saying goodbye sucks

it's just really starting to sink in.. can't believe it.. to lose so many of ur good friends in a single year really sucks.. i mean last year at high school sucked but this sucks as well.. i remember crying when we prayed for Sam on his last Sunday.. dint cry for Matt but it'll show next year, when there's suddenly that hole to fill in life group.. then yesterday said goodbye to Jess.. that really sucked.. i almost cried.. and that was before went to see her.. well it was p short and sweet.. there was a hug and then that was it.. it's just starting to sink in that i'll not see her for a v long time.. same goes with Rach and Jacqui..

anyway i'm back in Dunners.. but not for long.. set off for 5 days for Christchurch and Akaroa.. dad is here from Malaysia and has been since Wednesday.. and he's gonna be here till New Year's Day which is awesome.. so that's like 3 weeks and in the right time..

being back at home is definitely v nice.. definitely feels like i haven't been at home for weeks.. and that feeling may come back once i get back from Akaroa.. but yeah there's just a feeling of anti-climax.. it's been such a thrilling 5 weeks.. gosh i just don't know where to start.. but typing this i guess the one thing i miss is the companionship coz boy about 7/8th of the time spent in the last 5 weeks was with friends whether it was the guys at Hall Road or the Mullers, although it turned out to be the guys at Hall Road which i dint really expect at the start coz firstly thought they lived a bit too far out.. obviously working under the same boss helps..

and another thing i'll definitely take from the last 5 weeks is discovering the real "boys".. never thought Jared, Joe, Mike Willis and to a certain extent, Chris, would be such massive risk-takers.. well we took like three massive risks.. two of them we got away with, one not quite.. and that happened to be this morning.. i think we got away with a $500 fine for lighting a fire in a "fire-ban" area by Lake Tekapo.. we were already in the "schist" - as Mike would say - camping for free in a no-camping site.. well resolved that by paying the $13.. the camp ground manager still has mine and Chris' car regos.. but the cops haven't called.. thank God for that Press truck falling over.. anyway he only took our surnames down and where we came from.. and it's been like over 12 hours since we got caught and no one has called from the Lake Tekapo Police.. even then i'm safe coz i won't be home.. on that note, after our misadventure by Lake Tekapo - by the way, that was a p good fire we did, and certainly quite safe, coz we did put it out - we went up to Mount Cook and it was gorgeous.. and in hindsight definitely the right decision over the Central Rail Trail which i wanted to do on this my last day in Central Otago, coz the weather was shocking from Clyde to Palmerston that afternoon i was driving back..

anyway, as i was saying, just spending so much time with those guys made me see how different i was to them.. and made me realise i was prob a tad too mechanical and predictable.. kinda learnt to be a bit more spontaneous during the last 5 weeks, thanks to those guys.. for example, in my wildest dreams, wouldn't have thought i would have free loaded three times in four weekends and got away with it twice.. wouldn't have imagined myself jumping off the top of the Cromwell bridge.. Joe claims not to be an adrenaline junkie, but i don't know what else to describe him, esp when he does the "highest" end of the Cromwell bridge.. maybe i would have done the rock.. maybe not.. but the thing is i would not have done the crazy stuff without those guys.. and now i know what a concussion feels like.. and my mouth is still kinda damaged from that 30-foot-"faceplant" from the Cromwell bridge..

highs and lows? well lows, saying goodbye to Cromwell, getting busted for that fire in Lake Tekapo.. the jump off the Cromwell Bridge was a high definitely.. happy i've done it.. unlikely i'll ever do it again.. that dance party at the Mullers on the day before i did the bridge jump - Sunday - was p good.. good fun.. played some songs on my violin so that was good.. ppl liked it.. Wanaka was fun even with that stuck car, Mount Rosa too, Queenstown.. i should do like a list.. in fact i will:

Top 8 Highs of the Last 5 Weeks:

8.Spending 2nd Saturday working with everyone else at Mullers
7.Seeing Mount Cook and Mackenzie Country
6.All of us Scarfies hanging out at the Bannockburn Bridge
5.Dance party at the Mullers
4.Wanaka and Rob Roy
3.Jump off Cromwell Bridge
2.Mount Rosa - on and off trek
1.Doing tea for Jess and Jacqui

as i should say it was the best time of my life.. by a country mile.. can't believe it's all over.. then again i'm glad it is.. just exhausting being with those guys and doing all those crazy and spontaneous things.. plus being in the country does get to ya after a while.. i'm a city kid.. in fact, coming into Dunners, it just suddenly felt like a big city esp with all those cars in a bit of a gridlock.. also just having to worry about food and expenses.. and sleeping on that mat.. and of coz the job while it was socially v good, wasn't the most exciting.. was p gruelling esp towards the end as the days got hotter.. just felt really exhausted and tired.. and less enthusiastic for work until the last day.. well actually, this Tuesday when Grant told me i was doing composting that kinda gave me some enthusiasm.. until i discovered what it was.. the word kinda gives it away anyway doesn't it..

the last day of work was prob one of the best i reckon.. prob 2nd to the Saturday i spent at Mount Rosa doing under-the-table work.. we did boxes and yeah it just was p good coz it wasn't as hot as the previous days.. we were at Avalon which doesn't have many flies as Bendigo, although the shed is still under construction and the toilet is p much v basic.. but anyway, it was good coz got to talk heaps with the Deans - Teri, Charlotte, and Alice - who we've been staying with at Hall Road..

gosh there's just so much to type and yet i can't remember all of it.. and there's just so little time.. so i'll try and work on this when i get back from Christchurch.. or maybe not..

but it was definitely the greatest time of my life.. plus i got $1600 in the kitty..