Family Reunion

We're reunited with Everett.

This was no easy task. In fact, it's pretty much taken a week. When we left him at a Starbucks in Auckland it was kind of open ended as to when we would see him again, but Laura and I kind of assumed we'd meet up with him sometime in the next few days.

That was not to be. He stayed in Rotorua on the northern island for much of the time and then followed our steps through Wellington, on the ferry across to Picton and then on the bus down to Christchurch for the last several days.

Of course, I knew he was in Christchurch so I'd emailed him telling him we'd already made reservations at Base Backpackers here for tonight. He emailed back saying that he had gone ahead and moved into our 10 person dorm room and would see us there. That was the last we heard from him.

I emailed several more times, giving him flight details and meeting times. Nothing. Finally, today we arrived, we attempted to go to the meeting places I'd mentioned, hoping that maybe he would show up, having read the email and just not responded. He didn't.

So, around 4 we were able to move into our room where we discovered Everett's sleeping bag on the bed. It was a nice confirmation that he was probably still alive. Finally, around 5 o'clock, I'd gotten sucked into watching Back to the Future 3 with some British guys in our suite while Laura read outside, and then, who walks in the door, but Everett.

He was burnt red sunburned, his hair looked like he'd stuck his finger in a socket and there was a giant ripped hole in the back of his shirt. But, he was alive.

And he had plenty of ridiculous stories from his last week-from sleeping on a cot in the office of a hostel because an Indian family had moved into his room and kicked him out, to meeting "the love of his life," a German girl named Lana, in Rotorua.

It's good to have him back though. Although I think he's going to feel pretty differently about having me around because I have developed a cough that sounds like a mix between a person with emphysema and a loud dog barking. (The girl at the computer next to me literally just offered me some of her coke because I was coughing so much. It's out of control.) So, sleeping in the dorm tonight is going to be fun. I'm pretty sure the two guys who shared the room with Laura and I last night wanted to murder me this morning.

Luckily, I don't have many hours of sleep tonight to worry about. Our shuttle for the airport leaves at 4 a.m. On that note, I'm off to bed!