Rugby, Motocross & Netball

If we're Facebook friends be sure to check out the photos my friend Kirsty posted. There's an awesome one of me and a massive Australian tree and other camping related things. 

It's so hard to keep you abreast on all that's going on in my life sometimes! I write blog posts every few days but they get left on my desktop because a day later something else is more relevant and that's old news so I write another post which gets left on the desktop…this is the third one in the pile. 

On Saturday we saw the Waikato Chiefs play Hamilton and I got to see the legendary Sunny Bill Williams in the flesh. We were in the front row and could see their sweat, even if it was hard to tell what was going on. Waikato won too! I could've seen Sunny Bill shirtless a few weeks ago when Glen spotted him in the mall but couldn't really be bothered. I wouldn't want people bothering me while I was shopping. It's stressful enough as it is. 

Sunday was another motocross event, this one in Cambridge and to make things a bit confusing Adam's girlfriend Jess came along. 

Tonight is another legit game but this time it's netball and we get picked up and chauffeured around to the game and back with free drinks and food. 

Ian left for New York City today. He'll get there tomorrow morning, find his NY pizza, stay the night and be home by 2 May. He was waiting by the door at 7AM which is about five hours before we were leaving.  I think he's glad to be going home. 

In the same vein, I feel almost the exact opposite. There's really nothing in me that wants to go back. I'm not sorry. I used to miss Wegmans and…Wegmans (anyone from western NY will understand this). But now the only physical entity I can't wait to get back to is my Jeep. It's not that my Jeep is super-cool, it's just that it is rather cool and it provides me the freedom to get in my car and "git outta dodge". 

Anyways, I'm out of here a week from today myself. It's a weird feeling because I love New Zealand and I don't want to go back to the States, but I also want to move on to somewhere else. 

I randomly selected a magazine for vacations today; you know, for future reference, and realized it included a feature about Kilimanjaro. Story of my life. I promise. These things on that continent just find me. It was a pretty dull article altogether but I was stunned to read (in print! In edited print!) how there were vacation packages to travel in an RV around the United States. All fifty-two of them. If you're not American and are geographically challenged, let me fill you in: there are only fifty states in the United States of America. As there seems to be a general measure of confusion about this here, I promptly e-mailed the editor and editor-in-chief that for future reference, they were entirely incorrect. I'll let you know when I get a pat answer that covers up their real thoughts of GET A LIFE. 

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"Im not going out there to put myself in an early grave but I am going out there to make a difference." - military serviceman on TV last night

I want every part of my life to be something memorable. In a good way. Like (and this makes me grit my teeth a little to admit) my mom's always said and I refused to work with, "be content wherever you are".

The first three months of the trip I've blocked out most of because it wasn't exactly a happy time in my life. If it wasn't for photos I probably wouldn't remember much unless I read my journals.

Even though my initial feeling is dreading returning to NY, the follow up thought has become, "Okay, you don't have to stay forever. It's only for a relatively short period of time and there are people you miss when you're gone." There are a couple of perks of being in America like cheaper gas than everyone else on the planet and Starbucks at most rest-stops on long road trips to see friends. So I also made a positive list of things for while I'm there. And there's always my 2012 bucket list to keep me busy. 

"Okay, positive view:

- I get to see Steph

- I'll have a car

- I have the ability to work and will find a job (or two)

- It will be summer (to lessen the initial blow at least)

- I have three months before school to get into a routine for healthiness

- I'll see Kelsie & Nate

- I'll have people willing to help me sort out the crap in my life and help me grow. I hope.

- Kiwi (my dog) is there

- Salome and Yall Wall from Mary's Place are there

- I don't have to live at home

- I've learned a lot of skills

Followed by: "I'm not super-ly looking forward to wifi and the stress of being in touch all the time." 

Glenn

Adam & Jess