Different but the same

Here in New Zealand things are a little different from Canada, which you would expect going to another country. Not only do the toilets flush in a different direction but they also drive on the other side of the road which puts the driver’s seat is on the other side of the car (this can be very confusing at first when you are running for shotgun) and I get a bit frustrated when I set off the wipers when I am suppose to be signaling. People say “mate” a lot and other strange words like “ta”, “oy” and “sweet as” (if those are words). Sometimes I have to ask native people to repeat what they have said to me because of the slang used here. When I was working out I had to remember to convert the pounds in to kilograms, at the start I wondered why a weight with a 10 engraved on the surface was so heavy. All these traits are adopted from their once ruling country of Britain but it’s clear that New Zealand has its own flavor.

Not only do I find differences in this country but also with my placement in it. I am currently staying in a house with the range of ages being from 17 to 31 and I am sharing a room with someone ten years younger then me. A little different from the boarding lifestyle I lived through high school but it’s still dealing with people in close quarters. I am grateful for the skills I learnt during that time because I can utilize them now. For example I have to accept the messes in the common areas, where if I were at home it would drive me crazy. At times I find myself cleaning up after the younger ones and even the older one because I naturally take on a mentoring and nurturing role. Yesterday I taught one of the kids how to start a dishwasher after I got over the fact that he did not know how to do this simple process (what kind of kids are people raising? Teach self reliance not just self esteem!). Today I made dinner for a bunch of them and after reminded them to wax their boards where I taught a waxing 101. All of these tasks are very different from my normal life of mostly living on my own and they are a challenge from time to time but a great reminder of how lucky I am to be able to live in a solo manner. I am so happy I have the gym to escape to.

Fortunately snowboarding is the same no matter where I am and here it is back to full o n winter. Including cold crisp mornings completed by feeling the icy air through your nostrils and seeing it slightly crystallize in your breath. I wake up, eat, drive, ride, hike, ride, hike, etc, until I have to eat again. Then head down the mountain, snack, workout, make dinner, work a little, snack and then off to bed. The life is not as glamorous as some think but I live it and love it.