Around the World and Back: Life in Wellington

Thawing out of my winter freeze on the porch outside my flat, I'm currently enjoying a gorgeous, sunny winter's day. Ah, Wellington. It's unbeatable on a sunny day, yet so unforgiving and miserable on a cold one. Whenever I'm chatting with people I meet, they seem to all say, "Ugh, the weather is so bad. It's so cold. You're in Wellington at the worst time," but I don't share that sentiment. Sure, it can be really cold. But it's winter time, and there have been so many beautiful days (like this one) to take my mind off the more blustery ones. Not to mention it's usually warmer outside than it is in my house, so that might also have something to do with my stance on the winter weather. ;)

We got really lucky when we first arrived here to pick out the most amazing airbnb hosts. Mel and Dan offered to pick us up at the ferry terminal, came out to carry our bags up from the car, and set up our bedroom like a little hotel room. They made us tea upon arrival and sat down with us to chat, and then made an amazing dinner to share with us (all too willing to accommodate my diet, too)! Saying that they went above and beyond the scope of an airbnb host would be an understatement… It was much more like a homestay with wonderful friends. They have continued to be amazing to us long after the 4 days we spent at their place; keeping an eye out for jobs for us, writing bad reviews on tripadvisor for a bar that treated me quite badly during a job trial, and helping Brian make some money off of his delicious bread-baking. We feel so fortunate to have made friends with such wonderful, kind, cultured people right off the bat and I'm so glad we've been able to keep in touch. Also, I highly recommend airbnb.com to anyone who's traveling and hasn't used it… we have stayed in some great places, met really nice people, and saved ourselves lots of money while still being more comfortable than we might have been in a hotel or hostel. Check it out!

I just love it here. We have been settling in nicely to our lives in Wellington, so different to our traveling lives. Yes, I have been fighting hard to make the switch from traveler to real-life resident of Wellington, and so far it's mostly working. Much of that success can be attributed to finally getting a job (a big 16 hours a week!), and at a place I actually like! I work in the cafe/restaurant section of an imports shop called Mediterranean Foods Warehouse, which is in Newtown, a suburb over from where we live (Note: "suburb" here means "neighborhood," not a place where all the houses are the same and every street ends in a cul-de-sac). This job is a good fit for me; the location is good because it's close, but also because Newtown is more of an international district, and maybe a little less sparkly than some other parts of the city, which I find refreshing. The job is also really low-key; I'm pretty much just left on my own to do my thing and my waitressing skills have come back to me, so it just feels like second nature. The place itself is really cool; lots of great products on the shelves for grocery shopping, a meat, cheese, and bread deli, and what I'm told is some of the best pizza in town (bonus: I finally know how to spell "Mediterranean"). I'm a little bummed that it's only 16 hours a week, but beggars can't be choosers! I'm on the hunt for a second job.

We have the best flatmates! I swear, we've had the most amazing luck when it comes to who we've ended up living with… Nothing but fond memories thinking about our roomies in Kekerengu, and just enjoying such good company with Jemma (Kiwi) and Mark (Irish) in our house now. The location (Mt. Cook) is also really excellent; we're a short walk away from most of the things we want to do. I can run down the hill and find myself on Oriental Parade (the waterfront) in 15 min or less, walking to work in Newtown takes about 20 minutes, Cuba street (the Capitol Hill of Wellington) is 15 minutes away, and Moore Wilson's "Food Heaven" (it really is!), grocery store is less than 10 minutes walking.

We've been frequenting the Sunday Market down near Te Papa (National Museum) for fresh veggies and fruit each week. There's also a craft-type market underground a few blocks away for me to enjoy :). Te Papa was one of the activities for Brian's birthday, so we saw maybe 1/3 of the museum then. It's really big and awesome (also has a science center inside!). We took the Wellington cable car the other day, which was hilarious. We were really looking forward to it because it's an attraction of this city, but didn't realize that it's basically a 3 minute ride, where if you're sitting face-forward (as all of us with weak stomachs do), you won't see any scenery, and suddenly you're at the top and wondering if you can have your $3.50 back. It was really silly. But it ended up being cool because the trolley takes you to the top of the botanical gardens and we walked down through them, during a little sun-break. It also happened to be Matariki, which is the Maori New Year, so there were signs posted all along the walk talking about the significance of different plants, customs, etc. Then there was a succulents garden, which is a bunch of different cacti, and at that time the sky was dark grey and the sun was shining that magical light on the plants… perfect. But honestly, besides walking all over the city for several hours a day, we haven't done any "sightseeing" per se.

So, nothing too out-of-the-ordinary has been going on around here, just settling into life and trying to make the most out of this hip, vibrant city. There are so many cafes, restaurants, bars, boutiques, etc etc around here that it is difficult to choose where to go, and difficult to resist spending money. Wellington is apparently on par with NYC for the number of cafes, which seems pretty crazy, but walking around town I believe it! Brian still continues to look for work and could use some more well-wishes and finger-crossing from those at home. :) He's been baking-to-order bread for Mel's workmates for the past two weeks and then delivering the loaves to her office on Fridays. I know he would love to make a permanent job out of that since it's what he loves to do, and his breads are amazing! This morning I drove him to the airport where he flew to Auckland for today/night to replace his passport at the American Embassy. Driving him there (and myself back into town) was something I absolutely dreaded, as I haven't driven in over a month, or in Wellington ever (I refuse). I'm not really a fan of driving… and Wellington is full of windy, hilly, skinny streets where I want to close my eyes as I envision sideswiping a row of cars parked at the curb… but yeah. I did it, and I'm alive (and I didn't crash the car)!

Not much else to report, just wanted everyone at home to have an idea of what we're up to in Wellington. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying some nice summer weather! :)