We Made It!

We arrived in Auckland a few minutes early, got through immigration & customs, and left the airport just as the sun was coming up. It's beautiful here, and after a quick nap we set out for a day of exploring our new hometown. It's a bustling city of 1.5 million, but it's full of parks, and the Domain, a large central park, is full of spring flowers: cheery blossoms, daffodils, etc. A pretty welcome site coming from the Northern Hemisphere where everything is winding down for a rest.

Jet lag hits pretty hard after an 11 hour flight, so we were a bit muddle-headed for the day. After a couple pints of Kilkenny at our local Irish pub, we hit the hay and slept like the dead until 7 am. Today we started looking into the more nitty gritty details of starting a new life here (looking into getting a cell phone, bus passes, etc.), but also took time out to watch the debate (Hopeless v. Hapless?) on BBC. I can't stand Bush, but sure wish Kerry were a more impressive alternative. Oh well.

I'm on the clock at an internet cafe, so will be keeping postings brief.

Cheers,
Sandie

Today's the Day

Okay, so we're all packed (1 large suitcase, 1 garment bag, 2 duffle bags (one normal size, one humongous thing we got in Venice Beach last week), a daypack, and a computer bag. Everything else we own is somewhere on the Pacific Ocean, heading towards the Port of Auckland (we hope!).

It's been a great summer, a chance to travel, go hiking and camping, relax, and really think about the future in a way neither of us has ever had before. And the result is we're going to try something we've talked about for years (going to NZ), something I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember (living in another country), and something my friend Joe says is the best reason to do anything (to get good stories to tell your grandkids, or at least other people's grandkids!).

I haven't been able to get in touch personally with everyone I wanted to this week - there is never enough time - so please forgive me. This blog is my attempt to reach out to everyone "efficiently," even though it's not the most personal way to communicate. Once we're settled in and have new contact info, I'll let you know (off blog, of course).

So g'bye for now, next message will really be greetings from Middle Earth!

Cheers!
Sandie

Introduction: Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

It's about 11 pm here in Irvine, my last night before moving to New Zealand. Ali & I decided to make this move about three months ago, and I'm still amazed at how fast everything came together. We left Philly in May, thinking we'd start a new business at the end of the summer. Instead, we're starting a whole new kind of adventure.

I'm really excited about this move and, although I'm sad to be leaving friends and family, I'm determined to stay in touch. That's what this blog is for. I'll write about how things are going and what it's like in New Zealand, include pictures, etc. I hope you'll check it out now and then, make comments/ask questions, and let me know how you're doing, too.