I watched 'Slumdog Millionnaire' on the plane. Wow. Just wow. If you haven't seen it then just prize your eyes away from this and get on to it pronto because it's not to be missed. Yes of course I cried. I won't go all media filmy about why but it was just a fantastic film.
Anyway I got to NZ safe and sound and to the hostel that i'd booked. I was in Auckland, which is in the North Island at the top. And is also where Tony's (Joanne, my cousin's fiance) is from and his family still live. I checked in, got my room key and went to dump my bags. Except there wasn't a spare bed in that room. So back to reception and they gave me another key, this time there was no one else in the room at all. Perfect. I had a bit of a rest (travelling to another country can be quite exhausting you know) and then headed out to the communal bit. And there I met Hayleigh, from the nunnery hostel and we had a quiet evening down at the hostel bar.
The next day I decided to sort myself out. I was still feeling low and was actually in two minds whether just to head on to LA where I could just stay with my friend Valerie who I'd met in Australia. I spoke to her over email and she said that she'd been in the very same position when she was in the very same hostel, but if I hung on in there, sorted out my bus round the country, i'd be sure to have a blast. It's not that I didn't want to do NZ but when that wall it standing strong you just can't see anything but and it drags you right down. Anyway you get the point. So why didn't I just come you may wonder? Well two friends from home had already booked their tickets to come meet me in america for my last week of my trip so I couldn't really just go home. But you'll see that by the end of that i'll be thanking that very reason instead. So I went to the travel shop in the hostel and booked my trip with a lovely girl.
"Oh you have to do a bungy jump when you're in NZ" she said "I tried to do the highest one but I just couldn't jump. It's 8 seconds of falling in to a valley. But you have to do one, maybe the Auckland bridge. That's much smaller..."
I laughed at her
"No no, I did a skydive in Australia, that's enough for me. Nothing could ever get me to do a bungy jump. I've never wanted to do one and never will"
Never say never.
I was able to start getting excited about my trip. I'd chosen to book 'the kiwi experience' which is a hop on hop off bus that goes around the north and south islands. Sorted. It was the same one that Valerie had done, and if she'd enjoyed it, then I would defnitely do so too. Although we'd only met up a few times in Australia (one spending NYE together) we'd stayed in touch alot and realised that we were so similar and were gutted we hadn't had more time together.
Anyway. It was Friday and I was to begin the 4 week trip on the Monday. The next day i had a wander and went to look for some jeans. Up until now I had only been in hot temperatures but NZ was going to be slightly cooler as it was coming up to their winter already. I wasn't sure how I would fit anything else in my backpack! But I couldn't prance around on glaciers in my spotty dresses. I didn't find any jeans. But I did find some sandals. I know I know, I couldn't wear those on the glaciers either but, well, they were just so so pretty. And I instantly loved them and knew they would make me happy. And I needed being made happy. AND... AND... they were the last ones. I mean, how couldn't I? And they did make me feel a bit happier. Just so you know. And that evening me and Hayleigh went to the hostel bar again (we're not just saddos, but the hostel bar is tres cheap to any other bar around) and waited there for David. He showed up half hour late as he'd had an 'incident with a ham sandwich' at the airport. Honestly these things only happen to him. Him and Alan Partridge. And he had also done his homework and written the poem that I'd set him to do.
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