Last day in Chch

I woke up grudgingly today…not wanting to have to do any of the work that required leaving Chch:  cleaning the flat, packing, making travel arrangements, visiting the city centre one last time, etc.;  I was totally dreading it.  Letting my emotions release in the morning, and relaxing for 43 minutes to watch the most recent episode of LOST, the rest of the day was a blur.  Bret and I started packing on Wednesday, which is a first for both of us, packing in advance.  You’re talking to the girl who was convinced she could wait until the weekend before to pack up her entire apartment…and after 2 days and 4 people’s help later, we were finished.  A few days in advance to pack up 6 months worth of our lives was definitely preparation.  Originally, we were going to ship some stuff back to Omaha, to lighten our load for our travels backpacking the north island.  But we soon figured out that no matter what, we would probably be taking two bags/suitcases each, and that it would be more expensive to ship than to suck it up and travel with extra stuff.  As night neared though, we realized we were totally stuffing the bags 100% full. 

Sidenote:
Lessons I’ve learned from packing…never take as much as you think you’re going to need.  Anticipating living in NZ for months or up to a year made me question the weather and seasons, and as a girl, what to bring to accessorize and prepare for each.  One of my first blog posts describes this very dilemma in Omaha, and here I am, packing shoes in Chch, asking myself, “Why did I bring red, purple, and white high heels?”  Our trip has been mostly walking, and my foot comfort has relied on sneakers, jandals (working on the tan), and UGGS when it’s chilly.  I don’t have the patience for stomping everywhere in my stilettos…which have been worn maybe 3 times here.  Now they’re taking up space in my suitcase, and unfortunately puncturing all of my vacuum space bags (karma for not wearing them I suppose).  And the clothes?  Like a creature of habit, I wear my favorites, save my very favorites for special occasions, that never actually happen, and have a huge chunk of clothes that I have no clue why I brought them!  None of this is really a problem, after all, I managed to squeeze them all into my two suitcases, but it’s frustrating that now the suitcases are so ginormous that I can barely lift them, that I have to haul them all around the north island, and that I have to live out of them for a bit.  Next time, I am bringing a week’s worth of clothes and two pairs of shoes…maybe.

Today we went to the city centre one very last time (I feel like I’ve been saying that forever).  It was bustling with lively activity and was sunny and warm.  We rode the tram around the circuit through the city, and just relaxed for our last afternoon in Chch, reminiscing of our first day in the city centre, going to internet cafés, and attempting to arrange accommodation and jobs.  And now we’ve completed our work in Christchurch, our travels and adventures on the south island, and are ready to head up to north, 6 months exactly to the day since we arrived in Chch.  Our evening, before the packing and cleaning frenzy began, was completed with our favorite Thai takeaway and New Zealand’s Next Top Model. 

Christchurch's famous wizard...leaving Cathedral Square!

Tram!