A Walk in the Park

View from up at the Botanic Gardens. I wish I could make it bigger but it gets (even more) blurry.

. . .

Yesterday I got out of class at 5:00 and saw from way way way up there on Kelburn campus that it was incredibly clear out, so I basically ran down to the harbor with my camera and my journal to just chill out and take some pics. When I got there my camera was dead, ugh. But it was still really awesome to just sit with my legs dangling over the wharf and just ... I don't know ... I'd say watch the sun go down, but really the sun sets at your back if you're facing the water. You do see the sun shining on the houses up on the hill, though. The windows all shine golden and then fade as the sun goes down... kind of a reverse sun set. I like it. Too bad I don't have any pictures to go with this story. I don't want to talk about it.

Today was a very good day. I tried to wake up early because I knew the weather was going to be nice, but I still slept until 10:30. I sprung up and got going though and (after buying The Hobbit at the bookstore, I feel it's only appropriate since I haven't seen any Lord of The Rings the movies OR read the books, and I'm living in Wellington, New Zealand where they're currently filming The Hobbit) I took the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens and spent the morning and most of the afternoon there. I sought out my favorite bench, which had a nice big shroom sprouted up behind it, and I read a magazine and just chilled and listened to my iPod. It was so so so nice out. Just last week I was calling home to get my winter coat sent to me, but today I was in shorts and a tank top again, getting my tan on. I can get used to this, though. I like variety. But mostly I like sun.

This is the view from my favorite bench ^^^

To see my entire facebook album of photos from today click here.
(Definitely check out that album because I could barely put any of the good pictures up here because the internet is going so slow tonight)

So after walking around and hanging out in the Botanic Gardens I headed toward campus for class at 4:10, and on my way I stopped over at 39 Salamanca where a bunch of my friends live that I haven't visited in awhile. It was nice to see them. Michelle kindly offered me a PB&J sandwich to make the experience complete, and then we headed to class together.

. . .

Since I've been debating moving my flight up and going home a whole lot earlier so I can work, I've been considering what I need to do to get the most out of these last two months of life in New Zealand. I thought maybe I'd have to do some crazy "once in a lifetime" things like hitch-hike crazy places, or backpack around somewhere with no real destination, scuba dive and ride a whale and hunt down a wild kiwi bird to catch a glimpse of; climb a huge New Zealand mountain or something. Although all those things sound good (and are still up for consideration, especially whale riding) I really think all I need to do to leave here in two months with no regrets is really just soak up Wellington as much as I can, even more than I already have. Spend more time at the harbor after class. Hang out in the Botanic Gardens in-between classes. Get a coffee and people-watch down on Lambton Quay. Get a beer at every single cool bar there is in Wellington. I've had a little lull since I've been buried in school work the past two weeks, but I know that's all I really need to do to make the most of this. It's reassuring to know that what I want to do is cheap since I know my funds are getting low.

It's just that a lot of my fellow study-abroaders have this "you only live once" attitude, which is understandable. I have a little of it, too. That's why I'm here in the first place. You only live once and I know was never going to move to New Zealand for five months after I graduate college... It was an expensive trip but it was worth it a million times over. It's just that it gets hard to know where to draw the line with all the "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity" stuff. It's easy to just blow all your money doing "once in a lifetime" things here. Although I haven't been exactly frugal, I've been pretty conscious of my spending... and my idea is this: even though I'd love to stay here and do a bunch of crazy (and mostly expensive) things since this is my ONE TIME living in NZ, my ONE TIME living in another country, life doesn't end after this. I know this is a unique experience I'll always remember, but I'm going to have crazy, fun, memorable experiences where ever I go, even after this when I'm back in the States. So I'm going to live it up the next two months here in NZ and go home to start work a little earlier with no regrets.

And that's that.

. . .

Tonight, after booking our hostels for our trips next week, Alexis Sara and I had a nail painting party and Sara gave us some of her sweet stick-on nail polish with cool flower designs, so now our nails are lookin' SO fresh.

Now I'm having a little late-night, pre-study snack of Shapes (NZ/Austrailian crackers) and hummus, which tastes like it's just straight up pureed garlic, so everyone should be thankful they live 9000 miles away from me tomorrow :)