19. Upon returning to the North Island again with a clear goal.

After returning to the aunt's house again, having somewhat recovered from my obsession with traveling around the South Island as I had hoped, I began to look for something more in terms of stability and income. The aunt was still as kind to me as before, but since my clearly formed goals had emerged, some things needed to change accordingly.

 

I stayed with my aunt for about two weeks after I returned. Then I gathered the money I had left from my trip, plus the money I had earned, to buy an old car. My aunt knew someone who helped me find one. Although it wasn't in perfect condition at first, after the mechanic changed the oil and filter, everything fell into place. Even though buying the car and getting it repaired left me with almost no money in my account, things started to look up a few days after the money from my work the previous week came in. It was like a small tree sprouting from the ground in spring after a long winter.

 

Now that I had a car, I could travel anywhere on my own. So, I moved out of the aunt's house and stayed in the city, which is closer to my workplace, to save on gas. As for my left thumb, it's doing better after I dragged myself to a doctor at a private clinic for observation and a prescription for anti-inflammatory medication. The total cost for the doctor's observation and the anti-inflammatory medication from a nearby pharmacy was 50NZD + 20NZD = 70NZD. This is a fitting figure for the consequences of my carelessness and arrogance. Of course, just one pack of anti-inflammatory medication after that significantly reduced the swelling and pain. More than two people had suggested I buy and take anti-inflammatory medication even before I went to the South Island. But, well, sometimes too much confidence and arrogance are just plain stupidity. And I know I learned something important from this experience. I just wanted to share the summary of this story, hoping it might be useful to readers, whether in terms of helpful perspectives or entertainment.

 

I was back at the backpacker I stayed at when I first moved here. Maybe it's because of the price, the friendly feeling from the owners, the atmosphere of the place, or maybe just because I was familiar with it. Anyway, I got a new job after getting information from my friends at the hostel: picking blueberries. I gradually transitioned from picking beans to picking blueberries full-time. This job is fun and relaxing because you don't have to stay in one place, and it also gives workers a lot of freedom.

 

From a fun perspective, you'll have the opportunity to meet new friends all the time. I guess WHV holders from many countries gather here to live in this city during the summer, as it's a time when businesses need a large number of pickers. This job allows you to have personal space, even though the rows of berry bushes aren't very wide. But the privacy I mean is the freedom to start work whenever you want, finish early or late as you please, stop to eat the food you brought whenever you want, or even chat with your new friends for a bit longer and let your hands move slower. This might be a freedom you don't often find as an employee, but of course, work is work. This company pays you based on the amount of work you produce. It's no wonder this job is popular with WHV teenagers and has attracted them here.

I earned well from this job without feeling drained or tired like I had with other gardening jobs. But good times have their rhythm. A fun party must come to an end. I worked at this job for about two months, February and March, until I got a new job packing apples at a factory. This was thanks to a friend from the same backpacker group who had put my name on the company's list. It must have been a blessing from the time I took them berry picking together without ever asking them for gas money. I just thought that since I was driving to work anyway, having a few more people in the car wouldn't cost me any extra.

   Working in the packing house is completely different from working outdoors. Everything is governed by time and regulations. Sometimes I felt like we have to work against the machines, while the machines never have mood swings like we do. Some days I felt a little stressed working here.