The long overdue New Zealand post

Hey, two years and three days ago me. My last post was on 12 May 2013. The way I wrote that date is the way it is written in New Zealand (day goes before month). I've been living here for 15 months now and have grown accustomed. Though it can still be confusing at times when you're writing it numerically. You have to write the date a lot in life, I find.

I'm currently waiting to hear back about a job I interviewed for last week that I'm excited about and that I'm praying will keep me here a while longer. It's been an interesting 15 months to say the least. I also feel like I'm just starting to really enjoy/settle into my life here, so I'm doing my darndest to hang on to that for a while. Life is short and all that jazz. If I can't...well I don't know. The possibility of having to start over is daunting, and quite frankly, unwelcome. I'm not ready to go yet. I hope God feels the same.  

I've been living in what's been dubbed "the coolest little capital in the world" for a little over a year now. Wellington is NZ's capital city - population 200 or so thousand. I liken it to a smaller Seattle with hints of Portland and San Francisco. Having lived in Seattle for 14 years prior, and SF being one of my fav cities, maybe you can see its appeal. 

Pic from my first visit to Wellington

That said, did I move clear across the world just to pick up in another city that reminded me of home? The answer is...I don't know. I'd only visited Auckland on a 4-day trip 6 months prior to making the move here, and I didn't know where I ultimately wanted to land before travelling the country some more. But, after travelling around the country for a couple months between house sitting, couch-surfing and taking a tour of the North and South Islands that involved sleeping in no less than 16 hostels, it became clear that I was incredibly ready for a place to call home.

Wellington was an overnight stop on the aforementioned tour, and after an afternoon spent exploring the city centre it became clear to me that I wanted to give living there a go. I'd also heard great things about it despite its other claim to fame as being one of the world's windiest cities - "Windy Welly" as it's colloquially known. 

Geographically, NZ is comprised of two islands - North and South - separated by the Cook Strait which connects the Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean. You can fly between them of course, or take a 3-hour ferry journey with gorgeous views if the weather Gods are in your favor. 

To be continued...