Oh, you look Relaxed

Well, I'm home now. It has been quite an experience. I love hanging out with my family, they're cool, but I am having the I miss New Zealand Blues. After spending over 3 months having 'flow' experiences as Mark Widmer would call them, where we were having such great learning experiences that the way we look doesn't matter to us, I am quite astonished at what I saw at the mall today. We live in a technology driven, appearance driven world where people are constantly competing for the biggest, best, cutest and skinniest.

I walked into Banana Republic wearing sweat shorts and a long sleeved jacket, classes and un-styled hair (which is a typical outfit for someone who can't comfortably fit in her old clothes and has a sore throat and throbbing headache.) Anyway, one of the male associates at Banana started asking me how I was doing and how my day was. I was friendly and responded that I was having a really great day (after all, I sat on the couch watching T.V. all day because it was snowing outside). He said, "oh yeah? really relaxed?" Like obviously by the way I was dressed I had a relaxing day. I think he and I both knew that I did not belong in Banana Republic.

The newest clothes I have I purchased from the local second hand shop in Invercargill. Oh, and yesterday at my friend Janessa's apartment some people were throwing out clothes and just put them on the lawn for people to take. I scoured the pile to find something because hey, free clothes. I was surrounded at the mall by people who care a lot about appearance and I was slightly uncomfortable. My sister told me I needed to get my eyebrows done...what is that all about? Some of the girls on our New Zealand trip didn't shave their legs the entire time and no body cared. No one told anyone how to dress or look or made anyone feel alienated for not dressing appropriately while shopping. Who makes the rules about how we should look and what we should wear?

I don't know about this. It's slightly disappointing.

BULA!

Well, saying goodbye to Invercargill was a bitter sweet experience. I was so sad to leave what had become my second home. The experiences I had and the friendships I made in New Zealand will never be forgotten.

After New Zealand I spent 5 days in Sydney, Australia. It was way fun but I got tired of seeing the same old buildings every day. I wanted to go out and see the bush a little bit but it was just too hard because we didn't have transportation. The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are amazing. It was neat to actually be in Australia. Next we spent 2 days in Fiji. We stayed at a beach side resort and literally sat on the beach or by the pool for 2 days straight. Oh, except for the time we took a bus ride into town. Nadi (pronounced Nandi) is a small city; there is only one road through the entire place. All the Fijian's are so kind. Everywhere you go they greet you with a Bula! (which means hello). They live very simply in small homes with almost no posessions, and yet they are still happy.

Now I am home and anxious to get back to my normal life routine. When I got home I got a huge cuddle from my nephew Reid and then today I got one from Sammy and India too. I missed my neices and nephews like craz