Geared Up but Broke As
Month two, was also jam packed but differently.
We found a house. The house is ideally situated for Mahiran to get to work on his early shifts and it is at the heart of the Indian community in Auckland, so immediately it felt like home.
It’s a cozy space with wooden floors, outdoor green areas, three big fruiting avocado trees, and an easy going housemate who works full time normal hours and days of the week and spends half his time away from his partners. It is also, by far, the most affordable place we have scouted, so that along with the enormous garage that quickly became my yoga space and our storage for free stuff we find on the streets, became the selling points. It feels good and as always we are making the space feel like home: Colour, plants, trinkets and treasures, and cupboards filled with healthy yumminess.
I got a job. Not my dream job, but somewhere midway between my dream of working with children/youth in the system or those who have been flagged for being at risk, and my nightmare of working an abrasive hospitality job. Basically, I am a senior lifeguard at a pool and leisure center of YMCA – a community organisation, at heart aimed at youth, but in action aiming to “Build Strong Kids, Strong Families, Strong Communities.” It’s an easy job, everyone (the staff and the customers) is lovely, in some ways it allows me to give something to the New Zealand community, it’s in an active and positive environment, and it’s work and pays the bills. A huge perk is the correlated hours with Mahiran who works Saturday to Tuesday mornings. I too get Thursday and Friday off (his Wednesday is his day haha) so that’s our weekend and we are good at making the weekends our time. And then Monday and Tuesday we go to work together at 5 am (4.30 wake up Wohoo), and the two other days we have some timing mismatch but nothing too major.
We bought a car. And not just any car. The dream car Mahiran wanted for us to cruise around off-road on New Zealand terrain for our travels. A Toyota Hillux Surf. And man does she purr haha. As the cherry on the cake, the buy was a steal off of Trade Me, the seller being genuine and helpful and everything going smoothly. OOFF – I am still getting used to an automatic and a 4×4 wheel drive. But she is a babe. You cannot help but feel cool approaching her and getting inside.
And damn, does she make us excited about exploring New Zealand
So yay, all equipped and both bread earners in the family (finally), but spent bank getting equipped and so now is the time where we saddle up, put our head down for a couple of months, and live the work life capitalism has created to constrict the freedoms of the human soul. But don’t worry we both know it’s temporary and we are making sure to enjoy this chapter of the journey too.
All of our time together is precious, and we sure as hell better be making the efforts to reflect that.
Love.
Raglan, 09/10/22
Our bikes, what can I say