Two months in, three blogs out

So it’s been almost two months since I arrived in New Zealand. I have been meeting the locals, learning about how people on the bottom of the world take life. It’s been an interesting time so far, to say the least.

After being in Auckland on my own for two weeks, I took a trip down to Wellington. I had some concern about my ability to wake up in time to catch the bus, I stayed up the entire night before I left. Unfortunately, I learned that it is nigh impossible to sleep on a bus. I was, however treated to a 13- hour tour through the countryside of the North Island. It is just a beautiful (and full of sheep) as I had been led to believe. Mother Earth took her time with this country; I don’t know whom she made it for, but I am happy to be reaping the benefits.

Wellington is a great city. It is a young town, with all the art and music that comes with a strong university culture. It may also be home to the only decent coffeehouse in the country (I.E., art on the walls, open late, and vegan food options).

After returning to Auckland, my friend Nikos (at whose flat I have been living) returned from America, giving me a partner in my various adventures. Taking some time to remember how to be friends again after seeing one another in person for the first time in almost two years, we promptly fell into old routines. We attended a family dinner (see previous blog), started making friends in town, and spending excessive amounts of money in restaurants. We took to finding any gym that gave free 7 day passes (there are a lot of them), and rotating through them to avoid the ridiculous fees that are charged for such here.

I share American culture as I can (primarily in the form of southern slang and rap music), and take what I can from Kiwi culture. I am shortly scheduled to move into an eco village in the northern part of Auckland, a sustainable living community of about 90 people from various places. I am quite looking forward to it; after two months on couches, having a whole room to myself will be luxurious indeed. I shall also be on the hunt for a job; the savings has dwindled rapidly, and pretty soon I’ll be sneaking into gardens to find sustenance. I’ll be taking the first job that doesn’t require a haircut