Dear Whatcom,
I am home. New Zealand was the adventure of a lifetime. Carefree; exciting; new; SUN! Although I missed all my friends and family while I was gone, it was well worth it to see my aunt, uncle, and cousins for the first time in three years and to go to New Zealand!
The trip home was like any other trip on a plane, plus a few adventures. I flew on an hour flight from Gisborne to Auckland, New Zealand…where I realized that I had only half an hour to get from the domestic terminal to the international terminal and then get through security! FYI, that’s not a lot of time.
I got through security fairly quickly and felt like I was going to safely make it onto the plane when over the intercom I heard “This is the final boarding call for the flight to Vancouver.”
That’s when, with my two bags in tow, I began to run (sadly, my legs are still sore two days later…I need to get to the gym haha). I ran through the terminal, up some stairs, and to my gate. I only stopped running when I saw the group of people standing at my gate. Turns out my plane was running an hour late.
AWESOME.
I was now sweaty, out of breath, and feeling like a moron.
After that situation, I got on the plane with no issues. When we were just about to take off the Captain announced that there was a special person on board the plane. Turns out there was a guy on board who had walked over 7,000 kilometers around the world! He deserved to sit for the twelve and a half hour plane ride after walking that much!
I was so happy once we FINALLY landed. My legs kept cramping because I had gone from running to sitting for so long so I was quite happy to get off the plane.
My parents greeted me in the waiting area and it was great to see them. We couldn’t have gotten back home fast enough.
Overall, I’m glad to be home. New Zealand was the experience of a lifetime and I loved every minute of it. But it’s nice to come home to a familiar area; sleep in your own bed. Be greeted at the door with flowers from your boyfriend. Hang out and have girl talk with your best friend.
During my trip, I have grown as a person. I feel like I’m more responsible (yes, mom…it’s true) and that I can take on any challenges that come my way. I’m ready to refocus on my life and decide what it is that I want to do with it.
