Currently, I’m sitting in my yard on (yet another) sunny day listening to music, consuming a bagel/egg/cheddar/tomato/kale sandwich, and drinking my second cup of coffee from a ceramic green mug. The vibes are great except for this enormous houseboat/RV that permanently sits in our driveway, much to my chagrin. The owner of our house, Adrian, is super enthusiastic about this massive multi-talented vehicle that apparently can both float in water and drive on its own. “One of a kind,” he says.
“Our retirement plan,” he claims. For now, it only resides in my eyesight daily.

Besides that, though, life is pretty dang splendid. I’m still rocking with my schedule of work during the days then go out and adventure in the evenings, which is lovely. In the weeks since I last wrote, my mom and I finished off our holiday by traveling down to Fjordland national park and hiking for a couple days. I’m already itching to go back (tomorrow??)! After that, I returned to work, swam in the lake many many times, and continued on my journey of making friends. I continue to feel surprised at my level of chattiness these days at the café and in these friend-making efforts… something’s up.

In a way that words really can’t do justice, it’s so darn beautiful here. The town is surrounded by lakes and wonderful, dramatic mountains. During every drive or bike home and casual swims, I am in awe of it all. The crags (climbing spots) are located about 15-20 min outside town, around this large bay, and amidst green fields with impressive cliffs spotting the hillsides. Since I usually go after work, I find myself chatting with friends or up on the wall during the golden hour light that creates these comforting yet stunning hues of pink, orange, and violet that glow from the ridges of the mountains. It’s simply lovely. I think the loveliest part is that you don’t necessarily have to travel for hours or hike for grueling days to reach views — though you can do that too. The sunset light is as commonplace and calm as a cup of coffee in the morning, which makes it feel all the more special.

I have thought about the possibility of getting bored here… not so much on a daily basis but rather on a longer time scale. Will the daily rhythm of work, play, sleep, repeat feel less fulfilling as time passes? Although this could be true, my housemate Jenna (shoutout the Brit) also reminded me that this is my first time not being a student. That removes the sort of larger goal of making it to the end of the week, the semester, or even a college degree. So, I’m not really sure that I’d feel any higher sense of purpose living a different post-college life, either. Don’t worry. I’m not freaking out. It’s just nice to have the time to wonder.

As always, here are some photos (which is really what you’re here to see, let’s be honest). Hopefully they capture some of the beauty! Although my viewership on this blog has decreased (as my WordPress stats kindly remind me of) and, in honesty, my own investment has also decreased, I think it’s still nice to have some sort of record of my experience here over time. Hopefully, since you’re reading this, it’s nice for you too!

Sincerely,

Jaquelin