Cliffs Notes!

I have been trying to think for days about how I could possibly tell everything that has happened since I have been here without making you read for endless hours. Here are the cliffs notes for what I have in my journal for the past week.

Day 2 (Thursday January 12)

I had a skype call with Jim this morning and had a good laugh about how many faux pas I had committed in the short time of being here. I helped Gaye take in the laundry and then Jared and I headed off to town. We had some errands to run but Jared had some special things in store for us.

While we were waiting on dry cleaning, we went down to the foreshore. They were having a stone carving symposium. Stone carvers from all over the world were carving away...so intricate. Next, we went to the Puke Ariki museum. Apparently Puke Ariki means 'place of the dead', it is a museum about the history of the Taranaki area. Very cool.

We went back to the house and rested a while before we left for a study in Rohotu. Along the way, we stopped and had fish and chips at Oakura Beach. There were kite surfers and women riding horses down the volcanic sand shore of the Tasman Sea. Mind Blown.

It was neat to see people with such open and honest hearts during our study. I hope that we don't forget that moments like that are what make the other moments worth it.

Day 3 (Friday January 13)

I woke up late this morning and wasn't feeling too great. Jared had been sick on the plane and I think I got it from him. Around 1, we went to town to meet one of Jared's friends at a cafe' called Elixir. This was my first experience with NZ hot chocolate and it was the right place to start. The frothed milk was at least two inches thick and it was topped with strawberry marshmallows. Jared had me try lollie cake which is hard to explain but it is interesting to say the least. We spent a lot of time in town. Window shopping and exploring is a lot of fun when you are beginning a life together. You get to see where the other person is and what they like.

Heading back home, we stopped into the bank and got an account so that I can spend all of Jared's money. JUST KIDDING...If you know me, you know I am not a money spender. That night for tea we had roast, zucchini, broccoli and potatoes. Every meal I have had here has been delicious. Rod and Gaye want to teach me Gimme Five tonight. I hope that goes well!

Day 4 (Saturday January 14)

Learning Gimme Five went better for Gaye and I than for Rod and Jared. We beat them 3 out of 4. Gaye was so funny...she is very competitive and I love that about her. This morning we loaded up and got ready to head into Palmy. We weren't going to be able to stay at Ian and Suzanne's until Sunday because they were hunting in Taupo. Jared practiced his lesson for Sunday while I had a skype chat with mom and dad. I did my first load of laundry in NZ and hung everything (even undies) out on the line for all to see. It definitely pays to have cute ones I guess. Nothing like hanging your unmentionables out on the line at your in-laws house. :)

We had awesome sandwiches for lunch; avocado, salami, hummus and sprouts. Inventive is the word over here and it is a good one!

On the way to Palmy we stopped at three different beaches. The first was Opunake. We climbed up on an overlook to see the ocean that Rod used to play in as a child. Have I mentioned that I love my in-laws? They really are the bees knees. Jared and I were laughing about how he has such a big head in pictures sometimes. His reaction is to lean forward for a photo and mine is to lean back, therefore his head tends to look HUGE. His mom took us all by surprise when she said, 'I know he has a big head! I birthed him!'. That is the abridged version. Ha!

Driving along the cape, we came to Patea. It used to be a town with a great meat works industry. Once they started shipping things via train, the meat works failed and the town fell apart. Most of the people there are on assistance. It is such a shame to have such hard lives but at least the beautiful scenery may help.

We hiked up the sand dunes and over to the beach. We were shocked to see that an old ship wreck has washed up onto the shore. I am sure that the wreckage wasn't as neat to the former crew as it was to us.

I walked up the beach a bit and just stood in the sun. Stretching out my arms into the salty wind and taking a deep breath, all I could think about was my favorite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Live in the Sunshine

Swim in the Sea

Drink the Wild Air

love.

Back in the car we headed to Kai Iwi Beach. I have been here once before but I looked forward to being there with the love of my life. We dominated the flying fox (zipline) which checked number 56 off of the bucket list. I was afraid at first because it looked like it was going to pull me off before I could get on all the way, but my manly husband helped me out by holding it steady. ;) We got into Wanganui, where the four of us would part ways after eating dinner. We popped into Jabie's Doner Kebabs. I remember this place and it was just as good as the first time I had it! Lamb with Tahini sauce and all salads except onion. Yummo.

We stayed with Kent and Rachael O'Donnell(y) and stayed up talking and laughing until late.