DAY SEVEN: Tongariro to Wellington

It’s summertime here, and what a summer it’s been for the past week. A lot of our time is spent in the vans but I would almost say it is my favorite part. My life is a music video. White v-neck tee, messy hair, no make up. The vans are very thin and open. The ceilings are so high I can nearly stand straight up and the sides are made almost entirely out of windows. The feeling I get on our road trips is the same feeling you have when you’re in a convertible. The combination of wind in your face, music, laughter, sunshine, peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter lotion, journal writing.

This is kind of how I feel: Summer 2009

We got to Wellington and were given $20 to fend for ourselves for dinner. We were allotted three hours to walk around town and enjoy.

A small group of us stuck together and went to a food court for the cheaper prices where we ended up eating at a sick nasty Chinese buffet. You’d think I would have learned my lesson last year when Mel, Kevin, Allison, Herb, myself stopped at a $6 chinese buffet after the Festival of Colors at the Hare Krishna temple. I can’t think of a time in relatively normal circumstances when a cheap Chinese buffet is ever a good choice.

People are a little tired and grumpy today from the hike and from being together for a week. There was some murmuring tonight at dinner and a few snarls and tears since then. Nothing too awful but people’s real colors are beginning to show. Buck up, everyone! We’ll make it through :)