Until We Meet Again New Zealand

Goodbye New Zealand.  Through my experience here, I've learned about myself, this country and my own country too, its people and people in general.  It's been an amazing year.

Thank you New Zealand for:

• Showing me that it isn't actually necessary to finish sentences, particularly the similes.  Why bother, there really isn't a comparison worthy enough anyway ("Sweet as" "Cheap as")
• And a vocabulary lesson.  Jandals, Holiday, Boot and Bonnet, Biscuits (instead of cookies), Lemonade (instead of Sprite), Bach, and so many more.  I'm now fluent in two languages.
• The people who were kind of enough to occasionally mistake my accent for one of yours...when they weren't asking if I was Canadian
• The wine, bread and other carbs that were so tasty and comforting that they aided in my gaining 20 lbs while I've been here.  Without that I may have forgotten that I was in the best shape of my life before I arrived and I wouldn't have such a high goal to achieve when I leave.  Thanks for that.
• The technology: Ahead in so many ways and so far behind in others.  It kept me on my toes and tested my temper all at the same time.
• Destroying my spelling, it's going to take at least a year for me to recover from spelling things with u's and s's and consonants where they don't belong. 
• Your commercials.  There are just no words to describe the variety.  One commercial featured a girl and her pet...a beaver.  That's right, it was a tampon commercial.  Classy.
• Teaching me the difference between Australians and New Zealanders.  They aren't the same country...who knew?

I imagine that people will ask, "What was the best thing about living in New Zealand?"  And I'll say the first thing that pops into my mind and smile. But on the inside, I'll be wondering how I could ever actually put into words the amazing time I've had here...I think without someone having the experience themselves it couldn't be described at all.

I set out last March with very few expectations for my trip here, maybe that's why it's been so successful.  My hope was that I could last until my birthday in May, which would have been three months.  The reality is that it's hard for me to leave now, 12 months later.  There are still things that I didn't accomplish on my "To Do List" but I actually knocked off the majority...and many more if you consider everything I've done that wasn't on the list.  I've experienced vacations, time with friends, gorgeous landscapes, remote islands, romantic flings, new adventures and so much more.  I wanted to "Live like a Kiwi" and I'd like to think I've done a pretty good job. 

A big thank you to all of the people I have met here who have helped me enjoy this past year to the fullest.  And a thank you to my friends and family back home who were excited for my travels, followed my ramblings on this blog and kept in touch while I've been away.  It's nice to feel loved by so many people around the world.

Next up:  Southeast Asia tomorrow where the adventure continues...