Almost Speechless ...

Sitting on Oneroa Beach, Waiheke Island, New Zealand. I’m scribbling this down on the Matiatia Ferry Terminal/Waiheke Bus route map, the seagulls circle overhead. They swoop in a pattern, reminding me of a mathematical equation that I don’t know how to solve. They are swooping and making that annoying pitch-yell at nothing in particular. Seven. I can count seven boats in the cove, four sailboats and three others. The others are a type of boat I’m not exactly sure how to categorize.. hmmm… motor boats I suppose? The ocean waves lap in on the shore, a nice lulling sound, in the indescribable way ocean waves do. To my left is mostly green trees, dotted with a house here and one there. To my right, several cliffs jut out filled with houses and seagulls, with greenery to finish out the view. I glance down at my watch and see that it’s 4:15 pm on Tuesday, February 20^th. I gaze all over and I’m attempting to soak it all in and remember it for when I return. (return where? To the backpackers? Home? …. Hmmm…) Could I have planned it better, I am wondering to myself?

I’ve been in New Zealand scarcely longer than a week and I’m sitting on Oneroa Beach enjoying the scenery and thinking about my new home (which will be Waiheke Island starting next Monday). I have just secured a position at Cable Bay Vineyards as an event coordinator. Andi, my new supervisor, picked me up from the ferry that arrives about once an hour. He (yes, a male with an “i” at the end of his name, not a “y”) took me back to the brand new vineyard facility, opened just last week and gave me a full tour. The vineyard was designed to welcome in visitors to their unique vineyard that Cable Bay wants you to experience. (More on that after I begin work next week.) The full tour includes the restaurant, bar, wine tasting room, back office, courtyard, private room, and a trip to the basement to hear about the work yet to be completed.

After the tour, Andi and I set down at a lovely stone-ish gray table, outside in the sun to have a chat. As the sun gleams in my eyes, I’m contemplating if it is rude to continue this job interview with my sunglasses on. Andi offers me some water, which I’m excited to learn they have sparkling water available, and gratefully accept. I decide I should probably take my sunglasses off while we’re talking, realizing I should have sat on the opposite side of the table. Andi tells me about the Cable Bay partners, his experience, and so on. I tell him about my previous job experience and how I’m just perfect for the job. I asked him what system he was using currently to book events. He explains how he has scraps of paper, varying in size and color, that he uses to write notes and details on. They all are stacked in no particular order underneath his calculator. I’m enticed by the challenge, the allure of getting to create whatever system suits me best and realize I’ll have to troubleshoot it through myself.

The final part of my quasi-interview, (why can’t all job interviews be so laid back and easy?) is a tour of the island with Andi. He drives me to the neighboring vineyard, Mudbrick. While he explains how Cable Bay is quite friendly with their “competitor” Mudbrick, I remind myself that I need to e-mail Karen and turn down her waitressing job offer. We continue on the tour to see two different beaches (glamorous! I can’t wait to go back), through the little town, up and about to show me where he lives, the big ol’ grocery store, and back around. While in the car, we chat casually about schedule (right now, I think days is where we will start you) and what I’ll be making. He explains that he’s not sure how much of my time I’ll be doing the event coordination, but that he’ll ensure I will have a full 40 hours/week to fill in the time and that he’d like to train me in the restaurant and ‘cellar door’ wine sales. Then, he offers to drop me back off at the ferry.

From the ferry, I decide to walk back in to town (despite my heels screaming at me not to do so, as they are breaking in a new pair of shoes that are most uncomfortable) and lay on the beach for the rest of the afternoon. It’s not even 3 o’clock yet, what’s the hurry? I have five days left before I start work at Cable Bay and loads to sightsee and do before I arrive back to Waiheke on Monday. I am enthusiastically looking forward to settling into an almost dreamy job on such a dreamy place. I’m almost speechless that I could have planned my adventure so well and have everything working out exactly like I had hoped.