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Ankle-Deep in Something

Right now, I am supposed to be hiking. Specifically, I am supposed to be hiking this trek, which fans of the “Lord of the Rings” movie series will recognize. But instead, I am in a coffee shop. This isn’t because the trip was canceled; the rest of the hiking party is out there right now and the weather is beautiful. No, I’m not hiking because it seems New Zealand continues to want to laugh at me and my plans.

You see, the joy I’ve been getting from working out at the gym resulted in me spraining my ankle. And this wasn’t just any little ankle twist; I tore 2 of the 3 main ligaments in the joint, and that means I won’t be doing any potentially high-impact activity for one to two weeks.

And guys, this really had me down. As I mentioned in my last post, I was finally finding ways to combat my homesickness by getting out and doing things, things I now can’t do. I was so excited for this nerdy and exciting trip and had a blog post planned about it. I was going to join the gym after my two-week trial and lose the extra weight I put on. In other words, I was going to take back my life starting this week. And then I fell the wrong way on my foot in an aerobics class I wasn’t particularly enjoying and all of my plans had been put on hold. (Not to mention I spent $120 NZD on a doctor’s visit and prescriptions even though I’m told it should’ve been covered by ACC.)

I spent most of yesterday in bed down in the dumps. I mean, this is obviously not the spot I wanted to be in at this point of my trip. Not when the weather is finally warm-ish, and not as I was finally getting back to being myself and finally feeling like I am ready to take on New Zealand. I spent much of yesterday in bed moping and on the verge of tears; being injured made me realize just how alone I am on this side of the world. It made me once again, really miss a lot of the luxuries I gave up in the States for this adventure. (Health insurance, a car, and especially my own warm apartment.)

Well, the doctor said I could still walk on my foot, so I decided to take the 40-minute round-trip yesterday evening to the super market to buy ingredients for my weekly meal prep. I did this basically to feel like I hadn’t wasted the entire day, but it felt good to realize I was still mobile (even though I could feel my injury on the walk back,) and it was nice to get out of the house if only briefly. But then, a really great thing happened when I returned to my flat. You see, when I arrived, my neighbor’s cat bolted out of nowhere and ran up to my door, demanding pets and cuddles.

Alby, the neighbor’s cat who likes to cheat on his owners with a lot of people in the area, including me. (This is an old photo, but the best one I have of him.)

Now, before I go further I want to let you know that cats cheating on their owners is a bit of a thing in New Zealand. Unlike in the States, cat owners here are encouraged, if not required, to allow their cats outside on a regular basis. (Seriously, it was a question my friend was asked by the SPCA when she adopted her pet, but more on Elliot the Adventure Cat later.) I say this, not so we can debate the merits of letting cats roam your neighborhood, but because I want to let you know that when I let Alby into my flat this wasn’t unusual or weird culturally. It’s just a normal thing here, and our neighbor is fine with it as long as we don’t feed him.

In any case, Alby’s visit to my doorstep and my flat was exactly what I needed to cheer me up. He stayed just long enough to remind me I was not alone, and that it was all going to be okay. Seriously, a purring cat really is the best medicine. And since then things have been looking up. Sure, I’m not on my hike today, but maybe I can go on one in a few weeks. And, I mean, at least I sprained my ankle before I signed up for the gym because now I’m not paying for a week where I can’t really use it. I also got another gift today from a friend who messaged me this morning about going to a really great restaurant for lunch today as part of the “Wellington On a Plate” event, something I’ve been dying to do all month.

My “Wellington On a Plate” meal at The Arborist: Blackberry and sloe gin-cured salmon and the “Beetlejuice” cocktail

So I apologize for the lack of gorgeous New Zealand scenery photos; I really did intend to bring you a bunch of them this weekend but alas, my foot had different ideas. But, as I said in my last post, I didn’t spend a bunch of money on hiking boots not to use them though, so I’m sure there’s at least a trail or two in my future.

I’m still on an uphill trek at the moment, but at least it is a pretty one. (A previously unpublished photo from my hike at Mt Victoria.)
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Where I’ve Been

So first, I want to apologize for my growing absences from this blog. It is not intentional, but there is a lot of reasons behind it, and I want to bring you up to speed.

I’d like to say by absence is just an unfortunate reality of having a full-time job for the foreseeable future. Yes, almost immediately after my last post I got offered a long-term contract with the company I am temping for. Funny how that worked. (Heck, I even am getting paid time off!) This is all great news as I have one less thing to stress about, but it also means I am much busier than I was when I first arrived in New Zealand, and that means I have less time to explore, and therefore a lot less to write about. (I do want to mention, however, I am still exploring in bite sized amounts and have a lot of fun adventures lined up in the future, so stay tuned!)

But as I said, this isn’t the only reason I’ve disappeared. I’ve also disappeared because I am struggling with the cold. (Yes, it’s the end of summer for most of you, but in the Southern Hemisphere it is very much still winter.) This is making me very homesick for warmer temperatures, and particularly Florida, to the point I was making plans to return there as early next month. My bags were all but packed, and I didn’t write because this reality was a hard one for me to admit, but one I think you should know. As excited as I am to have this time in New Zealand, it is also not an easy transition, especially now that life is becoming a bit more routine.

The homesickness is more than just the temperature. It’s hard seeing my friends in the States go through big life changes, both positive ones, and negative ones, and not feel like I can be there for them. Sure, the internet makes this a bit easier these days, but I am still 16 hours in the future, so that means when most people I love in the U.S. are free to chat with me, I am either asleep or at work.

I am also missing my old life and frankly, having a career. I miss having a car and a place to call my own. I miss having a freaking closet, central heat, and even a video game console. These are all things I would’ve said didn’t mean much to me before I left but once I got here, I find myself daydreaming about these simple and strange things.

Don’t get me wrong, I would not trade my time here in New Zealand for anything. Even though it hasn’t been all positive, it has been great. Wellington is as amazing as everyone says it is, and many of the friendships I’ve made here are ones I will take with me for life. I’ve even bought hiking boots because, well, it’s an activity I’ve actually come to enjoy and one that’s hard to avoid here in New Zealand. (Honestly, even some of the walking paths here are basically mini-hikes.) But it doesn’t make missing my friends and family any easier, and it doesn’t mean I prefer hiking to Disney World because let’s be honest, Star Wars Land is going to be epic.

So where do I go from here? I’m not entirely sure, and I guess that’s always been part of the adventure. I am making strides, however, and learning to embrace my new surroundings in both old and new ways. To combat the chilly winter, I have started going to the gym again, something I did regularly in the States. I’m also meditating and saying “yes,” to opportunities to experience new things both in and outside the city. I’m also trying to find things to make the tiny space I live in feel more like a home because living out of a suitcase has been really difficult.

To end on a positive note, I plan to make a photo post soon of all the “mini adventures” I’ve taken throughout the area. Also, know that I do plan to get back to updating this now that I am in a better space, and ready to get things back on-track instead of just “existing.” I mean, I did buy hiking boots.

Cheers to better days from Titahi Bay