Jan. 22, 23, 24 & 25: So many goodbyes...

Spent all day Friday at Nick's house, working.  And when I say all day, I mean ALL DAY.  He and I were there for over 10 hours.  We got heaps done, though, and I actually didn't realize how long we'd been there til we were getting in the car & he told me it was 9:30pm.  Chris, Nicko, Ian, Taco and one of Chris' friends had come to help too, but they were easily distracted & although they did get a lot of yard work done, they were really slow about it & then took all the beer Nick had bought for us & left.  So that was frustrating but oh well.  Luckily, I think it was the last, or nearly the last, day anyone will have to work there; the house is starting to look livable.  We got back to the hostel, ate, and went to bed.

the last time Taco, Nicko & Chris tried to "help out" at the house

The next day was quiet.  Didn't do much; sat & read with Nikki.  Nick joined us & read terrible knock knock jokes out of the books Nikki gave him as a goodbye present.  It was her last full day here; she's going traveling after working 4 months at the hostel.  That night, we all went out on the "posh" pub crawl down the Esplanade - dinner at the food court, drinks at Capers and the Rum Bar.  It was fun, although not the same carefree attitude we'd all had the last time we were there, since we all knew it was a goodbye.

Chris & Nikki at Capers on her last night

Sunday was a sort of blip in my little paradise.  I was feeling really down.  I think that being lazy and useless has run it's course, and I'm tired of feeling like a kid who has to ask permission for everything - I can't go anywhere because I can't drive, and I don't have my own computer so I always have to borrow one in order to communicate with the world outside Airlie.  It's not that anyone begrudges me these things, people are always willing to share or give me a ride, etc, but I'm just not used to being so dependent.  At first it was nice to be disconnected, but it's gotten stale, and what put me over the edge was getting an email from my best friend & knowing she needs to talk to me but not being able to just pick up the phone and call her.  On top of that, everyone had gone down to the Sailing Club for a goodbye lunch for Nikki & I'd mistakenly not been invited & felt left out.  Ain't gonna lie, I spent half the day hiding in my dark room, feeling heaps of childish self-pity.

Eventually, when Nick got off work, he came up to see what was wrong & I told him how I was feeling.  He totally understood & said that from now on, I could have his computer all day while he's behind reception; it'll keep him from goofing off when he should be working, and give me a lifeline outside the hostel.  Good compromise; I still felt down.

Came down to the hostel where everyone was back & asking where I was, why hadn't I come to lunch, was everything ok?  It's amazing how much better it is to get out of your own head &back into the real world, where people love you.  The boys played pool & I taught everyone the American version of beer pong - they were playing it like ping pong, paddles and all, with 2 cups of beer on the table.  Silly.  Nikki's bus left at midnight & we'd all signed a t-shirt for her; when she saw it, her eyes welled up.  Nick & Chris played some music as we waited to walk her to the greyhound stop, and then when the time came, it was raining so we said our goodbyes & Chris just drove her.  I lamented, "we never got just a pretty picture of the two of us smiling & looking nice!"  And Nick said, "well that's not really the way you girls are together," which I have to concede is true.  I'm going to miss that crazy girl.

A typical picture of Nikki & me, and the closest we have to a nice smiley one - widemouth smiles!!

Next day, I slept in, had some of Nick's parents good instant coffee (yes, there is such a thing), and wrote for a while.  I can't tell you what I was writing just yet because it's a surprise!  So shhhhh...

Stopped by the house on our way to the store, and ended up staying there much longer than any of us intended.  There was really nothing for me to do, his dad hung curtians & he installed a doorknob; it's pretty amazing the house has gone from the state it was in to me being able to sit on the stairs bored because there's nothing to work on.  Awesome.  AND, all our hard work has really paid off - there has already been a couple looking at it, expressing interest to buy.  Double awesome.

Finally made it to the store, where Nick bought me an Australian flag bikini for Australia day (tomorrow!).  I fought & fought & fought him on it, but he insisted, even sneaking it up to the counter & paying for it while I was still in the changing room. 

We got back to the hostel in time to shower & change for Nicko's last night dinner - everyone is leaving!!!  You arrive at a place thinking the people you meet are the people that are going to stick around, forgetting this isn't normal life, this is a hostel.  Nick's grown up here; it must be hard to always say goodbye.  Waiting to walk into town, the boys played guitar & I had a great conversation with Shari, a Canadian who's trying to get her partner's visa to live with her Australian boyfriend.  She is a really interesting girl - she works in PR, but she also writes a food blog!  Check it out - yummers: If I Could Taste the World

Nick & Chris probably playing very gay chick songs.  They are nerds.

We walked down to the Esplanade, where I had my favorite dish from the noodle bar - that place is so delish.  Had drinks at Capers & played pool, all the guys got wedgies (Nicko tucked his shirt into his underwear then Ian & Chris hiked their pants up to their boobs & Laura took the advantageous situation into her own hands & hiked their undies up SOOOOO high!! They were walking like crabs.  Hilarious.), then over to the Rum Bar for a Yum Yum (a drink that makes you say... "yum!") and an unwanted conversation with a really unfriendly Aussie girl.  Despite her attempts to taint us with her ickiness, it was a fun night.

I am so happy & grateful for:
~ people wanting to buy Nicks house!
~ meeting new people
~ facebook (keeping in touch with everyone I have to say goodbye to)
~ allowing myself a down day

xo! n.