Roundup

My roomate left before I even had a chance to see her, so I'm luxuriating in having the whole apartment to myself, which means I end up flitting around the place alternatively cleaning and making messes, at a much faster rate than usual. I guess I slow down a lot to avoid upsetting those around me, but when I'm alone I do a crossword for 10 minutes, then jump up to do laundry, then jump back and check email, run into the kitchen and make some tea, etc. Also I don't get dressed until the evening. It's 2 now, I've been up for 6 hours, and the closest I've gotten to changing is when I pulled my pjs down to go to the bathroom. I don't have much food in the house (certainly nothing I want to eat beyond some chocolate) so the crucial point at which I shower and change is bound to happen soon....

Kate, no I did not go back into the ocean! I waited until I could drive again and then I left. I kind of stumbled back to the beach in a daze and hugged my towel until reality returned. And you're right, people worrying about me won't stop me, only experience will. I feel very cautious towards oceans now and will probably only swim if the waves are tiny or there's a lifeguard.

Also, Kate, it seems our lives are going in opposite directions. You write about breaking up with Sean again whereas I seem to be slowly getting back together with Francisco. I still haven't decided whether I'm letting this happen because it's comfortable, or because we really will be good for each other in the long-term. I'm trying to take Kris' advice and stop being so damn serious about relationships, but it's hard to do.

Wonderful Things about my vacation:

Jeanne, Richard, and Clodagh all texting me just when I was about to pity myself for being alone on Christmas

Swimming in the shitty rainy christmas day weather underneath Rainbow falls after a sweaty and damp hike. No one else was dumb enough to come out, so I got naked and it was just me and the weight of Maori history

Dancing for the dolphins as they cavorted around the boat (i didn't get to swim with them but they were 3 feet away and seemed very entertained by my singing and dancing, so it was fantastic anyway)

Surfing the giant sand dunes. The walk up the hill was so terrible that I kept vowing not to climb it again. Then, before I knew what I was doing, I'd find myself a third of the way up the hill again because of how fun the ride down was

Getting an "energy" massage in the middle of the busiest street in paihia and getting quizzed about it by all the passers-by afterwards.

Not getting into any car accidents during 800 km worth of driving

Not dying

The pohutukawa trees on the beaches. So romantic. So practical. No sunburns for me this trip!

Mangonui fish and chips. The chips were fine, but I definitely see why people rave about the fish. So fresh! So moist and delicate on the inside, so crispy on the outside! And on a related note, finding 2 heinz ketchup packets in my purse just as I started eating the chips.

Drinking South gin & tonics all week. I came so close to finishing the bottle.

Upgrading to a nicer room for the last 2 nights. It was nothing special but felt like pure heaven after the backpackers single.

Coming back with a week's worth of vacation tales to share and compare with Francisco's (he went to the Cook Islands)


It's good to be back with (some of) my friends again though. I had NYE with a small crew at Havana bar. It was chill but I was so happy to be socializing again that it was all I needed.

I feel the old fears of career and future plans beginning to creep back into my life again. Should I go back to the US in March? Where will I get job references? How will I get into schools? Where to live, what to do.

NO! Stay back thoughts. You are so boring in your consistency. Can't you mix it up at least slightly for once?