Lost in:

no, not just the way the US dollar is worth less now than when I first came here. And not how they keep making it look more and more like monopoly money.

No, I’m dealing with student loans, and the deportation that happens if I don’t have them in my account by Monday. Which I won’t. But tuesday’s looking good. I only hope 3 business days is enough to get my visa renewed.

Otherwise, I’ll have $9500 US and 6 months until I have to start repaying my student loans.

But I’d really rather not get deported, if no one minds.

j.

I’m not travelling. It feels strange to need to say it. I mean.

I’m in a foreign country. They talk funny here, and the food is… odd. And it’s not home.

But I’m not travelling. If I were travelling I’d have seen more of the place than I have. And most of that is my own fault. But… it seems strange to me somehow that I could be thousands of miles from home, from all the really cool stuff that I really care about, and not be *travelling* while I’m there. Heck, I haven’t even sight-seen all the (4) things there are right here in town to see. Or gone to owlcatraz, but somehow I think I’ll keep avoiding that one.

I’ll have been here for a year on the 15th. That’s a long time to go having only really been to the Auckland airport, Wellington, Palmy, and napier.

I need to start organizing this life thing I have going on here so that I can actually see this place. After all, how embarassing will it be when I go back after 3 or 5 or 7 years and when people ask me about stuff all I can say is “I dunno, I didn’t have time. with school and all.”

I’d shoot me if I said that.

Maybe after I’ve taken my summer school exam, I’ll spend some of that week somewhere else. there’s plenty of places within a $20- bus ticket, and I’m sure most of them have someplace cheap to sleep.

Maybe, just maybe I should have spent my NY/ home money travelling NZ. Oh, well, too late now.

j.

I’m not homesick. The Hootie will go away eventually. But I do miss some things. The two days I had in charleston just weren’t enough.

So, for all of you- a list of things I miss.

• Budweiser- yes, really
• My car- now a wrecked pile of plastic after my sister’s dumb ass friend totalled it.
• Big John’s Tavern- My all time favorite bar anywhere, ever.
• Ice Hockey
• Dropping in on friends
• Taking off in the car for a day or two “just because”
• Road trips
• Seeing my mom
• Golfing with Dad
• Folly beach at 3 am
• All the frozen veggie food they don’t have here
• The usual food list (pizza, bagels, pie, doritos, etc)
• Not having the “most annoying accent”
• My (mom’s) dog
• Rollercoaster trips
• Walking charleston at midnight or two am- east bay, vendue, waterfront, back (eventually) to east bay, down to the battery, back up king, along broad past the church to colonial lake, back along broad or queen to king, to market to my car.
• Affordable books

I guess what I’m really saying is- There’s something about being across a huge freaking ocean that just makes going home to visit/ stock up on stuff I miss soooo much more difficult than just getting in the car and driving for 20 hours. I’d like to be able to be there when someone I care about gets married, but, well, unless they do it on a weekend, and I can swing the tickets just right, I can’t go. And it’s crazy expensive.

I’ll go a year or more without seeing my family, and it’s not usually a problem. Because I know, when I’m “over there” that if I need to I can just get in the car and visit. I know I should be focusing on relationships I’m building over here- but I don’t want to do that at the expense of my relationships with people back home.

Of course, I see this place as temporary, which I shouldn’t. I’m *living* here, even if it is for only 1 or 5 or 7 years. Heck, if it’s seven it’ll be the longest I’ve ever lived in a single city. But anyway- it makes me look on people I meet here as.. well, temporary. After all, I see my closest friends back home… maybe every other year? spread out all over the country, they be…  So how often am I likely to see/ talk to people who are over here when I’m over there?

Of course, that ignores how I spend an hour or five a week skyping with friends back home, or how I call my mom, or e-mail with dad, or… um.. write letters to my grandma? I don’t know. I almost feel like I’m already overloaded on long distance friendships. And I miss my favorite bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I’m not homesick.

j.

I was hoping I’d have one of those cool summers, you know, like people tell interesting stories about. And I guess I could have, except for two- no, three- things.

I went home, and spent way too much money.

Without the money I spent in NY, I’ve only got living expenses (almost).

and most important-

Because I screwed up last fall, I have to do chem over the summer. Yum.

Problem is, though, I haven’t been doing it. I’ve been walking around town, playing on the internet, reading, flipping out, thinking about getting a job, grocery shopping, dreaming about where I can move if I ever freaking graduate, talking to friends for hours on skype, talking to family for hours on skype, giving advice (why the heck would anyone ask *me*?), and on and on and on. I am a master procrastinator. Heck, I’ve even done laundry before I was out of clean clothes.

Now, tho, with just 4 or 5 weeks untill my exam, I’ve actually got to get back to work. I’ve done 1/5th of the work in 2/3rds of the time. Not a good pace. So starting tonight sometime, and going untill I have to clean tomorrow, so flatmate #3’s (of 5 or 6) mother doesn’t think *all* students live in ratshack dumps, I am going to study. And maybe sleep.

In fact, for the next couple weeks, I think that’s all I’ll be doing. But I *am* alive. I just won’t be outside much. blech.

j.

I am out of money, and energy- that’s what I get for quitting soda (mostly) and not having a coffee maker. It’s also raining again, and I’m about 6 weeks behind on my summer school work, which means I have less than three weeks to learn 9 weeks of stuff, before I have to go kick ass, etc in labs and exams and all that fun stuff.

For new years I had a great time. I threw a little party, just me, a movie, some home made fries and a bottle or three of RC Cola. exciting, I know.

Today’s excitement includes hunting down open shops to buy junk food in so I don’t have to do dishes/ cook. Also, if the weather clears up, laundry.

The fireworks in the square were nice, tho. And loud. And free.

Too bad I melt in rain- weather’s perfect for a bike ride.

j.

I hope.

It was sunny yesterday. It’s sunny today. If it’s sunny tomorrow, I will declare it officially Summer in Palmerston North, cold windy city of deathly dull boredom. And chemistry tutorials.

It’s sunny out. It’s kinda warm (well, it broke 65, anyway) and it isn’t windy as all hell. I’m happy for the moment.

And damn my roommates- they all have pets, and I don’t. I might have to get one. A cute big cat, since I can’t have a dog. And fish aren’t cuddly. And anyone who thinks fish are cuddly needs help. Lots and lots of help.

In other news, I haven’t used my golf clubs since getting back. Or my bike either. But I have an excuse- I have no dollars, and the chick who was watching my stuff is impossible to get a hold of, so I didn’t have a bike helmet. Finally gave in and bought one. What is it with people that they’re never available. I still think she sold my stuff. sad to be the person conned into buying my laptop… lol…

In other other news, I need to decide what to do to/ for myself for x-mas/ my b-day. All happening in the next three weeks.

I can:

• get a pet
• go bungee jumping
• dye my hair again
• go ride rollercoasters in AU.

Maybe do more than one. Hmmmmm… must think about this.

j.

Let’s get the scary part over with first, huh?

United tells me that I’ve flown 32,209 qualifying miles with them (or their partners) this year. that doesn’t include the half a free ticket home from chicago. It doesn’t include coming home from africa. It doesn’t include the flight from charleston to san jose to get over here.

Hell, 24,669 of them were last month alone. Yeah, that’s here to home, and back.

In other news, mexico and tourist fleacing are looking good again, since I have most royally fucked up the school thing. Again. Really really a lot. No, really. Think I could earn about $1k US plus living expenses a month in mexico? I don’t, but it’s a nice idea. blech. I need a new life. Like that song. wow, showing my age, I be.

j.

I am so not flying that long in coach ever again. At least not on united. The food sucked, they only brought the booze around twice, and international coach has less legroom than domestic. No, honestly. I upped my seat to the section in coach with “extra” legroom, and it was only about what I’d had in domestic. Add bad food and no individual entertainment, and it’s sooo not worth it. Not even for 820 something before taxes and whatnot. Nope nope nope.

So that’s one solid vote against united for international travel.

In happier news, You can fly business class on Air NZ for about 6200 us. Not bad. Only 6 times what I paid. Out of auckland, to NYC. Not bad at all.

In more realistic happier news, this trip made me premier on united. So on the off chance I fly anywhere the rest of this year or all of next year, I get to go thru the speedy checki n line. And i get some lame-o upgrade vouchers. And something else. Oh, yeah, a shiny new card and stuff. Yay.

j.

I spent about 8 hours at dulles airport yesterday. My poor luggage spent closer to 24 hours there- maybe more. And now it’s lost.

My poor luggage.

Or perhaps the more correct thing to say is poor j.

Guess who forgot to pack a clean shirt and undies in her carryon?

Yep.

But I got an excuse to do some more shopping, at least.

j.

Ok, I’ve been lost at the met before. I’m sure everyone who’s ever been there has been at least once- unless they never left the lobby.

Last time I was there it was, oh, I don’t know. 2000 or so, I guess. So a while ago. I could find my way around ok then. They seem to have done a touch of remodelling. I don’t know if they shut down the atrium, or I just couldn’t find it. I thought I saw it once, but figured I’d go back and see it again.

They’ve moved all the medieval stuff around, so I couldn’t find the little statue I swear I’ve seen, but no one else ever has. Heck, I couldn’t even find the cool armour. I’ll have to go back.

Far worse, tho- the textile thingy, costume section, and all but the english rooms are closed!

eep!

but so worth my $.50

j.