Hey, everyone!  This week has been a bit of a wash, but in the spirit of continuity… I will be sharing nonetheless.  Read on to see what I’ve been up to!

The Weekend Curse

Every.  Weekend.  EVERY WEEKEND!  Either it rains or it’s extremely cold or, in the case of this weekend… I am bed-ridden.

On Thursday night, just before going to bed, I noticed my nose had started to drip.  Oh, no. I suddenly realized the signs were there.  I had been sneezing occasionally in the office.  My voice sounded slightly congested.  Friday morning, I woke up around 5am feeling awful.  I texted my boss that I couldn’t come in.  She was really nice about it but unfortunately, I don’t get sick days until 6 months with the company.  Damn! Luckily, I had an alternative day to use since I had accidentally worked on a public holiday while working in the hostel haha.

I spent the next few days laying in bed.  I tried to sleep but sometimes, I was just lying there.  Oddly enough, I wasn’t really sneezing or coughing.  It was a bad headache that felt like it wrapped around my entire face.  Slightly sore throat (although I usually wake up with a sore throat because of the dry air in Queenstown) and weak feeling.  Oh, and congested.  Essentially, a gnarly head cold. 

Yvonne made me some chicken soup on Friday night.  Lauren brought me a piece of cake.  My angels! 

My nephew called me on Saturday and we talked for a little while.  When I talked with him earlier in the week, he told me how maybe he’ll become the world’s youngest quadrillionaire at 15 and will take me to Maui.  Then he will buy a mansion for my family, a mansion for his mom’s side of the family, and build a bridge that connects the two.  The bridge will have a glass floor and will be filled with fish.  So cute!  This idea was birthed after I reminded him it’s my goal in life to take him to Hawaii one day.  Dillan asked me about my travel plans and expressed that he hopes I’ll live in “Illinoise” when I’m done traveling.  I am not sure what my plans will be by the time I’m in the states “for good,” but I told him that no matter what, I’ll always make an effort to visit him.  My special guy.

Otherwise, the weekend was rest, rest, rest. 

I woke up Sunday feeling back to normal for the most part.  I still sounded congested (as I do today), but felt pretty much fine.  And so… another weekend wasted.

The absolute shame of it all is that I had two really amazing options planned for the weekend.  One option was to join Marion and Cristian to camp at Wye Creek and hike up to Lake Alta which sounded absolutely amazing.  However, I had already committed to joining my circus friends at Moke Lake where we would have a fun day of acroyoga, juggling, and fun in the sun.  Alas… neither panned out.

(Above is a picture one of my circus buddies had taken of me when I first started trying to learn slackline.)

As is the theme of the weekends for me!  I keep trying to camp somewhere… but it always either rains or is too cold… or I have a cold.  And so… this is my weekend curse.  Bound to never go camping, apparently.

Miscellaneous

I was certainly frustrated to be sick over the weekend, but at the same time, it forced me to stay still.  I had seen Alexis in the hallway a few hours before I started feeling sick and she asked if I was going out.  I said no, that I was feeling kind of exhausted from so many outings lately and how I desperately need a day to just do… NOTHING.  And nothing is what I did, for nearly three days. 

Before I got sick, I went to Finz with my friend Ash who is a kiwi from the North Island. He actually ended up treating me to dinner which was really nice. Thanks, Ash! We got on quite well so hopefully he will come back to Queenstown sooner than later.

As of next Monday, I’ll be moving from a three bed room to a two bed room, with my friend Jasper.  It’s definitely going to be an upgrade because the space has a balcony and no bunk beds.  Yay!  It’s a little more each week, but not too bad.  From $170 to $200.  $30 extra a week which is just a dinner basically.  While I enjoy my current roommates, I’m looking forward to the change of scenery. 

I watched Thirteen the other night which is one of my all time favorite movies. It still holds up, over 20 years later!

Yesterday evening, I went for boba tea with Yvonne and Jasper. We hung out by the lakefront and had some laughs. It’s always a fun time with them.

After slackline on Wednesday, Jose and I talked for a while before going home.  He gave his job four weeks’ notice and will be heading off to Australia shortly after.  It is sad for me because he was my first friend in Queenstown and introduced me to the circus group.  He has helped me with my Spanish, made me a shirt, gone stargazing with me, and has overall been a really good friend.  I will be sad to see him go, but he has been in New Zealand for four years and is ready for a change.  I don’t blame him.  While hanging out, he showed me a video of when he surprised his parents upon his return home to Chile after a while away.  It reminded me of my own video with my parents post-Australia, so I shared that with him, too.  I told him that while everybody loves that video, I can’t really watch it because I get too emotional.  It was a really special moment, reuniting with my parents after a year away.  Watching the video takes me right back into that moment in time.  I don’t want to watch it too much, in case of becoming desensitized.  And yet, a little over five weeks and I’ll be hugging my parents again!  Yay!

Art of the Week

While showing my art to Nittsy and Valeria one evening, I was asked if I ever do self-portraits.  Auto retrato.  I do, but not often.  Maybe once or twice a year, I told them.

I have been meaning to do one for a while.  I thought the last one I’d done was in Cape Tribulation but as I’m typing this, I realize I actually drew a self-portrait my final day in Australia.  Still – it is time.  I’ve been keen to draw one in the new paint-drip style I’ve been exploring.  Here it is!  My main disappointment is that I made the shoulders too wide, the black not drippy on the chest, and the eyes too big.  One day, I’ll get it right!

Reflections

I don’t have much to report here as it has been a bit of a meh week.  Things are good.  I got sick.  Etc., etc.

However, I DO have some really exciting news to share, but I will be keeping it a secret until next week’s post! 

Until then – sending you all my love.  xx