Trip Through Paradise: Back To Paradise

"Over the Endless Pacific"

"My Night In Honolulu"

Well after my holiday away from my holiday, I am finally back to Christchurch, New Zealand for the last time. I flew home for my brother Justin's Wedding about two months ago and now I am back to the backpacking life. As with everything in this trip, it seems that nothing can go completely smooth and easy, but I guess that's where the story's Ill be able to tell forever come from. How much fun would it be saying I got on a plane, made all my flights, and got home without one problem.

It all started when I first got on my plane in Christchurch to fly home in June. I was so scared to sleep in and miss my flight I slept on the floor, well I rested on the floor, of the airport for the night. The morning went smooth, I woke up, checked in, and was boarding the plane on time. The first flight to Sydney was good, its a little three hour flight, pretty much a warm up for the torturous flight from Sydney to home. Once we landed in Sydney my trip went from smooth to as bumpy as it can get.

As we were taxiing towards the gate at the Sydney airport the flight attendants informed us that all the loading gates were being used so there would be a short delay before we could get off the plane which if a person was staying in Sydney its not a big deal but as for me and a couple of the others who were trying to catch an already tight connection, BIG DEAL!!

After we were finally able to get into the airport, not to mention me sprinting though the airport like in the movies, I finally got to my connection in time to watch it take off. So there I was in Sydney with my flight on its way to Canada. After sitting down and thinking about my situation for a minute I got up and set off to talk to someone from Quantas to see what they were going to do for me. After about an hour of them telling me I should have had enough time to make my connection I finally convinced them, or they just got sick of me talking to me, to fly me home on another flight free of charge. Three hours later I was in the air and on my way home with connections in San Fransisco and Vancouver.

My San Fransisco connection went well but once again in Vancouver things got a little bumpy again.

To truly understand what I was going through a person has to understand how good of a mood I was in by the time I landed in Vancouver. My day started in Christchurch where they wouldn't let me board cause I didn't have a Auzzie Visa, then I missed my flights and had to argue for hours before they would pay for it, and to top it all off I hadn't been able to smoke in about thirty hours. So there I was, in the land of the maple leaf, home sweet home. I walked into the airport thinking this stop was going to be a breeze all I had to do was go though immigration, pick up my bags, and finally get to have a smoke, easy right? WRONG! Not only is Canada the only country that doesn't have a separate line at customs for residents (I was in line for about an hour) but once it was finally my turn they interrogated me and I am sure it took me longer to clear than anyone else in the building. Oh well with that out of the way all I had to do was pick my backpack up and go outside, once again easy right?WRONG!

So there I am standing at the carousel watching all the luggage go by and watching the luggage slowly disappearing until the carousel is empty and I am the only one standing there wondering where exactly mine is. Once again I off to talk to the Quantas representatives, that I love so much, but by this time I was past the point of caring and I pretty much just said my luggage was missing, signed a paper and was headed outside within 30 seconds to lower my stress level with my friends Tim Horton and Players Light.

From there on the trip was smooth, I flew home spent the night in Edmonton and was back in Pierceland the next day. I was very lucky that I was flying home because I didn't get my bags for over a week and if I would have not had enough stuff to get by at home I am not too sure what I would have done.

The two months I spent at home was great but very rushed. A few days after arriving in Pierceland I went to work for a month, then to a family reunion, then my brothers wedding, and finally back on a plane to return to my trip. Its was pretty much a blur.

And now that brings you pretty much up to date with my travels, I arrived here in Christchurch last night with an almost flawless trip besides the three hours I spent getting searched in the Christchurch airport. Apparently it was a random search but it was funny cause if you looked around the room they shoved us in, it was all 23 years old guys with piercings and whatnot. If it was so random where were the 60 year old couples, but oh well. Now, today, I am flying up to Auckland to amuse my last few days in New Zealand touring the Northland. My flight to Sydney is on August 30th so I am kinda playing with time and have lots more to see in the next 5 days, hence the reason I chose to fly to Auckland even though it costed me an arm and a leg.

Well now that I am back to my adventure I will try and update this blog and let you all know what I am up to as often as I can so stay tuned!!