"RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND: A MAGICAL LAND WHERE HUGS STILL

HAPPEN."

FOLKS, THERE IS NO DENYING THE SHEER BEAUTY OF NEW ZEALAND'S

NATURAL LANDSCAPE.

DURING MY VISIT, I GOT TO EXPERIENCE NEARLY EVERY

GEOLOGICAL FEATURE ON THE PLANET-- RUGGED MOUNTAINS AND

GRASSY HIGHLANDS; BEAUTIFUL LAKES AND OCEAN SHORELINES; AND

EVEN STUNNING, PRISTINE GLACIERS.

BUT THE ONLY THING THAT STRUCK ME MORE THAN THE MAGNIFICENT

BEAUTY OF THE COUNTRY WAS THE GRACIOUSNESS OF THE PEOPLE.

THE KIWIS I MET WERE NOT ONLY WARM AND WELCOMING.

THEY WERE ALSO FUN-LOVING AND CREATIVE, STRONG AND TALENTED.

AND, OF COURSE, THOUGHTFUL AND DECISIVE.

THERE WERE TIMES DURING MY VISIT THAT I HAD TO REMIND MYSELF OF

MY GOOD FORTUNE.

IN FACT, THERE WAS ONE MOMENT, WHEN I WAS STANDING ON THE PEAK

OF AN 8,000-FOT MOUNTAIN, LOOKING OUT AT THE LANDSCAPE

AND, ADMITTEDLY, HAVING JUST DONE THREE SHOTS OF BOURBON--

IT'S A LONG STORY ABOUT HOW MUCH I LIKE BOURBON-- THAT I FOUND

MYSELF SO OVERWHELMED WITH GRATITUDE THAT I WISHED I COULD

SHARE IT WITH AN OLD FRIEND.

JUST IN CASE WE INVENT TIME MACHINES I WANT THIS MESSAGE TO

BE SENT IN A CAPSULE BACK TO MYSELF WHEN I WAS 29 AND HAVING

A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN ABOUT CHOOSING TO BE A PERFORMER FOR A

LINK.

YOU DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE NOT GOING TO LAW SCHOOL.

IT'S ALL GOING TO WORK OUT.

YOU'RE GOING TO DO THINGS WITH YOUR FRIENDS, LIKE GO TO NEW

ZEALAND AND DO THIS, OKAY.

DON'T FREAK OUT.

GET OFF THE COUCH.

YOUR SKIN'S NOT ON FIRE.

THE XANAX WASN'T WORKING, BY THE WAY.

TRUE STORY.

( LAUGHING ) THANKS, STEPHEN.

IF I COULD SEND A MESSAGE BACK TO THAT SLIGHTLY YOUNGER VERSION

OF ME FROM THE END OF 2019, I'D SAY, "DON'T LEAVE NEW ZEALAND.

THEY FIGURE OW OUT HOW TO CONTAIN THIS THING THAT WILL

START SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD IN ABOUT A MONTH.

I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AND THIS SOUNDS

CRAZY, BUT BELIEVE ME, BUY TOILET PAPER.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

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