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| Dunedin at sunrise |
And so begins the end of a fantastic adventure...
This post is out of place, and after writing it I
will be posting at least 6 more about my last few road trips and memories. So I
hope that the chronological order of things does not make you too
confused. Prior to today, Brady
and I went on an 8 day road trip around the south island with a day trip in
Wellington, and I have loads to tell you about it, but for now and for this
moment, I am going to write my farewell.
To the reader, this will be to you my first draft,
but in reality this is my 5th one. I have so much I wish to say but don’t know how to express
before my emotions get the best of me, that I cannot seem to write it all in
one sitting.
I am now on the plane, listening to Florence and the
Machine and admiring my last views of New Zealand. I’ve got a good 11hours flight ahead of me, so what have I
got better to do than write?
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| Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown |
As I look down at the expanse of land and look at
exactly where I had explored, I can’t but feel I am leaving too soon. I’ve yet to make my mark in this
country and there is still so much I wished to see and do, trails to walk,
mountains to climb, adrenaline stunts to complete. And yet all too soon, my time here expired and now I am on
my way home. I have made plans to
return in a few years time, along with concrete plans to travel and see my friends
again. But still, I cannot help
feeling as though a small part of me is being left behind, a part of me that
was whole and complete and which I do not want to part from. Even though I will be back, and I will
get the opportunity to finish exploring all that NZ has to offer, it will not
be the same because it is not the country that makes the adventures and the
trip worth it. It is the people
you meet, the friendships made, and the people who surround you. So here is what I have to say to them:
Thank you.
Prior to
leaving for NZ I was a little anxious about what I might find here. Although I was 100% excited to come to
NZ and not at all afraid to travel to a foreign country for 6 months with
complete strangers, I was worried my expectations were too high and would not
be met. I am glad to say that my
experience here went above and beyond anything I could have expected. And I owe it all to you. You made it all worth it and memorable,
and above all the best trip I had in years.
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| Gillespies Beach at Sunset |
I was surrounded
by an amazing group of neighbors and friends from all over the world, and had
one of the greatest Kiwi hosts. I
met the most extraordinary people and travelled with the best friend(s) I could
have asked for. Not one minute
spent in the flat, in town, or on the road was wasted, apart for the occasional
lazy Sunday, but everyone needs a rest now and then. ;p
My ultimate
goal in coming to NZ was to find myself again. To discover what I wanted to accomplish in my life and what
sort of person I really am. After
some of the conflicts from my past, I still have a ways to go, but I have found
some answers as to what it is I want to do. As for who I am, a person changes
depending on the people who surround them, as we are constantly influenced
through life by our friends, family, acquaintances and situations. You have all changed me in some way,
and what I fear the most is that the version of me you knew in NZ will slowly
disappear as I travel to new or old places. But it is inevitable and is a part of growing up.
So thank
you, for making me a better person, for sharing the trip of a lifetime, and for
being my friend.
I will miss
you all so much and hope that our paths cross again.
Until then, this is W.W.A. Rhondiggity signing out
(physically) from New Zealand.
