So, Kara and Jordan are finishing posting their blogs about their trip through NZ before heading home, and I'm continuing my life in Wellington! (Expect a massive drop in picture quality. :( ) I'd like to keep a running update about what I'm up to, but we've decided to keep the blog in chronological order. So what I'll do instead is keep a running update on this blog, and then continue in a real-time way when all of our catch-up posts are finally done!
In the meantime-- if you had asked me after my first week in New Zealand if I could ever live in a hostel long-term, I would have literally died from laughing so hard. Which makes it all the more disturbing that I have chosen to spend my four months in New Zealand at The Dwellington. It's probably not even the cheapest option for housing, but although I could pay slightly less and have my own room, it makes sense to stay here for the wonderful community!
There are about 30 long-term guests at the Dwellington, and as I said, everyone likes each other and enjoys hanging out. Everyone is supportive, everyone likes each other, and it's basically drama-free. There's one other American at the moment (Hannah), about 20 Brits (off the top of my head... Daisy, Beth, Josh, Amy, Andy, Alex, Adam, Carla, Paddy, Chelsea, Louise, Gary, Bethen Lamara, Liz, Rich... oh god, and so many others, who am I missing, so many British people), a few Scottish characters (Martin, Chris, Fraser, Fiona), 3 amazing Italians (Federika, Guilia, Jacobo), some Germans (Leslie and Stefan and Mirko), Calle and Mahlia (a Swedish/Canadian couple), and various other nationalities that pop in and out. I really enjoy being part of a group like this-- it's nice to come home from work and hang out with people, and I've really enjoyed the process of getting to know everyone and to hear about their lives. Living in a hostel has really brought home to me how much I've changed!
I'm sharing a room at the moment with Leslie (German), Myriam (French), and Chris (Scottish.) I was in really lively and fun a 5-bed girls dorm with Beth, Daisy, Guilia and Federika, but they've been moving us slowly into long-term rooms as positions become available. I'm enjoying my new room and my new roommates, though! Everyone works full-time and we're on similar schedules, so it' wonderful.
What else!
I've recently done a few really fun things that I'll update about separately- beer making, chocolate factorying-ing- but there's been some smaller amazing things too. Last weekend Aya, my friend from Dannevirke, and Maria came up for the weekend. I met Maria one night at The Dwellington, and realized that she was going to work at the same vet that Aya works at, so I connected them. On Saturday, we went to a really adorable Tiki-bar called The Motel. We had to buzz to go up- they're going for a speakeasy feel- and the drinks were SO GOOD.
July 21st
It's been a while! Things at the hostel continue to get greater and greater the more we all get to know each other. I'm at the point where I can't imagine staying anywhere else in Wellington; I've got such a great group of friends here, Never stay anywhere else other than a hostel!
It's really hard to keep on top of everything I've been doing, since internet is so limited in New Zealand and when I come home from work I'm usually too busy hanging out with people anyway. But here are some highlights from the past two/three weeks:
Daisy, Beth, Amy, Josh and I took a drive to "The Hutt", aka Upper Hutt, to see an exhibit of National Geographic's greatest photos. It was super cool and very emotional.
My glorious old roomates Federika and Giulia are moving in with me! Myriam is heading back home (:() and Leslie moved to a different room, so it's going to be me, Federika, Guilia, and Scottish Chris. Excitement. I am gathering my Italians to my bosom and I will never let them go. They are amazing. Also, they are the best cooks to ever exist. Giulia made a Carbonera for everyone the other night to celebrate our friend Kat's birthday, and it BLEW MY MIND. And Federika can bake like literally no other human being-- she just throws things together without a recipe (mind you, this is BAKING) and it turns out glorious. Who can understand it. I think it's genetic for Italians.
I made Federika my aunt's rice krispie treat recipe to thank her for all the cakes she's let me eat (especially the cheesecake, oh my gooooooood). It came out pretty well!
I got a speed camera ticket but I'm fighting it. :(
Daisy and I went to see Ant-man and I had an(other) emotional breakdown about Bucky Barnes.
Daisy, Beth, Kat and I went to Wellington Comiccon and saw Karen Gillan do a q&a panel and it was amazing! She is hilarious. Here is Beth dressed up like Katniss. She is adorable.
My favorite yoga teacher at the gym I joined (YOGA!) moved away, and I am both heartbroken and crushed. It's hard to find a yoga teacher that really works for your style, and he was PERFECT. Still, it is better to have loved and lost, etc. Trevor I miss you every day. Think of me.
We had a birthday party/going away party for Kat, who is heading off to Sydney. It was fun. Here are the hostel's "lads" singing some sort of ridiculous song which probably has to do with soccer.