Is Christmas Over Already?

Hello Blog.

I was going to write this on actual Christmas but I'll be honest, I was feeling too lazy.
We had our annual family braai in Kerikeri again, it was meant to be in Whangarei this year but because of unforeseeable circumstances it was changed to Kerikeri. I think it was better that way.
Firstly: it meant only one hour of travel for those from Kaitaia, as opposed to two hours. And the Whangarei-ans only had to travel an hour as well! WIN WIN WIN!

This year has actually been the most un-Christmas-iest Christmas I have ever experienced!
I think this is definitely due to the fact I didn't make it back home until a few days before Christmas.
Usually I start decorating the house in early December. I put up Christmas lights all around the lounge, chuck a few pieces of tinsel here and there, and of course put up our tree and over-decorate it with heaps and heaps of random sparkly things and Christmasy objects.

But not this year!!!!!
Because it was only a few days before Christmas I really couldn't be bothered decorating the house. It takes a whole afternoon to put it all up, and then another whole afternoon to take it all down.
Can't. Be. Bothered.

I might do it next year though, seeing as I had a break from it this year.

To be honest though, the whole "decorate your house all Christmasy" seems a little strange to me now.
None of the decorations really have anything to do with the birth of Jesus.
That is what Christmas is about, after all.
For that reason I'm kinda glad we had a very minimalist Christmas. I only got a few chocolates as presents, but you know what? I am happy about that.
I don't need more stuff.
At least chocolates can get eaten in a matter of days (or hours, depending on who you are). I cannot even tell you the amount of times I've gotten things for Christmas that I've never been able to use and it just ends up cluttering up my life.

I think I'd just prefer not to give or receive any presents at Christmas time, unless its food. Food is always good. Hahaha.

Anyway though, the braai in Kerikeri was fun. And very civil.
I think my cousins and I are all maturing.
There were no outbursts or dramas this year. We all just sat around and talked to each other like... well... adults!
Its pretty strange. But good.
All in all, pretty decent Christmas though.
The fact that its not about us but really about Jesus was very apparent to me.
So for that I'm glad. Its easy to forget it sometimes.

Back To Doing Nothing

Hey Blog,
So I couldn't write while I was in the middle of my summer craziness but now that I am back in good ol' Kaitaia I will try to fill you in on what's happening.
As you probably know I just finished an INTENSE three week film project with Student Life, the week before that I was travelling to Auckland by bus (took 6 flippin hours, pretty draining), and then by vehicle to Taupo for a very good friend's 21st. It was really fun, and I'm glad I was able to be there. After that I got another ride down to Wellington and stayed with a friend until the next day when I flew down to Dunedin!!!! My story already sounds pretty crazy, but it gets crazier because I spent the next week watching One Tree Hill DVD's and packing up my bedroom in the Gables flat I now FORMERLY lived in (since I am officially moved out).

Creative Media Project eventually started and that was a wild adventure in itself. I met some really fun people and had a great time learning heaps of stuff about film and then actually getting out there and filming stuff and editing it and putting it all together.
I'm not going to pretend like it was always fun though, I found it hard to cope sometimes because I desperately crave alone time. I also didn't have my guitar with me :( Usually I relieve stress by jamming out to angry songs, but I was unable to do so. Surprisingly I didn't have as huge of a meltdown as I initially expected.
I had a bit of a cry on my 21st birthday when my Dad told me our dog Sheba isn't doing so well but I managed to suck it up and carry on so that's all good!!! Dad isn't the most tactful person I've ever met...

We had so many laughs on project though, I'm super happy I had the opportunity to go and be part of it. Now that its over though I am pretty keen to spend the next two months with my parents and the dogs, and maybe try to figure out what I'm going to do my dissertation on next year too (that could be helpful).
I have been playing heaps of guitar since I've been home but I am yet to pick up the songwriting that I was working on before I left Kaitaia over a month ago.

I also can't believe its Christmas in a few days! Since I wasn't at home no-one bothered to put up any Christmasy things (because apparently that's MY JOB). I told my Mum I wasn't going to do it though... I'm too lazy... haha.

Oh yeah, yesterday I had my third 21st. I got one of those sweet as wooden keys with your face on it. Cecil never got one (because he's lame), so I'm pretty happy with it, haha :-P The party was pretty hilarious, it was 7/8ths older people and only very few that were even around my age. Couldn't have asked for much better though. My first 21st was on 30 September, second one was during project and on my ACTUAL birthday (it was really special because my friend Pen made me cupcakes and everyone sang to me a number of times) and my third one was 2 weeks after that. I feel pretty grateful I was able to have three 21st's, because I didn't even expect to have one!
Just goes to show that people can surprise you :-)

Anyway, so Christmas is in Kerikeri again this year. Should be good, but a bit weird because Emil won't be there :( It'll be good to see the extended family though. I have no idea what I am going to do all of January and half of February up until I head off for Dunedin again...

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Two Weeks In Kaitaia Already

Hello Blog,

This is my first entry in Kaitaia since last summer, and its already been two weeks!
What do I have to show for it? Not a lot. Haha...
No but in all honesty I have been spending most of my time by myself/with the dogs/with my family and its just what I needed.
I am leaving for Auckland in two days, at which point I will be travelling to Taupo, Wellington and then Dunedin. I won't be back in Kaitaia for a month.

Its good, its definitely the right thing to do. Briar, a very good friend of mine is having her 21st on Saturday that's why I'm going to Taupo. Since I have Creative Media project in Dunedin a week after that I figured I may as well just make my way back to the deep South from Taupo, as opposed to coming back to Kaitaia and then leaving again. That just seems silly.

I could have stayed in Dunedin til the project, but I honestly couldn't have handled it. Stress levels in the flat reach fever pitch around the time of exams and the full force of my homesickness kicks in. So I couldn't stay, there was no chance. The morning after my last exam I got on a plane and got the heck out of there.

Haven't really talked to many people since I've been back. I don't really leave the farm either, the most productive things I do is help my mum out with burning stuff/planting trees/odd jobs around the place like cutting down chinese privet (its a weed).
I don't go on Facebook much either because last summer I was on there WAY TOO MUCH! I don't want to be that girl who sits on the computer all day wishing she was somewhere else. I want to embrace the fact I am back on the farm, its awesome here!!!! So much space and its so green and beautiful. I can wear my shorts and gumboots and just walk around with the dogs. I get splattered with mud and the dogs scratch up and bruise my legs but its not even a problem.

Hopefully I can keep this "positive" attitude up when I get back to Kaitaia and the novelty of being home wears off. The fact I have started listening to Evanescence with the volume turned right up reminds me that my inner angst is still there and will continue to show up every now and then if I don't keep it in check.

But one good thing about the angst is that it is good fuel for my songwriting, which I have started to get back into now. I'm hoping to have a couple more finished songs under my belt by the time I go back to University in February.

I think that's all from me at the moment. Who knows when I'll be writing again! Cheers to anyone who read this, you're cool. :-P