It's Thursday of Week Three, and I feel like it's a strange point, where we're settled and beginning to get into a groove that is starting to feel permanent.
There are a few things that have been happening recently:
1. Jobs aaahh
Claire and I have been spending a lot of time at the Wellington Library recently, because there's possible internet access (but not free, which is annoying) and because it's just a place to be productive. She's sending out applications for career related fields and talked to the people in charge of hiring.
On my part, I've sent my CV to a few job agencies, and I've done interviews with two of them. It's interesting to have this year off and have this experience, because I feel like I'm learning a lot about jobhunting and life in The Real World. I don't really think that I'm going to get My Ideal Job through them, but it's really enlightening to be working for a temp agency and just see what qualities are desired and what experience is prized. And I guess this is what I should have been doing last year, but being in New Zealand gives a strange sort of leeway where even if all fails to come through the whole thing is still a learning experience.
For example, when I first talked to Scott, one of my contacts, we exchanged greetings and then he declared, "You have what we call a 'soft' American accent. It's not difficult to understand." And that was the first time I really understood how marked my accent is and how it could hurt whatever chances come my way. I don't think it's a dealbreaker in any sense, but it was just one of those moments where I went, Right. In another country.
I've got two people hunting down positions for me, so I'm optimistic that something will come through. And if not, I'm in Wellington. It's a lovely place and I have lovely company.
2. Out of touch!
We've been without constant internet contact for almost three weeks now, and I'm slacking on making the effort to get in touch with people. It's not that I'm not thinking about it, it's just that so much has been going on that I'm forgetting how much time has passed and how long it's been since I last touched base.
Let it be known: I am alive, life is good, and hopefully this weekend I'll be much more in contact. (Internet had better be up this weekend, otherwise I'm going to punch Telstra Clear in the company face.)
I also haven't done much fun travel, so postcards and such feel strange to send off. I guess being here is inherently fun travel, but the past three weeks have been GET A HOSTEL GET PHONES GET BANK ACCOUNTS GET A FLAT GET A PLACE GET WORK between moments of marveling at the scenery.
(It's hard to describe how nice it is here. On the train ride into Wellington, between Raroa and Khandallah, there's this open V between hilltops that has a view to the sea. Every time I pass it, my heart flutters a little bit, and I love it. From outside Te Papa on the waterfront, you can see out past the water right across to snow covered mountains in the distance. At night, when we're walking back down our extremely long and dark driveway, Claire and I like to look up at the stars and just marvel. The constellations are unfamiliar, but you can see the band of the Milky Way and the occasional shooting star.)
3. Restlessness:
As Claire and I are getting settled in our Wellington life, I'm still in touch with Helen, the girl we met in Auckland, and the divergences between her life and ours is making me strangely restless.
She's currently working as a fruit picker in the Bay of Islands, saving up money to travel etc, and I'm under the impression that she's just going to roam New Zealand working and traveling and working again.
Before we got here, I wasn't aware that so many people lived the itinerant backpacker lifestyle. Claire and I both planned to just settle somewhere and travel from home base, so it didn't even occur to us to do the usual Working Holiday work-travel-work-travel. We definitely seem to be in the minority, and people seem so surprised by our situation that I'm getting a weird sense of "Am I doing this wrong?"
I know this year is going to be what I make of it and there is no prescriptive right, but I'm starting to wonder if I am taking full advantage of Being Here.
I think so. And if not, screw it. Life is good.
Also, I just got a call from Reanna seeing if I wanted my CV sent to a wine company to be a sales administration role. Ooooohhhh. Yes please.
No comments:
Post a Comment