Back in the big smoke

I paid a fleeting visit north this month and as much as I was pleased to be home, it was a bit of a culture shock after living in Southland for so long!

I loved the bright lights of the big city, staying in a swanky hotel, catching up with my family and spending two days shopping, but there was a less glamorous side to it all.

The traffic was insane; the bus drivers were crazy, I had to catch four flights, three bus rides, and a slice of cheesecake cost $8!

I overheard people in Auckland complaining about the rain and the cold, meanwhile I was struggling to adjust to the humidity.

After a two-hour bus ride to Hamilton with no toilet stops, I arrived at the transport centre with a sense of urgency. Feeling much better, I attempted to leave the transport centre bathrooms with my large bag in tow. There were people coming through the doorway two at a time and standing directly inside the door and in my path. I struggled for about five minutes to get out the door, said excuse me at least a dozen times, but people just kept trying to push past me and my giant bag. In the end I pushed my way through the crowd, all the while thinking “people up here are so rude!”

Everywhere I went it was so loud and there were so many people!

I walked into the Britomart Transport Centre and upon seeing the trains all lined up I exclaimed “Are those trains?!” Unfortunately I didn’t say it in my head, which had a security guard and my sister in hysterics. My sister kindly explained to the guard that I was from Invercargill at which point he indicated that he understood.

After exhausting both my financial resources and myself, I was relieved when the plane landed in peaceful Invercargill. The sense of relief I felt (and the train incident) have forced me to finally admit that I’ve become a small town girl.