"Once upon a time there was a girl who fell in love..."

I'M IN LOVE.

Yes....

You are reading correctly...

I am truly, madly, deeply, head-over-heels, obsessed in love...

... well, sort of.

You see, this is not your stereotypical fairy-tale romance. I am not in love with some 'Prince Charming', there is no horse and carriage involved, nor is there a fairy godmother that will grant me wishes and turn objects into other objects.. (well, I guess Yiyia is sort of like a fairy godmother with all of her 'magical' powers...) but rather I am in love with something much greater. A place. A place that boasts a small eclectic city vibe with about 440,000 inhabitants. I am in love with the city of Wellington! This relationship that I have with this city is one of the best and most healthy relationships I have EVER been in. Let me further explain....

On Friday, I woke up and spent the majority of the day (6 1/2 hours to be exact) in the Victoria University library trying to finish a final essay that was due by 4pm.  After my brain LITERALLY turned to mush, I printed out my paper, turned it in and quickly realized that it was now dark outside. How very tragic... It was a rough and exhausting day to say the least but I went to meet up with Lauren and her sister (who was in town from Australia!) at "La Casa Pasta" for a glass of wine and dessert. We had a great time just catching up and laughing about our time here. It was nice to just relax and forget about the stress that I had experienced earlier in the day. After that, we walked around, ran some errands, and then headed back up the dreaded hill. It was an early night for me as I spent the rest of my evening catching up on "Bethenny Ever After."

The next day, Brenda and I decided to venture out of our flat and into the city. We wanted to take a day and walk around the waterfront (yet again) and really just take in the city. You see, no matter how many times we walk the same paths, we always notice something different. The view, a restaurant, festivals; whatever it may be- there is sure to be something in the city that is unique and enticing to us. We stopped to take some fun photos of our surroundings and just soak in every last detail.  We decided to continue on with our walk and we stumbled upon the "Frank Kitts Market." This happens every Saturday  by the waterfront and has over 80 stalls of crafts and things made by NZ based artists and designers. There is food, candy, Maori Pounamu, jewelry, baby clothes (misery), and more! Brenda and I must have spent over an hour in there! Looking at all of the products, feeling these amazing fabrics, smelling and tasting the delicious food! After picking up some souvenirs for loved ones, and a Pounamu piece for one another (since it is bad luck to buy it for yourself!), we finished off by purchasing some fudge (nom) that we split while looking out at the waterfront.

We decided in our sugar coma that we should probably eat some real food. So we headed to "Mac's Brewbar" by the water for some food and a beer. The restaurant was awesome. We got Nachos and seasoned wedges (bc lets face it- we cannot ever pass up the wedges!), and a 'Sassy Red' beer and talked about how much we were gonna miss this place. Our friend Hillary joined us and we discussed how excited we were for our upcoming travels! We are leaving for Dunedin tomorrow for a couple of days and could not be more excited! I think we are all ready to get out and experience something new! We all love this city but the travel bug is upon us! After eating, we decided to go see "The Hangover: Part 2." It was obviously funny because the chemistry between Bradley Cooper and the gang is inevitable, however just like most sequels tend to be, I personally did not think it was better than the first. (Why directors think they should mess with perfection? I don't know.) So after that, Brenda and I headed back up the hill and sat around chatting before heading to our rooms. I tried to think about what I should start packing.. but procrastination happened and I spent the rest of the time watching Bethenny and surfing the web.

However, I just could not stop thinking about the day I had just had. Every time I walk around the city of Wellington, I just get this feeling inside. This feeling of comfort and happiness. (Butterflies, perhaps?) The relationship that I have with this city is probably one of the most functional and healthy relationships that I have had thus far in my life. Always challenging me, opening my eyes to new things and making me feel comforted and having a sense of belonging. Its amazing how I feel so in tune with this city. The things that once stuck out to me as different and strange do not seem as "out of the ordinary" as they once were. As John Mayer says in "Comfortable"-- 'our love was comfortable and so broken in..' That is how it feels. This love story that I have with Wellington is just that: comfortable and broken in.

So I like I said before this is not a typical fairy-tale romance- this love story does not involve depending on a Prince, an immaculate white horse or a ball gown; you see, it involves myself being fiercely independent, this city that I have learned to call my home, and my passion for adventure and love of exploration. And although you cannot find this story in some fairy-tale book, you can read about it in my blog on the web. There is a 'once upon a time' of how I got here. And I can assure you that there will be a "Happily Ever After," even after leaving this city that I have fallen so hard for....

Will update after travels!

                   --Amy