Farewell-ington

As I bid Wellington goodbye, I wonder about all that I didn’t see. Small art galleries, hole-in-the-wall cafes, and countless other sights have certainly been overlooked. Despite this, it is definitely time to move on. The last few months have been somewhat stagnant for me. Work left me tired and ready for bed. My days off were mostly filled with laundry and other cleaning jobs. it wasn't all dreary though, there were lots happy moments.

A wood pigeon sits outside my bedroom window, eating berries off the tree

The moments that spring most easily to mind are weekly Sunday drinks with one of my coworkers. A simple pleasure, venting our frustrations of that week and taking turns buying the beer. She was on a working travel visa just like me; and although she came from Korea, there was some instant comradery from the similar situations. Throughout my stay in Wellington I always looked forward to those Sunday afternoons once the cafe had been locked and the lights shut off. We did some other activities as well: Dinner, paintball, a trip to the beach. But those Sunday afternoon beers were my favourite. Always ready to talk, smile, and laugh. Thanks Sue.

Sue wades through tide pools at Owhiro Bay

Another nice thing that will stick with me was when I was having a bad day at work. Or more accurately, everyone was having a bad day at work. The tension was palpable, and everyone was just trying to get through the day. Regardless of this, at some point in the afternoon I walked out into the café to take yet another food order. I asked a smiling woman and her son if they were ready to order. They were; she ordered an omelette and he ordered Eggs Benedict. She smiled in an oddly knowing way as I took the order, and I felt compelled to ask “Can you tell I’m not having a great day?”. She replied “A little bit”, still smiling. “Is it in my eyes?” I asked, feeling as though I had done a good job concealing It to that point. She nodded, and said simply “your shift won’t last forever, you’ll be fine”. She was right of course, but the consideration and kindness in her words and face helped me make it through the rest of that day. She reminded me to show kindness whenever possible, you don’t know how much it might help someone.

Drinks at the bar just down the street from work

I also can’t forget to mention my flatmates Gabriel and Dan. Countless hours sitting on the porch just talking. Always willing to share their dinner or offer you a beer, I was very lucky to have two flatmates who were so kind. My time in Wellington would have been miserable if not for the support and friendship of these two.

Gabriel's cat Mia, the nicest cat I've ever met. She's also an Incredible hunter

Moving forward I can't wait to see as much as I can. And I also plan to publish much more writing here. I’ve already seen enough in these past few days that I’m itching to get writing again. Thanks for reading, I look forward to sharing many more adventures.