“The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
I am currently working my first Monday to Friday job. For the first year, I was also working the regular working man's (or woman's) hours too; however, in March I sacrificed my Monday and Thursday evenings to work a five minute walk to our office in town. Because of this, I am lucky enough to have the same days off as Kevin and most regular people, which we like to fill with small adventures around New Zealand. And despite having my yoga teacher training completely take over my life (only one week to go!), we have found a way to truly savour our weekends.
Over the Easter break, we took to the west coast Taranaki region for a weekend of camping (or should I say 'glamping') and surfing. We set up shop in the beautiful Opunake in an abandoned paddock, complete with a outdoor patio heater (who needs a campfire?). Mother Nature showed us her versatility with clouds and rain, followed by clear skies and sunshine. We entertained ourselves with a couple of surfs, shooting a homemade potato gun, slacklining, and beer-in-the-butt chickens. What a great way to end the summer season!
The 2nd of May marked a very special day for a very special boy. Kevin turned 26 and what better way to celebrate than Pub Golf! A few dozen of us dressed up in ridiculous golf attire and made our way to 9 'holes' (pubs/bars) and attempted to finish the allocated beverage under par (a set number of sips). The birthday boy reigned close to the top, but no one could outdrink swing the Kralls, who finished with a hole-in-one for each hole. Impressive! The night ended with a couple of jigs and far too much fun.
For the last long weekend for one heck of a long time (Labour Day is four and a half months away...) we took a roadtrip up to Pukawa, a quaint community on the southwest side of Lake Taupo. We spent the days exploring the scenery in and around the lake and in the evenings, a good 20+ people joined together for delicious food, endless drinks, and a heck of a lot of laughter.
As we prepare for our journey home in six weeks, we are enduring Wellington's not-so-gentle reminder that it is now winter in the southern hemisphere. And while we are not in the state of catastrophe that Calgary is enduring (my thoughts and best wishes go out to you all!), 200km/h winds are not what I would consider pleasant. We have been lucky to not have lost power or experience any damage as many Wellingtonians have, but I am definitely looking forward to a summer holiday, even if we have to travel around the world for it. See you soon!
