My last week in Logroño passed in an odd haze of goodbyes. It was my first week in Logroño without a schedule, which allowed me to focus my energies on saying the multitude of goodbyes that needed to be said. I think somebody said once that "parting is such sweet sorrow" or something like that...which is absolutely true. On the one hand, saying goodbye forces you to appreciate what you've had with the people you're leaving; on the other, it reminds you of what you're leaving behind. I've discovered that the best way to prevent this draining sensation is to have something exciting planned for the future, such as my upcoming trip to New Zealand.
Regular readers of this blog will remember this post about my plan for reaching New Zealand without flying and spending a year on a working holiday there. Because of difficulties with scheduling and obvious better alternatives, I will not be completing my journey to New Zealand by ship. The plan remains relatively similar to the one I posted previously, however: my dad and I are leaving for Chicago this Sunday, with a one-night stopover in Goderich, ON, before catching the train to San Francisco. After a weekend in the Bay area, I will fly from San Francisco to Auckland, where my year-long visa will begin ticking away. Dad and I will be making a variety of family visits on the way, as well as visiting Nebraska, the only of the fifty American states he has yet to see.
I'm planning to spend the first few months of my time in New Zealand in Wellington (the capital). My preliminary research indicates that Wellington has a pretty lively job and rental market, and I will be arriving in the middle of winter, which is when agricultural jobs are least available. Furthermore, being in Wellington will allow me to soak up the energy of the Rugby World Cup more than being in a smaller town would. After the tournament finishes, I only have ideas, but I know I want to spend a fair amount of time on the South Island, particularly in Otago and Southland.
But what have I been doing since I got back from Logroño? I've been at my parents' house in North Bay, ON. I don't have the best relationship with this place, but this has been a particularly nice visit. With the excitement of preparing for New Zealand, I have been particularly able to appreciate the good things North Bay has to offer. As usual, I have raided the public library's massive collection of music and movies, and fully enjoyed the proximity of Lake Nipissing - at one point I had showered only twice in seven days, bathing in the lake instead. I was also here for shad fly season, one of North Bay's most unique occurrences. It's also pretty gross. I didn't take any pictures, but this guy did a couple years ago.
My preparations are nearly finished, with a new Netbook on my lap right now, a new backpack waiting to be filled up, and a new iPod on its way. I've also been contacting potential flatmates in Wellington and doing some long-distance job-hunting, while reading any historical text I can find about New Zealand, one area in which the public library is sadly deficient. I'll find out how well-prepared I actually am in less than a week, when my eleven-day trip begins.
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