kia ora

so, its been a really long time since i wrote, and this is just going to be a quick little ditty.

right now i am in wanaka. its really beautiful, like the rest of new zealand. its in the south island. i am staying in a youth hostel and am sharing a room with a nice japanese girl. i have been in the south island for about 3 weeks? i think. and i leave here next thursday to head back to wellington for a job interview! with a company called idea services. i would be a community support worker, assisting people with intellectual and physical disabilities, in their group home. mainly with getting them where they need to go, making sure they keep their rooms neat (no comment parents!) and personal hygiene is practiced. also, i will be spending the nights a few days a week, so that entails dinner and breakfast, and making sure everyone goes to bed and to be there at night if it is needed.

i am really really good. about a week and a half ago, i was in queenstown and met up with my family friends, the Fores, and it was great to spend time with them! we had a blast, chilling in q town, doing the shotover jet boat ride, going up the gondola, and riding down on the luge. it was so great to see familiar faces! i even stayed with them in their hotel.

then, i had an issue. with my eye. long story short, in the matter of 4 days, I saw 4 different doctors, in 2 cities (the queenstown GP told me to go to Dunedin, and see the specialist there), where the put countless drops in my eyes. They poked and prodded my eye, until they found out that i have 2 ulcers and 2 abrasions on my left eye. awesome. but, the good part was the I got to so back to Dunedin, and see my kiwi family. I met them through couchsurfing, and they are seriously my second family now. they are the greatest. i have stayed with them for 12 days, and i loved every minute of it. Their names are Debbie and Hamish Jones. And they have a 17 year old son, who is basically my little brother over here. Basically, they are the greatest. i will tell you more about them when I have more time to write.

This is it for now. I am well, and still loving NZ. Oh yeah, I rented a car today! And i have been having a blast driving on the left. And just really enjoying the freedom to go where I want, when I want, and the pace I want. I dont have to follow the timetables of the buses for the next few days, and that is really nice.

Sending my love from Wanaka.

julie