First And Second Impressions of PM Shearing

Ok, this is going to be a super quick post because I don't have much internet time.

So I was picked up by the boss' wife and baby daughter (very nice and cute respectively) in Palmerston North, and then we drove to Dannevirk where they live, and then about five minutes out into the country where the shearing station is. I was introduced to Tina, the woman who manages the place, and she showed me around the kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, etc. (the place is a bit run down, but that's seems to just be how things look on farms) and then I got my room, which was sparse, to say the least.

I didn't know that I needed sheets or anything, but I figured I could make due with my sleeping bag for a night until I could get into town.

Anyway, all this newness, and not knowing anyone, and finding myself in a place where I felt like I wasn't prepared (as well as not having access to internet or a working phone) freaked me out a bit. I kind of wanted to cry, I'll admit.

Instead, I took a chill pill and decided to go for a walk. Just moving really helps me when I'm panicky. I began to walk towards town with some crazy idea that I'd just walk there and pick up sheets and come back before the Boss got in at 6. Not a very logical plan, but it got me moving with purpose, which also helped. Then, as I walked, I began to think of all the positive things that I DID have. I mean, I had food, I had a sleeping bag and a tent. I had two good feet that had carried me over mountains yesterday, and sturdy boots on top of that. And I'm strong enough to overcome fear that only exists in my head.

I turned and walked back to the station, and by the time I got back I'd calmed down quite a bit. The first thing I saw when I came in was Tina who wanted to introduce me to Lewis, who drives people to town when they need it. Lewis is quiet but seems nice, and he drove me in and I got sheets and a pillow, as well as a bit more food.

I came back, I ate, and I sat around and had a beer with the other shearers (there are five of us who live here now, and several more who have their own places) who told me more about the place.

It's been kind of a panicky day, but on the whole I think I survived it well. The thing I need to remember most is to get out of my head and SEE things for what they really are. When I walked into my room in the bunk house my brain saw an empty room with a pretty gross looking mattress, and my cell phone telling me there was no signal, and I freaked out. What I see now, with my eyes and my heart, is a group of pretty cool people, eeking out a rugged but satisfying life in a pastured valley in New Zealand.

I start training/work tomorrow, and I'm excited about it. The Boss has also said he's going to try to get me a deal on a cheap cell phone and plan that works around here, as I've found that Vodaphone, the company I'm with now, only has service in major cities, and he uses our cell phones to tell us which jobs to go to.

Wish me luck on my first day sheep wranglin'! I hope I'm a fast learner!