Travelling with a Snowboard...and other important lessons learned too late...

So I've arrived at long last in Wellington - and let me tell you, it was definitely a trip of planes, trains and automobiles; 13 hours, 14 hours and 30 minutes, respectively.

Fortunately, being somewhat claustrophobic (ie. small spaces don't bother me, but being trapped does....alot), and realising that no amount of Xanax in the world can compensate for me being stuck on a window seat in a row of four people for 13 hours, I was able (through sheer refusal to get into my seat) to snag the emergency exit - the lesson here? When you panic, it upsets the other passengers - the crew would rather give you a nicer seat, then have you cry and hyperventilate the whole way - who knew?
Also, Qantas airlines has some of the nicest pillows, blankets and goody bags I've ever seen in Economy (I refuse to comment on what they got up in first class...)

The train was also quite nice and had some beautiful scenery - especially when going over the CRAZY high viaducts, and passing Mt. Ruapehu (where I plan on being every single weekend I can manage it).

View of Mt. Ruapehu, which is actually an active volcano - yes, I do plan on snowboarding on it :p

Going over a viaduct

I also met a ton of interesting people on the train - including a random Canadian who will be working at the ski hill, and a whole herd of children who thought that the fact that I lived near Hollywood was the greatest. thing. EVER. In truth, they really were adorable =)

Finally arrived in Wellington at almost 9pm, after departing Auckland at 7.30 that morning - yup, loooooong train ride, the last couple hours of which were pretty boring since it got dark and you couldn't really see anything...but got to my hotel/apartment - which is pretty awesome - I have a view of the harbour, and within the space of 100 square feet, I have every amenity I could possibly ask for, including a microwave(!), full bathroom, kitchenette, and great big, extra comfy bed, and internet =)

Finally....on to the actual title of this post - lessons learned too late:

1. The people at the airport already assume you have a body in your snowboard bag - making jokes about it will not help your case and often results in pointed questions, dirty looks, and very occasionally, the opportunity to watch them dump the entire contents of your snowboard bag on the floor of the airport. Luckily, only the first two happened, with the third being threatened.

2. No matter how cleverly you think you packed your backpack - the item that you need the most will require that you empty the entire contents in order to get it.

3. As bad as that hill seemed when you were going down it, it will be 100 times worse when you go back up (anyone familiar with Queen St. in Auckland will understand this).

4. When you don't really know where you're going, it's never a shortcut. Ever.

5. You'd be surprised how far you'll walk for a familiar place to eat once you realise that you've booked your hostel in the Red Light District of any city, really.

6. It is not only possible to fall asleep, sitting up, with your 46 pound backpack still strapped to your back in waist - it can be one of the best sleeps of your life.

7. Corollary to 6: if you really believe that you will go out and be the life of the tourist party after an all night flight that you didn't sleep on at all, you are not only deluded and sadly mistaken, but you also quickly find out that your body ultimately has the final say.

I think that's enough for one night...
More to come in the next couple of days about my first days at the Te Papa Tongerawa Museum - where I get to work on everything from mummified bird's heads, to horse skeletons, to fish hooks.