kerikeri beach

I went to Kerikeri beach in the rain with two of my friends. While they surfed, I ran around taking photos and just loving the ruggedness of the terrain. You even have to properly get your shoes off as soon as you get to the parking area and wade through a sandy/rocky estuary and then walk through some amazing fauna and black sand hills to get to the beach a few minutes walk away.

here's a few photos from that adventure!

The problem with moving countries is the damn holidays. These family oriented ones where you don't yet have a close enough friend who will drag you along to their shindig. I'm social; I need people! it was really good to have such a lazy day though and just watch some of this show i'm currently loving; 'an idiot abroad'. makes me want to keep traveling rather than have a job and saving up again; but alas without the savings I can go nowhere.

This country is gorgeous. I went up north for a few days and had an indian summer few days before the cold crept in.

up and down, in an out.

I start this new job tomorrow..hopefully all goes well!
I have a few facial piercings (nothing freaky - a lip stud, and a couple small nose fun ones), but they mentioned possibly wanting me to take them out. Problem here is, that every job I've ever had has been fine with my extra bling and I've always had a stance that I won't change who I am for a job. I'm working in the arts industry afterall - it's not like i'm trying to assimilate into a corporate job at a bank, but at a photography studio.

So here's hoping that New Zealand continues to be kind to me!

On the other hand .. no matter how many times I've moved countries, I can't help but feel on the outside at times. Even though I'm in a country where the language is the same (aside from a fun accent!), it's still another country, still another culture. It's funny; if I was going to France, not only others, but I myself would also expect for there to be some settling pains. For some reason or another though, when it's another English speaking country, we assume that it will be a bit of a smooth transition with no real friction from slotting in. Country after country, I have steadily been proven wrong in that. Sometimes it's even easier in a culture that speaks another language, because your language skills are so limited that you are intrigued and challenged constantly; meeting people of such different experiences and laughing through the language struggles but finding joy in the simple gestures and non-lingual ways of communication.

I know I can't rush the whole fitting in thing ... or that I ever WILL fit in. But what I can do is make friends, make mistakes, and hopefully everything will turn out great in the end. Fingers crossed.

BANG!

so glad I didn't worry yet about money or work!
I am now currently employed as a freelance retoucher at a photography studio in Auckland, new zealand!

Moving countries is a lot easier when finding a job works out perfectly!