The Traveling Pattison: I'm still here

Wellington, on the South side of the North Island, got a 6.5 earthquake the other day. Yikes! What is up with me living in places that always want to shake down to the ground?!? Thankfully the quake had no effect on Christchurch in any way and we didn't even feel it. Wellington is slowly recovering from its minor damages.

So what have I been doing the past week or so? So much and nothing at all at the same time. First off, the important news, is that Guy and I got ourselves an apartment so no longer will we be squatting in Dan's apartment. I can finally unpack my suitcases. Here is a picture of our new place. The building is a cute cottage on the corner which is actually two flats. We have the flat on the right side in the picture. That big bay window is our bedroom. Behind that is the second bedroom for visitors (like you, yes you), a lounge, and a kitchen. Bathroom is off the hallway. It is super cute and I have a good gut feeling that it will work out just fine. We have it until February with the option to renew if all is going well.

The red door is our front door

I keep applying to jobs. Nothing yet, but I'm still plugging away at it hoping/praying that I'll get a chance on something that I am semi interested in. I've been spending a lot of time at local cafes using free wi-fi to get me out of the house. They have a drink I am digging a lot called the flat white.

A flat white is a coffee beverage developed in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s. It is prepared by pouring microfoam (steamed milk from the bottom of a pitcher) over a single or double shot of ristretto espresso. It is similar to the latte and the café au lait although smaller in volume, having a higher proportion of coffee to milk, and more velvety in consistency.

Thanks for the definition Wikipedia. Here is a picture of my recent flat white with a silver fern latte art on the top. It hits the spots.

I've also have been spending a lot of time mindlessly wandering around Hagley Park. I wandered into the Pinetum, which is a nice collection of pines and coniferous trees. The park is so empty during the week it boggles the mind. A bit more crowded on weekends, but overall it feels like my own special place when I bike alone in the afternoons.

The other day it was a beautiful day! It was 16 degrees outside! Don't know what that means? I barely do. It was about 60 degrees fahrenheit which meant that I could be outside, briefly before the sun went down behind the mountains, without a jacket! After a breakfast of hashbrowns and bacon, and Guy going to the gym while I biked around town, we walked over to the Rapaki Track just on the outside of town. It seemed like half of the city was there enjoying the sunshine.

The Rapaki Track is there the "A" pin is

The walk was lovely. A bit strenuous but the burn in my legs just told me that I need to do that more often. Along the hillside going up Guy and I saw a bunch of sheep! I'm still not over seeing and talking to the sheep. I even saw some lambs! I asked Guy endless questions about sheep, "where do they sleep" "are they scared" "do sheep like to live in herds" "what does their poop look like" "why is that one jumping around like that" "who owns these sheep"? He could answer... most. Here are some pictures!