Falling, Sky Tower and Huana Falls

G'day from Torbay! I realize it's been 3 days since my last post but I have been a busy girl. Tuesday was a very unpleasant day. I allowed a work issue to absolutely consume my day, so I spent it going through email to "prove" things that I sent many moons ago to a vendor. Long story short - I was so upset over the entire situation I ended up breaking down in tears. Nice trigger. I love it when I can allow a vendor to set me into a spin where I feel like I'm a child and getting in trouble for something I didn't do. During the latter part of the day - around 2 p.m., I said, "enough is enough" and logged off, knowing my prayers in finding the information were being answered. There are a couple of additional emails I need to locate, and will resume that once I get Stateside. I walked outside my apartment and was getting ready to get into my car to go to Longs Bay when I saw Martin, one of the owners. So we had a bit of a chat which ended in both of us venting frustration of dishonest, unethical or chaos driven people in the world. He was quite funny and said, "the worst thing about the world, sometimes, is the people." Too right, my friend, too right. I told him my standard response that Melissa and Casie know all too well..."I'm not saving lives." If the world ended tomorrow and Jesus returned, none of this would even matter. I know He is Greater than anything I can conjure up in my mind and I knew I had to let it go. So off I went to Long Bay for a long walk. I love it when the tide is out because I can walk for miles and miles across the rocks and explore. I was still allowing myself to be consumed with thoughts of incredible frustration and kept praying, "Help me let this go...You have it all sorted out. Whatever I need to provide or do, You will show me." 20 minutes into the walk, I was still stewing. I stopped, held out my arms, closed my eyes and said, "Okay. This is it. I don't want this. These people are not bigger than You." I stood there, took 4 very deep breaths, making sure to actually smell the sea air and was able to let it go. I opened my eyes and began my exploration. The water makes some incredible formations over the decades with the rocks. The force of the tide and the nature of the "unseen sea creatures" that work their way across the rocks are amazing. As I walked and explored, I noticed on the cliff above the trees that looked as though they were going to fall off the cliff and I wondered how long it's taken for that to happen....and more importantly, what would happen if/when they fell? I think I walked 45 minutes down the rocks and turned around because I wasn't sure how quickly the tide would come back in. However, in case I was caught, I did see 2 entrances into the trail above the beach - alongside the cliffs (the other side of cliffs were paddocks and the park, so I wouldn't have fallen off the cliff or anything as the trail is far enough away from the edge). As I was walking close to the rocks/cliffside, I kept thinking, 'hmm. I should move away from under the cliff because I don't want any big rocks or boulders to fall on me'. As I was walking away on the flat rock, my left foot slipped from underneath me and down I went. I didn't see any green algae, mold or anything and just thought, "ow. my back. Hmm. Well I guess that teaches me to wear "fitflops" walking on the rocks. They shouldn't call them fitflops. They're slipflops." I wasn't harmed - well, I think both my wrists and off course my backside, were bruised. I was thankful I didn't hurt myself even more. After all, 38 year-old bones can be a bit brittle and can snap. :) I did laugh about it and actually looked around to see if anyone saw me. Thankfully, only the birds that I kept trying to get "the perfect picture" of were the only living creatures nearby. Which made me think as I was tempted to pick up seashells but had to refrain....with all of the small shells, clams especially, how are clams created? If the shell grows with the organism, does that mean the shell is a breathing/growing thing? I guess I can look it up online...but that was just something I was thinking about as I was sitting on my backside. :) On my way back, I passed a gentleman who asked about the trail entrances and we started talking, since he had an American accent. He is a film maker, now living in Eugene, OR and lived and worked in NZ for 7 years. He was on a stopover to New Caldonia (awesome island a couple hours away) because his film was being given an award, which was a great recognition for him. As we chatted, I noticed a number of similar parallels as this was his first return visit since he left in 07. Very, very nice person, however, after talking for at least an hour, I decided to return to the apartment as it was getting a bit chilly and my right wrist was throbbing a bit. He asked if I wanted to have dinner with him and his "adopted family" which he bonded with during his time here, however, I graciously passed on the invite. "But I thought we were getting on so well". I thought, yes, we did have a nice conversation, however, I don't really know you and I need to take care of myself, which means going back for a nap. I told him that it was lovely to meet him and that if we meet up on the beach again we can another chat. I was exhausted. I just wanted to come back and sleep. I believe I feel asleep at 7:00, woke up at 9 and then went back to sleep until 6 a.m. A bit knackered, I'd say.

Waking refreshed on Wednesday, I decided to go back to Queens Street, decide which shops I wanted to purchase items, which I had to set boundaries with a couple of shop keepers because they were pushing me to make purchases. "No thank you. I'm not interested in purchasing yet." Their tactic? "I can only give you this price today". Well then. I guess that tells me I'm not buying from your shop, doesn't it? :) The minute you pressure me into making a decision on the spot, you lose me. :) The one thing I'm bothered about is that I am not able

to locate the awesome fleece "jumpers" (sweatshirt thingies) that I love so much. I am not giving up though - I shall prevail! There is a huge outlet mall in Onehunga (Oh-knee-hung-uh) that I want to go to either today or tomorrow, so that should be a great place for purchases as well. So after Queen Street, I headed to the one place I thought was going to be my "fright breakthrough" for the trip. The Sky Tower. I needed to check out the bungee jump before embarking on the expedition, aye? :) Sky Tower is massive. There is an entire floor for the casino, which I avoided because if I want to throw my money away, I'd just throw it out into the water on the ferry or as I cross the Harbour Bridge. :) Just my take on gambling. I spend more at Walgreen's and get better deals than a "luck of the draw" in a casino. I'm just sayin' it's not my "cuppa". So I bought my ticket to go to the main observation deck and then the ticket for the one above it and off I went into the elevator. As you go up in the 'vator, you don't realize it's a glass elevator, until you hit spots in the ride where there are windows and then you freak out just a bit. I had to step back because it shocked me. I forgot about that lovely attribute. So as I stepped off into the main observation deck, walked over to the windows and the walkway, my apprehension about doing the jump kicked in. Fast and furious, actually. It wasn't looking out at the horizon that scared me, it was when I stepped down onto the walkway that has windows in the floor, so you're looking straight down at the street. Now mind you, there is a sign posted that says the thickness of the windows is just as thick as the concrete of the floor, however, that doesn't mean anything to your brain when fight or flight takes in. Or actually, just fright. :) That's when vertigo set in, I started to sway, my hands and feet started to sweat and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. Then there's that lovely immovable paralysis feeling that consumes you, makes your entire being increasingly alert to your surroundings and your brain tells you things in superspeed, while your body reacts in super slo-mo. Brain: Get back. Reach your hand out and take the railing. Step away. Not good. Quickly. Step away. Body Reaction: leave hands at side. Sway. Move hand quicker. Must move hand. Why can't I move my hand?? Lean back into the railing. Try that. Close your eyes. Wait. Bad idea. Spinning. Open your eyes. Divert your eyes to something else. Those two women. Or that man. Good. Now grab the railing and snap out of the trance! Once I was back up on the solid platform, I knew there was no way - NO WAY - I was going to venture out and jump. Or, for that matter, walk along the metal walkway outside the windows. I realized it's all great in theory, however, I can pass on that this time around. :) Besides, I can spend the $200 NZD on three other things...a whale/dolphin trip, a tour of Waiheke Island or gifts for me. :) I may be a thrill seeker and adventurer however, I am not an adrenaline junkie. Of course, I had to take self portraits with the great view, however, it was pretty glarey (sp? Word?) and overcast, so I bought the photos they take of you with the green screen. I forgot to "take a picture of the pictures" so I'll do that today and you can see me with the Auckland Skyline in the background. What would a trip to the top in the little cafe be without settling in with a nice cuppa hot chokie? Dee-lish!!! Yum-0! After reconciling with myself, fairly quickly, that I'm not a chicken for not doing the jump or the walk, I departed Sky Tower and headed back to the ferry to return to Devonport. It's funny - at the ferry building, there are alot of brochures about the tours to Waiheke Island and being as exhausted as I was, I didn't realize the price of the tours was actually staring me in the face at the top of the brochure. So I walked over to the ferry windows and asked the cute little ferry girl what the cost is, and as I was saying it, I found it. I looked at her, smiled, laughed and said, "Oh - so sorry! There it is right there! I guess if I actually stopped and looked, I would've seen it. Never mind - please, carry on and disregard my visit!" :) She laughed ...dunno if she was laughing with me or at me, however, she had a very kind and gentle nature about her. Actually, that scenario reminded me of when I was at one of the shops and I was trying to sort out American vs. Kiwi clothes sizes and I saw a woman with a bunch of items in her hand, sifting through a rack. As I opened my mouth and the words, "Excuse me - I was wondering if you worked here..." came out of my mouth, the fact that she didn't have a nametag, the attire as the rest of the girls in the shop and had sunglasses on her head, made me realize the error of my question. She turned around, I laughed and said, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm so embarrassed! I don't - I don't even know what to say!" She laughed and said, "No, no! It's all right! It's because I have so many pieces of clothing in my hand, isn't it?" Yes! She was so kind...she most likely went home and told her friends about the crazy American she met. :) That would be me.

Thursday, I met up with my friend, Eric, who lives in Papakura, and we went to the Hauna Ranges to walk to the Hauna Falls. You know, I rented a GPS wit my car, just in case I was going to places I hadn't visited, and "Clark Road" in Auckland did not take me to Papakura (about 40 minutes South of the city centre). When it led me off the motorway (interstate) and led me to the Viaduct, I knew I had to go on the directions Eric gave me. I thought I could use both, just for backup. Didn't happen that way. Needless to say, I did arrive safe and sound, despite forgetting to look to my right before pulling out into the way of two cars who, only by the Grace and Protection of the AllMighty, missed hitting me. I know...I was doing so well. I wasn't even going to mention it because I didn't want anyone to worry, however, it was so close I thanked Him the rest of the day for covering me like He has. It's quite easy to forget the rulse of the road when you don't have traffic to follow sometimes. Must stay alert at all times behind the wheel! So I met Eric at his house, he gave me the grand tour and showed me all of the DIY'g he's been doing over the last year (completely redoing his home himself) and then we were off. The countryside is absolutely fantastic and beautiful. To live 20 minutes from the Hauna Ranges one way and 2o minutes to the beach the other would be ideal. He said that he forgets that the Ranges are there and the trails are awesome to walk and actually felt a bit guilty because I was telling him of the things there are NOT in Kansas. He made a vow to take the kids (he has 3 of them) up there more often. It's a great way to disengage of the pressures and stressors of every day life and regroup and unwind. Immediately when you enter the park, there is this huge picture frame of the Falls where you can stand and take pictures. So we did. I, of course, am posing as if I'm a great adventurer. In capris. :) And off we went! Let me tell you - what a trek that was! For a 42 year-old, he is in EXCELLENT shape! He kept running up the trail ahead of me, doing the Rocky dance and song. I said, "you realize not all Americans love Rocky, right?" :) I really enjoyed spending time with him. He is an awesome guy and a great conversationalist. We talked about everything and anything, stopped and listened to the birds and every once in awhile, he'd say something funny or profound and comment with, "I'm Eric. That's what I do." ;) He is an awesome Father - so engaged in his children's lives (he's been divorced for 8 years) and is a "no holds barr-get-to-the-guts-of-it" kiwi bloke. Which he said gets him in trouble from time to time because he doesn't sensor some of the things that he says. We all have that capability to speak without thinking first. So this "trail"...unbelievable! We passed by areas where the trail was covered from mud/tree slides and ended up going up and down 500 steps. That was difficult! Not only was it difficult because the steps were straight up, but I had to keep up with Eric, who is apparently Mr. Fitness New Zealand. Sheesh. The actual trek up and back was about 2.5 hours. My feet were never so excited to be in my flipflops like they were after that walk. I actually feel asleep on the car ride home...that was in between trying to keep my tummy from churning because of the nausea from the winding roads and sitting on the wrong side of the car. As a passenger in NZ, always make sure you have dramamine handy. Oy. I realize my photos are side ways, and although I apologize, I truly can't be bothered to reload them the right way. I've been at this for about 3 hours and am too fearful I'm going to delete more pictures than I already have. So there you have it. Laziness at it's finest. :) Today is another relaxing beach day. Maybe shopping. Thank you for all your prayers, love and friendship. I truly feel blessed to have you in my life, sharing so much with me.

Devonport and Auckland

I jumped out of bed so quickly this morning because I thought I was late for something and couldn’t think of what it was. As I stood there, mind racing, I looked at the clock and it was 6:45 a.m. “Oh no,” I said aloud. I missed the sunrise! I wanted to go down to the beach and watch the sunrise with all the beautiful colors because it was going to be an awesome day temperature wise. However, I did take more pictures because I cannot capture the beauty enough. It’s just amazing. As I walked to the beach, I noticed my surroundings a bit more to try to give my lovely friends and family an idea of where I am staying. The houses are very close together, unless you are in the country and own your own land. When I arrived at the beach, the tide was in, so I couldn’t walk on the rocks. I don’t know if people who live here realize how incredibly fortunate they are that they have these fantastic surroundings and can go to any beach, at any time, and find something new. Maybe someone who doesn’t have the farmland of Kansas says the same thing…however, I can’t imagine the dirt or flat land being as mesmerizing as the ocean. I decided to go to Devonport and then take the ferry over to Auckland to check out the Viaduct and Queen Street.

Here I am, before journeying out for the day. I was thankful I left when I did because there was very little traffic and I knew there was a road that took me straight through Takapuna to Devonport and traffic would’ve just made my travels a little more difficult. Not much, mind you. Just a little. It’s amazing how when you go off on one road, you remember very quickly the shortcuts you used to take to get back to the main road or to miss traffic tie ups. As I drove down into Devonport, I thought..hmm, which road did I take when I lived here…and there it was. Calliope. And off I went to check out my old stomping grounds. This is the small beach that Sammie and I would walk to when we didn’t have enough time to go to North Head or Cheltenham Beach. She loved this one but LOVED the others because there is more room to race around. And dig. This is a picture of a lookout point two houses up from my old flat. I couldn’t go up my drive to take pictures so this was the best I could do to show you my backyard. There is a huge cliff (Stanley Point is where I lived) that I was always concerned Sammie would fall off or something…but she never did. I tried to capture it here – not sure if I did it justice. And voila…way in the back, the brown house with the flat roof, was my flat. Do you see how one driveway is shared by 3 houses? Crazy! I did love living here. After my trip down memory lane, I was so excited about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, I almost felt like a child in a candy store! (Which they have Willy Wonka BULK “lollie” shops here!) Here I am driving in "downtown Devonport, on the wrong side of the road. And car. One thing I love about Devonport/Stanley Point is that the look and feel of it is historic. Most of the houses/buildings were built in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, although I did see a building with 1846 engraved on it. I ventured to North Head first. This “hill”, if you will, was significant in WWII and still has an extensive collection of military tunnels, which are open to explore. There are still guns positioned all around the hill that guarded the port. I will spend more time there, however, EMMA, should you choose to accept, your assignment for New Zealand for school is to do a report on North Head and give me a full report. Here’s a little more to get you started: North Head became the site of the first pilot station in 1840, to guide ships into the harbour. It was also used for defense purposes when it was feared that the Russians were ‘on the way’. It was a growing fear from the 1870’s onwards, that New Zealand would be attacked and during 1885 when the fear grew, three large gun batteries were built to defend the Rangitoto Channel and harbour. I will provide the pictures. (smile). The history truly is amazing though. These are the two beaches Sammie and I would come to and I would take my tennis racket and some tennis balls, hit them out into the water and she would swim out and get them! I had to use a tennis racket because I was not able to throw a tennis ball. Well, any ball for that matter. Some things never change as I am still unable to throw “properly”. Cheltenham is the long one, which I will be exploring, and the North Head one was our own little cove. They’ve built a walkway across much of it, which was good. On my way down to the small beach, I didn’t realize the stairs were so deep, and dark. As I took my first step, I tried to rest my right hand on the side of the hill and instead of gaining balance, I shoved a splinter into my right pinky. Under my fingernail. That was a lovely bonus. As I was going back up to depart, I actually found the trail we used instead of the steep one. I didn’t think I’d gone up and down stairs. (smile). I parked in the ferry parking lot and walked up and down the main street of Devonport, which is always filled with people. The ferry is working nonstop bringing travelers and locals to and from Devonport to Auckland. Cafes everywhere! So I stopped and had a small hot chockie and some fruit. I was starving! Walking and climbing take a lot of energy and I cannot seem to locate any protein bars anywhere. The closest thing I can find are Museili (sp) bars in the grocery store, which from experience, are not tasty to the palate. Icky. I love the marshmallows they serve with it. The “large” hot chockie/coffee option is about 2x the size of the small cup. And so, you HAVE to sit and drink it there. No carry out/takeaway for the cafes! After my refueling, I headed to the ferry, which has shops inside as you head to the gate area. I stopped in one shop to begin getting some ideas for gifts and of course, struck up a conversation with the shop owner, Bev. I believe that wherever people are around on my journey, having a chat and getting to know them is a very natural thing. Of course, it helps to hear the American accent and the first thing they ask is, “Oh, are you on Holiday?” And then we’re off. She is a very kind woman. We talked about NZ and American politics, lightly, and then she was telling me about the MLM venture she is part of with a company founded by Donald Trump. Even though I wasn’t interested in that, getting to know her was a pleasure. The ferry ride takes about 10 minutes and it all looked the same. I even got a picture of the America’s Cup yacht that takes people out into the harbour for a “tiki tour”. Obviously, it’s windy on the water. (smile). After deboarding the ferry, I headed to the Viaduct to check out what was going on and was disappointed to find that the main area where all the activities are setup is now a parking lot. Maybe they will change that when summer is in full swing. It was good to see the big yacht by the Maritime Museum was still there though. I turned and headed up Queen Street to check out the shops to sort out where I was going to purchase gifts. The funny thing is that I walked all the way up one side and down the other and the shops I will do my shopping in were the ones I entered first. Everything seemed to look the same and when I got to the top of where the iMAX theatre is, I started smiling. Why? Because I knew there would be one Wheaton resident who will be happy to know that when he and Velvet come over with me, he will not be without his favorite hot beverage. In the place where Planet Hollywood used to be, now resides Starbucks Coffee. (smile). I realized on this little excursion up Queen Street that t-shirts are very difficult to locate. Not as readily accessible as they are in Hawaii. I’ll have to do some asking of the locals or go into more shops…hmm, maybe Sky City (Tower) has more options. I’ll be checking that out soon! Oy. I am having some major issues uploading more photos so I will do "photo posts" later. Just give you photos without all the commentary because I have so many photos and so little space! And here I am, at the end of the day, after feeling like I walked miles and miles. I am looking tired and wind blown, however, absolutely content and pleased with the day.

The rows of shells Picture

I forgot to add this to my previous blog...and am too tired to edit the original post for fear of deleting something I worked so hard at writing or uploading. :) These are flat piles but it's awesome when they are piled high! (this is at Long Bay).

Long Bay and Omaha Beach

I slept very well last night. It’s most excellent to be able to sleep for 8-9 hours straight when you are away from your home/comfort zone. I think that means you’re able to relax and let go of any stressors that can keep people awake at night. Plus I feel totally Protected and at Peace. All good things. When I woke up, it was raining a little bit and then stopped, so I decided to go to Long Bay to watch the sunrise. It’s about 10 minutes away but I had to check out the way to get there on Google Earth because all the roads here look the same. The funny thing about the city and the suburbs, is that the houses are scrunched together and people SHARE their driveways. I haven’t seen any houses deeper than 2, however, I can’t necessarily drive down someone’s driveway because that’s just chaos waiting to happen for me. The “yards” aren’t any wider than the ability to toss a ball underhand to someone. No overhand throwing or you run the risk of breaking someone’s windows. Car, house or a passer-by. Long Bay is beautiful. I listened to my ipod and prayed and the sunrise on the water was breathtaking. This park is awesome. Even though there are houses going into the park, once you get to the beach, it’s like you’re in the country. Dogs are allowed on every beach and can be off leash. I forgot about that. Rafe would love it…the dogs LOVE racing for sticks and tennis balls in the water and have no qualms about running up to me and jumping up (attempting to), running in a circle with toy in mouth or letting me “attempt” to throw it back out into the sea. The thing I haven’t sorted out in my mind on how this happens is when the tide comes in and out, it leaves big rows/piles of seashells, all spaced perfectly apart. I can’t figure out how that happens but was excited to see it at Long Bay. People walking the beaches are super friendly as well. Everyone I passed by acknowledged and greeted me very kindly. The beauty here is amazing and I know there are places in the States where it’s just as beautiful, however, the air is so clear and it smells wonderful. After my morning commune with my Saviour and enjoying Long Bay, it started to rain again (it always “just misses” me) and I came back and wondered if it would rain all day. If it did, what should I do? Should I go to the shops or just hang out and relax? After sitting and staring off into no place in particular and checkin’ in with God, I decided to drive up North to Warkworth and Matakana to see if things changed much since 2003. Plus, I wanted to do a double-check with my Spirit to see if I needed to resolve anything. And wonderfully enough, my Spirit was very content and calm. It’s wonderful to be able to retouch painful points in your life to check in with God to see how far He’s brought you. I believe that’s part of the growing we do on our journey in life. Well, pre-BT I’m not sure I understood that. Post-BT I am able to see things much more clearly, even during the painful moments. The drive North is breath-taking. I wanted to stop a number of times and take pictures of the countryside because I know I’m always taking pictures of the beaches and not so much anything else. I didn’t stop though because of traffic, however, I have time before I leave to take some. The smaller communities are wonderful – slow moving and cafes everywhere to stop and take things in. I wanted to go to Omaha Beach and take it all in because that was my favorite beach. I would sit outside and listen to the waves hitting the shore and Sammie loved going there to run and dig, dig, dig! When I arrived, I couldn’t believe how much housing development has transpired. The sizes of the houses are phenomenal, too! I started walking towards the right side of the beach (no, I have no idea if it’s N, E, S or W….it’s right, left and straight ahead) and realized that it’s much bigger than what I remember. It took quite awhile to get to the rocks where I would always find the best “sea life” to take pictures of. There’s a little beach past the rocks (not accessible during high tide) called “Pink Beach”, which is in a little cove and very quaint. Here is where I stopped to write a message to myself and to advise my lovely friends and family at home what my priorities are on this trip. Nice touch, aye? There are seashells everywhere and it took everything I had in me to not stop and start collecting them to bring back home! I love, love, love the beach. It’s my favourite place to think about when I need to regroup or de-stress. Even though I would take Rafe to the dogpark in OP, I would still think about the beach. It’s so calming. So serene. However, Omaha Beach was not calming with the winds today! Oh my gosh! I felt like I was going to blow off the rocks! It like it just pushes you until you feel like you need to start running or else you’ll trip over your own feet! Hence the reason I look so wind-blown in my picture! I was so absorbed with finding sealife in the rocks that I didn’t realize the storm clouds heading my way and by the time I got to the sand to begin the LONG journey back to the car, the wind picked up, it was raining sideways and the sand was blowing so hard that it stung my legs. I believe my conversation with God was, “Okay, I get it. Even in your beauty there are storms but seriously, can you stop with the sand? It hurts!” (smile) By the time I got the center of the beach, it was sunny again and I got a fairly clear picture of Great Barrier (not to be confused with The Great Barrier Reef in Australia). (Oh this is funny…the same company that makes Axe for men in America, makes the same commercials for “Lynx” in NZ. The “Chocolate Boy” commercial is on). Sorry. I side-tracked for a second. I was exhausted by the time I got back to the car. I walked through the water the entire way out (I didn’t even make it to the left side of the beach!) so my feet were cold, I was wind blown and exploring for 2 hours took some energy out of me. So I headed to the grocery store to get some protein and noticed while in the checkout that Kiwi’s have an obsession with Mentos. Mentos mints. Mentos gum. Mentos filled something-or-other. It’s a sad state of affairs, really. Then I noticed something that made even me want to gag. A “chok-lit bar filled with licorice”. Gross! Who eats that stuff? It’s about as bad as the “kiwi burger” at McDonalds…lovely photo, isn’t it? It is made with hamburger (or something similar to beef, I guess), red onions, fried egg, pineapple, cheese, lettuce, relish and ‘beetroot’. Gag. What we call a “Chicken sandwich” from a fast food place, they call a “Chicken McBurger”. Huh? A wha-? Is there beef with the chicken to call it a ‘McBurger’? Nope. Then it’s a chicken sandwich. No, it’s not, Dawnie. It’s a “Chicken McBurger.” Oy. Talk about confusion!! No, I didn't buy one...I was fortunate enough to find one online so I wouldn't have to gag. Maybe that looks good to some people back home..? So that was my day today. I came back and napped, even though it was sunny outside and I wanted to walk down to the beach to watch the sunset, I realized I needed rest. As always, thank you for your prayers, your thoughts, comments and joining me on the journey. Much Love.

Je Suis Arrive!

G’day from New Zealand! I arrived on…hmmm…I know I know the answer to this. Wow – was it just yesterday? It feels like it was awhile ago but maybe that’s because I’ve taken a couple of naps and may be groggy so attempting to go backwards in time in my thought process is a bit too much right now. J The flight from LA to Fiji was actually very comfortable. I was able to sleep for 3-4 hours, which I’ve never done, and even did some work for 2.5 hours. Now I know how long I can go without my battery pack. The two individuals in my row were on their way to Fiji for a funeral – the man’s brother and the woman’s Dad. My heart went out to them and so I did the one thing I know I can do anytime. I prayed for them. They were both very nice and kind, which was a bonus on the long flight. There were 3 movies they played and I can honestly say that whomever picked those for an international flight needs to be moved to a different department. They were horrible. When we landed in Fiji, the airport reminded me of the one in Hilo, HI…small, walkways outside and in need of some repair. The plane was a double decker and when we deplaned, there was one person working the “transit” section (reviewing passports and boarding passes). The security setup seemed to annoy everyone around me because there was only one scanner and wasn’t as efficient as larger airports. I still thought it was great. I mean seriously….we’re in FIJI! Once we passed through, we weren’t able to outside so this is the only picture I could get in the airport. I’m not sure what the mountain in the background is called, but it was beautiful. The flight to Auckland from Fiji was awesome for a couple of reasons: 1. my seat was in row 6..! That meant I got off plane faster than those in row 52! 2. The breakfast they served was much nicer than the “meals” served on the flight from LA. There was fruit, yogurt, orange juice and an egg/sausage combo that didn’t look as bad as on the 10 hour flight. I was so put off by the look of the first meal during the trip that I didn’t eat anything that was served. Velvet – did you get my text message saying I was “egg sausaged”?? Get it? Say it really fast….trackin with me now? J 3. The flight attendants were so kind and the woman sitting next to me was a doctor, taking a patient to have surgery in Auckland. Her patient was a little boy about the age of 8-9. I didn’t ask what kind of surgery he was having, so I prayed for him, his Father and the doctor’s who would be performing the surgery.

And then we landed! My entire being, although exhausted (get the “egg sausaged” reference now? J), my entire being was filled with Peace. Customs was a breeze and the Auckland airport is actually one of the prettiest ones I’ve ever seen. It took me awhile to get to the car rental facility and of course I was praying. GPS in hand, I started my journey from the airport North to Torbay, which is about an hour drive in total. Well, when there isn’t stop and go traffic because of the Labour Day Weekend. There were only a couple of roundabouts – one in particular made me sweat because of how fast traffic was going, but other than that, it almost felt natural again. Things seemed to come back to me fairly quickly…except for the fact that the slow lane on the other side of the road isn’t the right lane on a 4-way highway. J By the time I arrived at the Sea Vista Apartments (www.seavistaapartments.co.nz), it was about 5-5:30. Melanie and Martin are lovely people. Their spirits reflect such a giving and welcoming feeling. They are the owners who live on the premises and have 4 beautiful children. They are wonderful people. So Melanie told me how to get to the grocery store and I was off. And I got lost and couldn’t find it. So I went to the one in Albany, which I recalled from being here before. When I stepped into New World, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was STARVING and the hunger didn’t hit me until then. Exhaustion plays a big part in repressing hunger. The second thing that overwhelmed me was trying to take in everything and everyone, which made my head move back and forth fast enough that I know I looked like I was shaking my head “no” to someone. Who that someone was, I don’t know. I felt like my head was keeping time with my eyes! So I got some essentials (milk, yogurt, chicken, eggs, tea, carrots and hummus) and boy did I forget how expensive the food is here! I may have to restrict my dietary intake so I don’t spend all my funds on food! I didn't realize I was so dehydrated! It took almost 2 litres of water before I felt refreshed! I had to use the GPS to find my way home and once here, I took a hot, hot shower, ate and was out like a light. The first thing I need to research online is the conversion of “kilojoules” to calories because all of their labels have “Energy = xx kj”. I forgot about that. Who does that? LOL. I slept for 6 hours straight and then realized I had to get some items to Casie, so I was up from 3-4 a.m., finishing the work, unpacked (actually hung my clothes up in the closet, which, by the way, had exactly the number of hangers I needed) and then hit the hay again. It’s wonderful to be woken up by the sounds of birds chirping. I went to the beach this morning that is 400 m from the complex and was awestruck by the scenery. The little beach is called Waiake Beach and the island becomes a peninsula at low tide so you can walk out to it. Which of course, I did. J The area is beautiful. If I ever live here again, I definitely will not live in Auckland. Way too congested. So the North Shore would be my first choice. At least for now, until I am sure to find other communities that are just as gorgeous and wonderful. Did you notice in the picture of me it looks like my right eye is smaller than my left?!?! I accidentally uninstalled the software that allows me to make panoramic pictures, so I will do my best with what I have to show you the beauty. While I was here, I found a wallet and pack of ciggies, which I took to Martin and Melanie to inquire what I should do with them. They belonged to a 21 year old male, and unfortunately, his driver’s license didn’t have his address so the only thing we could do is to take it to the Police Station. Which they are kind enough to do. So that will make one fella who had 5 too many beers (empties were lying beside his things) happy. One thing I noticed today is that without cable or satellite, NZ gets the same 2 channels 5 times, about 6 “fuzzies” where you can hear the show but can’t see anything and the remaining 5 channels are, in no particular order: horse show, car show, Maori show (which I can’t understand) and BBC News. Oh wait, there is a channel that shows reruns of Magnum P.I, which made me laugh. J So I went to The Warehouse (kind of like Walmart) and bought some movies. Animation, of course, which I will leave with Melanie and Martin for their children. I love the picture of the heart. While I was walking on the rocks to go to the other side of the tiny island, I looked down as I was passing over a rock and found it. Ohh look...you can see my toes. :) (On a side note: Velvet and Bret, when you go to Hawaii, go to Walmart over there and purchase "reef walkers" if you are interested in walking over the rocks on any of the beaches. Don't want your feet to get cut!) I decided to rest, nap and get my reserves topped up before I decide to venture out into the great unknown of exploring. While I was on the beach, there were about 5 different people walking with their dogs and this black lab came running up to me and wanted me to throw the stick out into the water. So I did. I thought how awesome Rafe would love this! I miss my li'l guy. I will call my friends this evening or tomorrow to see what their schedules are like during the week for a 'catch up'. It truly is what I have been praying for and I am so thankful Jesus has been walking with me.

KC to LAX

I awoke at 3 a.m., knowing my alarm was going to go off in an hour and thought about getting up but the pull of only having 3 hours of sleep was strong. As I was contemplating what to do, I could feel myself getting anxious because I knew I hadn't downloaded my list of songs I had been tracking for the past month and didn't want to leave without the soothing nature of John Waller, Chris Sligh, Barlow Girl, Bebo Norman and others. So I asked God, "I was told this is your hour, too...what do You want to tell me?" And what I felt internally was, "Breathe". I realized I had been asking so many to pray for the issues and concerns regarding the database and knowing prayers regarding my trip were nonstop, I realized I wasn't putting forth enough effort to remain Under His Covering. So I got up and spent the next hour downloading my songs. I felt such peace. The first song on my list was a song by Brooke Barrettsmith..."Quiet My Heart" and in it she talks about relishing the moment and breathing in what God has given. That was my first epiphany. My second came while I was getting ready when I visualized what it must be like for Jesus to follow me around...jumping here, jumping there...stressing over one thing and then another....and then the thought came to me, "I stand still." Another "a-ha" moment. You're right, Jesus. You do stand still. I am the one running around, breathing shallow and wondering what great things this trip will bring. I opened up my Bible to Zachariah and in Max Lucado's version, he has stories or thought provoking scenarios that prepare you for what you are about to read. His ending sentence was, "Take in the hope of knowing that God controls the future, your future, and that the King is comin. Then get a good night's sleep." It reverberated so much of what I have been worrying about the past couple of weeks with work and some parts of my trip. Psalms 4:8 says, "I go to bed and sleep in peace, because, Lord, only you keep me safe." That brings alot of peace to me, especially being so far away from friends, family and Rafe. I don't always sleep through the night and whether it's because I'm troubled about something or afraid, knowing that HE watches over me ALWAYS comforts me. I believe in His Heavenly Hosts and how they protect us. I depend on that.
So I am now in LAX and have been here for 4 hours. The first leg to Minneapolis was a breeze - a bit chilly, but quick, despite a 20 minute delay. When I got off the plane in Minneapolis, I had to powerwalk to get to my next gate and arrived in time to get in on the tail end of boarding. The journey to LAX felt long. There was a gentleman next to me who told me it was only his second time flying (he's 51) and we chatted most of the way. (I did do some work until my battery was just shy of being drained). Very nice guy. He said he was glad that he sat by me because talking made the trip go by faster. He thought I was courageous for going to NZ by myself because he said he could never do it. I replied with, "It's only geography though. In reality, if you're comfortable doing things on your own then it's just being in a different place. With a different culture. Experiencing new things." Mind you, I had a lot of anxiety last year with going to Hawaii by myself so it's nice to see the change a year has made internally.
My luggage made it through to LAX with me, which is good. I'll have to buy a new suitcase though because one of the wheels broke. Chalk up one gift for Dawnie straight away. :) LAX is full of a variety of people so it's great for people watching. There was an older group of men and women sitting next to me and I had my headphones on, believing I was singing softly and I looked up and one gentleman was just watching me. So I took off my headphones and said, "Oh my gosh - I'm sorry! Was I singing too loudly?" And he spouted something off in French and I looked at him, shaking my head, looked at the others at his table, and said, "I'm...I'm sorry...I don't...I don-huh?" He laughed, spouted off another long list of words that sounded like they would spray saliva if you sat too close and then he said in his best American accent, "What?! You don't speak French?" I smiled and said, "Four years of high school French doesn't cut it with your level." The woman sitting next to him laughed and he just kind of looked at me like I was a bother. :) :) I laughed. Whud-evah.
So I have 6 hours before my flight leaves so I better get back to work. I just wanted to write and give an update on how the first leg of my adventure is going. I will write more when I can. Much Love. (P.S. I must be tired...I just reread this and I can't tell if I have copious amounts of run-on sentences or I'm so tired that I'm all over the place.) :)

The Night Before

Well, it's the night before I leave and I have been working nonstop since 4 a.m. to get things done for work. I can't tell if I'm really excited or a bit nervous by what seems to be an increase in what appears to be shallow breathing. I am prayerful for things to run smoothly with the database while I am gone...more for Casie than anything. I will have wireless connectivity so that will be a good thing. I can do my blog at my "flat" and check in every couple of days with the programmers. I know...working takes me away from my experience with Jesus, so I promise I will keep it short. There's no way I'm going to go 1/2 way around the world to work all day. :) I shant allow it! :) Being the asserter that I am, there are some things I just have to put my foot down with and this would be one of them. I packed last night and can honestly say that I packed "smart". No over-packing like Hawaii where I apparently thought I would be changing my clothes every 3 hours. Sheesh. So there is a lot of room to bring back all the gifts, clothes and souvenirs I plan to purchase. Besides, who has the extra money they charge now to check a second bag?

The picture above is a GoogleEarth image of where my flat is in Torbay/Browns Bay, NZ. Kind of like Overland Park and Olathe, everything runs together. It's about 30 minutes North of Auckland and the part that is concerning me at the moment, is the driving. I mean, if I can drive a stick shift on the other side of the car, driving on the other side of the road, going through roundabouts in Auckland and Spaghetti Junction, it should be like clockwork. Easy. Piece of cake. Right? Right? :) I will have to place a Post-It on the dashboard saying, "Left is right, Right is wrong." I shall begin my morning with that mantra, while breathing in and breathing out...praying that I don't panic while driving at night when I see the headlights coming at me, making me veer to the right, causing a huge ruckus. (Sorry, Casie! Have I frightened you??) Makes my hands sweat just thinking about it. However, I shall prevail! I will just have to remind myself what "wee Hansen" always taught me in driver's ed, "Get the Big Picture. See that? See that there? Are you getting the Big Picture?" :) As much as I wished I had the other Driver's Ed teacher, Mr. Hansen's voice has remained in my brain all these years while driving. :) What was his name...sheesh...what was his name? LOL...anyone? I feel very peaceful about going by myself. The difficult part was leaving Rafe with Velvet and Bret. My gosh, who would've thought a dog could produce that many tears?? He's spoiled and I believe Auntie Velvet and Uncle Bret will be putting in some training time to get him "unspoiled". I have to include a picture of him. Isn't he just the sweetest thing? For a dog who likes to be independent, do things his way and go off and explore on his own, he sure is a Mamma's boy. I know many of you are wondering if I will return and the answer to that is, of course I won't. Would you?? LOL. Juuussstt kidding! So I am off to finish up some last minute cleaning, packing and some work items. For those of who who read this, thank you for joining me on this leg of my journey. I am prayerful that the God Experiences I have will be as incredible as they were in Hawaii and that I don't miss what He wants me to see and hear.

Much Love.

New Zealand Bound

'Ello Mates! This part of my blog begins my adventure abroad, to where else? None other than "Aeotora"! The Land of the Long White Cloud. Otherwise known as New Zealand. Or "Newsyland". :) I have one week left and am feeling excited, a little overwhelmed to get my list of things done before I depart (work, of course!) and a little anxious. Only a little. Nothing like last year when I went to Hawaii. Now that was a treat! I can't even remember why I was so anxious for that trip. Wait. That's not true. I do remember. I also recall after surviving through "a dark and frightening storm that knocked out all the power" my first night there, that any anxiety was washed straight away. Straight away. It didn't pass go and definitely didn't collect $200. Thank you Jesus, for being the "Light in my darkness". :)

I will be completely unplugged while I am there. Can you imagine that. Me? Totally unplugged? Unthinkable. I will take my laptop and if I need to, will go to Internet Cafes (pronounced calf in kiwiland) to do my blogging. Can't keep my audience waiting, now, can I? I know the things I will want to do and will take as many pictures as I can. Videos, too! Scottiebos, won't you be so proud of me?? :) I'm going to carry a little tape recorder around as well because I learned too quickly in Hawaii, that I do NOT remember all of my epiphinal moments like I thought I would. :) Silly, silly me.
I will be staying in Brown's Bay, which is about 30 minutes from the middle of Auckland. So it would be like being in Overland Park in comparison to downtown KC. It will be awesome. I plan to do exactly what Jesus wants me to do, see, hear and experience...and if that means bungee jumping from the Auckland Sky Tower, then so be it. :) So here's what I will most likely look like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym32W5-Pw7I and this is what I THINK I will look like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHCuRmedYi0&NR=1

Hmmm. Who am I kidding? After watching both of those, it's not actually a "jump" per se, but more of a "step off the platform". Who jumps off a platform and stays vertical the entire way down?? Me. That's the only way to do a true "bungee jump". With as much safety harnesses available, all connected to me. :)
So please enjoy the blog and my adventures and I will be sure to think of you as I trek my way across bits of the North Island that I have yet to see or to experience bits I do know through different eyes. Oy. No commenting on my preparation in getting in the "Kiwi dialect". And above all else, when you've had enough and want some time to yourself, the phrase to say is..."I Can't Be Bothered." Hee hee (ICB2).

This begins my Hawaii vacation in 2007. Enjoy the reading.