We've passed the one month stage and I worked out that for 17 out of the 28 days I was taking antibiotics for a skin infection on my face! Not the best way to start a working holiday :( I guess though it was my body's way of telling me to SLOW down, rest and recover after what has been a very eventful last six months (or more):
- Processing my divorce, learning forgiveness, dealing with obstacles and delays ... finally the end is in sight!
- The Lifeline - documenting sustainable solutions in London and at Karuna in Shropshire, tweeting, planning and fundraising for a 13 month trip around Europe and Africa that I chose to let go because I was ...
- Falling in love with Alex and out of love with work at the Department for Children Schools and Families.
- Moving from New Cross, London to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in early November.
- Deciding to leave work, take the voluntary redundancy money and go traveling around NZ and Australia with Alex.
- Getting ready for our big trip, selling up, storing, recycling and saying goodbye to friends and family.
Even though I could not stay out in the sun for 10 of the days (thanks to the antibiotics), we managed to get out and about visiting some amazing places featured on the top 101 Kiwi things to do! e.g. Sky Tower, Stardome Observatory (actually I don't think this is on the list but it should be because it helps you understand what you can see at night in the Southern Hemisphere and the stars here are truly AWESOME :), Auckland museum, Kelly Tarlton's (sharks, penguins, stingrays, etc), Hot Water Beach, Kare Kare Beach, Devonport, etc. New Zealand certainly is a beautiful, warm and mostly sunny country, with scenery that takes your breath away.
I also got the chance to remember how much I love reading great novels like Shataram by Gregory David Roberts (thanks Ali). I recently finished The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce by Paul Torday (thanks again Ali - I think my brother now has the UK copy - and Kirsten/Will for NZ copy). I've not yet visited any vineyards but I am sure it's only a matter of time before we go wine tasting here. I also read about being a wine trader yesterday, now there's something you can appreciate going up in value or down because it's been drunk ;) I am now reading A Thousand Splendid Sunsets by Khaled Hosseini (thanks Ann) - please don't read the links if you don't want to know too much about these books!! Next up I have the twelfth Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson book The Gathering Storm to read next (thanks Will :)
Alex has learnt how to play Munchkin (original with expansion packs) and we've enjoyed several games with Will and Kirsten. I'd forgotten how much fun it is. I love how silly and simple it is. Most of all I love winning - who doesn't?! - and casting a spell or sending in a monster that means some one else's victory is delayed, giving me and every other player another chance to try our hand or should that be luck at winning. ... Will mentioned that he has MAGIC the gathering card game, which I vaguely recall playing when I was a teenager, so maybe there will be more fun in rediscovering that ... yes I do still love my sci-fi and fantasy.
I have to admit that it hasn't all been fun and games. It was very strange to be here at first, realizing I had no home, no job and no family nearby - and that I'd chosen to do this! Letting go of everything you know is not easy when you are healthy let alone when you are ill. Old habits of negative behaviour crept in and stole my joy of life many times. I felt pretty miserable and found myself listening to the little voice in my head giving myself a hard time about most things. e.g. when I found it stressful writing my CV - describing what on earth I did at DCSF in non civil servant jargon to show my ability and suitability for ski season/office work = I'm stupid, incompetent, blah blah blah! I was depressed when my jeans/shorts were too tight and hyper critical when photos showed my extra weight - put on from over indulging at Christmas/in general, not saying no to yummy food like chocolate and keeping up with Alex size portions. I also regretted not packing the lovely Christmas bathroom goodies - due to no space and weight considerations - because products out here like body lotion, shower gel are really expensive (on the flip side I will have them to enjoy when I get back :) and Kirsten has very kindly given me some of her stuff.
So I was being my own worst enemy! I'd forgotten to "shut the duck up" - love this expression from Pete Cohen's Sort Your Life Out - long story supposedly based on the coach chatting to the French footballer Eric Cantona, which I learnt at the Vitality Show last year!
Thankfully now I am completely better :D My face looks normal again and I am remembering to love myself each day. I have work doing data entry and it reminds me that I do not love this type of office work enough to do it full time - a week or more will be perfectly ok! It's great to be earning money to spend on exciting things e.g. this weekend we had a private guided tour of lions and tigers at Zion Wildlife Garden (please turn your head left to see big cat :)
That's all for now ... I hope to blog more soon about some these adventures in more detail and with more pictures. On this trip it seems like I've been a lot busier and distracted from blogging, not to mention the recent virus on my laptop has made it less easy to blog. Fingers crossed it can be fixed at the PC shop ... oh how I miss my IT savvy friends in the UK ... or maybe after four years it's time to accept it's game over and find a new laptop?!
