Looking Forward to Another Great Year

Just Like Christmas

You know that feeling when you wake up on Christmas morning and you know you will have gifts but you have no idea what they will be or what the day has in store?  Well, yesterday I had Christmas in August! Seventeen months ago I packed my entire apartment into a storage unit and sent it away leaving only the things I would be taking to New Zealand. Yesterday, the container was delivered and moved into my new apartment in Chicago.

I've never had professional movers before so it was a nice treat to just watch (or at least attempt to, as it turns out I'm not very good at just observing without helping) as my things were marched out of the storage unit.  I found myself getting more and more excited as boxes and belongings popped into view.  My tent! My golf clubs! My rollerblades! My ice skates!! I actually started to feel bad for the two movers because they couldn't keep me off the truck. I kept going up to try to "help" by pulling out all the odd shaped items that wouldn't stack neatly on their piles.  Or at least that's what I told myself, in reality I just wanted to see what might be next in this box of goodness.

By noon everything had been unloaded and it was time to open boxes and put things away. What many people dread during a move, was just more Christmas to me. One of the things I have missed most over the last 9 months (that's how long it's been since I've had a place to call home), is cooking for myself regularly. I wouldn't consider myself to be a cook, until I had to go without a kitchen for extended periods.  I tackled the kitchen first (cleaning before things could be put away) and then I moved to the bedroom, bathroom and storage.  I was an unpacking machine.  Dishes, clothes, photos, it all brought back a familiar feeling and memories.  There was always an odd one too... (where did that lei come from and why did I decide I needed it??). 

I even left my unpacking mania momentarily to meet the neighbors and see if anyone had a wireless signal I could temporarily borrow.  I was thrilled to find that directly across the hall is a couple that is my age and awesome!! I think I'm going to like it here (for awhile anyway). 

This morning I woke in my own bed.  Tonight I made dinner with my own pots and pans, cutting food with my own knives. I left dishes out after I ate. I filled the refrigerator with my own food. I still have a lot to do, in fact my list is about a mile long, but it's a start. Now I just need to find my own job.

Things to be thankful for:
- Great neighbors
- Another new beginning
- Future opportunities

Selamat Datang (Welcome) to Malaysia

I had a very tearful goodbye leaving New Zealand and a long delay to make things worse (only because I had plenty of time to sit in the Auckland airport thinking about my departure).  But I am happy to report I have now made it safely to Kuala Lumpur.

The Petronas Twin Towers

I arrived at 1am and decided to take my dad's advice and take a cab to the hostel in order to avoid the unknown dangers that could have been lurking behind every dark corner.  I got out of the cab in China town and although my last experience in Asia was in India more than 15 years ago, I recognized the smell and feel of the air before my foot hit the ground.  It's incredible what memories strong smells can conjure.  I made my way up to the second floor where I checked into my hostel.  I crashed safely in my bunk after 24 hours without any real sleep. I was exhausted.

On Wednesday I woke up to the hustle and bustle of the city.  Malaysia is a melting pot of people, particularly Indians, Chinese and Muslims have settled here over the years of growth.  It means that there are huge contrasts in the city and culture.  I opted for the hop on and off bus tour so that I could cover more ground in the two days I have.  I tried a small Indian stand for lunch, I toured the National Mosque and the orchid and hibiscus gardens, I chatted with the people on my bus and then, worn out, I returned to the hostel in the early evening.  And in case you are wondering...there really are motorcycles and scooters everywhere! 

Touring KL

Oddly enough the one thing I didn't expect (but foolishly should have) were all the Asians taking pictures.  Which seems stupid considering I'm in Asia.  They clearly use it as their practice ground because it was a struggle to get photos without them in it... except in Chinatown.  I guess that's like photographing a McDonald's they are everywhere.

Today I took the train out of the city to Batu Caves, a place of worship for Hindus.  It was quite beautiful once you got to the top but that may have had to do with the 300 steps that it required on a hot and humid day. 

Batu Caves

As I was leaving an "Indian gypsy" offered me an anklet for 28 Ringgits (approx. $10 USD).  He had slipped it on my ankle so I could see how it looked.  As I struggled to figure out how to unclasp it, the price continued to drop, and drop, and drop.  Pretty soon I told him I couldn't afford it with the 4 Ringgits I had in my pocket.  I was wrong.  He got 4 Ringgits and I received an unexpected lesson...even a 85% discount isn't unrealistic in Asia

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...

And so it begins

Well, I've done it.  I'm heading to New Zealand in just 28 days.  I have recently decided to make a big (albeit, potentially brief) change in my life.  I have a flight booked for March 9, arriving in Auckland on the 11th (via Los Angeles).  My goal is to stay at least 2 months.  If I can find work, I may stay for up to 12, just to see what it's like to live like a Kiwi.

Since purchasing my ticket, I've been so excited that complete strangers are learning my plans (sometimes before my closest friends and family).  The woman at the bank who changed my address wished me luck, the kid that helped me with phone questions at T-Mobile was stoked, the guy at the Apple store showing me the wonderous benefits of the new iPod Nano thought it was totally cool, and even the Air New Zealand employee who helped me book my plane ticket was keen to hear about my plans.

I have been ridiculously giddy, for lack of a better term,...and just as it builds to near bursting levels, it hits me.  The fear.  The reality of what I am setting out to do brings me crashing back down.  I'm leaving my job, my friends, my family, most of my possessions, my cat, and my apartment to embark on a trip that will take me halfway around the world to who knows what.  My family is fully supportive of this move but that's not completely surprising because, as one friend put it, I come from a family of nomads (and adventurers).  And my friends may think I'm a bit nuts but for the most part they have been supportive, excited, and even at times a bit envious. 

So I continue on my emotional roller coaster ride, careening around the corners, and up and down the hills, silently screaming with excitement and fear the whole way.  All I can hope is that this ride, like the others, will end safely, leaving me with an adrenaline rush, very few bumps and bruises, an awesome experience, and the urge to jump right back in the line to do it all again.

Personal goals:
- Celebrate my 30th birthday in New Zealand
- Experience a new country and culture
- Discover what it's like to leave my security behind
- Create the stories to tell when I'm 90