The last 3 weeks of my life

I am now sitting in the busy city of Manila trying to figure out how to explan to you the last 3 weeks of my life. I don't really know how this is going to end up looking but will try not to bore you to much. So if you don't know, I took a 3 week trip down to New Zealand to surprise the returning students that I know at Capernwray. I did not really think I would be able to take this trip and didn't actually buy my tickets for it until a few weeks before I left home. As the time came near for me to leave I was getting excited but it was hard to leave the Philippines, well, more to leave Jess and her family. I had been in the Philippines for just over 4 weeks and it had become normal life and would be weird not to see jess everyday.

My flights went well and had some good talks with the people next to me. During the long flight from Manila to Sydney (about 8 hr) everybody was sleeping and I had been trying to for a while but just could not shut down. Then I looked to the left, and since I was in the middle isle, looked past 4 sleeping faces and as I was looking out side I witnessed a lighting storm from above the clouds. This did not just happen once, it was off and on for about 2 hours, it was really cool and for some reason really calmed my spirit. I spent my first few day's up in Auckland helping and hanging out with Forrest. It was pretty funny because during this time I actually talked to two of the girls at the school that I was going to surprise and they had no idea I was in NZ.

Forrest and I jumped on his CBR 900 RR fireblade (amazing bike!) and on a crisp Saturday morning, headed down to Cambridge. We took turns driving and I think I spend most of the way because I was so excited. Some of the people that I would be seeing I had not seen in almost a year and was really excited. So after the hour and a half ride down Forrest droped me off at a back door and from there we really didn't have a plan of how I was going to surprise people. Forrest went to the front and said I to people and acted like I was not there. It ended up working out very well and it was a really good surprise for people. One of the girls that I wanted to surprise was actually not at school when I came and she didn't get home until later that night. Right before she got back to school we move Forrest bike around to the back of school and after she pulled up I drove up pretending to be Forrest. Then as she was walking up to say hi I took off my helmet. It worked well and over all surprised a lot of people

I stayed at the school for about a week and a half. Since I am a poor traveling bum I ended up working in the mornings and because of this I was able to eat for free. I was staying at a staff members flat so I just paid a little rent for the time I was there. Over all the staff of the school really helped out and it was huge blessing for me. After work in the morning most my time was just spent hanging out. Not really doing anything amazing or traveling a whole lot but that was not the reason for my trip. I have so many stories that I could tell you of crazy and fun and amazing times I had. From sneaking out and going to a sheep graveyard, to rupturing a tendant in my figure playing rugby in the pouring rain. From staying awake for over 30 hours to straight to almost falling asleep in the top of a tree. I honestly could go on for hours upon hours of stories but this is getting long already.

As soon as I steped of the plan in New Zealand, I was hit with a fact that I had thought about before but this time really hit deep. I flippin love New Zealand. It is in my opinion the most beautiful country there is and the people and just the atmostpher is something that I have not felt or seen anywhere else in the world. I took some rides on Forrest bike and seeing the rolling green hills and other natural beauty I have no doubt that if I don't end up living there, I will for sure be back for visits.

And speaking of living there, as I was spending time with Forrest in a town called Papakura, he started talking about a plan that his boss and him are working on. Papakura is more of a lower end part of the Auckland and has a high population of youth. And at any given day after school, there will be 30 plus kids hanging out at the local skateboard park. So in light of this Forrest and his boss are looking for either a large building to rent or but, or a plot of land that they could build a large building. In the building they would start a skate park so that on rainy day's the youth would have a place to go. Along with the skate park there would be a rock climbing wall and turn it into a kind of place that kids and the youth of the area could come and hang out. Forrest skates a little bit but as we were talking agreed that he would need to get somebody who know how to skate and know the cultur a little bit. And since I know how to skate and know to a point, how to fit in the skate scene we started talking about me coming back down and either helping or running a skate church. This all depends on if they can get a building and even at that not sure if I would head down. But still, something for me to think about and something that could posibly happen.

Even with the posibility of someday coming back to the county, it still did not make it any easier to leave. The 3 weeks went by incredible fast and I felt myself wishing for more. The last few day's I spent with Forrest in Papakura and some friends from school came up to hang out. We went to the beach and just spent a lot of time talking and hanging out. These 3 people that I spent the last few day's in NZ with mean a lot to me. Two of them I will be be able to see at home with in the next 7 months but I have no idea how long it will be until I see Forrest again.

As we had been talking though out my time there, one of the girls had said a statement that I didn't understand. Talking about past times in her life and the future of when she leaves NZ, she said that her heart hurt. I just had never thought about this before. I mean, yes, I have been sad before and all that, but what does it mean for your heart to hurt? I really don't think I know what it meant until I had to say goodbye to these 3 people, then I understood. It is not just something you say, it is actually a pain that is in your chest. Pain is something I can normaly get over pretty easy, but this was different. The more I thought about it the more it hurt, looking back in my life, I relize I have felt this before, but only a few times and were times in my life I will never forget.


So although it was probably the hardest time of saying goodbye, I was and am still so glad to be back in the Philippines, and most of all, to see Jess. And not only to see Jess but to think that in less then a week I will be in Vietnam hanging out with another amazing group of people. So honestly I am so stoked to be where I am at, it is hard sometimes but I am so glad that I have people all over the world that when I say goodbye to them, it actually hurts my heart. I hope this last bit does not sound to pansy but it is true.

So ya, sorry this was so long and I will add pics and stuff later, I can't get it to work right now so that will come soon. Since being back in the Philippines I have just relaxed at home. I will be doing a bit of stuff this weekend and hanging out with some people tomorrow while Jess is at school. So I am excited to be able to see friend I have made here and am getting stoked for taking off for Nam. Hope all is going well at home and just to let you know, it was 85 degrees when I flew in at 6pm at night. So I am hoping for snow for Christmas but not sure if it will happen :-)

Alright, I will talk to you guy's later.
Christ in ALL.
Will