When a 'later in life' OE becomes something more ... burgers become pies, peanut butter becomes Marmite, French Toast becomes spaghetti on toast, friends become mates, and perspectives change.
A bach is a Kiwi holiday house. Even though I've heard that they are called bachs on the North Island and cribs on the South Island, my friend who owns one in Colac Bay (south of Queenstown) calls his a bach. This is his really cool bach not far from the beach. I love that bach with it's separate sleep-out, an outdoor pizza oven, a sauna, a hot tub, an outdoor shower, and two outdoor fire pits. It's the ultimate fun house and up for holiday rental if anyone is keen.
For my birthday this year, it was a trip south to Colac Bay. Colac Bay is about a 3 hour drive from Queenstown to the bottom of the South Island. A friend has an awesome bach there about a street back from the beach that we were given access to. I'll post photos of the bach separately because I LOVE it. I actually want that house, and it is for sale. It's also for holiday rental. Colac Bay is a little surf town near Riverton. I'd been there before, but it was cold and drizzly then. On this visit, it was glorious, as you can see from the photos!
Another friend is a part owner of a large section of land on the point at Colac Bay. He gave us access to the land. All we had to do was check-in with the farmer that lives on and works the land ... and make sure we closed all gates we entered to make sure the cattle didn't get out. From here one can look out across the ocean and see Stewart Island in the distance. It made a perfect spot for a beach picnic that included paua freshly plucked from the sea.
February may be the shortest month of the year, but it may have been the busiest for me. A wedding, a huge birthday party, work, being outside ... here's a random sampling of some of the month's activities.
I had a very unique opportunity a few weeks ago. Tourism New Zealand sponsored a contest called Your Big Break where amateur film-maker competed to make short films targeted at the North America audience. The purpose of the films is to raise awareness of New Zealand in North America. I was invited to watch and photograph the shooting of one of the finalist's films.
What an incredible experience and opportunity this contest provided for the finalists! They were able to work with production crews and shoot in locations that were used for such films as Lord of the Rings and Wolverine! How exciting and intimidating this must have been for the finalists.
In my attempts to get a few nice scenic shots for TNZ (and in order to not disrupt the shooting), I went for a little wander away from the action. In the tall grass, I came across this skull overlooking Rees Valley. Probably a sheep. We also got fed really well as evidenced by this HUGE pavlova that was served to finish off lunch.
My first serious relationship was during my first year at University. He played golf ... so did his sister ... so did his father. Apparently, they were all pretty good golfers ... 72 ... is that good? During the course of our relationship, his family would go off to some of the nicest golf courses around the US, and outside of the US as well ... Pebble Beach, the multiple courses in Palm Springs, even St. Andrews, the home of golf, in Scotland. I was usually invited to come along and learn to play. Something I never did because I was too scared of embarrassing myself, or worst yet, injuring someone ... namely, me. So I had plenty of opportunity to learn. I even gave myself the assignment of photographing the University Golf team so I could experience walking the course during a game to try understand what the draw of golf is.
In January, I helped with a hole-in-one fundraiser at the golf course in Glenorchy. During the down time, I would pick up a club and try my hand at putting. It was then that I realized, hmmm, there is something here. Maybe I can see why people get hooked. And when people watching me started to say, "How long have you been golfing? You look like you know what you're doing.", I decided it was time to give it a go.
So yesterday afternoon, I took my first ever golf lesson with the golf pro at Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown, just outside of Queenstown. It was only half an hour, but wow, what you can learn in 30 minutes! The Pro explained that we'd be taking baby steps in learning because it can get too overwhelming in the beginning. It was fun! But ... I had no idea how much technique is really involved. And I had no idea how much your body gets stretched. I got home last night feeling slightly stiff and my back aching. Don't ever let anyone tell you that golf isn't very physical or isn't exercise or fitness!
I actually hit the ball ... multiple times. And at least one of those times it was a pretty good whack, almost an effortless feel, which I understand is how it is supposed to be. I think I'm going for another lesson next week. But I'll have to try to fit in some practice prior to then, because as the Pro told me, "Another lesson won't do you any good unless you practice."
Golfers, birds, tree and anyone in the surrounding area ... beware!
I've been feeling like this for quite some time ... and planning to write about it. Funny how I never seem to get around to this topic. It's probably because as soon as I write about it, it will be out there. It will be public. It will mean that it has finally sunk in ... I'm not on Holiday anymore.
This has to be a common feeling shared by expats around the world, right? You've left your home country to try living somewhere that you fell in love ... probably during a Holiday. But at some point, you're no longer just "visiting". At some point you realize, this is my new life that I've chosen to live right now. You have to start thinking about the things you don't have to think about while on Holiday ... things like when is my car payment due, did my paycheck get automatically deposited into my bank account, how do taxes work in this country, and more importantly, do I owe any taxes in this country? It's about a different mind-set, about a different attitude.
When you're on Holiday, you're an observer really. You're generally pretty happy and carefree. And why wouldn't you be? This is your Holiday, your time to escape your day-to-day life and get from a Holiday whatever you choose. But then you go back to your "normal" life. Well, this is now my normal life. And even though I have to think about those things you don't have to think about on Holiday, I know I can literally step outside my house and be on Holiday for even 5 minutes a day with this view I'm so incredibly fortunate to be enjoying on a daily basis. That's the beauty of living in Queenstown, New Zealand.
I made a post earlier about being positive versus negative. If you are reading this and haven't read that post, I suggest you read that entry as well. That will explain why I decided to write about this.
I changed my life almost 2 years ago now by moving to the other side of the world. To a town much, much smaller than what I was used to. To a different culture. With no friends except my new friend who is now my partner.
In all my entries, I've tried to be super positive. Why shouldn't I be? I've changed my life, rather dramatically it turns out. In some ways, it has been like I've been reborn. It's just that I've been reborn in my forties, not in my twenties. So for anyone who thinks that my life is all hunky dory, just remember that the grass isn't always as green as it looks. And let me tell you why ...
1) It's hard to build a career over when the town you live in doesn't have the industry you worked in. And not many understand what you used to do or how it can help them in their business. The upside - lots of opportunity to reinvent yourself.
2) It's hard to get work when you're over-qualified for at least half of the work available in town. The upside - a chance to try your hand at something new.
3) It's not so easy to make close friends when everyone has established friends, and most people are busy with their families. It's not like you're going to go out drinking all night at one of the 100+ bars in town and make a new life friend.
4) It's really expensive here ... at least in Queenstown. No upside whatsoever.
5) And my current income is less than half what it used to be.
6) Shopping. It's not great. Expensive, limited selections ... especially shoes. The upside - you spend less money on things you don't need anyway.
7) It's super dry here, especially in the Winter. I scared the hell out of myself the first time I went skiing and took off my goggles when I went to the loo. Holy Hell! It was like I'd gone through a time warp. The upside - it forces me to drink more water.
8) It's cold here for a California girl. I'm talking freakin' cold in the Winter. I'm still enjoying it, but am starting to wonder how long the novelty will last. The upside - beautiful.
9) No good, cheap Mexican food. Pretty hard for a girl from LA. The upside - my partner cooks, loves Mexican food, and knows the only real place in town that makes and sells real flour tortillas.
10) Domestic air fares are not cheap. Neither is petrol for your car. This is why I check Air New Zealand's web site daily for their Grab-a-Seat offers. The upside - maybe it will force me to walk more.
