Down to the wire

Alright so 11 days out really isn't down to the wire for most people, but since I've always been that person who needs to have her papers written two weeks in advance, her credit card bills paid nearly a month before their due, and her road trips planned exactly to a t, 11 days really is as close to the wire as I can get...at least the beginning of the wire.

That being said, I've got some fun information for all of you who desperately (or even just slightly) desire to keep in touch with me. I found out that my mailing address is a general address stationed in Auckland and BUNAC (the organization I'm going with) will then forward any mail I get to wherever I am in the country. I've also got the country phone codes for anyone who doesn't care much about the cost of their cell phone bill.

Nicole Knapp
C/O IEP-Work NZ, PO Box 1786
Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand

Calling NZ from the US: Dial 011 64 to get through to New Zealand, then the city code, then the phone number. FYI- Auckland city code is 9, Christchurch city code is 3.

And just for fun (and sanity's sake), the time difference between East Coast US and NZ is +16 hours (give or take an hour because of daylight savings). For example: 9am Monday NYC is 1am Tuesday in Auckland. Or, if that example doesn't suit you, 6pm Monday NYC is 10am Tuesday in Auckland. So let's all try not to be calling each other at ungodly hours of the night. Ok? Ok.

So that is all of my fun information. As most of you know my email is still knapp.nicole@gmail.com and that isn't about to change anytime soon since gmail is the best email system ever.

The more I think about it the more excited I get, but that is of course accompanied by my nerves which haven't allowed me to sleep very well lately. In all honesty, I really do hope that this trip helps me to calm down a bit when it comes to planning. I'm not nearly as uptight as I used to be. Back in the day it was a constant struggle to make sure that everything ran smoothly and perfectly; I've found that although everything often turns out exactly as planned, things aren't nearly as fun and my stress level ends up being through the roof. I think a little dose of spontaneous living will do this girl some good. Funny though, how I've still got to plan and arrange very strictly in order to live spontaneously. Oh well.

I'm off to be all organized and in control so I can shirk those responsibilities in just 11 days! Sweet.

-NMK

FIVE HOURS AND FIFTY PHONE CALLS LATER INSPIRES ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:
p.s. I am really getting fed up with all of this automated menu bullshit. Every time I call anyone I get some intonation-challenged woman telling me to "press 1 for english, press 2 to get another menu, press 3 if you're wearing pants, press 4 if you hate your life, to hear this menu again press the pound key followed by the star key and then do the hokey pokey while we waste some more of your inconsequential time." I love how public relations can't even be considered a necessary skill anymore. I think the automated crap can only be topped by the "experts" you finally reach on the other end who try to answer your questions before you even finish asking them. It reminds me of a game show where your host, Johnny Plastic-Smile (he was one of those hyphenated name people...just can't stand 'em*), begins to ask a question and there is one lame team who always buzzes in before he finishes the question. Then they answer wrong because they aren't even answering the questions he was really going to ask. "No people, I'm not asking about WHEN my loans begin to accrue interest, I'm asking about WHY the interest rate is so much more during the summer solstice than during a leap year. JEEZ."

I promise that is all the bitching for today.
*(Just pickin' J.)