Holy flying time Batman…it’s March 1st, and I really can’t believe it.  This adventure is now winding down to its last few weeks, all of which will pass by at Mach 1, no doubt.  I’ve been thinking back on what I’ve done (and haven’t) since I first found myself here on the other side of the globe.  I realized, that from the start, this was never about doing, “all the things” as the kids say these days.  The goal was, and continues to be, to live somewhere new, and just be a part of the scene.  Being a tourist is easy, and I think it makes you complacent.  So, trying to settle in, and ingrain myself in Queenstown and the local community has proven to be a worthy challenge, and one which was not remotely easy.

Evening laps up Skyline with the #dreamteam/#goonsquad. UK & USA up in here.

Establishing friendships in a transient town is like a metaphorical joke in and of itself.  People come and go like the weather, and so the walls are up high around here.  Thankfully, bikes are a great connecting point for a vast portion of the people in this town, and that’s where I was able to find “my people”.  Wriggling my way into such a core scene needed subtlety, a word that is not often found in my wheelhouse; I pretty much kicked in the door, and was like, “WE ARE ALL FRIENDS NOW, LET’S MAKE SOME JOKES.”  It more or less worked, as I’m a pretty inoffensive person and easy going.  Being one of the only Americans worked out well for once, as everyone thought I was Canadian…if that makes sense.  I did walk into a gathering last Tuesday to the sound of [Click here for awesomeness], which was hilarious.  One friend in particular calls me “Captain America” on occasion, which is amusing as well.
That tangent got away from me, but on a whole, what I’m trying to say is this:  I know that as my time here comes to its curtain call, I will not have seen nearly enough of New Zealand.  But, what the trip will have lacked in travel and far-reaching exploration, it will have definitely been compensated in other ways, namely all of the people I’ve met (and continue to meet), and the many stories I’ve heard and been a part of with my Friends From All Over, Way Way Down Under.  It’s not over yet though, and there are certainly more shenanigans to come!