My summinter holiday

Right now it's summertime in London, which is awesome. It doesn't get dark till 10pm, there is an abundence of enticing beer gardens, the Clapham Common is covered with half naked people, Pimms and bbq become my staple diet and everyone is just generally so much happier. Usually at this time of year, people go away for one, or several, holidays. My summer holiday was a visit back to New Zealand. Where it's winter. So I like to think of it as my summinter holiday.

I went back mainly for my cousin's wedding, the one who was proposed to by sheep. Considering I have not been back at work long, and I'm still recovering financially from South America, two weeks was all the time that could be spared off, so I headed off on an almost 36 hour journey for the land of chocolate fish, jandals and Flight of the Conchords. Initially, I must admit, I wasn't really excited about the prospect of going home - it's such a long way to go for such a short time and the weather in London was amazing just before I left. Of course I was looking forward to seeing family and friends, but I was last home in February of last year, and in my mind, not that long ago.

I had a great time - I spent almost a week in Canterbury on the family farm, the wedding was near Rakaia, almost at the base of Mt Hutt, so I got to enjoy some of the spectacular scenery New Zealand is famous for and the wedding itself was lovely. I also spent five days in Wellington, my home city. A lot of my friends there now seem to be doing the settling down thing. One particular evening, of the five girls there, I realised I was the only single one - all of them were either buying/selling houses, living with long term partners, thinking about babies, renovating, divorcing....and I suddenly wondered when we all got so grown up. I still use the expression 'when I grow up'. Apparently, I'm already there. I also saw two of my friends who are pregnant, one of which I was bridesmaid for a few years ago, so that was pretty special. For some reason I get insanely excited being around pregnant woman. Weird I know, but I can't help it!

By the time I left New Zealand, I had made the most of my two week summinter holiday - there was plenty of booze and food involved and I relished the cheap sauvingnon blanc, incredible lamb and perfect flat whites. And I actually left feeling quite sad, which I was surprised about - and I don't think it was domestic bliss envy. London is home for me right now, but I've always felt that I have one foot back home and this was well and truly confirmed on this trip back. Maybe it won't be as long as I thought until I'm back for good....we'll see.