Free Weekend Fun Times

Hey all,

Just thought I would update everyone with how my weekend was.

The first night I stayed in a hostel, with Mike. We ended up meeting a really interesting Maori girl named Crystal, who I plan on staying in contact with when the whole group comes down to Wellington on Friday. I also met up with my distant cousin down here, and I was able to meet him for the first time - very interesting. I was fully imersed in the culture from the first night - staying out until 5:30am. It was very interesting to see how people handled themselves and dressed on their nights out.

The first full day (Friday) , I took it upon myself to explore the waterfront, and take a look in the Te Papa museum. There were some exhibits I did not look at because I figured we would as a group when we oame down to Wellington. It was fairly nice weather there all day that day, and I also took the chance to get to know the city well enough that I did not need a map anymore after that first day. I also checked into my penthouse suite, which I stayed in for the rest of my trip.

The second day (Saturday), I did a little dining out, and went out on a paddleboat around the Wellington Harbor. I then met up with Crystal and Mike after he got back from his nighttime island excursion.

The last day (Sunday), I went to the zoo for most of the day with my cousin, and we talked alot about the culture and how things are different in the states than in New Zealand; even down to the ATM giving you your card back BEFORE your money, which was an interesting surprise for me the first time I withdrew money at the airport. The group of us went out my last night here, but turned in early due to an early departure flight in the morning.

Overall, I was very happy with my choice in going to Wellington. I'll have unique memories and experiences to tell my friends about at home, with pictures to illustrate them. I was very involved with the nightlife culture, which was very interesting to me, even when I was having a random conversation with a bouncer that worked at Burger King.