July 7, 2010
“I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve sunny days that I never thought would never end. I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, But I always thought that I’d see you again” – James Taylor, Fire and Rain
Happy belated 4th of July. 5 months ago I quit my job to move to New Zealand and be a traveling hobo. Well, not exactly, but that is how it worked out. Last Friday I returned to Auckland having covered most of this beautiful country. I know there is some perfect aphorism to describe my adventure, some sage advice and scholarly wisdom from a man who has accumulated so many hours and miles and footsteps on the road, but it eludes me. All I know is that the 6 months before I left were difficult. I wasn’t happy. But today I am happy and I don’t regret even the tiniest fraction of my decision.
Instead of trying to be insightful and prolific, I’m going free-form:
$3300 for a 1989 Toyota TownAce with 221,000 km
12,000+ km traveled
$2300 on fuel
1 new engine ($2500)
2 new heater hoses ($178)
1 flat tire ($10)
115 nights on the road
39 nights spent sleeping in the van ($314 in camp fees)
43 nights spent in the homes of friends ($0)
33 nights spent in hostels ($759)
$60 for a heavy blanket, my second best purchase
$35 for imitation Ugg boots, my best purchase
16 books started
12 books finished
$1 for a paperback copy of The Grapes of Wrath, the book I most enjoyed
30 lbs of body weight lost
3 razorblade cartridges used
March was the month of fish and chips
April was the month of avocados and sausage
May was the month of meat pies
June was the month of mandarin oranges and trail mix
Castlepoint was my best surf session
Victory Bay was my scariest…and coldest
Marmite is not good. Neither is vegemite.
Kiwi wines are excellent. Kiwi beer is decent.
Rugby is cool, but not even close to football (or soccer). Cricket is a lame version of baseball.
I’ve been to 98 of the 104 pages on my NZ road map. The Northland is all that remains. It will be explored, but now it’s time to get a job and return to the world of responsible adulthood. I’m excited about my prospects in rebuilding a stable life: to living in a bed without wheels, to showering daily, wearing clean clothes, to after-work sports leagues, friends, dating and becoming a local at a surf spot.
I guess this is the inflection point for the blog. It isn’t much of a travel memoir if I’m not on the road. There will be stories but they will be fewer and further between. I will try to keep everyone updated on the major news, amusing anecdotes and quirks of being a Kiwi-transplant. If you just check the website to see if it has updated, this would be the time to subscribe. When I post, you’ll be notified. Until then, enjoy this youtube clip. It’s an Aussie’s take on Kiwi accents.
