Travelogue 001
“Are you Canadian?”
— Lots of people
“My [sister/ brother/ friend] went to New Zealand and they loved it! They said it looks just like Lord of the Rings!”
— Also lots of people
Travelling isn't how one expects it’s going to be, in a vast array of ways. Admittedly it’s already been a massive learning curve, and I expect that won’t finish until I arrive back in New Zealand.
Here is a quick summary of what’s happened so far, for those who may not have already heard these things from me:
Flying from Wellington to New York takes a really, really long time. I knew this intellectually, but one does not quite grasp the concept until one’s body has been squished into a plane like a human meat pack for just under 30 hours. Not only is this a long process, it’s one I found unexpectedly physically draining. Didn't I expect to feel out of sorts, exhausted, homesick and run down for several days after disembarking? Sure I did. What I wasn't prepared for was the crippling nausea and not being able to eat for two days. This lead me to become progressively weaker and even more exhausted, yet still having to drag myself through cabs, hotels, more cabs, air buses, shuttles, buses, rental cars and the odd experience of driving on the wrong side of the road.
Enough about that though. Despite initially being a bit of a mess, I think I have done an acceptable job of appreciating this new (for me) and very different environment I have found myself in. Driving from the New York State capital of Albany to Long Lake out in the back country was rather an experience. Finally making it to Long Lake Camp for the Arts and getting to see my Michael was an even better one. Almost everyone we ran into already knew who I was, and were so friendly and welcoming. It’s too bad I wasn’t able to work there too this year! It’s also super pretty. This dreary photo doesn’t quite do it justice.
During my time at Long Lake Michael and I made two day trips, taking full advantage of our rental car action. The first was to Lake Placid, north of Long Lake by an hour or so, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics, during which the USA claimed an unlikely victory over Russia in Men’s Ice Hockey. Particularly considering this was during the cold war, I get the feeling like there’s still a little smugness about it.
The second day trip was to Albany, capital of New York state, with a few friends from the camp. There we observed the vocal lines of a new Rimmel London ad being recorded (“24hr coverage something something barely there feel”), and visited Crossgates mall. This gigantic mall blew my mind a little bit; inside was the biggest gaming arcade I have ever laid eyes on, like a casino for children, a baby imax theater and a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course. I partook of all these excitements with glee.
The next day it was time for me to return the rental car and make my way to New Paltz. After some refuelling drama, some car-returning drama (thanks Obama! See? I’m adapting just fine) and the subsequent getting-to-my-bus-on-time drama, I made it into the town that will be my home for the next 18 weeks. I spent the night in my first hostel ever, sharing a room with a mysterious snoring person and a nice man called Stuart who’d been backpacking around the North Island of New Zealand several years ago.
With any luck, I’ll have somewhere to live more permanently in a couple of days; however for now I am trying to enjoy the process and this gorgeous town. It’s like Cuba st and Newtown rolled into a cute little town with a university tacked onto the side, and shipped to the States.
And with that I say goodbye for now, lovely fellow humans. I’m stoked you read this far down the page. You have a lovely day, now.
