Reflection

It has been 2 weeks since I became unemployed and 6 weeks since I actually worked. It has gone so fast. It has been as interesting experience. At first it was a relief and a feeling of freedom that was full of possibility. But then when I was driving past a local rest-home I would catch myself thinking about how the residents were doing and how the renovations were going and that I would see them next week, and then I would have to remind myself that, actually, I wouldn't be seeing them. Or I would hear in the news that there was a car crash on the main street and think "Oh well I will find out what actually happened when I talk to my workmates in a couple of days", but then realise I wouldn't be seeing them in a while and by that stage something else more interesting would have happened by then.

After a while those thoughts started changing and I started tuning out the thoughts of rest-homes, hospitals and sirens and stopped cringing when I saw a fat person walking down the street knowing that they would be hard to lift off the floor if they fell. My thoughts became more tuned into everyday life. I felt my brain start to wake up and notice things around me in a different, and maybe not so cynical, way. Or at least not always being on the alert for something bad to happened. I started to relax. It probably helped that Justin and I spent a few days tramping and meeting people from all over the world, who all had steady well paying jobs and were interested and interesting and loved life. It was nice being away from sick people and getting outdoors. It made me see that there are "normal" people out there. It was like a revelation (or at least a reminder) of what life can actually be.

What life could be, Kathmandu, Nepal.

The next stage was the lazy stage. Sleeping in, lazing around home, reading and not doing much else until Justin came home from work. Luckily that didn't last too long, although I still have the odd day like that. But I think I needed those lazy days to get back to who I am and reset myself into who I want to be. I am unwinding. I have started doing things I have wanted to do but could never found the time or energy for. I have started learning maths and Korean, doing photography, and I have started writing this blog. I am also doing a lot of reading. I love reading! All of these things are re-awakening my brain and it is exciting.

Reflections and thoughts, a monastery in Tibet.

And then this week I started to get worried. My last pay check was today. What if I don't have enough money to live on or travel with? There are so many things to do before I go, what if I can't do them all? What if my car doesn't sell? I need to pay the bills, do the washing, clean the house. I have discovered a life of freedom is not so free and everyday mundane things still go on.

Welcome

Welcome to my first blog! This is a bit daunting but also exciting, especially as today is my last day of being employed! Tomorrow I am officially a dirt-bag bum. Ok, maybe not the dirt-bag part. At least not yet. I still have a house to live in and I'm not scrounging off other people yet.

I have been on annual leave from my job as a paramedic for the last 4 weeks and have been enjoying myself tramping in the South Island, sorting and throwing out old things and junk that collects over time and slowly starting to unwind from being at work.

As my boyfriend Justin and I have just tramped the Routeburn Track (absolutely beautiful, highly recommend it to everyone) and ended up running the last 45 mins of it to catch the shuttle (we had been doodling along taking lots of photos when we realised we would be late), I have realised that maybe, possibly I could actually run the whole thing. It is 32km long so a lot of training will be needed as I haven't run since I was at uni. However, I have got back to Auckland, read several books on running, talked to several friends who run and now have brought a pair of running shoes. I have even been on my first 2 runs! More will follow in order to achieve my goal. I'm not actually sure if I will get to run the Routeburn before we go overseas in a few months as I am training from scratch and don't want to overdo it. Can I go from 0km to 32km in 10 weeks? I don't know but I suppose I will find out.

Lake McKenzie, Routeburn Track

So travelling...it has been a dream of mine since I was very young to travel the world. One of my earliest memories is telling my parents I was going to go to Africa. You can imagine their caution and fears.  I managed to go to Singapore when I was 13, and convinced my parents I should go on exchange to Ecuador when I was 16 for a year. I did eventually get to Africa when I was 25. I was only supposed to go for one month but loved it so much I stayed another month until my money ran out and I was offered a job as a ambulance officer in Auckland. Between times I have also traveled to parts of Thailand, England, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Australia, USA, and last year to Nepal and Tibet. If you figure it out I have been to every continent except Antarctica, but that too will come I'm sure.

A giraffe in South Africa

The travel Justin and I are about to embark on is a year around the world, or however far we get before the money runs out. The plan is to start in Korea, and work our way south in to Asia then west overland into Turkey. Then into Africa and Europe. This plan also depends on the political situations of the various countries when we get there. We will just have to wait and see.