ROADTRIP!!!!

Tracy came to NZ recently on a very short visit to pack up and organise the things that she and Chris had stored down in Hastings. I jumped at the opportunity to pick her up from Hastings and take her to the airport in Auckland. Anything to get to spend time with her once more before it's who knows how long until we see each other again.

I LOVE road trips and having travelled with Tracy for months at a time I knew how fun this one would be. I wish we had more time to travel as it was a bit of a tight trip but it was fun all the same. The road between Taupo and Napier is absolutely beautiful and I loved the drive down and back. There was this one spot that had a big sign reading "scenic lookout" and then as you got right up to it there was a little sign saying "waterfall." I noticed the sign on the trip down and thought that Tracy and I must stop there on the way up. I wondered how there could be a waterfall when all you can see from the road is bush and scrub. I am so glad that we stopped....it was BEAUTIFUL and who would have known it was there. The random stops are definitely worth making.

We got to Rotorua and were able to spend some time with Jamie and the kids which was great and then we had to head on up to Auckland. We wanted to get there in the evening as Tracy's flight was quite early the next morning. Boy am I glad we decided to do that. There was all sorts of craziness going on at the motorway. First they diverted us off into some country back road somewhere and we thought we should perhaps lock the doors but eventually we did come back out on the highway. Then I missed the turn off to the airport...they changed it!! So we had to drive to the next exit except that it was closed. We eventually found an exit which came off in not the greatest area and quickly tried to find our way back on the motorway to go back the other way. Then we got a bit "lost" trying to find the road that our motel was on. Being girls and not afraid to ask for directions we pulled in to a petrol station to ask. I walked up to the window and asked the man if he could tell us how to get to Massey Road. He gave me a strange look and pointed to the road outside. A little confused, I asked him, "Is that Massey Road right there?" He nodded yes. How funny and how good God was to keep us so close to where we needed to go. We headed down the road and the first motel we came across was the one we were after..another blessing, especially since it was now midnight!!!

The room wasn't the greatest but it looked reasonably clean and the beds were comfy so we managed to get a good few hours sleep before we had to be up and off to the airport.

Tracy managed to get away safely after a bit of drama with the airline and the weight of her luggage. :) I was able to head back to the motel for a couple more hours sleep and then head back to Rotorua for work in the afternoon.

All-in-all it was a fantastic trip full of new memories and I am so thankful the Lord allowed Tracy and I that time together.

Looking forward to the next adventure.... :)

The Commute

So far the only travelling I get to do is the 1 1/2 hour trip to and from work every week day. You might think it sounds tiresome and sometimes it is but I actually enjoy it most of the time. God has so many things for me to see on the way and I love the little things I know that I can look forward to on the way.

The trip to Rotorua in the morning shows me baby Pukekos which are so adorable with their super fluffy bodies, a beautiful view of the lake as you come down the hill out of the windy part of the Rotoma's....it is stunning especially on a clear morning when the water is so still and flat it looks like a mirror or when it is super foggy and it looks like something out of a movie. Then there's the gorgeous little brown foal that follows it's tan mummy around and sometimes the field of little Fresian calves that are eating by the road. That and some wake up music coming probably a little too loudly from the car and it really gets me ready for the day.

The trip home shows me different things, even though it's on the same route. There is usually a family of signets hanging out on the lake edge and if it's a sunny day the fields and lakes just look stunning. I sing along to whatever I happen to be playing and I often find myself smiling as I wonder if people see me as they fly past in the opposite direction and wonder what in the world my problem is! It amuses me to think about the cars passing and the kind of people that might be inside. I count the milk tankers in the evenings...the most I've seen is 7 and I wonder too if they notice the same little black car passing them everyday. There are so many Pukekos around the roads I like to watch them, they're quite fascinating birds.

So even though the commute can sometimes be tiring and arduous I have come to enjoy it most days and I figure at least it's some sort of travel...beats being stuck in the office all day and not seeing anything of the sun.

I will be happy when the travel gets to go a bit further abroad though. I watched a DVD the other day entitled, "P.S. I Love You." Have you seen it? If you haven't I definitely recommend it, along with a box of tissues!! It is so sweet and sad at the same time and it really made me look forward to visiting Ireland, (not to give anything away about the movie) it looks like a beautiful country...much like New Zealand.

Well, that's it for now. I'll post again when I find another adventure to embark upon.

Home Sweet Home

So I moved...I went from my two bedroom house to one bedroom in the house and it's great! :) I almost feel like I'm on holiday, something about the beach just makes you feel a little more relaxed than being in the city even if you still have to do the everyday things like go to work.

I have been commuting for four days now and although it is definitely not something I'd like to do for a long time it isn't a bad drive and it helps me feel a bit more ready for the day by the time I reach work. Funnily enough the worst part of the trip is trying to get across town once you hit the airport.

Mum has been wonderful, she bought me a new duvet set for the bed and it's beautiful (mind you she is rather addicted to buying duvets) :) By the time I get home from work there is always a delicious dinner ready and she always makes sure there are things for my lunch. She's such a great mum and I am so blessed to have the family that I have. I'm glad God knows what he's doing when He picks which family to put us into.

I was counting up the months the other day and it seems like we're down to about 7-8 months until the intended travel time. It is exciting but a little scary, there is a lot to do between now and then, particularly in the money saving department.

Please pray that God provides the perfect job in Whakatane for me and that all the finances will come together in an orderly fashion. :)

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

Since I know that there are a few people that would like to keep in contact with me and since I know that I am terrible at sitting down and writing a bunch of letters or even emails, I thought it would be a good idea to set up a blog where everyone can see what I've been up to. There are so many people that I wish could journey with me, though I know it isn't possible, so I am hoping that this will go some way to keeping us in touch and to feel like we're never far from each other.

Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to keep in touch as much as possible although I don't know how that will go.

My plan is to do some travelling next year before the British government says that I am too old to do it anymore. :) This means that I have to apply for my visa before July next year and I have to travel within six months of getting the visa approved. I plan to go around May/June next year with a stop off in Australia to visit Rochelle and another stop in Bangkok to visit with Shari. I am very excited about this and very much looking forward to the adventure.

The first step in the plan is to move to Ohope and live with mum and dad for a few months so that I can save the money to do all this wandering. I will be moving this weekend (the 11th) and I am looking forward to spending the summer months by the beach. I am thankful that they don't live too far away from Rotorua so that I am still able to come back and visit friends fairly regularly.

The next step will be to apply for a Visa (not the kind you use to spend the bank's money) and to get a new passport (because the stupid things only last 5 years now!)

I will try to keep you up to date with all the ins and outs of the process and perhaps I can even include some fun pictures of the trips to the consulate etc.

If anyone wants to come travelling with me I would love the company so feel free to get in contact with me and start saving!! :)