First Impressions

I guess I should start at the beginning.

Long flights have got to be some of the most awkward and confusing things EVER. It's many hours of sitting in the same position in a crowded cabin, with only a little light bulb four feet above your head and a little TV screen for company. Especially if you're lucky enough to be like me, and can't sleep on flights. And it's hard to keep your shoes on the whole flight, but as soon as you take them off your feet are cold. It's not one of the most enjoyable things ever. Luckily, we ended up in a pretty spectacular place, so it was ok. If you've ever taken a flight to a country that's part of the Commonwealth, or really almost anywhere other than the US, one of the first things you're likely to notice is the side of the road that they drive on. Seth and I sat in the back of the shuttle and stared through the sleepiness, freaking out, thinking we were going to get hit in a head-on collision. All of this at 5 AM, after a 14 hour flight, when you're not thinking straight anyway. We landed on July 13, 2008. This is winter in New Zealand, so it was sprinkling. It rained for the large majority of the first five weeks we were there. Poured, actually. We were just so in awe as we drove past this countryside, it was like nothing we'd ever seen before, having lived in Colorado for most of our lives. New Zealand is the lush, gorgeous place that you see in movies and don't think can possibly exist because it's that gorgeous. There was so much green, so many farms. There were rolling hills, and sheep grazed on the sides of the road. Moss grew on everything; sidewalks were edged in moss, looking like they were wearing green lace. It was so different from what I was used to, I couldn't really fathom what was happening.

I was really unhappy in New Zealand for a long time. I hated not seeing my friends, and the unfairness of my parents moving us there, without giving us a say. Almost a year I spent counting the days until we moved home. I regret this all now. I would give almost anything to go back and see my friends and that beautiful country again.