I'm currently hip-deep in the Pray section of this Eat Pray Love journey, or Eat DRINK DRINK DRINK Pray Love in my case. While I'm much much better than I was a few days ago, I still have a bit of a rattly chest cough, a lovely souvenir from Queenstown - but really, it could have been so much worse.... :-|
When I arrived in Christchurch I thought I was going to die. Feverish, sweating, coughing, runny nose, probably going through some kind of liver failure due to being off the booze for three days. Whoever that lovely gentleman was who helped me haul my bag up to my room - thank you you wonderful stranger. Nicole, the wonderful Dutch veterinary student from my most recent bus, came into my room to check on me and convinced me to stay in Christchurch for a few days versus the original plan to dedicate a full week to Kaikoura. Word to Nicole big time.
First full day in Christchurch was dedicated entirely to napping, future travel planning, and then more sleeping. Second day I went to the Hanmer Hot Springs 1.5 hrs out of town. Though it was pissing rain it turned out to be a fantastic day, due in part to Courtney, a chick from Michigan who'd been living in Australia for the past year. We had the mini bus to ourselves and turned out to be fantastic travel partners, seamlessly switching the conversation and our ipods on and off throughout the day. Chatting with her made me realize two things:
1) I cannot wait to get to Australia (more on this in a sec)
2) There are tons of chicks like me in NZ, not to mention the world, who have told their old lives to get bent and are blissfully following their hearts around paradise. Fuck yeah.
I've often thought that in my past life I was one of those Japanese hot spring monkeys but going to Hanmer Springs actually convinced me of this. Twelve thermal pools, three of them unfiltered and over 40 degrees = total chill out time for Anna. I also booked a half hour in the steam room and brought in the Chinese white flower oil to clear up my sinuses. At the end of the day my muscles felt better than they had in weeks, my skin felt amazing and now I find that my Franz Joseph blister is almost gone as well as my Queenstown mechanical bull bruises. yessssss!!
My last day in Christchurch, yesterday, I dedicated entirely to the pursuit of joy and happiness. This includes yummy brunch with Nicole the Dutch girl, two walks around the botanical gardens, a trip to the art gallery with Courtney the Aussie/ American and a PJs movie night with the Scandahooligans. *sigh*
Woke up at 6am today feeling shit hot and ready to roll on to Kaikoura. Though my whale watching trip was canceled due to extreme wind, I still had a rad walk along the beach for THREE HOURS with an Estonian chick on my bus and ended up getting close enough to a seal that I was able to poke it with my finger.
Though I initially planned on spending several days here in Kaikoura, this place is a small town but also very inconveniently spread out (hence the three hour return trip to poke a seal). Change of plans, moving on to Nelson tomorrow and spending a full six days there. There's beaches, there's actual convenience stores, there's art galleries - a town with a pulse that one can walk around with some ease. Not a bad place to enjoy some good solitude time before DOM DOM DOM Christmas with Alieda and Medellee!! :-D
Now I've been holding off on this for awhile but I just gotta shout it out: I am so so so so stoked for Aussie Ryan, my sweetheart and partner in crime from my last days in Victoria, to meet me in Australia for New Years. oh fuck yes. ><
He's picking me up at the airport in Sydney and we're going to chill out on our own for a few, then head over to his parent's place in Wollongong, go party with his pals, borrow his Dad's truck and drive up the East Coast of Australia camping/ couch-surfing/ hotel as needed style. It's like my favorite book, A Town Like Alice, only it's not World War 2... and he didn't get crucified for stealing me chickens. :-P
I am so excited, so amazingly happy - in every sense totally and completely fucking high on life. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
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