Galavanting Globally

With the Jobblins in Nelson


Nelson, New Zealand

Kelly and I have a really really rough first week.  We posted up with Jobby and his parents in Nelson, the northern part of NZ's south island.  Let me tell you how rough it is to wake up, without an alarm clock, to the sun peaking over the lush, green, lamb filled hillsides of New Zealand.  Or just how awful it is to have a homemade breakfast of farm fresh eggs that came straight from the family chickens that morning.  Don't get me started on the torture of having a personal tour guide who toted us from one breath-taking nature walk to the next.  Only then to be forced into a home-cooked (gluten-free) meal every night.  Yes, yes, it's been a challenge.

Before sounding like a total dick, the Jobblins were the nicest, kindest and most freaking hilarious family ever.  I hope they know we are moving in with them when we are done with this world tour.

Kelly and I had tickets to the Australia v. Russia World Cup Game our second day in town.  We saw Saia Fiangga (Australia's Hooker) and Nathan Sharpe (Australia's Captain) hanging out in Nelson the day before the game.  I acted super cool, of course.  After the game, Samo (Australia 8 Man and sometimes wing) and Quade Cooper (Australia's Fly Half and My Boyfriend) came to the bar/club where Kelly and I happened to be cutting the most serious of rugs.  Rumors have been spreading and I'm here to tell you that they are true; I did in fact creep up on Quade Cooper to to caress his sweet sweet buttocks in my hands...twice.  Besides the celebrity citing, there a few key take aways about the Nelson bar scene:

1.  Men to Women Ratio is 4:1
2. The men are large, rugby playing beasts (stark contrast to the frail, homosexuals I've been ogling in San Francisco this last year)
3. If you put a house beat behind "Walking on Sunshine" it is totally danceable
4. The dancing is subpar which means Kelly and I looked like dancing goddesses
5. Men drink these horrible, sickly sweet, wine cooler-esque, pre-mixed Jack and Coke drinks (though delicious when they are free)
6. People told us that we were "exotic" because we sounded like we are in the movies

I may never leave.

We also saw the breath taking Able Tasman and Lake Rotoiti at the Nelson Lakes National Park.  I'm pretty sure the sound of lapping water and beach walks will cure cancer.

We can definitely call the first week a raging success.  Wait, I mean terrible failure.  Don't try to find us; we're beyond salvation now.