I'M BACK!!!!

So much for the post office and there 6-8 day shipping. Now about 2.5 weeks later I finally have received my package and my computer charger. Woohoo

So I feel like I have a lot to update on, but don't feel like a whole lot has happened. I know once I get to writing it will be never ending, so brace yourself.

Work is going really well. I enjoy my job and I am pretty sure this place could have it's own reality tv show. I think that is the way any bar/restaurant job is though. In a small town you have a lot of drunks because they don't have anything else to do. The weather was cold and rainy for a couple weeks, so it really brought out the booze, which of course encourages the drama. The police check the bars constantly around these parts, so when someone is drunk you instantly cut them off. I know that's supposed to be the case anywhere, but we all know good and well that not many places around home will cut you off. Anyways, in doing so I have made a couple enemies and called a bitch on more than one occasion. Then they come in again like nothing ever happened and the whole cycle starts over again. Oh the joys of working in a bar!

There was an American couple here for a week that was probably around their late 60's. They were from Florida and were retired from the airline industry, so they were out traveling the world. Sometimes I am still convinced I should become an airline attendant so that I could fly first class stand by on international flights. Anywho, this couple was so cool. The wife went SKYDIVING AND BUNGEE JUMPING!! I hope I'm that cool at that age, but I doubt it. Last time I was here I went bungee jumping and it was beautiful and all, but I had to jump with someone because there was no way I was going to make myself jump. Never doing that again. Skydiving, on the other hand, was the coolest thing ever. If you are going to do it though be sure it's somewhere scenic. It's not too cool when you're just jumping out of a plane to see the interstate or something.

The weather over the past 5 days has been AMAZING! It's gotten really warm. I have turned off the electric blanket and now sleep with the windows open. It's crazy since 2 weeks ago I woke up to snow. With the weather being so nice I have been able to run after work. I love to run, but I do get bored with it normally. It is so beautiful here though I can't imagine really tiring of it, other than the fact that the hills are so brutal. I've never been a hill runner, but I guess I am going to have to now. It's worth it though because when you get to the top and are running along the paths that overlook the farms and mountains and neighborhoods, it's seriously breathtaking. I am looking forward to the weather getting warmer because I am much more motivated to get outside. I have scoped out several trails and hikes I want to do, so you can count on lots of scenic pictures to come as we head into summer.

This Friday my friend Joe and I are headed on a roadtrip for 6 days. We are heading first to Christchurch to see Kora, which is a New Zealand band that is kind of funky, reggae type music. It's about 6 hours away and on the east coast. Then we are going to head north to Kaikoura to see whales and sea lions and all kinds of marine life. We will stay for a night and then head to the very top of the south island to Picton and the Marlborough sounds. I read up on all of it last night and got so excited I'm afraid I won't want to come back to work. There are tons of walking trails, biking and kayaking that can be done around there. On top of all that it is the Marlborough wine region. I love wine and I know every vineyard is different, but I can skip that for the sheer fact of how pretty it will be and all of the other things we can do. I of course go all out when I travel and wake up real early, get moving and pack in every single thing I can. I also have made all of our plans and have not consulted with my travel buddy on any of it! He better prepare himself for an intense week. We will stay up there for a few days and come back through Christchurch for one more night to see Mumford & Sons!!

When I get back from our trip I am actually moving! I have made a few friends that are locals around here and I told one of them I was considering moving. It just so happened that he had a room open at his house. There is another girl that lives there as well and works at the bird sanctuary down in Queenstown. I have not met her, but it will be nice to live with people a bit closer to my age.

I'm sure I am leaving so much out, but I will now be able to blog consistently and get caught back up!

Oh PS....I hope you are all watching Homeland. Last night was the best episode yet!

OUT OF COMMISSION!

So for the next week or so I will be out of commission due to my computer failing me. It stopped charging, so my sweet mother added a charger and battery into a package she was sending me. It would cost me a couple hundred bucks to buy that around here, so I figured wait until it can be sent since there were extras at home. If I have a chance this weekend I will head down to the Internet cafe to update my blog. Otherwise, sit tight for the next week and I will be back up and running after that!

All of my pictures are on my camera, other than this cute Tango date I had the other day!

More pictures

Driving from Arrowtown to Queenstown is such an amazing thing. I pay more attention to the scenery than the road :) I constantly find myself stopping for pictures, so I'm sure I have tons of the same. The little red house is my new home! I'll get a better angle, but I took that real quick before leaving for work while I was thinking about it. For the next few weeks I'm just working Monday through Friday 8-4, so I have a pretty unheard of schedule for the hospitality industry! Hopefully I will get to make some trips around the area here soon!

Enjoy!

Dear Summer, Please hurry up!

I have been here 8 days! It feels like so much longer, I guess since so much has happened. I have a job and a place to live, so things have been a bit hectic getting settled in. Working really takes away from my blogging, Skyping, emailing, Facebooking time. Quite the problem eh?

My new job is great. I stay busy, which is really nice since I hate sitting around staring at the wall. We have a rooftop/balcony restaurant that overlooks the mountains and we can slide open all of the doors on that side, so essentially the whole thing is open. It is really nice and warm during the day, except for when it rains, which has been the past 2 days. However, the sun is back out now and it's super nice. I had to drive to the airport today to pick up my boss' friend and everything is getting bright green and the sky is clear blue. For it to be this beautiful right now, I can't imagine what it will be like in another month. It is still pretty cold the minute the sun goes down. Houses here don't have heaters, which I find unbearable for winter. Most places have big fire places or otherwise they will have a small space heater. Where I am living, we have a great warm fire, but my room stays freezing. I have an electric blanket that I turn on about an hour before bed. Greatest thing ever! I love jumping in the warm cozy bed. Waking up is pretty brutal. I came up with the brilliant idea to have my clothes for the following day next to the bed, so I set my alarm 10 minutes early. When it goes off I hit snooze, turn the blanket on high, put my clothes under the covers and then sleep until the alarm goes off again. Magic! Don't let me fool you though, I'm still not warm and fuzzy, I'm cold, just not freezing. I work at 8am, so I decided I will start getting up early and coming to work around 7, so I can sit by the fire and use the internet. I don't have wifi at my house, so I have to take advantage of it when I have it. I may eventually get it, but I want to wait it out a bit to see what happens.

Since it is still so cold at night, I made Sante Fe Soup the other night, which of course is my favorite easy chili in the whole world! I made enough to last me the whole week. For those of you that have seen my India pictures know about my elephant pants. They are basically bright blue MC Hammer pants with elephants on them and the most comfortable things in the entire world. I put my PJ's on after work yesterday, lounged on the couch reading 'Little Bee', listening to the rain, eating chili, and then watched Homeland. Let me just tell you, if you don't like that show, I can't be your friend anymore. Remember this is coming from someone that hasn't owned a tv or had cable since my junior year of college. There is a part of me that wonders what I was thinking? Anyways, I'm hooked and now trying to figure out where I can find season 1 so I can have a marathon this weekend.

I can't remember if I have mentioned my living arrangements yet or not. I found a place with a lady I work with. She's 48 and her name is Sue. Sounds amazing right? She really lives with her boyfriend so I have the house to myself. I feel like I live in an outdated log cabin. The walls are all wood and the curtains and furniture are quite grandmotherly print...think floral, maroons and dark green. Disclaimer, my grandparents house looks nothing like that, but you know where I'm coming from. And if your house looks like this and under 65, then I apologize, but please let me know so I can send some decorating help your way.

The one downside to this place is there is no good music. There is no Callaghan's. Quite sad. I am currently listening to a playlist that consists of John Mayer circa 2005. I heard 'Sweet Home Alabama' on this same playlist earlier. Places here have DJ's and by DJ's I mean the ones that were at middle school sock hops and you request songs to. That's not music. If only someone had fulfilled my life long dream of teaching me to play the drums, I would create my own band. I guess until then I will be requesting '90's pop and rock at the DJ booth.

I realized after just ranting about DJ's that I have been out later than 9pm once since I've been here. HA! It was to watch the Packers and Seattle play at this sports bar with a huge screen. So really I haven't witnessed a DJ, but I'm going off what I have been told and the image I have created in my mind. I'll keep you posted.

Sorry if I bounce around when I write. I get overwhelmed and one thought leads to another and I get off track. Too much to say, too little space! Guess that's all for now. I will be in touch soon.

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