Wellcome to Wellington

Before we begin, I just want to thank you all for your continued support of this blog. I'd be happy if it was just a way for me to remember it all but with over 2,000 page views, Im glad that you guys like it too.

 -Wilson

This weekend's travels brought us to the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington. Now, I had heard a lot about Wellington from friends that had visited and I was really excited about what lay ahead of me. So after getting some work done early (I am clearly no longer in the states), I headed off.

Upon the end of my nine hour journey I was promptly scooped up by Walker and whisked away to a bar for trivia night with his friends. Because there is nothing better than breaking a mental sweat with a few beers after sitting on a bus for nine hours right? None the less, it was a nice end to a long day.

The next day, we woke up before sun rise and hurried up the local mountain (more like a hill but felt like climbing a mountain), Mt. Victoria, for the sunrise. We were a little late, but still got a spectacular view.

We then headed down and caught a bus out to Island Bay (different from the aforementioned Bay of Islands). This began our long trek to the red rocks and fur seal point. We ended up hiking somewhere between 10-13 miles. After having improper water footwear last week at Taupo, I decided to do something about it and went out to get a pair of chacos last week (sorry Drew). They were doing fine until the sand and pebbles started grinding with my feet. I ended up with about 8 blisters for the day but that did not stop me from continuing to climb (with sneakers for the trek back) and check out the stunning views that are becoming the norm of my weekend excursions. The seals were pretty cool too, although they don't really do much besides sleep outside of the water. With that said, they were peaceful enough that you could get to within a body length without scaring them. Here are a few more pictures.

Saturday was consumed by a visit to New Zealand Parliament. It being a Saturday it was pretty quiet, but it was interesting to see the different styles of architecture in the building, as well as all that they have done to help prevent it from crumbling in one of Wellington's famous earthquakes. They also have done a beautiful job preserving the Maori tradition within the buildings. We then walked around a little bit more to check out one of New Zealand's oldest churches. The church actually had major ties to the US as well, and was not afraid to show them. Small world. For the first time in a while, we had beautiful weather as well.

That did not last long and by Sunday the weather had turned. It was pouring when we went to the farmers market, but I had a blast anyways. Walker had to buy all of his produce for the week, but I was just hungry for a good meal. Enter food trucks. Finally, an opportunity to dive into some of the New Zealand food culture that budgeting had eliminated (and at a reasonable price too). I ended up trying a New Zealand mussel fritter (with aoli, a little lemon and cracked pepper divine) and a venison (there are a ton of deer here) sandwich, called a bambi sandwich with carmys and a little cranberry mayo. Awesome. Divine. Excellent. Did I say divine? Just what I was looking for. I was pumped to finally have a crack at some real New Zealand food culture. We then stepped next door to Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand. I can now understand why its considered one of the ten greatest museums in the world. No detail sparred. I headed home later that night.


So things are going well. I turned in my first paper, had my first test (make that two) and have been traveling a ton. I have a week and a half before I depart again (for my biggest journey yet!), but I'm definitely looking forward to a little R&R and homework for a change of pace.

Needless to say I'm definitely not homesick. But a part of me does wish that I was moving back into Furman with all my comrades this week. Can I be two places at once? Its definitely settling in that I won't be at Furman this fall. I have avoided the thought for a while now, but its reached the point of being inevitable. With that said, I have been blessed to have this opportunity and plan to continue making the most of it, knowing full well that I will be refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to return to Furman in full force when I get back. So to all my Furman friends out there, I am thinking of you guys and cant wait to be back second semester. To all of my many friends going abroad in the coming weeks, get ready for the time of your life (I can say that now). And make sure you keep a journal (or blog like this one, Ill give you a follow). Because these are the memories that you will never want to forget (corny I know but true).

And don't stop #tweetinacrossamerica! It makes me feel right at home.

Love you all,

-Wilson