Yes, I'm still alive.

Hello my friends.
I have been sadly delinquent in writing. I suppose I can make up excuses, like not having a lot of access to a proper keyboard (typing with one finger on an iPod tends to make me reluctant to write anything longer than a sentence or two) or not being able to post pictures most of the time, or that most of you are also on Facebook and will see that I'm doing fine on from my status updates, but the fact is mostly that I'm just lazy. There. In any case, I will at least write a little bit to update you on where I've been since my last post after I left Vietnam, I believe. That's a long time ago.

As you know, my travels have been largely solo. As Kevin says, I'm on soliday. I wasn't really sure what to expect my experience to be like after Julie left, but I was prepared for an adventure. It has been a good experience, but honestly, I'd rather have my friend with me. I have met many nice people, yes, but it's not the same as having a friend by my side who knows me and I feel I can just be myself with, occasional grumpiness, germ phobia, rambling tendencies and all. Julie will attest to all of these :) When I travel by myself, I have no one but me to complain to when things go wrong, so I take to either just letting it go a little quicker, or muttering to myself. I talk to myself a lot :)

I have spent days with others, traveled briefly with them, shared some experiences, but not met anyone who felt like a "kindred spirit." But perhaps that only comes with time and life spent together. At times I have felt quite lonely and have taken to calling my mom far more often than she ever heard from me when I was in Saskatoon! I am so grateful for Skype! I have realized that I actually like my own company, most of the time, and I think that's a good realization. I also am learning to care a little less what people think of me, although this is still a huge addiction - approval. Anyway. This is turning into a typical Ang-ramble, so let me move on to what I've been doing.

I left Vietnam and flew back to Thailand. I think I posted pictures on Facebook of my time there. It was very pretty, but I think I was ready to leave Southeast Asia with its rats and cockroaches and sewers and squat toilets and sketchy hygiene. I really loved the experience and I want to go back, but arriving in Cairns with it's squeaky clean streets was lovely. I spent two weeks in Cairns and it rained almost the whole time. However, it was warm rain, so I still enjoyed it. I was blessed to have an acquaintance in Cairns, Jacqui's high school friend Jenelle, who welcomed me with a ride from the airport (so nice not to have to figure out bus routes or shell out insane amounts for a taxi) and took me to my hostel. She also had me over for an evening of wings and cards with her and her husband and we went shorkeling the following day. I chose to go to Cairns for most of my time in Australia as I really wanted to experience the Great Barrier Reef. I didn't go diving, as my backpacker budget just didn't allow it, but I did go snorkeling on two separate occasions and it was amazing! The variety and color of sea life is incredible. And to think that most of it, no one ever sees. It really is a whole ''nother (that's for you, Jules) world under there. I also traveled up into the Daintree rainforest and along the coast to Cape Tribulation. What a gorgeous area! I love the green denseness of the rainforest with it's mushrooms and moss and waterfalls. And the coast is incredible.

After two weeks in Queensland, I flew down to Sydney and spent two days there exploring the city. I did a LOT of walking, as my hostel was 40 minutes from the harbour area, where most of the sights are, and I walked across the harbour bridge a few times. Of course I took a ton of pictures of the iconic opera house and the harbour bridge. I went to all the free museums and galleries and ate out for the first time in weeks at a place I'd heard about from many people - "Pancakes on the Rocks". The Rocks is an area of the harbour. It was pretty amazing, I will admit. I would have enjoyed one of the ice cream topped creations, but sensible Ang got the potato and cheese variety as it was lunchtime. I don't think I missed out. It was quite good, too, and while I was very full, perhaps it was a little more nutritions than ice cream for lunch. Perhaps just the change from peanut butter and sardines (no, I've been eating quite well, although I must say that peanut butter will always be a prominent part of my diet).

I flew from Sydney to Auckland in the middle of April. I hung around Auckland for a week, waiting for my Chinese visa from the embassy there. I can't describe how much Auckland felt like home. It's not that I live in a harbor city with every street running uphill, but the fact that it's fall in New Zealand now and that the area I was staying in had houses built in the same style as my neighborhood at home and also that the people seemed more casual and laidback than in Australia...all these things made me love New Zealand from first impression. Perhaps I'm just missing home. And then once I started really exploring the country - I'm in awe. I don't know that I've ever been somewhere where there is an amazing view around every corner. This country is up in my top three of this trip so far. Northern Ireland, Vietnam, and New Zealand. I flew down to the South Island, to Christchurch, where I rented a car and have been driving around the island. It is undescribably beautiful. And so wild. There aren't people everywhere...there is a lot of rural area, and the biggest cities are usually no bigger than Saskatoon. There are sheep everywhere (more than people, I've read) and so much green. Coasts with crashing waves and penguins and sea lions and dolphins. Rolling green hills dotted with livestock. Thick, dense rainforests pulsing with life. Icy blue glaciers...this country has it all. I love it. So. Today I leave the tiny glacier village of Franz Joseph and head north up the coast towards Westport. It's pouring rain, but hopefully I'll leave that behind. On to more beauty!!

I miss you all dearly and am getting excited to come back home in July and see everyone again. A few more adventures before then, however, and I'll try to be better about keeping up to date. No promises, though :)