GLEEaving Kiwiland

Just one year ago, I landed in a country halfway across the world. Even now, it's hard for me to fully comprehend. I've lived the last 365 days out of a backpack weighing approximately 20 kg. My backpack has been my constant travel companion. She's seen all and heard everything; been zipped and unzipped Lord knows how many times. I imagine that my travel worn clothes have had endless tea parties neatly rolled and tucked snuggly within my green pack, jabbering and talking over one another about the views they saw from atop that one mountain and that fellow traveler they hugged goodbye in hopes of connecting again in another foreign place. Yeah, my backpack and I, we've had one hell of a year! But you know what the best part is? It's not over yet.

I spent my last week in New Zealand reconnecting with some really wonderful traveler friends of mine at Tombstone Backpackers in Picton. Per my request, the lovely Lynne and Gordon agreed to organize a pizza night at the hostel which is just one of the many hundreds of reasons why I love it there. No better way to spend my last weekend in NZ than with friendly faces and delicious eats.

In Christchurch, my final NZ stop, I stayed with Katie and Mark and learned more Aussie slang in last minute preparation for my next destination. (Anyone want to take a guess at what a “bum bag” is?) I also crammed my iPod full of music from GLEE which I found essential for the next leg of my travels. Man! A GLEE playlist and bum bag enlightenment - I am so well prepped for Oz! :-D

But, no matter how much I tried to prepare myself for my eminent departure, the fact that I was leaving just refused to sink in. New Zealand has been my home for the past year, and I've admittedly fallen in love with the Kiwi culture, the land, and its people. But, ready or not, NZ Immigration was gently untangling my tight embrace from its beloved islands. And, like a reluctant child unwilling to leave her mother for preschool, I boarded the plane to Australia. But, as every child soon realizes, the initial heartache of separation soon quiets, and the lure of the sandbox and creative play with friends brings you to a whole new world where new adventures await around every corner.