Looking back... Kia Ora and G'Day

It's almost 2am and I'm still not feeling sleepy and so I thought I'd do something I've been putting off for weeks- blog about my trip to New Zealand and Australia now that I have returned.

Let me finish my list:

#13 Legal drinking age in NZ is 18, but a major can buy a minor a drink and it's still legal.

#14 Sales Associates compare your signature on the receipt to the one on your credit card. And credit cards have pins, like debit cards in the US.

#15 Presents are called 'pressies' in Australia

#15 And in my humble opinion, the Australia's commuter rail system is pretty primitive.


As you can probably tell by now, the trip was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I think it came at a really good point in my life as I was totally burnt out with applications to schools, jobs, and studying. It was nice to not think about all the question marks at that point in my life and just live day to day.

My cousins, who were hosting me, turned out to be way cooler than I had ever imagined them to be. I had never expected myself to get along with them so well.

The adventures I had was another thing. My cousins kept on asking me what kind of places I wanted to see. I somehow couldn't find an answer to that question. I thought about it and kind of had an epiphany. Usually, when my relatives visit me, what usually happens is that we drive to all the touristy places, spend a few mins there and drive to the next one, the goal being to cover as many places as possible.

In my opinion, I felt like we were never able to soak in the essence, the history of the place this way. After years of traveling like that from when I was little, I've begun to avoid it. If you think about it, for a "seasoned" traveler like me (I'm not sure I can claim this yet, but let's go with it for now), the thing that you remember of a place is how it made you feel, not the facts and figures you are bombarded with when you are there. And traveling like that, there was no way really, to get a 'feel' of the place to remember it by. And so I told my cousins that's not what I want to do. Especially in a developed country like New Zealand, which shares many similarities from climate to landmarks, to cities in the US.

I got a job

Say what? Oh yeah, I got a job.


No way! Um...yes way!


It's not full time, it might have slightly weird hours and I'm not entirely sure what my role will be but it's in the health field and it's research, so really, it's probably as good as it gets :D

I went against some people's wishes and had to spend several months searching. I decided for my life to go in a certain (perhaps not the usual) direction and really began to question my decision during these past few months. That maybe I had taken the wrong decision. And I wasn't the only one having second thoughts. But I see the light now! And looking back, even though it is a little early to conclude this now, I think it was a step in the right direction.

I am so relieved right now! I feel like I can breathe a sigh, if only for a few moments before the fear that I might get fired sets in. And I'm so thankful. For my family who supported me in my decision even if they were sort of insecure about it, for friends who helped me through the searching process and who continuously pushed me to not lose hope, and everyone else. (Sounds like an award acceptance speech doesn't it?)

So yeah, I'm dancing, I'm smiling, and I'm happy :D

Au Revoir!

I hate goodbyes, something I experience a little too often in my opinion. And just to clarify, with my grandpa's recent demise in context, I am talking about the more temporary kind that occur at airports or houses. Every time I have to say goodbye to someone, it's like my heart is being pulled out (to be dramatic, in the least). Like there is a bubble of grief engulfing me wherever I go. How much ever I love traveling, I sometimes wish I could just stay in the same place forever just so I can avoid having to say goodbye. I often find myself delaying packing and going to airports late just so the goodbye part can be quick. After this trip to NZ and Australia, I thought I had gotten over my propensity to get too attached to people and not able to let go. But I guess I haven't.

Ever since my return, my cousin in NZ has been expressive about how much she misses us and me. Initially, I didn't feel the same sense of longing, and I was surprised by myself. But as the weeks passed, I realized how often I think about my cousin and my time spent there whenever I am free! My mind is constantly going back.

And today is the day before the bestie, Ms. Erica, is leaving for India and I came to realize how much I'm going to miss her only as I was walking away from her house. I think the last few minutes we spent together, both she and I realized that this was the last time we will be seeing each other for a couple of months, and I just couldn't come to accept it without becoming emotional. And so, (I think she noticed it too), I tried (as I always do) to hasten the goodbye. And as always, I find myself trying to console myself...that we will stay in touch with email, chats, FB, and what not. And we will see each other soon....

Why do goodbyes have to be so hard? Even the not so permanent ones?