These past couple of weeks have been jam packed with all sorts of cool happenings, assignments and some big changes coming to my daily life.
Happening No. 1: My amazing friend flew up to see me!
I have been so blessed to have such incredible friends across the globe, and this gal is one of them. We had Biology class in high school together and have been close ever since. I had called her in tears a few weeks ago because I was overwhelmed with life and feeling homesick for both Wellington and California. By the time our phone call ended she had bought tickets to fly up and visit me.
Visits from friends mean getting to be a tourist for the weekend.
I am so lucky and thankful to have such a dear friend. It made me feel like I had a piece of home during that weekend. There is literally nothing better than catching up with friends/family after not seeing them for a long while.
Happening No. 2: Auckland Writers Festival + a visit from the sister
Aotea Square where AWF was held.
I was very lucky to be sponsored by UoA to go to a couple of events at the Auckland Writers Festival. Thanks Roanne!
It was such an awesome experience and it made it even better getting to go with my stunner of a sister.
I was able to go to an event called the Art of the Essay which was really informative and thought provoking. Roxanne Gay and Teju Cole gave me the motivation to finish my own essay for class.
And of course for the most exciting part…. I MET RUPI KAUR!!!
I was so nervous, my cheeks were low key shaking lol
For those of you who don’t know her, she’s a Canadian poet and the author of the bestselling book Milk and Honey. She is especially known for her following on social media. Go check her out! She was honestly the sweetest person and had such a peaceful vibe. It was honestly such a surreal moment meeting her and hearing her poems/spoken word in real life.
Happening/Big Change #3: I got two jobs..
As of this week I am employed by two organisations/companies (excluding Inside Word). It has definitely been a busy week to say the least and I can feel a whirlwind of change happening as I write. My planner is filled with lectures, assignment dates, orientations and contract signings/readings. It came all at once, but I can’t complain because I am working for places I am really interested in.
My schedule is already becoming jam packed. I am going to be either at school or work from 9-6 for six days a week. I have to be on top of everything and super organised. Obviously it isn’t ideal to be working two jobs and studying full time, but I need to keep up with the costs of living in Auckland. It was quite funny because my lecturer was giving us tips for exam prep and he warned all of us to not make any dramatic life changes during this period of the semester. Whoops.
So far things are running smoothly, but of course this is only the first week of orientations and training. I will be doing a blog post on scholarships and money matters soon.
Exams are coming up at the speed of lightning. I finished my final assignment today and now it’s all about that revision/exam prep life. Wish me luck as I attempt to dig through the sea of notes and books from this past semester!
– Eunice