A couple treats

Skydive?

Bon Voyage!

That IS what the cake read last night. Chocolate and beet root made by Emily for Piers, Steffan, Fanny, Melanie, and I since we're leaving Kerikeri tomorrow. Damn was it good.

It has been a whirlwind two months and although I am excited to begin my travels, I feel as though I'm leaving home AGAIN. My last day of work was yesterday and I should be ecstatic, however, I will miss my fellow packhouse workers, especially Diego... he was one fine specimen. :)
Driving away from Orangewood felt a little like driving away from BGHS on the last day of school. I realized while spending 10 hours with nothing but my thoughts  while grading kiwifruit, that I haven't had many scenarios yet in which I leave a way of life and know it will never again go back to that. Hmm, that sounded convoluted, but basically when I left high school, that was the closest thing to what I feel now. Except that now I'm not only leaving a job, I'm also leaving a family, a home, and a town that I am certain I will never come back to. (If I do come back to kerikeri it will not be with the same family.)

Because,as usual, I spent far too much time elsewhere ont he internet, I am INCREDIBLY antsy, I am going to sum up my two months with a list. Though, know that I am very angry with myself for not doing some serious writing. I haven't actually sat down to really write since I was back home in the states.

-made friends with people from all over the world: Germany, France, England, Japan, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, America, Korea, Chile, Peru, and plenty more.

-learned how to say "I am a dirty girl" in 6 different languages... watashiwa ko akuma American des; je suis une cochonne... etc.

-earned about 3000 dollars at my first job working in a Kiwifruit pack house, learning to enjoy even the shittiest of jobs.

-learned to live on my own. When I was sick, there was no one there to tuck me in; when I was tired, there was no one there to run my errands; when I hungry, there was no one there to make my food. Responsibility that you do not learn while going to school. Being thousands of miles from home does have its teaching advantages.

-often felt like I was in whoville while at work, since many of the older women working there look exactly like whos...

-bought my first alcohol,, mostly wine, but last night added finally went to the liquor store and made Kiwifruit vodka.

-fell in love with backpacking. It's hard, often, however, being around people with so many different backgrounds is really amazing and eye-opening. I'm learning things I never even thought about. For instance, in Korea, they don't have singular birthdays. Everyone gains a year on the  new year. My friend, Solin, is 23 in Korea, but here is actually only 21. I also know how to make Korean pancakes.

-Tried Genepi, a french drink from the swiss mountains. Delicious.

-Added some kiwi language to my speaking. I now add "as" to the end of everything without even thinking: sweet as, sick as, hard as.

-got engaged to a samoan kiwi boy with a large fro. ;)

-sat on top of a waterfall

-gained a SHITTON of weight

-went skinny dipping by myself in a stream during a hike

-learned how to cook steak

-witnessed a haka

-went on lots of hikes, some that lasted 3 hours or more.

--realized how much I miss farming...walking home from work one day, I passed a field of cows and was astounded with how nostalgic I became.

-learned that you really cannot run away from any of your problems...not even a little bit.

-was given numerous amazing compliments that boosted my life:
"you're probably the coolest girl I've ever met"
"I read your facebook timeline, and you are so cool! :)"
"How can you have ugly days when you're one of the prettiest women out there"
"I told this to everyone else here, and you know I don't lie, but when the girls get dressed up to go out, you're always the hottest"
"You should be a model" x 20
"If I hadn't have met you, I wouldn't have ever layed under the stars just chatting with someone, and my life wouldn't be complete."
"It sucks that you're leaving, I don't like many people, but I actually like you! You're the only person here no one can talk shit about. You don't gossip too much, you're really nice and polite yet you still stand up for yourself."

-bought dinner with my own hard earned money

-fell in love with a Chilean man...

-danced the night away in bars in Kerikeri

-had an adventure I couldn't have even dreamed of.

-plenty plenty more

I will miss you, Kerikeri, and this life I've been living. Onto more day to day adventures and the cold south.

...I wonder if I will ever be called Kentucky again...

The adventure commences (soon)

I now have a plan out of here!! WOOHOOOOOO.

As much as I love Kerikeri, and feel comfortable here, I'm ready for why I truely came to New Zealand. May 16 Steffan, Piers, Fanny, Melanie and I head to Auckland for a couple days to plan the next step of our journey, the south Island, and for me to organize all my travel to and from Fiji.

I think once I stop work, I'll be able to really enjoy this country. Not that I don't enjoy it now, it's just that once I get home from work EVERYDAY, I've already had a 12 hour day and am exhausted. But hey, I'll be leaving here with close to 2000 dollars in my bank, plus a little extra from home due to all the changes in my travel.

My trip will be shorter than planned which I have very mixed feelings about... but it comes down to the fact that I was asked to come home earlier, and in this situation, there is now way I would say no.

And it'll be really fuckin nice to take a bath. :)

I'll keep everyone updated as best I can. Over the next week I will still be working, so don't expect to hear much until perhaps the 15 or later.

I need to go figure out what to do with a 10 Kg bag of potatoes...

Much love!

The Forgotten Adventures

In my lastr post I made it seem as though nothing has happened within the past month, however, as soon as I walked away from the computer I remembered many many things I could have written about.

Such as going to Cafe Jerusalem with Gigi and the french twins where I got the best falafel in Northland and paid for it with my own hard earned money. It was a lovely night. And when I came out of the room to say bye to those sitting around the hostel, they all asked who I was going out on a date with. :p

I aided in splitting up a scottish couple who had ben together for 2.5 years. That was a little overwhleming and I can tell more about that when I have more time. Just know girls are sluts and my tall german and I are barely even friends anymore. Way too much hone heke drama.

I've gained a LOT of weight and my clothes no longer fit all that well... I even broke the zipper on my jeans. Damn you alcohol! So, I'm going to tyr to start an excercise routine to get back in shape.

I would walk home from work which was about 1.5 hours away and that was a really amazing walk. Lots of countryside, cows, and one rainy day a perfect rainbow. Unfortunetly I started working 10 hour days and get out of work when it's already dark so no more walks. :(

I leave Kerikeri within two weeks. I'm nervous and excited. Although kerikeri became my home, not a whole lotta good has com eout of it for anyone... I think veryone at the lodge would agree with that! hahaha.

Close to 1500 in my savings.

DAMN YOU INTERNET TIMER!

I must go.

LOVE SENT!

Workworkwork

Just a quick update as I spent far too much of my internet time on facebook, 

I'm working 70 hours a week now. Making 650 bucks a week. This is my 1st day off in 15 days. Oh how the time flies.

Packing kiwifruit is not altogether miserable, but it isn't that delightful of a job either. The people I work with are quite nice and it's becoming more and more like a family team rather than a bunch of strangers working together. Boring as the job may be, I still often think to myself, wow... my life is still pretty interesting, ya know, cuz how many people can say they worked in a kiwi factory in New Zealand? yeah, yeah? Not many Americans. 

I've had lot's of good things interspersed within the work of course. Even though right now I'm not having a GRAND time, in just another month I should be off in the South Island having the adventure everyone imagines I'm currently having. :p But I need to wait until then, when I've got 2000 dollars in the bank and can actually afford to travel. I'm broke as! 

But that's all I have time for... sorry for the lame post, I just can't be bothered to have a big huge update and be on the computer for much longer. I've found that I can no longer spend the whole day on the comp. It makes me really really antsy. 

Oreos are so much better in America.

And tea time is dinner time. I'm living with far too many English!

Much love!

Time Continues

I have to be very conservative with my internet, so this can't be too long, though I often think of interesting things to write about, I don't acttually have the time or energy to write them down, so you guys just get this little note.

Let's see... last week the guy I'm kinda sorta seeing sliced his hand with a woodcutter and had to go to the hospital. That was a pretty terrible day. I'm not talking a knick, I mean a full on, he's bloody lucky he still has his hand. It was scary as... and of course the rumors of what happened were much worse than the truth, throughout the day I had been told that it was a cut with a chainsaw and that he'd be flown in a helicopter to Auckland and stay in the hospital for 4 days, wouldn't ever get control of that hand again (BAD, it was his fret hand and he is a musician), and finally that because it was a cash in hand job, he'd have to pay full price for all of the medical stuff.


Turns out it was a clean cut with a woodcutter, he came back that night from the hospital an hour away in whangeri, he'll get full use of his hand, and he doesn't have to pay a cent. In fact he now even has free accomodation in the flat at our hostel, which is pretty fuckiun sweet, bro! But still, it means he can't work and he just had surgery this week and it'll take 6 weeks to heal, i.e. 6 weeks of being 1 handed. Oh well, at least it's only 6 weeks and not the rest of his life like it easily could've been. :p

So that was a pretty shit day. And unfortunetly I have nothing else to really report. I've spent all my time working pretty much. I've worked everyday since last Tues. and won't have a day off until probably next Sun. 12 days of work without a break... it sucks. But my next paycheck will be about 540 ish dollars. So far I've made 365 bucks about. So, hey... I'll actually be able to travel NZ at SOME point. I'm eager to get out and see things, but it'll still be awhile. For now it's the 6 am wake up calls to go and do shit work for 9 hours.

I'm sorry, that sounds really negativee, as though I'm really disliking being here now, but I'm not. I still enjoy it a lot, and there was one morning of work when I felt like absolute shit and was wondering why the hell I was where I was in my life, but a quick "get it together, Kelly" pep talk and getting myself to see the good things as well as the bad (see? not blindly optimistic) put me right again. And everyday I make about 100 dollars, and everyday I get a little closer to the south island. Life'ss good, it's just a little boring.

Though with these people, life can never really be TOO boring. :p

Anyway, that's all I have time for. But, I'm alive, and I won't have a day off for awhile so don't start thinking otherwise just because I don't update.

My live is sent.

Ciao!

Untitled

I walked 10 minutes through an open field in the pouring rain to write this post that I've been avoiding for some time now. Damn you reality, why must you haunt me?

After 7 years, the cancer came back. My mom starts chemo today and the fight begins again.

I've been told I do not need to come home, and that is really the best news I can be given at this time... it means its manageable.

So it's out on the table now. I'd rather now go into continuing my travel blog...

The day I found out this news my friends forced me to go with them to Charlie's Rock, which is a place with a waterfall and a bucnh of rocks you can jump from. I didn't have to energy to swim, but I did sit atop the waterfall and stick my feet in the rushing water. It was something I'd never imagined I'd get to do.

The whole thing was surreal, though. I had that nagging anxious feeling banging away at me as I hiked the New Zealand countryside. It's weird being so far away from home with something like this. Not necessarily bad, since there's nothing I could really be doing to help if I were home, but just strange.

Last Monday all the girls went to a Scottish country dancing class. It was heaps of fun, and I feel as though I got to know the girls better.

And finally, I accepted Hendrix today. With everything, being 14 hours away seems a little too far, and they will be able to better provide for me since they are a richer school, to put it bluntly.

I'm still doing quite well even with everything. The last thing I need is people worrying about me. I'm fine. I'm still in Majestic New Zealand and I've got a lot of good people around me.

I'll be working tomorrow and most days after that so it'll be harder to get ahold of me, I think. I'll still try to respond to emails and such.

Much love.