Day 1

Kia ora,

The first official day in New Zealand has been a good one, but I should also touch on the travel time it took to get here. It was nice to drive to Chicago and see Chad and his family again. Our time together was short, but still good. The flight from Midway to LA had one of the strangest delays I've experienced. Apparently, one of the seats broke on the plane; and it took almost an hour to repair and get us in the air.

We still arrived in LA with plenty of time to spare, and I ate before boarding the plane, which then kickstarted my 16-hour fast to overcome jet lag. The fast itself wasn't a difficult challenge (the concurrent season of Lent is good prep for that); the biggest challenge was telling the airline staff twice that I didn't want a meal. One was pretty insistent I have something, but he was in good spirits too. He was just doing his job, and the entire service staff were top-notch the entire flight. (I've always liked Southwest Airlines, but they felt like MLS vs the EPL in this case). Upon arrival and clearing customs, I had just passed the 16-hour window. Unfortunately, my only warm breakfast option at the airport was McDonalds, so I replaced an empty stomach with stuff that should not enter a stomach...it was delicious though.

I was able to drop my bags off at my hostel this morning - check in was not until 2 pm. I spent the next few hours wandering the city streets, and went to mass at the cathedral. Just before heading to the hostel to check in, I found an awesome gelato place that was supposedly award winning (according to their sign). I was sold, and it was tasty.

After checking in, I finally got the nap my body craved, as I only mustered 4ish hours of sleep on the red eye. (The ambien helped for a bit, but seemed to lose its effect after a bathroom break during the flight.) I got a really nice nap in, and then headed back out for a walk and to find a place for dinner. That is where I write this post from. I don't imagine much more to talk about today. My body feels like it is on a New Zealand schedule as a result of the fast, but we will see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow. Not a ton of great scenery, as most of these photos are in the city, but still plenty to yap about. Tour kicks off tomorrow morning, booya!Read more