Oh my goodness. Hello! I haven't been on LJ in like forever, but I just came here and saw your post. I actually had been thinking about you the other day and wondering how you (and my other LJ friends) were all doing. I really miss the people I had met here, and somehow we all kind of drifted away and LJ began to wane. :(

I love New Zealand! Just love it. I spent about 6 weeks there in 2004 (was it really 10 years ago? Yikes!) and would honestly move there in a heartbeat if I could figure out how to do it with immigration rules and taking care of my parents. The country is amazingly beautiful. I wish I could go there again.... someday (I actually will be in London next fall, and do not have enough time off (or funds) to do two international trips right now). Hope you got the job in Wellington (one of my favorite cities) because that would be cool beyond belief.

As for me, I'm actually doing okay. Got a new job in a new city (Sacramento, California -- the state's capitol city), and all in all everything is good. Bought my first house (I feel soooooo grown up.... real job, real house, still crazy me though). Still taking care of my parents, who still have health issues but are basically doing fine. I went to Comic Con in San Diego in July (my first con ever -- and I decided to do it big), and will totally do that again. Going to London next September (yes, I have tickets to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet because there was no way that I was going to miss that). Life is fairly good right now.

Haven't written anything in years, now that I think about it. Have to change that sometime soon.

Hope you are having an amazing awesome time and that everything is good. Take care...

Great to hear you're doing so well. I loved Wellington -- it was definitely one of my favorite cities. I also really like Christchurch, but I was there before all the damage from the earthquake, so I don't know what it's like now. And your job sounds amazing! I did a LOTR tour of Wellington when I was there, and I went to the Hobbiton set in Matamata (but it was just plywood when I was there -- it hadn't been rebuilt for The Hobbit movies yet). The country is so beautiful. I originally thought when I saw the LOTR films that Peter Jackson had just found some obscure locations, but no, the whole country is that amazing.

Being a proper grown up is soooo strange. Good, but strange. I still don't really see myself that way. It's more like I'm acting like a grown up, but people seem to believe me. (I should really have been an actress. Ah well... Being a lawyer is kind of the same... I get to act in court occasionally).

Comic Con is massive. Just massive. I wasn't expecting the scope of it. I saw both The Hobbit panel (OMG... flail)... and, since I had waited overnight in line to get into that, I stayed in the Hall and saw the Marvel panel (double flail). It actually was worth sleeping overnight on line to see both of these. I also saw some of the smaller writing panels, and just wandered around the Con. You should definitely check it out one year. It really is worth it.

I have been to London before, but not for almost 20 years (OMG... (a) I'm getting old, and (b) where has the time gone?) I loved it when I was there, but I'm sure a lot has changed. I would love to get your fangirling suggestions since it has been quite some time. Also, if I was going to try and see someplace else too (elsewhere in England, Wales, Scotland, or maybe Ireland), do you have any recommendations as to which would be the best place to start? I know I cannot do it all (that would be insane) so I'm trying to decide where I should go if I can only do one place.

I am definitely going to send you a Facebook friend request as soon as I post this (Michelle Marzahn is my real name...) I don't post to Facebook very often, but I do try and read my newsfeed regularly. I'd love to hear how you are doing.

How long do you think you're going to be in New Zealand? I'd love to try and get there again (and take your tour OMG!), but I don't think that would be possible for a while.

And good luck with NaNo!

Take care of yourself and continue to have an amazing life!

Added you back ;) it'll be good to keep in more regular contact.

I'm planning to stay in Wellington until April next year as this is when my LotR job finished and my visa expires. I am going to apply for my second year visa however so if I get that I'll be in the country till April 2016, and I'll use the second year to travel through the South Island as I haven't seen that one yet. Then, the plan is to do Australia for two years and then we'll see ;) heh. I have no plans to go home anytime soon!

I was originally going to settle down in Cardiff, Wales and buy a flat and play at being a grown up ;) but decided I wanted to see a bit more of the world first. So glad I did. I'm definitely not ready to settle down just yet! heh.

How is the new house treating you then?

I'm so jealous of your comic con adventures! I'd have killed to see both of those panels. you lucky thing! :D did you get to meet anyone from either of the panels? I know sometimes they do signings/etc.

For your UK trip. London hasn't changed all that much tbh, so it depends what fandoms you're into. I assume you've done the Sherlock Holmes pilgrimage? ;) I haven't been to Ireland but Scotland I recommend Edinburgh just for the picturesque scenery, or Glasgow for the friendly atmosphere. Wales, it would be Cardiff as it's such a vibrant city. What sorts of things are you looking to see/do when you're over??

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