A Journey Home

Virtually everyone knows I'm flying to Kansas Friday to visit family and friends.  But for everyone that I virtually know, I'm telling you now.  I'll be picking up my 2 kiddos in Kansas and spending two weeks with them and my folks in Nebraska and camping (Ozarks).

While I am excited to see everyone some aspects of the trip worry me.  The cost of the flights were much higher than expected.  Our budget does not support this kind of expense at all.  I got lucky with some bonuses to cover this trip.  The other worry is just seeing everyone again.  It was pretty hard to actually pack up and go.  I mostly pushed through it because there was too much momentum to stop in January.  The house was packed, I had resigned, my new job was about to start... at that point there was almost nothing to do except get on the plane.  But now is different.  Of course I have to come back to NZ and I don't feel any tugging desires to stay in the US.  I am far from done with New Zealand.  But now I am spending two weeks with everyone I had to leave behind... After 5 months away, I know the most frequent topic will be "what's it like?" and "was it worth it?"

The short answer is that, so far, it is worth it.  It is amazing and one of the most profound growing experiences I have ever had.  The problem is, I feel quite guilty about it.  I couldn't take my oldest 2 kids with me.  That gnaws at me.  I know that I had very limited options to do more for them in Kansas.  A change was coming no matter what.  Sprint has nearly fully imploded, if I had lost my job in that, I would have been forced to move out of Kansas in very different circumstances.  I also firmly believe that living here will extend my life span by 10 years or more.  I will try to convey this to my 9 and 10 year old children, but it so hard to sell "big pay off later" to "a lot of missing you" now.  I know how I am going to approach it, but it is still hard.  I have two weeks with them and then I have to go home again.  I know I'll get to come visit again, but I'm not sure when.  That is also a hard sell. 

I know I will have a great time.  I know I will love being with everyone.  I know I personally will not feel bad about going back.  But right now, I am still anxious.... worrisome... guilty about enjoying this move at the cost to so many others.  I'll get over it, but that's where I'm at today.

I love the lyrics of Paul Simon... one of his tunes is playing in my head now.  You can read them directly as if they were prose and then you catch the tune mid-way and start to hear the notes.

"Tonight I'll sing my songs again, I'll play the game and pretend. But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity like emptiness in harmony.  I need someone to comfort me.  Homeward bound, I wish I was, homeward bound.  Home where my thought's escaping.  Home where my music's playing.  Home where my love lies waiting silently for me. "

My folks have a computer so I will try to write.  I am taking some camera type things with me.  I will be pretty electronically spotty though.  At least I'll be in the same time zone!  I know this post seems a bit over somber.  I'm not down--just pre-travel anxious.  I suspect I will be very relaxed once my flight lands in Kansas City.

See you all soon!

Turakirae Head Scientific Reserve

For Mother's Day we took a seal colony adventure.  The NZ Department of Conservation maintains several beachs as preserved Fur Seal colonies.  These are advertised extensively in tour guide website, but it took a bit of work to actually find the location myself and skip the $70 per person fees.  Very few areas of NZ are actually "restricted" you just have to be willing to walk to them.  So after a little work I found the Turakirae Head Scientific Reserve.

The Turakirae Head refers to the head of the Turakirae river as it exits to the South Pacific.  It is located on the East side of the Wellington bay (the side we live on).  There is a low, but impressive range of mountains on the East side of the Hutt Valley (we live in Lower Hutt).  Over that range is a another township called Wainumata.  The route to Turakirae tooks us over that range and straight South to the river head in about 30 minutes.  I finally saw my first full-on NZ sheep farm on this drive.  We also saw several miniature ponies as well as horses, cows, llamas and goats.  At a few bends with tall pines you would have thought we were right in the middle of Colorado before it filled in with Denoulder Springs... It was a pretty drive.

Most NZ nature reserves start the same way... an unmarked dead-end road.  There are few "visitor centers", no rangers, and usually not even a parking lot.  Turakirae was no exception.  We parked at the end of the paved road and walked the very rough gravel road, over the river (via a narrow concrete bridge) and to the fenced reserve.

The gate to get in was primarily designed to keep out sheep (which were on the gravel road, by the way).  I was bumping my gut and my butt to squeeze through--of course I was wearing a backpack.  No visitor center means, no water and no food.  So we have learned to always carry bottles of water and some One Square Meal bars.  And since the boy guzzles water and backwashes... he gets his own.  On any given hike, I am carrying more fluid than a camel.  These pictures (all posted in my NZ Nature photo section) do not do the reserve justice.  This is the real ocean on the South Coast.  Nothing is slowing down the waves from Antarctica.  Here is the opening view.  The river charges out of the valley head long in to the surf.  The effects are dramatic.  It was very windy--probably 30 or 40 mph sustained.  We walked a good ways out toward the bend where the seal colony is supposed to be, but we decided to save it for a better day.  But we did take a few pictures of the family.  Here's Gabe and here's Amy.  The beach did have a lot of seaweed and driftwood, but virtually no shells.  Gabe found only one, but it was a doozy.

The reserve was virtually abandoned.  Miles of the coast were totally abandoned.  While only about 5 miles from the nearest town, it felt like you were alone on the shore.  It was amazing, open and beautiful.  The drama of the high hills, crashing waves, breath-taking wind combined to overwhelm your sense with unquestionable power of the elements.  I can't wait to go back again and go all the way around the bend.  Then I bet I get you some pictures of seals.  Overall, it was a great, easy adventure.

Where would you be?

I was thinking to myself today that while a Friday is a pretty good thing during the work week, what would be better?  This morphed in to if I could be anywhere doing anything right now, what would it be?

 

My first impression was at the top of a mountain sitting on the porch of a warm cabin looking out over the valley.  I have a big bowl of thick beef stew and fresh bread.  I’m wearing a flannel shirt, jeans and cozy socks.  While it is only 3:00 in the afternoon, the sun will soon dip behind the western peaks.  But I have a stack of wood and a big stone fireplace inside.  Amazingly I also have broadband internet and satellite TV.  Some football is on tonight and I have a batch of nachos waiting for it.  Sometime during the early evening it will begin snowing, but by about 11:00 it will have stopped and become clear.  After the game I can shrug on my heavy coat and stand outside to marvel at the sparkling snow.  All the mountains shine in the full moonlight and the stars… Oh the stars! They twinkle with such beauty that your smile squeezes out tears.

 

When I’m too cold to stare at the sky any more, I’ll head inside to bed.  In the morning I have eggs, toast and thick slabs of bacon.  After breakfast, I’m going snow boarding with my kids.  When we’re done my folks will watch them while I take Amy out for a nice skiing resort dinner and then we’ll walk and look at the small shops.  Then back to the cabin for wine together by the fire.

 

Where would you be?

Day we met

Start:

May 13, '08

The anniversary of the day I met Amy

Asa's Birthday

Start:

Jun 20, '08

Spastastic celebration of psychodelic proportions. Happy Birthday, brutha of anotha mutha!

Justin's Birthday

Start:

Jun 16, '08

Happy Birthday, Bro!

Jim's Birthday

Start:

Jun 6, '08

Mister James...

Curt's Birthday

Start:

Jun 11, '08

My birthday!

Visit family in Kansas!

Start:	May 30, '08 5:00p
End:	Jun 15, '08 08:00a

Flying home for two weeks to see my folks and the 2 USA bound children

Uncommon Thoughts

http://findjaime.blogspot.com/
A fellow bloggers... uh... blog.

Various Random Thoughts

I wasn't particularly excited about my walk this morning.  Although the sunrise was beautiful and there was a giant container/cargo ship in the harbor.  All three tugs were moving it in to position. 

I also got to pet a cat on the way in.  He was one of the strays that seems to have adopted a restaurant.  I'll call him Tiny since he is a small black cat.  I think he is male only because mail cats seem to be mroe inquisitive and less fearful of random human contact.  His fur was a bit scratchy like 100% outdoor cats have.  He looked pretty well fed so I think someone at the restaurant must be treating him pretty good.

On my walk I was thinking about Kansas and the things you always heard about, but didnt' realize were true cuz you lived there.  For example... the steak in Kansas (the mid-west over all) is farking awesome.  You should see the sad pieces of meat that pass for premium beef here.  The best steak I have had so far would only be comparable to a truckstop Denny's.  The only seasoning Kiwi's seem to recognize for steak is grill charring.  I may have to request a clandestine shipment of Misty's Steakhouse Seasoning.

But... speaking of protein... Holy cow do the kiwis like protein!  It is nigh impossible to get only one protein serving in any meal.  A "normal" breakfast here must include eggs, sausage and bacon.  A large breakfast includes eggs, bacon, sausage and steak.  A "typical" hamburger has an egg and bacon on it.  But generally you have to fight to get cheese on it.   Pancakes always come with bacon stacked in the layers (usually with banana's).  As for sides, maybe a broiled tomato and chips/fries.  But I swear the meal is really eggs with a side of bacon and sausage... like the 3 protein groups.  Near as I can tell... everything has an egg/bacon option if it isn't simply default.

I have also been pondering if anything will strike me as weird when I fly back in June.  Will I be looking the wrong way as I cross the street?  Will the crowds seem weird?  Will the food be different?  Will I miss it? or be glad I am only visiting?  Of course I will be deeply in love with my family and hugging them all.  I may just curl up and sleep with my 2 kiddos... for like 3 days without letting them go.  I suspect they won't appreciate this... hehe.  I am also making a list of things I'd like to do in there.  Like I must eat real mexican food.  Perhaps a steak, but I think I'm okay without.  Plus the list of items I must bring back... like industrial sized Advil.

There have been a string of very tragic stories in the NZ news lately--young kids (teens and 20 somethings) dying in terrible accidents and a few toddlers dying or abused.  So many stories at once get me down.  I hate the stories about kids most of all when it comes to terrible news.  While terrible, I suppose it is good to know that NZ still considers a story about single child abuse to be news-worthy.  Still... I wish it would all stop.

I have a good hat, but I'm going to need a new one.  I need a hat with an unobtrusive chin strap cuz it is often too windy to keep one on yer head.  But it can also be pretty cool and wet without one.  I keep forgetting to Scotch-Guard my coat and new backpack.  But so far even the wet days have been very managable on my walks.

Kiwi-isms are slowly working their way in to my vocabulary.  I'm using words like "bloke" and "aw stink!".  I am still a bit self-conscious of it, so I'm not fluent yet.  But I suspect I'll start using them more and more.

So that's my random thoughts for this week... See y'all real soon.