Sunday 18th June – 22:56pm. It’s been an amazing month, and I need to catch up badly!

Let’s start with the anticlimax. After leaving Auckland with Ash on yet another intercity bus, we arrived into Whangarei late and were met by Liam. We had some Chinese, and went home for a few beers. The next morning we went in town, and I bumped into Joe Balfe and some of his friends in a random pub in the city centre. It’s funny how you can travel 20,000 miles around the world and still bump into someone you used to work with. We then went to another pub for a pint and to watch the Landers game, and I saw a guy who used to play for Stowmarket Rugby Club. By the time it got round to the game I was bouncing off the walls…

The lions game was amazing, and I was so excited, but the Lions’ performance let me down. I was having a great time in Whangarei, and so badly wanted to see some tries, then meet some of the England players, and live out my dream. The atmosphere at the game was great, despite my tickets being on the ground-seated mound. We sat on some flags in the mud, and I sang along with the team songs and chants as much as possible. As I mentioned before, the match itself was an anticlimax, and dry. I still enjoyed it, but wanted to see some tries so badly. After the game, which the Lions did win (just), we headed down to the pitch side to try and get some pictures with the players. 0 England players came to the sideline, and very few Lions players in general. It was upsetting and I was let down. After the game we headed into town for some drinks and a dance. The next day I relaxed at Liam’s, and got the bus down to Hamilton the next morning. I did everything I could to take my mind off the result and the disappointed.

Arriving in Hamilton, it was so good to see Kayla again, and her Mum. We headed out for some food, and the next morning I was on a bus to Auckland again for the second Lions match, this time against the Blues. Despite waiting in the rain for nearly half an hour (Ash was late…) we got into the stadium and watched the game. It was yet another anticlimactic performance, and this time we lost. We finally played some expansive rugby, but it was too little too late and once again I was left wishing for more. Once again we headed pitch side and were greeted with no Lions players, only a handful of the Blues players. I got a picture with Akira Ioane which was great, but not who I wanted. We stayed at Ash’s friends house that night, and headed off back to Hamilton the next morning.

Kayla picked me up from Ash’s an hour after I arrived, and we headed straight onto Whitianga for a few days. It was the perfect way to relax before leaving New Zealand. We checked into a cool little condominium near the water’s edge, and just relaxed around town for 2 days. We caught up with her Auntie, and explored the coastal region on the second day, and even managed to get a trip to the local hot spa’s in before we had to leave. It was a great final weekend in New Zealand – a perfect way to leave.

After leaving Whitianga I headed back up to Auckland with Ash, and flew back to America. I had such a great time in New Zealand and to be totally honest I am still unsure if coming back was the best decision. Whilst I like to keep moving on with life and have new challenges, I was so happy in New Zealand towards the end. I miss the rugby lads, the job, the scenery and the country as a whole. Kayla was so kind to me the whole time I was there, and i’ll miss her a lot. I will definitely visit again, but when… I genuinely have no idea.

From Auckland  I flew into LaGuardia, via LA and Columbus Ohio. The weather was immediately better, and the flights went by incredibly quickly. After arriving into New York, Ash and I grabbed a taxi (after the usual american mess of trying to get an uber and find our way etc) and arrived at our hostel in Brooklyn just before midnight. The hostel was pretty awful, so I was grateful to leave on the morning of June 14th, and head to Port Authority Bus Station to meet the returning and new members of staff. It was a surreal feeling being back nearly a year after I arrived for camp in 2016. Catching up with a few returners including Marvs, Jack and Max was great. I felt at home immediately and am getting slowly happier everyday. Lets hope it continues…