Monday 20^th Dec - Nelson.

Another grey and gloomy day im affraid.

I am, however beginning to get used to this live of a recluse.

I have perfected the art of daydreaming, and can now follow out a fantasy for at least an hour, imagining possible outcomes and conversations along the way. Altho, I do have to be careful as I tend to get carried away, and find myself practicing a well rehearsed argument in the middle of the supermarket, much to the dismay of the Nelson locals.

So today I woke at 9am. Im not sure if it is the nest like bed that I am currently cotted in, or maybe it is the lengthy days spent trapped within the chambers of my own mind, but I am having some of the best nights sleep ever….

I am usually in bed by 9.30/10ish, and wake up refreshed and rested at around 9am. That’s about 11 hours sleep a night! no wander…..

So anyway, I woke at 9am and crossed my fingers and toes as I sheepishly peeked around the corner of the curtain, preying for blue skies….no such luck. It had rained all night and was threatening the same for the day to come. Bugger.

“Oh well” I thought “at least I have the most practical wet weather gear ever, at the moment, and a chance to use it!”

I lay in bed for an hour and read my book, which I am becoming more and more engrossed in as the days go by…..following the tale of Michelangelo as he takes his first tentative steps into marble carving, and the debaucherous life of the Medici…..wonderful.

I then got up and headed for the shower once all the germans had had their go. Sounds silly but i am also really enjoying small pleasures such as showering, standing with my eyes closed under the stream of water as it washes away the dreamy tales of the night. This is usually when I remember my dreams.

Tho I have to say I winced slightly at the sight of my ‘much skinner than usual’ body in the mirror as I towelled off…..cant wait for a good feed, when I next have money….

After drying and dressing I then packed my backpack with the essentials: laptop, charger, notebook, reading book, and bottle of water.

Once again I am starting to enjoy the pleasures of a good hardy back pack too…..i wouldn’t be seen dead with one strapped to my back before heading to Australia, but since becoming a slave to the bycicle and also the temperamental downpours of a winter in Byron, my mouldy green Eastpak has become a firm friend….i have even taken a few comical holiday snaps of me and ‘the bag’, as my replacement other half…..

So I made my daily trek to the library, took up my usual spot and started typing.

Printed off my visa for the trip back to Oz and also my enrolment form, and info pack for the course and headed back out into the greyness of Nelson.

I wandered round for a bit and then pottered back to the hostel.

Had my daily 4 ryvitas, added a cheeky extra 1 after the mirror shock this morning, with promite, avocado, a small tin of tuna and half a raw carrot. I then lay on the sofa in the common room and read for an hour, before donning my purple leggings, trusty bikram yoga bra top and vest, trainers and ipod and headed out for a run.

I ran along the river, up to the marina, along the side and along the front, on a path that I had guessed would take one to the beach, but to no avail. I was mid flow, singing at the top of my lungs, and in the middle of a brief power sprint when the path ended rather abruptly.

“oh, ok, ill stop then shall i?...”

so I sat on the rocks and had another good think. Bad ones came up this time tho, and I had to stop them short before they took over my entire head…naughty nasty thoughts…. I then ran back to the hostel.

My favourite bit of my run is as you head along the side of the marina, there must be a nest of seagulls somewhere near by, as the mummies and daddies seem to have decided to dive bomb any passing poor unsuspecting person, or car. It has happened everyday now and adds a bit of computer game style, ducking and dodging as I leg it past doing my best evil laugh and shouting “better luck next time birdies…hehe”…

My total run was about 30mins

“ah im getting better” I thought. Must be because im smoking less…..

Back at the hostel, all was quiet, so I headed for my second shower of the day, another chance to enjoy the watery bliss, with my sweet smelling soap…

So once again I dried and dressed and headed back out for a walk. I was supposed to be going to a pottery class tonight but turns out its not on over xmas…typical. so I took leasurely walk back thru town and back.

wow I just managed to make the most boring day fill at least 2 pages, im good.

if you are still reading, “well done you” if not, “ I don’t blame you…”

have had to book in here until Thursday night, but now have the annoying decision of taking the risk of checking out on Friday 24^th, and hoping something else will turn up, or booking in over xmas….i may actually kill myself if I have to spend xmas day in a backpackers… the reception guy said “don’t worry we are having a big party!”

oh great, a party with people that don’t ever speak to me even tho I have seen them in their underwear for the past 4 days! what fun…..

Cant wait until im not quite so winging and miserable!....... im sure you cant either….

x