explain to me what I’m really thinking.

I don’t think I have ever told any of you this, I think it’s maybe just never come up. You all know that it took me a long time to decide if I should stay in Glencoe or move home. It was a song and the way that I related to that song that made me realize that I needed to get out. The song “No Surprise” – Daughtry.  Maybe I never said it out loud because I thought it might sound a little crazy or maybe I just never really thought about it again I honestly don’t know. We all know it wasn’t just the song that forced me to move out but it was what made me realize what the right thing to do was. After I came to this realization I started noticing other music related things. I had stopped having the music cranked and singing along in the car. At first I thought maybe I was just growing up and had grown out of this stage of having to rock out in my car at all times!.......WRONG……….. I eventually found out this was definitely not the case! Looking back its easy to see that moving out was what needed to happen I think we are both better off! Chips may have got the short end of that stick but she’ll get over it! If she hasn’t already she is a dog! But the idea that a song can have that kind of power got me to thinking. Who else has made life altering decisions based on a song? I can’t be the only person. A song is such a powerful thing and there are so many things I can think of off the top of my head to prove that!

Songs have encouraged people to donate to a good cause, they have the power to change a persons mood, they can tell someone’s story or teach you new things. What kind of world would we be in without music? It would certainly be a much less vibrant one! Sometime how you relate to a song can make you realize things about yourself you didn’t even know.

Some moments in my life… and the songs that bring me back to them.  

Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces: The day I found out I had got in to Niagara for school
She thinks my tractors sexy – Kenny Chesney: Basically any beer tour we went on during a hot summer day (but there is one particular tour that comes to mind)
Billy Jean – Michael Jackson: Ashton on another particular beer tour I remember quiet well
Tim McGraw – BBQ Stain: Underage drinking at Colin’s (some great times)
Garth Brooks – Anything: Reminds me of my mom & learning how to line dance with my parent’s friends when I was a kid. A lot of Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn songs bring this memory back as well.
Gwen Stefani – Sweet Escape: On particular St. Kitts party weekend(s) Carrie and Bill’s birthday and St. Pattys day.
Anything by Kings Of Leon: Summer of 2009 - Billy’s party weekends, Beach Sundays, Drinking at Ashton’s, Their concert ect.
Gavin Degraw – I don’t wanna be: Watching one tree hill at Rempel’s during high school.
Single Ladies – Beyonce: Dancing around at Meg and Tims at Christmas time last year.
Lost in this Moment – Big and Rich: Meg at Laughton’s the night before their stag and doe.
Counting Crows – Accidently in love: Roller balding around Bayfield with Martha while we were at the cottage, after some other people had showed up.
The Beatles: A great trip to Vegas with some amazing friends (Katy Perry Teenage dream has this affect as well).

So I may have turned my I-pod on and shuffled threw a few of the songs to complied this list, but if these are the ones that I can think of in the span of about 20 min listening to my own iPod I’m sure you can imagine how many more songs bring back a memory for me. I have no doubt that each of you are able to come up with a similar list. The list may only include one or two of the songs off my list, but may include many of the same sort of memories. But what are memories created from? Why do we remember some things and relate them to a song? When other memories you look back on and smile at in silence?

There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another. - Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)