I can tan!!!!

I was planning on writing about what I've been up to but something more important has been brought to my attention: I HAVE TAN LINES

No kidding. 

Today I was sitting beside a friend's pool when someone pointed out how white my stomach was compared to the rest of me. Upon closer inspection I noticed that it was true. My skin had turned a distinct shade of light brown in my most sun soaked areas.

Most of my life I have been the pasty kid. My dad has darker skin, my mum has more olive skin, my brothers all go poo-brown and then there is me; the throwback token pasty one.

In fact, it is well known among my friends and family that I am always varying shades of white, ivory and pearl. In summer I am more of a white colour but in winter it's more of an ivory as my already white skin goes almost transparent due to lack of Vitamin E.

But this year it all changed. 

I left New Zealand's winter for an America summer. On the first day of camp I cracked out my pasty unshaven legs for all to see. Thankfully there were others in my position but many of them quickly turned varying shades of brown. 

I watched on waiting for this to happen to me.

Three weeks on...nothing.

Five weeks on my hopes were raised when Bones, who was giving me a back massage, mentioned to me that I was getting epic tan lines. Then after a pause she proceeded to tell me that no, in fact, it was dirt. Yip dirt was all over my back and top. Great. Hopes of getting a tan were dashed again.

Then today, nearly eight weeks on I saw myself in a full-length mirror for the first time in a bikini. There is a distinct sock tan, singlet tan, sports bra tan and short line tan.

That's right. Four tan lines. Long may they survive.

*Photographic evidence is available

Things I learned this week...

1. I do not have lice which is good. Very very good news.
2. A lot of girls have lice.
3. What lice look like.
4. European liceis different from American lice - who knew?
5. Torrential downpours + tents = bad
6. Torrential downpours + shack = still bad
7. You can fit six people in the back of one car and still cheers to everything that is "great" in the world
8. Sometimes somebody elses problems are just what you need to forget your own
9. American's don't like Earl Grey (I know it's shocking)
10. How to lose weight the Aloha way - become a vegetarian as you won't get fed (I am doing the opposite- never fear)
11. I can not perform a haka but people here think I can
12. American's will believe anything if you say it's from your own country.
13. People here don't know what capsicum is.
14. People can't understand me and have just been nodding at me.
15. Fake it till you make it.
16. I still do not have lice. Yipee.
17. I still don't have lice even after being on Lanai (health house) duty - phew.
18. A kanaka is a fairy according to Aloha but means servant in another language.
19. I don't know how to canoe but thankfully I don't need that skill (see 15)
20. Hot days + walk-in = fantastic
21. When it comes to food people resort ot their tribal insticts - run, catch then eat.
22. I can run faster than a 13 year old.
23. Making girls run suicides is a great way of making them shut up when they are annoying you in tennis.
24. Cheese is awesome.
25. People put peanut butter on their knees when they go on trips - weird.
26. Full grown woman painted all green is highly entertaining
27. Rolling down hills with rocks on it is not good for me.
28. I bruise easily.

Once again it's bullet points...

- Despite giving the instructor a minor heart attack by driving on the left at one point I passed a van driving test

- Skinny dipping is a major part of camp

- I am now head of the 13 year year old girls at camp along with an Australian girl

- Internet running out....

My life has turned into a musical.....

I don't have much time to write right now - except to say that:

1. I'm alive
2. My life has turned into a musical. The people at camp sing about everything and I mean EVERYTHING.
3. I am living in a shack.
4. We only can shower about once every 2-3 days as there's 2 showers for 50 people.
5. Vermont is beautiful.
6. Walmart is awesome.
7. The camp is in the middle of nowhere.
8. I broke a canoe - story about that will come later
9. Shorthand is great as people can't read what I'm writing so the nosey kids have no idea
10. I'm going to learn archery

The final days in New York

The last couple of days have been jam packed.

I've walked through Central Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge, eaten in Times Square, strolled down 5th avenue and toured around West Village.

Ju and I ended up going out for wine which turned into cocktails which turned into beer on Saturday night. Was a great night out. I even beat some Americans at fooseball (I have no idea how to spell that).

Unfortunately, the really late night meant I slept through half of Sunday so my sightseeing was cut a little short but I'm sure I'll be back in NY at some point.

Anyway, am off to camp today so heading to the train station.

Travelling solo = forced to make new friends

Travelling by yourself is a great way to make friends.

From the moment I stepped on the plane where I met Jesse and James to when I was in LA airport with Chrystel, Max and Paul to walking Broadway with another Paul to dinner tonight where I was with Emma. Travelling solo has pushed me out of my comfort zone forcing me to be more outgoing. Having said that I find solo travellers naturally gravitate toward eachother as it's easier to approach them then a group of a few people.

The people I've been meeting are from all walks of life - maybe people I wouldn't normally meet but you have one thing in common; you're in a big city, alone.


Plus, I've had to rely on these strangers. Fopr example in LAX Chrystel and I teamed up and I was in charge of passports while she dealt with our baggaage as we ran through it trying to catch our next plane. She didn't know me from a bar of soap but because she knew I was going to America alone, like her, she instantly trusted me with her passport and I did the same to her with my luggage.

Sure some of these people I will never see again in my life but the point is, for whatever reason, be it comfort, a need to talk to somone or have someone be there to appreciate a sight with you, in a city this big you really are never alone.

Models and fat people

New York really seems to be a place where there are a lot of skinny stunning tall women and several obese Americans.

Depending where you look it can put you off your food. Look one way and there's a skinny person making you feel guilty about eating that great slice of cheese coated pizza but look the other way and there's a fat person shoving their face which just, well, makes you not want that slice of greasy goodness anymore.

The most fascinating thing here is really the people. Times Square seems to be full of tourists, while getting further out there are different sects of models, hip young people, older hardened New Yorkers and hawkers selling anything from "Obama condoms" to that useless I love New York T-shirt. FYI I bought the t-shirt for $2 not the condoms.

I've also been fascinated by how many Jewish people there are here.

It's a fascinating city which captures my attention at every corner for its people watching opportunities as much as its famous sights and sounds.

Sleepless in New York?

I have quickly learned nothing ever goes to plan when travelling (Livvy and Liz - just think of our Europe trip a couple of years ago) and this trip is no exception.

On Friday, my close friend Julia, who lives in Richmond, was due to fly up to meet me in NY. We were going to stay at her friend's place in Greenwich Village and meet at 9:30pm in my hostel.

Unfortunately, come 9:30 I ring Julia only to find out she hasn't left Richmond and the plane might be cancelled. So I'm sitting in the hostel trying to work out what to do as I can't leave the computer/lounge area as you need a key to get back in which I don't have. In fact the only reason I'm even in the hostel is because my plane friends let me in.

So while I'm waiting to hear about her plane I start trying to find accommodation. Now I should point out that the hostel I'm staying in is near Harlem so I don't really want to be wandering the streets alone with my pack.

It turns out that my 600 bed hostel, yes 600 bed hostel, is full. Great. So I try wotif and start to realise this whole thing could turn into an expensive episode....

Thankfully, Julia's flight wasn't cancelled and she arrived just before midnight...much to my relief.

But, the drama wasn't over.

The key for the flat didn't work.

We thought that maybe it was the wrong flat so tried 5C instead...sure the door opened but into someone else's apartment. Whoops.

Between us, and we still don't know how, we finally managed to open the door.

New York New York

So after two long flights, being held up in customs, having to run to catch a flight and another flight being delayed I arrived in New York jet lagged but alive.....

New York is a sensory overload. Everywhere I go there is something to look at, someone talking loudly and some weird smells in the air.

I woke up this morning after a restless sleep in my 12 bed dorm room and headed straight downstairs to meet up with my plane friends, Paul and Max. We jumped on the subway and made our way from the Upper West Side to Midtown. Stepping straight out into Times Square. All of us were feeling a little overwhelmed at this point (not helped by jet lag).

At this point I really realised that I was in New York. It was quite surreal.

To mark the occasion I decided to eat what any good New Yorker would eat for breakfast - a bagel. copying the person in front of me I ended up buying a peanut butter and jam bagel. Disgusting delicious.

With a full stomach we wandered the streets.

We then trained to Battery Park where we could see the Statue of Liberty (but flagged going out due to long lines). We then walked our way past the World Trade Center Site, down Wall St, 5th avenue and through Little Italy.

With slightly sore feet we decided to head to the Rockefeller Center to go up the observation deck.

One thing I've found is I am as easily entertained by the people of New York as I am by it's sights. It seems there is something always going on to capture my attention.

Anyway, internet time is running out so will finish this off later......

My life = a tramping pack

In the last couple of weeks I've sold my worldly possessions (including my car which has been in the family since 1993), shoved a few boxes under my parent's stairs and opened my wardrobe up to friends and family. The result? My life is now contained in a 17kg tramping pack.

Right now I'm looking at it wondering what I've forgotten but am resisting the urge to rip it to open to check. I'm only allowing myself to check my passport holder which has a million documents for my American visas which I jumped through several hundred hoops to get including declaring to the US Embassy that I had never participated in genocide. Seriously.

For some reason even though no-one else is in the room I keep opening that damn holder up every five minutes - I'm pretty sure nothing would've gone but I guess I am killing time until my Dad picks me up to drop me and my pack at the airport.

Thankfully for me I've managed to stagger my goodbyes as to be frank - I'm terrible at them. I tend to make awkward jokes or just hug and run. But that seems to run in the family so today Dad is going to literally let me out in the drop-off zone so we can both hug and run and there will be no emotional airport goodbye. Having said that my oldest brother, Dave, is not getting away so lightly. He is going to have to come in to Auckland Airport with me and sit with me until I go through to the Departure Lounge. I warned him about this weeks ago though so he should be prepared.

I fly from Auckland to LA then straight on to New York where my adventure will really begin and I'll probably remember what what it was that I forgot to pack.