Arrival!

After a stimulating sermon about orignial sin, the pastor-man at Palm Desert Episcopal Church prayed for me to "have a good time in New Zealand".  Though the irony did not pass me, I appreciated the prayers  :)

Then, a nice going away party with meatloaf and Jaeger-bombs at Aunt Cynthia's!  I took off from LAX at 11 pm, on a virtually empty plane so sleep was not a problem.  A nice dinner and a couple glasses of Pinot put me to sleep and I woke up in Auckland.  NICE WEATHER.

I've ridden in small planes, from Bellingham, WA...Petersburg, AK....Meridian, MISS.  But the plane to Blenheim beats them all.  Sixteen people, I think?  And I had hearing problems for a few minutes after we de-planed :)

Met a rad guy who picked me up from the airport and delivered me to my backpackers, I think I'll be harvesting a small vineyard Thursday, and getting paid in freshly butchered sheep and BEER. Yesssss..
Got a room with two other Californians and a Kiwi at Copper Beech, all of us are at Indevin.  Nice place, but I am looking for a different housing situation.  Be here for a week though!

Was wandering around downtown, and ran into my friend Tony Merz! Totally forgot he was going to be here, so I hung out with him and his three Canadian friends (Vancouverites).  THEN I ran into Bonzai and a girl I know from the Vines to Wines club at Cal Poly! (Kristen) plus another guy from Poly!  I swear....we are taking over the world. Tony, Michelle, Emily and Calvin and I at the Mudhouse tasting room in downtown Blenheim.

NZ has the nicest people, I am very very stoked.  Who knows if I'll ever come back ;)