Thursday 17^th December – Nelson.

Today it is STILL raining.

It rained all night and all morning.

A ray of sunshine in my drip dry head tho, was a late night text from my dear Mother, loin of my fruits….. She said yes to the hairdressing course! “what the hell, do it!” were her exact words… I went to bed with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye for the faith of my mummy, in me.

I spent a long night tossing and turning in an attempt at figuring out my moves for the next few weeks.

This morning Sam and I walked down to the library as we heard a rumour that they have free wireless internet. We have both been forking out the dubloons in order to keep in contact with home and loved ones…..

She donned her maroon and navy kagool, complete with aerodynamic waterproof hiking backpack, while I dragged out my old yellow sailors mac, complete with spare doggy poo bags stuffed in the pockets, (from my old walks with India) wrapped my dear topple in a carrier bag and shoved it head first into the depths of my mouldy green backsac, amongst the cigarette papers and the broken Biros……

We marched along the road, chatting. Sam has been amazing, I have told her my whole story, how I want to go back Australia and study and why…she seems genuinely interested too, she even asked me to read out my scholarship statement to her last night, and then gave me a few tips…..she really is wonderful and im so glad I met her.

Upon arrival at the Library we realised it was closed for another 15mins.

“oh I need to go to Kathmandu (the camping shop) do you want to come?” she said.

“uh, yeah ok”

“what are you getting?” I asked shyly as we entered the store with its immaculately shiny, pine clad flooring.

“I need a back pac cover for all this rain” she twittered, skipping over to the wall of oversized packs that could easily smuggle several African children over the border with ease.

I winced as the smell of fresh ripstop straight from the box, hit my slightly soggy nostrils.

“sorry, a what?”….

“it goes over your back pack silly, to keep the rain off. you should really get one if you don’t want to ruin that Mac any time soon…any way they are great for when you are cycling too, nothing gets wet….”

“Really?....thats genious, but, oh , I mean, I probably just make one from an old kagool or something……” I replied desperately trying to hang on to my artistic creativeness in the vein attempt to resist becoming a backpacker…..

“have it your way…..” she sighed, with a smile.

“ah, well, hang on wait a minute, they have a sale on that means its only 12 bucks instead of 27…..maybe I should just try one……”

5 minutes later I appeared from said lodge, with a fresh new black backpack cover, smug because all my dear possessions were dry, feeling like a dick, because I looked a dick…..

We then headed over to the library.

And yes, twas true, free internet usage for Sam, and free wireless for me….happy days for all…

we both spent about 3 hours there emailing everyone we could think of, because we could.

And this is where my plan came together at last…..

I facebooked my dear friend Jess to tell her of the days drippy forecast, and she instantly replied with:

Jess: Babe, come and stay with me in Melbourne…my flatmate is going away for the whole of Jan, my best friend has just opened a café, and I even have a bike you can use…. come over for a month or two before you start your course!

Sally: Really?!....hmm tempting…let me check out flights etc and ill get back to you. thanks lovely so much!

So for the next hour I trawled la interweb, cross checking flights, buses and backpackers until I found the best deal possible….this does mean that if all goes to plan I will now be leaving in a week and a half....flights are crazy expensive between now and xmas, and also after new year, however they drop considerably between xmas and new year leaving me a 4 day window to get the hell out!

so I have written key details of bus to Christchurch, 1 night in backpackers there, then flight to Melbs, including cost of my new visa…all up it comes to around $350 ASD…pretty damn good if I can pull it all off….. just waiting for my darling jess to get back to me and confirm…..

New years in Melbourne, with Jessica Dunn, “watch out!”…hehe.

I also downloaded all the bumpf for enrolling on the course and received, and replied to an email from my beautiful sister, who I am awfully crap at keeping in contact with, telling me tales of her new house….im so jealous, she has a house she loves, in a place she loves, with a man she loves…..AAARRRGH!

I trotted over to Sam who was sitting curled up in an armchair, devouring Vanity Fair…

“good book, hey?” I whispered

“hmm…big” she replied.

“did you get everything done?...any progress with your plans for college and stuff?”

bless her little English, ironed, cotton socks…. she cares! finally ive met someone who not only wants to talk to me, but is interested….wow, ive bin on my own, in my own head for far too long!

So once again I filled her in on all the details of my next moves….

“please stop me if this is mind numbingly boring…” I said,

“no, no, I want to see what deals you found and compare them to what ive bin paying to get about….ooh they look good sal.”

I wanted to hug her with every bone in my body, just for being so lovely and making me feel like I had a friend at last. I held back tho…

And this is where I left her as I went on my way to hit the shops, to buy the total sum of: 1 avocado, and 1 mini tin of tuna…..lunch.

So here I sit on my bunk in my room, watching the rain slowly, but definately pissing on everyone in Nelson.

I have written a list of things I need to get printed tomorrow, in order to apply for my course, which, I have realised, is actually a 2 year course, meaning that at the end of it I can then apply for my skilled worker visa!!!!

the biggest “WOOHOO!...” escaped my lips and actually lifted me off the bed when I read this bit of the blurb.

In two years I could have a visa to stay in Australia for the foreseeable future, possibly permanently……I could cry!

so now, I leave you dear readers and lovelies, to return to my scholarship statement.

“its really good and funny too…” said Sam, “but how long is it? isn’t it supposed to be only 100 words?”

“570” I replied.

x