Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

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Do you ever feel like you've done something before? Do you ever have deja vu?

Well, that pretty much sums up my last few days in Auckland. I'm staying at Base, across the hall from where I used to live, doing work for accommodation and slowly decaying. When I'm in Auckland I feel like my soul has leprosy, slowly rotting away, yet without my being able to feel it. Auckland is the new Vegas, only without all the fun.

I did, however, get to stop into the Greenpeace office to see all my old mates and do some goodbyes since it looks like I will not be spending time in Auckland before I leave (thank God. No, literally, right now I want you to stop and thank God for me. He's super cool and totally digs it when you acknowledge his grace and benevolence, even when it's for others. Done? Thanks. Carry on.) I got to see Marcus (the guy who hired me at Greenpeace and subsequently became my close friend and the dude with whom I spent my first Southern hemisphere Christmas) which was really great. I miss him and being able to catch up was fantastic. Also, he's gonna be a daddy any minute. In fact, by the time you read this, he may already be one. Karma, his partner, is ready to pop out their first child any second. I'm really happy for him and am sure he and Karma will make great, if not Earthy, parents. Karma is one of the most amazing woman I have ever met (excluding all women reading this email... uh, yeah). She just has a great aura and makes you feel so comfortable when you are around her. I feel truly blessed to know her.
I also happened to stumble in when Gen and Max were about to leave. That worked out very well. Gen and Max are two of the three (Fred is Gen's boyfriend, but he left already) French Canadians that Greenpeace NZ imported to help expand the door to door team here. Fred and Gen started the Christchurch team that they then handed off to me when they had to leave (Fred for Quebec and Gen to start another team on the North Island). Max pioneered the first door to door traveling team, extending his 2 week trial period to over 10 weeks and setting the NZ record for amount of sign ups in one day. Anyway, I was friends with all of them and got to be there for cake to wish them safe travels back to Canada (they left today). It was good to get to see them and say goodbye after spending so much time with them. I'm glad I ended up in Bay of Islands for three weeks otherwise I would have missed them. Amazing how things work out.
Also, Chris, who we lovingly call Dux de Lux, told me his fiance is pregnant, so he'll be a daddy, too. It must be something in the Greenpeace water. I'm glad I drink Coke. Chris, for those of you scratching your heads as to his inclusion in this email, was my replacement in Christchurch. He just got back to Auckland after turning the team over to Valeria (a German girl I hired). I think Chris and I are going to continue the tradition set forth by Matt and I last November and attend karaoke at QF Tavern on Thursday. I'm pretty stoked. I think I may have to turn Japanese in honor of Matt (Turning Japanese by the Vapors was our trademark duet...).

I hope to leave Auckland on Friday. I'll be heading South. It should go faster than my trip North since I've done most of the things and been to most of the places already with Matt and the Germans. Plus, from what I understand, it's best to stay on the same bus the whole way down. People make great friendships and it all culminates with a crazy time in Queenstown. I hope I can find some people to snowboard with. That's what I look forward to most on the South island. I've been chasing summer and it's been ages since I've had a good ride.

I am about ready to come back to America now. I really miss everyone and look forward to having a place that I can stay and relax and at least have some semblance of "home". I booked my flight from Christchurch to Auckland today so that I can be ready to catch my flight home when Kiwi Experience finishes up. It made me realize how soon I'll be heading back.

In other news, I got a great surprise today when I checked my bank account and found out that Greenpeace paid me way more than I expected, which is always a pleasant surprise. And now I won't have to sell my body on the streets of Auckland after all. It's a good thing, too, since if they paid by the pound I wouldn't be making that much anyway...

Do you ever feel like you've done something before? Do you ever have deja vu?

Well, that pretty much sums up my last few days in Auckland. Just kidding.

I miss you all and love you like Christ. Be well.

Killin time in the city of sails,
Daniel

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