thoughts about places: nz

so there's the obvious shit:  it's super beautiful, looks like the phantom movie one minute, the shining the next and then there's a beach - all on the same drive. but then there's the stuff that you'd only notice after having lived with the locals.

people think nothing of leaving food out overnight and chucking it the next day. leave their car lights on during the day. leave cupboard lights on, the light goes off when you close the door - refrigerator style. let the tap run when washing dishes. small things which made me realise how much i think about waste and not wasting on a daily basis. and it's super awkward to always be cleaning up, switching off, putting away - when it's someone else's home! so mostly did nothing. switched off a tap once. put leftover pizza in the fridge.

also they're generally happier than the brits. those brits are a grumpy, always making snarky jokes lot. nz jokes are friendlier. warm and fuzzy even when supposedly offensive (really not). [edit: this is purely my opinion of pri and liam's friends i think... considering they are the only people i really observed. the country is really that devoid of people.]

matarangi and me

what's not to love about vacations? a lot actually: they can be stressful endeavours featuring too many people and personalities and things to account for. but this trip to new zealand was simply the best. fights that could have easily happened were avoided, new people were met and enjoyed, reunions, rediscovering people - the works. it just worked. 

but possibly one of the best times was me alone on this beach. saturday morning, awake before everyone else. i left a note (because you always do) and headed out to the beach for a little paddle. let the waves bash my legs (did get swimsuited up later in the day and let the waves bash a whole lot more of me - also tons of fun) and considered the universe. had myself a carl sagan "pale blue dot" sort of moment. this is the planet i am stuck on and i like it. i liked my life. i liked the moment i was living in. 

more about matarangi beach:

also went for a long walk along the beach later later in the day in cliche "i like long walks on the beach" fashion. we observed the beachfront houses, compared architectural styles and made judgements about the people in them. watched the children play. walked in the shallows. watched the gulls. jumped on fragile sandy hills and broke down what the sea had made. drew in the sand. picked shells. buried our feet in the sand. pictured the ideal beach house. mine would be a lighthouse. non functioning - i have no desire to mislead ships to their death. or even the house we stayed at. it was pretty ideal. lots of light. 

being kidlike on the beach is the best. it's like a space where silliness is positively encouraged. as much as i like being alone on a beach - being with people on a beach is even better. i'm just a social animal. no loner am i.