Makin plans

My first day in NZ was quite exhausting. I managed to make it to the orientation which was really helpful. I met a handful of other people who just arrived and we all kind of wandered around together buying phones and just checking out the city. Auckland has about 1 million people in it and is built on 48 dead volcanoes, so it is very hilly. Those of you who have been to UMass, think Fearing St. except 15 blocks long. Needless to say I am getting a work out. Most of the people I have met are planning on leaving Auckland today or tomorrow. Auckland is a nice city, but it is expensive to live and eat here so it's not ideal for a backpacker.

I am going to stay here for probably five more days. I booked a free bus tour around the city so I can get glimpse of it all without having to trek up and down the hills ( I don't think my calfs would ever forgive me). I am thinking about buying this bus flexipass called the Kiwi Experience. It's a bus company geared towards backpackers. The pass is valid for 12 months and can get me all around the North Island. I can get on whenever I want and get off whenever I want. While on the bus they set up trips around the areas we are driving through. It sounds like a pretty good deal. I am going to go back into the Bunac office today and talk to the job recruiter to see where she thinks there are jobs and then see if that coincides with this bus pass.

Sadly, despite dollar drink night, I did not go out on my first night in NZ. I was just too tired. I fell asleep at 9pm and didn't wake up until 9 this morning. Hopefully, that sleep will cure the jet lag. Thankfully the hostel is very quiet so I did get a good nights sleep. There are two other girls in my room but we were only all in the room when we were all sleeping so we didn't really talk. I paid for another night in the hostel but I don't know if I am going to stay at this hostel for the rest of my stay in Auckland. The other traveller's are nice, but they just sit around and watch tv. Something I would love to do while in NJ but not in NZ. After I am done writing this I am going to check out some other hostels around. There is one that is right above a night club which looks intriguing since it will probably have more backpackers my age. It is also slightly cheaper than the hostel I am in right now which is a plus.

I haven't eaten lamb yet. I did the typical thing and stuck to food I know, like Rice crispies and Subway. There coffee here is good. It's strong but not too bitter. I heard Wellington is the land of coffee bars and cafes so I think I might make my way down there. Tooting hasn't been a problem yet, but we'll see!

I am not freaking out but...

There is now less than a week before I leave for New Zealand and I just realized that due to the time changes I will be experiencing Tuesday, September 27 2005 does not exist for me. It will be skipped over in my time labeling system. That is weird. Also with less than a week left I realize how much I thought I was going to get done while I was home and still haven't, like applying to grad schools and unpacking.

I didn't think applying to grad school was going to be as hard as it is. I need to write a persuasive personal statement that will essentially say "Hey I have no idea what I want to do with a masters degree in math but I swear that if you let me go to your school I will figure out something productive to do with the degree by the time I leave that does not include just walking around and demanding that everyone call me Master Elyse Fosse." I know the applications will get done, but I also know that they won't be done before I leave. Thanks to my A+ procrastination I will be applying to grad schools from abroad, which actually isn't that hard thanks to the internet.

Some people have asked if I am packed yet. Packed?! haha I have yet to finish unpacking from my summer in Amherst. There is still some of my stuff sitting on a table in the basement. The little kid in me wants to just leave it there knowing that my Dad will threaten to throw it all out and my mom will put it all away for me instead. But no! As much fun as it would be to annoy my Dad from afar I will do the grown up thing and move everything...tomorrow.

same old same old for now

For now I am just hanging out in Jersey enjoying my friends and working at the ups store. In 12 days I will be on a plane for the first time since I was 8. Am I nervous? Not quite. Instead I have these weird anxieties. For instance, I'm not worried about where I am going to stay when I get to New Zealand(I have two nights booked at a hostel) but I am worried about tooting(farting, boompseing) while sleeping at the hostel. I am sharing my room at the hostel with strangers and I don't know how they will react to my bodily funcions. Another one: I'm not worried about finding a job but I am worried about being labeled the fat American girl. And the truth of it all is that I am really excited to go and travel. Everything is bought. Of course I'm not packed, that will happen the night before I leave.
There is still a lot to do before I leave. I've given up on bingo and have decided to try my luck in Atlantic City. I am also going to the Breakfast Club, a fabulous 80s dance club on Friday. I am still attempting to apply Grad Schools but the fact that the actual deadlines are a couple months away si making it harder for me to focus. Essentially my life is pretty relaxing right now and there are no real complaints, I am very thankful for that.