by Brent » Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:54 pm
Well,
As Libby is pretty busy this week with Uni work she's passed this task onto me…since you've asked a direct question you deserve an answer.
Basically it's a long story, late last year (early Dec) as some of you will remember she posted some questions/comments about moving to NZ to do a year's study at Auckland University, well I responded. I also sent her a personal email with more detail about the place, it's climate, Auckland city etc along with an invite to keep in touch and I'd be happy to answer any more questions she had during the planning of her trip.
Um, well, from that point on what started as 3-4 times per week emails back & forward between us grew into a good friendship and we found we had much in common….pretty much everything actually. Almost unnervingly so.
In the ensuing months turned our friendship turned into a lot more, although it was pretty much unsaid between us at the time as we're pretty "level headed" people who are well aware of the "joys" of the internet.
From about Feb-March or so we've been in daily contact both via email & MSN and basically we've been growing as a couple since then I think. We'd swapped photo's and done all that stuff long since by then.
As the months passed and her trip got closer she was getting increasingly frustrated with Auckland Uni as they were unable to give her any specific dates re course starting, her accommidation etc. Of course at this point I'd already offered to collect her from the airport and get her sorted in Auckland on arrival in NZ, but, knowing the lack of specifics was getting stressful for her - I had the answer…
I took a leap of faith in late April (I think it was April) and invited her to stay here in Mount Maunganui for a holiday prior to her course actually starting at Auckland.
This seemed to be a pragmatic answer to a growing problem... she could nail down flights and secure that side of it…and I'd have the opportunity to show her around the central-upper North Island, give her a "sampler" of New Zealand, our beaches & local breaks and our way of life in general and basically deliver her to Auckland rested & relaxed when her course was about to start. It was a good opportunity for me to take some time off work also.
Um, well from that point on our respective lives were joined at the hip I think. We were thinking & making plans as a "unit" and were very much a couple…abit living on almost exact opposite sides of the world (yes in latitude & longitude). We were very much boyfriend & girlfriend.
So, to cut a long story short, fast forward to 4th July at 4.30am on a Monday morning; there I was standing on the viewing deck of Auckland International airport, nervous as hell & totally exhausted from preceeding days (weeks!) of building nervous tension, drinking coffee, watching this huge Air New Zealand Jumbo coming all the way from the UK with my Libby inside. The following hour as I waited for her to emerge from Customs was the most nerve-wracking of my life. Would she be in real-life all she described? Would she be as short? (*smirk*) Would she be as funny & clever?...She emerged from Customs and we instantly locked eyes on each other & that was that really.
Our Airport Moment…
At the moment we're settling into a routine with her based in Auckland (2 hour drive north of here) during the week, and here with me (or wherever we choose to go away further afield surfing, Raglan, Coromandle etc) in the weekends…it's all good :-))))
So, yep, we're a couple, spawned entirely by Surfing-Waves (thanks guys :-)...