So, I have been meaning to start blogging pretty much since we landed in Auckland, but it just didn't work out that way. Initially, we attempted to come up with a clever URL and blog title that had to do with New Zealand, and looking back now, that was a horrible idea. Not only were our brains clouded by jetlag and the sheer unfamiliarity of being in a new country with NO plan whatsoever... we really didn't know anything about NZ first hand to which we could apply any cleverness.
Fast forward almost nine months. We're now both with fulltime jobs, a year lease on a beachside apartment on Fitzroy Beach, New Plymouth... just living a normal life, taking a break and saving some money for our travels to continue. Now that we're here, I can't imagine not being here for a long time. I miss the hell out of my friends, family, my doggy and mexican food... but there's something about Taranaki... the lifestyle, it's just really easy to be happy here.
I don't know how it happened, but the first six months flew by, almost as fast as money flew out of our bank account. We spent the first six months living almost entirely in our van, spontaneously touring the North and South Islands, letting the wind and influence of fellow backpackers lead the way. I find it funny that I've seen more of New Zealand than a lot of kiwis we've met along the way have seen.
There is so much crammed into such a tiny little country that in a lot of cases, some of our best days on this adventure have been enjoying the scenery and impromptu stops on the way to this landmark or that "highly recommended" locale in Lonely Planet. Seriously, there are so many waterfalls in this country that to the locals, they're just not a big deal. Jon and I could be freaking out like we had just seen a unicorn, and the locals would probably not even look twice. I feel like so much as a two-foot trickle in Austin would be considered a tourist attraction with significant whoa factor. The first few weeks we were in NZ, "unreal" was probably the most-used word in our vocabulary.
But, you get used to it. You become desensitized to the rolling green hills, the edible fruit trees on the side of the highway that just drop fruit onto the concrete, staining it, because not enough people are around to enjoy the bounty. You only stop once to really consider how awesome it is that cows are grazing along the grassy pastures next to the beach, a site that would quickly be snapped up and exploited for high-rise, "luxury" apartments in many other places in the world. Your definitions of green and blue change and become more vivid, of a higher standard.
But enough of the glossy romanticizing about New Zealand as a whole. Now that I have a little more time and regular internet access, I'll try to blog from time to time. Sometimes it will be about our travels in New Zealand (and other countries as we go--up next will probably be Vietnam and Cambodia). Other times it will be about the little life Jon and I are setting up in New Plymouth, as silly Americans still adjusting to this laid back little community, with a little more perspective and a few more ideas, bigger plans and a limitless amount of options.
Cheers.
