Adult Under Construction: Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams...You'll Get to Watch Rugby!

The World Cup began a little less than two weeks ago, and things have been going just as swimmingly as they were before it began. Except now there's rugby to be watched - all the time. Some of you may recall that my vague plan for my first few months in New Zealand was to be in one of the larger cities hosting World Cup matches and find work to support myself during the tournament, perhaps in a bar or café that showed rugby, and maybe, through luck or hard work, I'd be able to see a match or two. I am absolutely astounded at how close to reality that vague dream has become. Being in Wellington has allowed me to not only watch rugby on television and live at the stadium, but I've also seen the Welsh, South African, and American rugby teams around town. The Australians are here as well, but keeping a low profile (with good reason). My job does not show rugby, and indeed many of my coworkers aren't the least bit interested in it, but my schedule allows me the time to watch almost all of the matches. In my numerous overseas experiences, my expectations have never been so closely matched by my actual experience.

Being slightly superstitious as any Red Sox fan is bound to be, I can't help fearing that I'm tempting fate by having such a good time. I was recently brought down by a fairly serious cold - after my bout with pneumonia earlier this year, any illness is worrisome - which has put a bit of a damper on things, but it hasn't kept me from finding my way to a television at the start of almost every World Cup match. Although I was excited just to watch rugby's biggest tournament, I have been even more impressed with the quality of play. This version of the World Cup tends to be much more predictable than its more famous (football/soccer) cousin, but the minnow nations have been much stronger this time around. I was absolutely thrilled with Canada's 25-20 win over Tonga, a team of almost entirely amateur players beating a team of professional Pacific Islanders. Teams like Japan and Romania have also been giving the typical superpowers a run for their money, a fantastic demonstration of the spread of rugby union. Every time I watch a game, I seem to see even more of the strategy and planning behind this sport that I've really only been following for a little over two years. Even more satisfying is when my mental analysis gets repeated by commentators or newspaper columnists, which has happened several times.

I've been told many times since I began wandering that I'm living a very "exciting" period of my life. It's always been true and I've always agreed, but this is the first time I've felt it almost constantly. I have already begun planning to head to the South Island when I leave Wellington, and I recently found out that two of my new friends here are heading in the same direction at the same time. If things keep falling into place like this, I might just have to buy a lottery ticket.