The impossible finally happened – the sun came out! Not a cloud in the sky.

I was beginning to doubt I would see it again until the springtime. Every day since I arrived has been cloudy with a constant threat of rain. The first day I saw the sun, it felt like a miracle. And so far, it’s been sticking around.

Because I doubted the sun would ever make an appearance, I had booked a ride on the Christchurch Gondola on a day I knew it would most likely be cloudy. The gondola takes you into the hills that reside next to the city, giving you beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding bodies of water.

When I first got to the base station of the gondola, I could see the thick cloud of fog that ate up the view of the hills above. Unsurprisingly, the attendant at the bottom told me that there were no views that day. I enjoyed the windy ride to the top, feeling like I was stepping into a horror movie as I was enveloped in the fog myself.

I have a second story that is more fun than this one, so I’ll keep this one short: after about an hour, as I was finishing up my lunch at the top, I looked over and saw a bit of the fog start to clear. The longer I waited, the more features became visible, and I was able to capture that photo at the top of this post! Overall: worth it despite the foggy start.

Now onto my more exciting story – and probably my favorite experience here so far.

By chance, I came across a “Sketch & Sip” class in the city that promised a night of “social fun and drinks,” as well as a live nude male model for us to sketch (sorry dad).

I initially came across this event through a job posting looking for a waitress for the night. I applied, and promptly heard back that the position had already been filled. However, they offered me the ability to attend the event for free if I filled out a feedback form at the end of the night.

Having adopted a “yes man” energy this year, I couldn’t turn down such an invitation. So, on a Saturday night, I found myself showing up to a sketching class alone and with absolutely no artistic talent. Luckily, no one else seemed to be bringing much drawing ability with them either.

My adopted friends (whose names I’ll change for fun) for the night turned out to be a group of three friends celebrating a 40th birthday. Fiona turned 40 about a month ago, but her friend Tina had just had a baby in May and this was her first night out since giving birth. Their other friend, Tara, rounded out the group. We were joined by another pair of women, Carrie and Mindy, who were older than our other friends, and this was their first time doing a class like this as well.

This event was a surprise for Fiona, but Mindy and I kind of ruined the surprise by revealing that we were sketching a nude male model. Tara and Tina had organized the entire event for her and were keeping it a secret from her.

We had all formed an alliance because we’d arrived at what turned out to be the wrong door to the studio. It was locked, so we waited outside, assuming the door would open at event time, as we were a bit early. We talked, getting to know each other and bonding over our shared lack of talent, but excitement for the night nonetheless.

A few minutes past start time, the door was still locked, and we were about to call the event leads and ask what was going on. Before we could send the call through, a woman came around the corner and told us that we were actually at the wrong door. They had heard voices while they were waiting for the rest of us to arrive, and decided to come investigate. After being rescued, we made our way in.

There were sporadic seats available, so although Fiona tried to have me sit with her and the rest of our group, I had to take a seat across the room. I made conversation with a woman named Patty before another round of musical chairs occurred and a table space opened for me at the end of my group, next to Mindy.

My new table mates to my other side consisted of the only man in the room besides for our model, and his girlfriend. They were an Irish couple who were in New Zealand on the same visa as me. Their travels were ending in September, but they were planning on returning after a few months at home. They also proved to be the best artists in the room, so it made my sad rendering of our model that much worse to look at.

Our supplies were provided and introduced. One of the event leads held up an eraser and told everyone to “take out a rubber” from the center basket. Fiona looked at me and said, “Jen, please don’t take out a rubber. I know that means something different to you.” Every subsequent time they said “rubber,” my mind couldn’t resist thinking of the American meaning, and I had to rewire my brain every time.

The drinks were continuously flowing all throughout the class. As soon as your drink got low, you were sure to get it topped up before you’d even noticed. I definitely got a bit more intoxicated than I had intended, but it helped to give me some false confidence in my art.

Our model was a good spirit, making conversation and answering rogue questions when women complimented his muscular physique and asked if he worked out. He stripped off everything but the socks initially, saying his feet were cold. However, he performed an artistic little strip tease of just the right sock when someone questioned the outfit choice. The left one stayed on.

By the end of the night, Tina was more than a little intoxicated, and Fiona kept saying “It’s her first night out since the baby,” trying to ignore her friends’ attempts to get her to dance with her as the room began to clear out. Tara danced with Tina, both putting on outstanding choreography to “Get Low” as it bumped through the speakers.

Mindy repeatedly shared how she wanted to give me a ride home, but that my neighborhood was too far out of her way. I continuously reassured her that I was fine ordering an Uber. She never looked convinced, even as she and Carrie watched me get into one with my driver Ron at the end of the night. Carrie had a friend who drove for Uber, and even called him to see if he could pick me up, but he was about 30 minutes away. I told her I was okay with my boy Ron, as he was only a minute down the road.

Fiona also insisted on giving me her number, which I loved. She said she’d done some traveling in years past, and she loved taking people in and providing places for them to stay on their travels. She’d benefited from a similar sort of help herself during her own experience abroad. I’m leaving Christchurch for the North Island next week, so I assured her I would reach out when I found myself back in the south in the spring months.

I’d heard so much about “kiwi hospitality” as I was preparing for my trip, but this was my first time seeing it in real time. It was one of the most heartwarming things I’d ever experienced. The way absolute strangers seem to take you in and care so much about your wellbeing is a novel thing, especially for someone from the northeast of the US. More often than not, I make a concerted effort to avoid any eye contact when I’m walking around Philadelphia. Here, I’m re-training myself to be more welcoming.

Continuing with my “yes man” attitude and my desire for unique experiences, my upcoming job will find me working with cows on a dairy farm. I have zero experience in anything farming related, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern around these parts, as farms take in novice backpackers every season. I had said I was entering my “prairie woman era” when I turned 26, and while it was a joke at the time, I think I unwittingly manifested something there.