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All Day I Dream About Wellington

I've been living in this strange and foreign country, O America, since October 2001. It's now May, and everyone keeps asking me if I'm homesick. I know I should be, but I'm not sure if I am. I've been on holidays before where I've been more homesick. I went to Auckland when I was 18 for a week, and almost cried because I wanted to go home so much (actually, I might have cried). But I've been here for 7 months already, and I don't think I've cried once, aside from that time I talked to some twit from the INS on the phone the first week I was here and he told me it was going to take months and months for all my visa stuff to happen and I cried on the phone. But instead of crying, I think about all the things I miss about New Zealand, and then I yell at Ben and tell him I hate Austin and that it's his fault for making me marry him. But then I remember that he didn't make me marry him, and that he asked me if I wanted us to stay in Wellington before we left for America and I said no.

Please note, this is in no way an admission of irrational behaviour, nor an apology for getting mad at people because I can't go home. Until I get my re-entry permit, or my green card, I will be getting mad. You imagine being stuck in a country far, far away from home, although, I'm not stuck-stuck, because I can go home if I want to, but then I wouldn't be able to return because my current visa is only valid for one entry, but then this whole saga would be in vain because I'd have to reapply for my residency which would take forever all over again.

I think about New Zealand all the time. Every day, even. I read the news online almost every single day, I write loads of letters to friends and family back home, so much that I have used up a whole pad of airmail paper, and a notebook with about 80 pages for Pip, and I call my friends at least once a month and my mum calls me about once every two weeks. I miss all my friends, I miss my family, I miss my old hangouts and the stores I frequented. I miss my old apartment, even though the neighbours were the worst and loudest ever and all night you could hear boyracers with their blowoff valves and sirens from the fire engines going down Wakefield St at full-speed, because the fire station was at the end of the road. There is so much to miss.

FAMILY
When I was at high school, I was a bit of a rebel. I was almost always grounded for being a bad, little girl, but I don't remember the sorts of things I did. I was on report for what seemed like a long time when I was 14, and I can only assume that it was for being late and talking back to the teachers. I don't remember getting on that well with my parents, at least, not until I moved out. When I lived with my folks, I thought they were overbearing and annoying. As soon as I moved out, I missed them all the time, and enjoyed going to visit them (and especially going to their house for Sunday roasts, because I am a lazy cook). My mother and I developed a special bond, and we started talking often. I think my dad told me he loved me for the first time only a few years ago, although I always knew, he never said it outloud to me. And now that they are halfway across the world from me, I miss them even more. My nana is getting on a bit, and I before I left for America, I even offered to move in with her to help her around the house and with her garden. My sister had a baby only 3 weeks before I left, and this was probably the most painful thing about leaving.

So, the plan is to find a surrogate family. I have Ben's family, which is good because they are all really nice and make me feel like one of the family, even though I talk with a funny accent. Every now and then I have a long chat with his mum on the phone, and it's like talking to my own mum, almost. I really need a surrogate grandmother - someone I can visit and have cups of tea with, someone who I can help around the house if they need. And I have already found the perfect woman. She must be about 80 and lives just around the corner from us, and every time I walk past her house, she is sitting in a chair next to the window watching television. So, I always make a point of waving out to her and saying hello. I just have to get from waving neighbour to teadrinking buddy, without her thinking I am trying to rob her.

FRIENDS
I left so many people behind, and boy, does it suck. A lot of my friends moved to England well before I moved to America, but it didn't make it any easier, or prepare me, to move away from the friends left in New Zealand.

The weird thing though, is that some of my friends I talk with more now that I did when we lived in the same city. People like Pip and Mischa. I've known both of them for years, but we didn't talk anywhere near as much before I left as we do now. I'm telling you, when you move far away and get married you really find out who your true friends are.

THE CITY
I can't believe how much I miss Wellington. I didn't expect to miss it terribly, in fact, I couldn't wait to move out of the place. But being away from it made me realise how much Wellington was my town. I had a place in Wellington, and it felt like home. Austin is homely, but it's not my home, not yet anyway.

I really miss the cafes and restaurants in Wellington. I miss going to Felix at the bottom of Cuba St (although, it is actually the "top" seeing as it is the northern end, but to me it's always been the bottom, and I don't know why) and having breakfast. They have the best breakfasts there, especially the eggs benedict. They also stock the best brand of juice, include feijoa juice which is the juice of the gods. I miss going to Up on Courtenay Place, anext to BNZ on the eastern end, and having a hot chocolate and grilled flat bread for lunch in winter. Just thinking about that flat bread makes my mouth water. It has pesto (basil, I think) and sundried tomatoes and cheese, and they shake real chocolate shavings on top of the hot chocolates. I miss going to Fidels at the top of Cuba St and having wedges with salsa and sour cream and a hot blackcurrant juice. I miss going to the Korean sushi place on Tory St for lunch. I wish I could go to Zibbibo on Taranaki St and have their ginger and rhubarb dessert. I drool about the Khmer Satay Noodle House on Cuba St. I also wish I could have hot and sour soup at Top Cuisine Chinese Restaurant on Courtenay Place. Oh god, the food and coffee. Matterhorn on Cuba St has the best noodle boxes, Zicos on Courtenay Place has the best vegetarian lasange, and Coyotes also on Courtenay Place has really good spicy chicken nachos. If you go to Wellington, which everyone should because it is the best city in the world, you should go to these places that I talk of.

I also really miss the shopping. Spacesuit Asian Streetwear on Cuba and in the James Smiths Markets has the best clothes if you are small and like things that are a little different, but are also on a budget. Area 51 on Cuba St has Huffer gear, which is really high quality streetwear designed and made in New Zealand. They also have Psycho Cowboy jeans, which are really well-made and stylish. There is a really awesome store in the Old Bank Arcade on Lambton Quay, called Ricochet that also has clothes that are a little bit different. Principals on Lambton Quay across the road also has really good clothes for smaller girls. Hound Dog on Willis St has some cool stuff, and so does Street Clothing across the road from Hound Dog. Mischief and Shoe Connection have a good selection of shoes, and have stores on both Lambton Quay and Manners Mall. Ultra has some good shoes too, and their store is in Manner Malls. Artikel on Wakefield and Iko Iko on Cuba have really cool jewelry and random things for your house and neat gifts. I know there are so many places that I'm forgetting, but 7 months is enough to start erasing things from your memory.

I guess I am homesick. I talk about Wellington all the time. I think about it every day, and I will never stop thinking about my family and friends. But I guess instead of crying about it, I talk about it all the time and tell everyone how great it is. But it's not just because I miss home. Wellington really is the best city I've ever been to, and I encourage you to go there. Just make sure you go to at least one of the places I've mentioned. By the way, I'm a New Zealand size 8, or an XS.