Catching Up

What a better time to write than a cold and rainy Monday morning with no classes! I have a bit of catching up to do as it's been two weeks since I have written on the blog. The weekdays go by quickly because I'm only in school 2 1/2 days a week. The rest of the week I'm planning or out of town. Two weekends ago, I have a eventful weekend in Wellington. A band that I really wanted to see played Thursday night, they're called Old Crow Medicine Show. They are from the US and spent a lot of time in Boone, so I know a lot of their music. Their song Wagon Wheel is very popular. So it was a pretty big deal that they were all the way in Wellington, New Zealand at the same time as me. I couldn't figure out how to buy tickets so Anna and I just showed up an hour before the show. It was completely sold out. So we figured we would just go have a beer, come back when the door opened and try to pay the guy at the door or buy tickets off someone else. We did that, and it didn't work. No one had extra tickets to sell and we just couldn't get in. We stood outside for about an hour when this guy sitting in the sidewalk eating started talking to me. He was like 'Not having any luck are you,' and we talked from there. I told him I really liked the band so I was willing to wait a while a pay a bit of money. He also said he had spent time in Boone and that maybe he could get us through the back door. He left and came back 5 minutes later and took our names down. He told us to go to the front door and we would be on the guest list. Sure enough, that's how we got in! We grabbed two beers a piece and went to the front of the jam packed crowd. The band came on...the guy I was talking to was the lead vocalist/violinist! Crazy! It was a great show, we were so excited! It was definitely a once and a lifetime night.
So Wednesday the day previously, I was hanging out with some friends at my flat. One girl, Eva, asked if I wanted to do this Run/Swim Event with her. She said it was only a 3k run and either a 100/300/750 meter swim. I'm like well OK I can do that, it'll be fun. Then she told me it was the following Saturday. I was still optimistic like yeah sure no problem. I'm not in the best shape but it would be fun! So then I was like that's only there and back in a pool a few times, and she was like noooo it's in the ocean! Whoa. A little scared now, but I agreed to do it.
Saturday morning we left our flats at 9:30am, to register for the race starting at 11am. We got there and there wasn't anyone around. There ended up being about 25 competitors. The swim was marked off in the bay and the run was along the boardwalk. I'm not a runner but that wasn't the part that scared me I'm a great swimmer but it was cold, windy and very choppy. Eva signed up for the 750m swim which looked completely crazy, but she did it! I did the 300m swim, and I was super glad that was only it. It was pretty neat, we all lined up at the water edge and the guy blew a horn and we all jumped into the water. The water was so choppy you couldn't swim normally. Every time you brought your head out of the water a wave would splash in your face. It was intense and I had to swim on my back a bit to get enough air but I did it! I ran out of the water, not feeling my legs because I was numb from the freezing water. I threw on my shorts and shoes and went running. The run was fine compared to the swim. All that mattered to me is that I finished my first ever biathlon. It was great! Eva ended up getting 2ND over all for the girls, she did awesome. It made for another once and a lifetime experience.
Sunday I went to church and to lunch at a couple's house. They are from Seattle and have three daughters here with them. They moved here permintely about a year ago. It was a great meal and great company. She said she would be my home away from home mom! Very comforting. Overall for staying in Wellington for the weekend I had a blast!!