Trip to New Zealand
Day 1 and 2

So for the next three weeks I'm in New Zealand touring the countryside. But like any Murphy vacation it's bound to become a disaster at some point. Friday started poorly. After school let out at noon I started rushing around getting everything ready. I had to pack all my stuff and I threw it in my truck so Philip wouldn't have to worry about it. And its my stuff.

I also needed to print off my itenerary, exchange money at the bank, pack my bags, and make a run to the post office to be angry that my box wasn't there. Sorry mom, the box didn't make it in time which is really sad. So I ran to the bank to deposit a check. The Tafuna branch didn't do the exchange thing so I had to go to the main branch in town. Another line another half hour of waiting. My flight was leaving at 5:40. So I got my currency exchanged then ran into a 3mi long traffice jam on the island. It took me another hour and a bit to get home. By that time it was 4:00- need to be at the airport. Pack quick and run.

Make my flight and get to W. Samoa to board the plane for NZ. No problems there just a quick layover and more waiting. The plane ride was cold. Now maybe a 76 F cabin doesn't sound cold but it is when you haven't had anything below 80 in a year. So I didn't sleep much on the plane and it got into Auckland aroun 1:30am Sunday (today). I went to immigration- the guy asked me for my return ticket. I didn't have the itenerary printed off (t-jam). So I got flagged by immigration and had to wait for everything to get straightened out.

Then onto customs. I hate customs forms. Always the same. No fruit. No cigarettes. No alcohol. blah blah blah. Backpaking tent? Umm yes but it hadn't been used in a while. I'll check no. I put my bag through the scanner and on its appearing at the other end the lady asked me if I had any "football boots" in the bag. I did and agreed.

"Are they new?"
"No, about a year and a half old."
I was just confused about why she was interested in my soccer cleats. I know; they are fashionable. (I plan on playing a few games of disc while down here).
Apparently she wasn't admiring my Addidas red, green, and black cleats but I was supposed to declare them on the customs form. It was under the tent on the list. I didn't see it. So they let me off with a warning after scrubbing my cleats down to remove the grass and dirt stuck on the bottom. Ooops.

Slept in the airport. It was cold too so I didn't get much shut-eye. This morning I stowed my luggage where I'm staying and hiked off to church. I'd found a church of christ on the web. Sweet. So I started hiking in the general direction the google map had told me three days ago. My memory isn't great. I eventually (after 1.5 hours and 4 miles) asked directions from a chinese laudrymat couple.

"Oh its just down the road. It should only take you about 10 minutes... to drive it."
nuts. Another 3 miles or so down the road. By this time it was getting close to 10, the universal start time of all CoC. I arrived 30 minutes early (I started walking about 7am). But wait. They didn't start till 11. I knew something was fishy. So I burned another 1.5 hours. Church was cool. It wasn't a real CoC but a New Zealand brand completely independent. They sat me next to Michael, a single twenty-something guy. We chatted before service and it was a contemporary service. I fell asleep multiple times during the 40 min sermon. No sleep last night. I felt bad. Church let out at 12:30.

I began my trek back to the hostel. Luckily they built the southern hemisphere's tallest building about 6 blocks from it so navigating back wasn't difficult.

Today I meant to do two things I use to enjoy that I no longer get on the island. There was pick-up frisbee at a park. I never found it. So I got to enjoy the other thing I've missed. Scoping cute chicks. I've missed girls that are shorter and weigh less than me. Its a beautiful sight.

tommorow I get on the bus and travel somewhere else.

Paul "I miss white chicks" Murphy