those were the first words out of my mouth when our plane landed on new zealand turf.
i don't have a lot of time to write, so here are some highlights:
flight to LAX
i sat with an interesting irish guy who was traveling around california with 2 other friends. we talked for the last 2 hours of the flight. he and his friends accidently booked a hotel in compton. lets hope they are ok.
LAX
i meant this AWESOME kiwi couple waiting for our flight. they gave me a lot of advice and were very friendly. i have their phone number, and am planning on going out to dinner with them this week.
flight to auckland:
NO ONE SAT NEXT TO ME!!! i stretched out and slept for eight hours. it was pure magic. i tried to watch lawrence of arabia on the plane, but it wasnt working. so i watched little britain instead, listened to music, and played with my ipod.
Auckland:
Alison came on got me right on time. She is so sweet and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to new z. she has two other surfers at her house today (they are a married couple. one american, one brit). We are going to explore and hangout in Auckland City today. It is 800am on Monday. So, I think it make it 300 sunday in chicago? i think i did the math right.
!!!!
More to follow in the next few days.
peace out,
jewels
31.8.08
27.8.08
. . .you ought to know by now . . .
three nights left. three nights left of sleeping in my amazing bed with my lovely comforter. three nights left of sleeping in a bed. and then . . . couches. forever.
i hope not forever. just for a bit.
things are starting to calm down. the party went well. actually, it was great. a lot of people came, and it was great to introduce most to my infatuation with new zed. and it wasn't just my parents friends, some of mine came.
also, they were EXTREMELY generous. basically, i have more than enough cash.
all the big things are finished. just tying up loose ends. packing and such.
i haven't got emotional yet. my friend jill left today. she comes and visits a few times a month. my parents were really upset to see her leave. when i came home from dropping her off at the train station, my said, "i miss jill. i almost starting crying when she left." great. that's probably more than she will do for me. haha.
but for real. my mind is not cooperating with me. it is aware that it is leaving for a year, that it won't see anyone it knows for twelve months, that it will only encounter short people with curly hair, furry feet and speak with strange accents, and it will be driving on the utterly wrong side of the road. it knows all this, but it does not understand it. it has thought about this possibility for almost 8 years, but was never entirely sure it would ever become a reality. my mind sometimes cannot handle it. however, my heart is freaking out. anytime it hears the words "new zealand", "plane", "travel" or "jemaine" it pumps even faster, as if it is trying to get the rest of my body as excited as it is. especially my brain. my mind is slowly getting there, but it needs to keep the heart grounded and stable. the idea of finally achieving this is so surreal. when i my plane lands on new zealand soil, i don't know how i will react, and i hope i don't scare the person sitting next to me.
i will write again on Friday night. i am sure i won't be able to sleep. especially with a long flight ahead of me. some of you might not know this, but i am not the best flier in the world. if you know sean reimer, ask him about it. he experienced my nerves first hand. on almost a dozen flights.
alright, i'm outie (i just watched clueless. may i say . . . brilliant?!),
jewels
please, pray for me and my family. see-laters are not the greatest thing to say.
i hope not forever. just for a bit.
things are starting to calm down. the party went well. actually, it was great. a lot of people came, and it was great to introduce most to my infatuation with new zed. and it wasn't just my parents friends, some of mine came.
also, they were EXTREMELY generous. basically, i have more than enough cash.
all the big things are finished. just tying up loose ends. packing and such.
i haven't got emotional yet. my friend jill left today. she comes and visits a few times a month. my parents were really upset to see her leave. when i came home from dropping her off at the train station, my said, "i miss jill. i almost starting crying when she left." great. that's probably more than she will do for me. haha.
but for real. my mind is not cooperating with me. it is aware that it is leaving for a year, that it won't see anyone it knows for twelve months, that it will only encounter short people with curly hair, furry feet and speak with strange accents, and it will be driving on the utterly wrong side of the road. it knows all this, but it does not understand it. it has thought about this possibility for almost 8 years, but was never entirely sure it would ever become a reality. my mind sometimes cannot handle it. however, my heart is freaking out. anytime it hears the words "new zealand", "plane", "travel" or "jemaine" it pumps even faster, as if it is trying to get the rest of my body as excited as it is. especially my brain. my mind is slowly getting there, but it needs to keep the heart grounded and stable. the idea of finally achieving this is so surreal. when i my plane lands on new zealand soil, i don't know how i will react, and i hope i don't scare the person sitting next to me.
i will write again on Friday night. i am sure i won't be able to sleep. especially with a long flight ahead of me. some of you might not know this, but i am not the best flier in the world. if you know sean reimer, ask him about it. he experienced my nerves first hand. on almost a dozen flights.
alright, i'm outie (i just watched clueless. may i say . . . brilliant?!),
jewels
please, pray for me and my family. see-laters are not the greatest thing to say.
15.8.08
quick notes on the nz front:
1. i leave in 15 days. insane
2. i don't have all the money yet, but i will. righteous
3. i bought health insurance, but i am anxiously awaiting my policy cards. they better get here quick or will not be allowed in the country. for real
4. i have registered with 8 different job agencies. i hope i find one pretty quickly. preferably in wellington.
5. i have been in contact with this dude named sebastian at wingnut films, and i might have an opportunity to work on the hobbit movie. how sweet is that? he is keeping my c/v on file, and he is letting me know as soon as he does where and when they will need me. how tubular would that be to be apart of a project of that magnitude. i hope it works out.
6. i can't sleep at night anymore. my brain literally will not turn off.
7. did i mention i leave in 15 days?
8. over the last month, besides europe's its a final countdown, i have always had a flight of the conchords song in my head. right now it is "if that's what you're into". thanks dan.
9. i have purchased everything i will need for my trip, minus for batteries for my camera.
10. it is looking very likely that i am going to go to grad school in nz. i am planning on applying, but getting in is another story.
11. i am afraid that i am going to be ransacked by tears any day now. it hasn't happened yet, but i am waiting for it. and i bet it is going to rear its ugly head at a very inconvenient time.
12. i hope people come to my party my parents are throwing for me. it looks like it might only be my friend jill, and my parents friends. yay.
13. i want all of you to come visit. especially nicole, bob, charlotte, and ruby.
here's a righteous high five for all you jive turkeys out there,
jewels
(like that shout out, nicole?)
1. i leave in 15 days. insane
2. i don't have all the money yet, but i will. righteous
3. i bought health insurance, but i am anxiously awaiting my policy cards. they better get here quick or will not be allowed in the country. for real
4. i have registered with 8 different job agencies. i hope i find one pretty quickly. preferably in wellington.
5. i have been in contact with this dude named sebastian at wingnut films, and i might have an opportunity to work on the hobbit movie. how sweet is that? he is keeping my c/v on file, and he is letting me know as soon as he does where and when they will need me. how tubular would that be to be apart of a project of that magnitude. i hope it works out.
6. i can't sleep at night anymore. my brain literally will not turn off.
7. did i mention i leave in 15 days?
8. over the last month, besides europe's its a final countdown, i have always had a flight of the conchords song in my head. right now it is "if that's what you're into". thanks dan.
9. i have purchased everything i will need for my trip, minus for batteries for my camera.
10. it is looking very likely that i am going to go to grad school in nz. i am planning on applying, but getting in is another story.
11. i am afraid that i am going to be ransacked by tears any day now. it hasn't happened yet, but i am waiting for it. and i bet it is going to rear its ugly head at a very inconvenient time.
12. i hope people come to my party my parents are throwing for me. it looks like it might only be my friend jill, and my parents friends. yay.
13. i want all of you to come visit. especially nicole, bob, charlotte, and ruby.
here's a righteous high five for all you jive turkeys out there,
jewels
(like that shout out, nicole?)
30.7.08
its the final countdown
i dream about new zealand every night. not nice pretty dreams, but anxiety driven ones. either i forget my passport, i am late to the airport, my family has turned into hulk hogan's family, or i haven't packed anything. just a shirt and toothbrush. i can't find my visa. then i finally get on the plane, and the person next to me is eating a banana. not just one, he has a whole bunch. and to make my dreams even awesomer, the soundtrack to them is europe's "it's the final countdown".
needless to say, i am going a little crazy.
i have lists. of stuff to do, and people to see, and documents to copy. oh yes, documents.
i have my moments of freaking out. they use to be about every two months, but now they are increasing to every week. i am having new zealand contractions. its only going to get worse. and more intense. and will probably be more painful.
my mind can't rest. it is constantly turning and twirling and stretching and thinking, " you need to go the bank and figure out if you should have all your funds transferred to a bank there or only some, you need to find your birth certificate and copy it, get all your student loan crap in order, will you have enough money, how much crap are you going to bring with you, you need to email alison and get her address and double check that you can stay with her when you get there," and it goes on and on and on.
sometimes i think my brain might explode and ooze out of my ears and nose.
(this is what i look like when i have my freaking-out-new-zealand- contraction moments. attractive, right?)
basically, i need to CHILL OUT!!!
ok. that's enough. this rambling has just made me realize even more crap that needs to be taken care.
ouch, there was another contraction.
from julie the crazy lady
p.s. hi nicole!!
needless to say, i am going a little crazy.
i have lists. of stuff to do, and people to see, and documents to copy. oh yes, documents.
i have my moments of freaking out. they use to be about every two months, but now they are increasing to every week. i am having new zealand contractions. its only going to get worse. and more intense. and will probably be more painful.
my mind can't rest. it is constantly turning and twirling and stretching and thinking, " you need to go the bank and figure out if you should have all your funds transferred to a bank there or only some, you need to find your birth certificate and copy it, get all your student loan crap in order, will you have enough money, how much crap are you going to bring with you, you need to email alison and get her address and double check that you can stay with her when you get there," and it goes on and on and on.
sometimes i think my brain might explode and ooze out of my ears and nose.
(this is what i look like when i have my freaking-out-new-zealand- contraction moments. attractive, right?)
basically, i need to CHILL OUT!!!
ok. that's enough. this rambling has just made me realize even more crap that needs to be taken care.
ouch, there was another contraction.
from julie the crazy lady
p.s. hi nicole!!
21.6.08
70 days is not that long
seventy days, and i will be here. finally.
holy crap.
a little more than two months, and i am adios-ing this locale, and i am trading it in for a warmer climate. i need to save about $14 a day to raise the adequate funds for my southern hemisphere shenanigans.
some things i have decided:
1. i am not taking a laptop with me. i dont want to deal with it when roaming from place to place.
2. pregnancy is not as romantic as i once thought (not, i am not with child). keep truckin' , nicole.
3. i think nicole is the only one who reads this. thanks.
4. alison hagen is wonderful. she is this lady who i am staying with right when i get into new zealand, and she is trying dig me up some contacts in the film industry there. that has potential to be awesome.
5. i love pirate jokes. i spent most of my day at work creating them with my fellow employee, lisa. she made up a ton. my head manager even created two. here is one:
q: what's the pirate's favorite part of a tree?
a: the b-aaarrggghhh-k. pirate -->
6. can never work in retail again.
7. if i had all the $$ i needed for nz, i would move my ticket and leave on monday. seriously.
8. i love jemaine's lips. and i like bret a lot, too.
thats all. not much more to update.
jewels
holy crap.
a little more than two months, and i am adios-ing this locale, and i am trading it in for a warmer climate. i need to save about $14 a day to raise the adequate funds for my southern hemisphere shenanigans.
some things i have decided:
1. i am not taking a laptop with me. i dont want to deal with it when roaming from place to place.
2. pregnancy is not as romantic as i once thought (not, i am not with child). keep truckin' , nicole.
3. i think nicole is the only one who reads this. thanks.
4. alison hagen is wonderful. she is this lady who i am staying with right when i get into new zealand, and she is trying dig me up some contacts in the film industry there. that has potential to be awesome.
5. i love pirate jokes. i spent most of my day at work creating them with my fellow employee, lisa. she made up a ton. my head manager even created two. here is one:
q: what's the pirate's favorite part of a tree?
a: the b-aaarrggghhh-k. pirate -->
6. can never work in retail again.
7. if i had all the $$ i needed for nz, i would move my ticket and leave on monday. seriously.
8. i love jemaine's lips. and i like bret a lot, too.
thats all. not much more to update.
jewels
23.5.08
couchsurfing is brilliant
couchsurfing.com is the best.
if you are not a member and love to travel, neh . . . if you would die without seeking new adventures in distant lands, you HAVE to join this community.
because of couchsurfing.com, i currently have a place to stay in auckland the day i get there. AND, an airport pick up. how awesome is that? i am connecting with people who are almost as obsessed with new z as i am, and feeling more and more eager to travel to my island.
join join join.
off my soapbox now:
i am still needing to save about $2000. i want a cushion and that amount should provide it. i also need $$ for and eye appointment and health insurance (i need the h.i. in order to enter the country with the visa i have). yay univeral healthcare! oh, wait a minute . . .
not scared about the whole $$ situation. god will provide. i just gotta have faith, faith, faith. thank you george michael (after being a christian for a million years, it took a lyric from an 80's
classic to teach me about trust and faith. and, i am being completely serious. ask me about it someday, and i will tell you the story. it involves a rusty car, the blinding sun, a hilly road, an out-dated radio, and a gay pop icon).
also, in related news, my dear friend anna neale, a.k.a. turkey-butt, might be visiting me in nz for christmas. that would be amazing. AND amy grieve, a.k.a. tuls, might also visit in february. hey, its the thing to do. julie in new zealand is a pretty big deal. i guess they have to see it to believe it. consider this a formal invitation to come visit the islands (its only a few grand to fly there).
until next time.
if you are not a member and love to travel, neh . . . if you would die without seeking new adventures in distant lands, you HAVE to join this community.
because of couchsurfing.com, i currently have a place to stay in auckland the day i get there. AND, an airport pick up. how awesome is that? i am connecting with people who are almost as obsessed with new z as i am, and feeling more and more eager to travel to my island.
join join join.
off my soapbox now:
i am still needing to save about $2000. i want a cushion and that amount should provide it. i also need $$ for and eye appointment and health insurance (i need the h.i. in order to enter the country with the visa i have). yay univeral healthcare! oh, wait a minute . . .
not scared about the whole $$ situation. god will provide. i just gotta have faith, faith, faith. thank you george michael (after being a christian for a million years, it took a lyric from an 80's
classic to teach me about trust and faith. and, i am being completely serious. ask me about it someday, and i will tell you the story. it involves a rusty car, the blinding sun, a hilly road, an out-dated radio, and a gay pop icon).also, in related news, my dear friend anna neale, a.k.a. turkey-butt, might be visiting me in nz for christmas. that would be amazing. AND amy grieve, a.k.a. tuls, might also visit in february. hey, its the thing to do. julie in new zealand is a pretty big deal. i guess they have to see it to believe it. consider this a formal invitation to come visit the islands (its only a few grand to fly there).
until next time.
12.3.08
details concerning the galavanting
i bought a round trip ticket with qantas for a pretty nice price.
i depart 30 august 2008 from chicago to auckland, nz with a layover in los angeles.
at this point, i have a return ticket for 18 dec 2008, but i will, as of yesterday, not return on this day.
i applied for a working holiday visa and was approved a few days ago. and i currently have the visa and i am ready to go. with a working holiday visa, i can stay in new zealand and work for a year, and i can travel in and out of the country as well (but i dont plan on it. maybe to aussieland).
its going to be a few more months, and i have about 2000$ more to save.
but i am not worried. i am energized. and God definitely provides and has given me this opportunity. i feel blessed and freaking excited!
julie
and hey, if you know anyone there, or people you know, know anyone . . .let me know!
i depart 30 august 2008 from chicago to auckland, nz with a layover in los angeles.
at this point, i have a return ticket for 18 dec 2008, but i will, as of yesterday, not return on this day.
i applied for a working holiday visa and was approved a few days ago. and i currently have the visa and i am ready to go. with a working holiday visa, i can stay in new zealand and work for a year, and i can travel in and out of the country as well (but i dont plan on it. maybe to aussieland).
its going to be a few more months, and i have about 2000$ more to save.
but i am not worried. i am energized. and God definitely provides and has given me this opportunity. i feel blessed and freaking excited!
julie
and hey, if you know anyone there, or people you know, know anyone . . .let me know!
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