It’s been a week since my mom left. In a way I feel like it’s only been a week since I got to Queenstown. I was kind of in vacation mode while she was here, and I wanted to make sure she had a good time too, so I really didn’t get down to the business of getting settled into Queenstown or meeting people until she went home. It’s been a roller coaster ride over the last seven days, but today I feel myself beginning to exhale at last.
From my last update email:
I’ve moved into a house with this Aussie guy and a guy from Colorado who’s spent the last few years chasing winter between Queenstown and Snowmass and Aspen. They’re hilarious and are (and I quote) “gentleman womanizers”. My first night in the house, my roommate burst into my room at 5 am butt naked after taking home 2 girls from the bar….
I’m having a good time with these guys. We spent the last couple nights just doing “family nights” in. It reminds me of roommate dinner nights at 1644 with Jeremy. We live in a big three bedroom house with an amazing view of the huge, snow-capped mountains and since the sun doesn’t rise until 8 am you can catch the sun rising over the Remarkables while you have your morning coffee. SO pretty. Our neighborhood is called Fernhill and it’s up a huge hill, as you drive down into town you have a great view of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. (Though really, it seems that every place in Queenstown has a gorgeous view). And we have a fireplace and tomorrow we are going to get wood and start burning wood in the fireplace!
Today I went riding for my first time at the Remarkables. The resorts work differently here. The ski areas are just lifts and mountains, not whole villages like in Tahoe or Colorado. Rather than having a resort village, Queenstown acts as home base, it’s where you rent your gear, stay in the hotel, and where everyone gets drinks and hangs out after. You either just bus or drive up to the ski fields from town. It was “locals day” so free afternoon lift ticket and bus transport to and from town for anyone with proof of residence. I went by myself but met people just taking the bus and the lifts and had someone to ride with all day. My flatmates told me here the riding is a lot about riding park and hiking. The hiking is definitely big here, people were telling me they’ll hike for like an hour to get to some terrain.
Changing tracks. One thing I really like about this town is how people genuinely do want to help other people out when they first come here. My Aussie flatmate is letting this random girl he met a week ago crash on our couch for a week while she tries to find a job, similar to how Josh and Alex wanted to let me crash at their place while I got my bearings too. A lot of people remember how hard it was for them when they first moved to New Zealand or Queenstown and have a genuine interest in helping out people who are new in town. The fact that the majority of people who live here are from somewhere else means that almost everyone here knows what it’s like to have to move somewhere brand new, many of them in a foreign country, and not know a soul. So there are a lot of people who know what a lifeline it is to have someone who’s networked in decide to take you under their wing when you’re new. I like that.
It’s so good when you hear other people who seem so integrated admit that they were lonely and freaked out at first too. As one person said to me “When I first came to New Zealand I was by myself and it was the first time I’d ever left the country. I landed in Christchurch and just about shit myself.” That really hit home because to be honest I’ve just about shat myself a few times in the last several days. My lowest point was Thursday afternoon. I didn’t have a job and I knew two people in this town. I had sat in that godawful room in the empty house of the Indian couple for hours. I didn’t know what to do with myself or where to go. So I just got in my car and I drove. I drove out of town and seriously contemplated just continuing to drive. I didn’t even want to get my bond (deposit) back from my landlord, or even go back for my bags. That’s how scared I felt and how much I wanted to just get out of town and be on the road moving again, because that seemed so much easier than staying. That was a bad day.
But it’s past now. As I drove further from town my head cleared and I collected myself a little. I had already told that guy I’d teach him to snowboard on Friday. So I told myself to at least give it til tomorrow at least…but to get out of that house that was driving me nuts. I came back and packed all my shit up and that night I moved out of that house and into my current place. Literally the lady walked in the house and I was standing there waiting for her with my bags in the car and my jacket on. I was out of there within 15 minutes after we talked and within the hour was moving my baggage up the stairs into my new home By the next morning I felt like a new person. And it’s been all uphill from there :)
I feel good, and excited for the next few months. It’s amazing: every day, I literally feel like anything could happen. So many things do happen every day. Tomorrow it will be have been one week since my mom left and already more has changed for me in this week than changed for me in the past year of my life. I’ve lived in three different apartments already. I’ve been up and down the streets of Queenstown asking bars and restaurants if they’re hiring and getting tons and tons of “no’s” and “come back in a couple weeks”. I’ve met some random dude at a gas station and then taught him how to snowboard. I’ve been out til 5 am every other night. I’ve met so many people from so many different places all over the world and who have done so many interesting things. I’ve had my naked roommate barge into my room at 5 in the morning on my first night in the house. I seriously never have any idea what’s about to happen in the next few hours, and I am learning SO much. And that’s a really, really cool feeling.
Really and truly, I am glad to be here.
