Moving to the country....

This may have been the easiest move on record for me. Traveler did nearly all the packing and moving while I was away at fiddle camp. I'll have to stop telling the tale about the move from Salem to Jay Street that I did nearly by myself now.

Then when I returned from camp sick as a dog, he finished the move and final clean up for me as well. Best yet I did not have to go back to the old flat and see it all empty and devoid of us. As excited as I am about our new flat, it will be awhile before it feels like our space. It comes with some furnishings, which is wonderful, but also means that its not the normal completely blank slate with white walls that I am used to in America. White walls I hear are a very rare thing in New Zealand.

A week before hand, some friends and I walked through a local park and took this photo of our flat... I looked at the digital image through out fiddle camp to try to get my head around the fact that I really truly was moving.
I am having a hard time with change at the moment. I think my sense of identy is a bit lost with all the medical things going on, being in a new country for so long now, having a job that is so far removed from direct hands on teaching/clinical work.... Don't get me wrong I love it here, and I am learning lots and growing a bunch too -- but its not the easiest phase of my life as I get it all sorted. I am needed to do lots of self talk and visualization to get myself to believe basic things like 'shannon you are leaving flat A and moving to cottage B next week.' Perhaps some video social stories are in order:)

Once we moved in, it all becomes easier. I mean with a view like this off your deck, its hard to struggle too much!
The walk home from the bus is a highlight as well. Traveler jokes that I now ride the short bus. I only allow this because I have been riding the 'short' bus with wonderful kids for many many years. I love my short bus as it slowly winds it way up past the harbour views and to the end of our narrow winding road to our new rental.


I am thinking that a portable barbque is in order now that we have a deck. Winter and its rains have arrived, but that might mean that I can get a good deal on this 'suitcase' griller!

Domestic flights... 30 minutes of photos

Today I flew up to Palmerston North to see some clients. It was a lovely calm sunny day, at least for the landings in my plane. While we waited for our return flight, I was thoroughly entertained by the small planes trying to land in strong winds. They were dancing all over the place!


There are many differences when you fly domestically here... first off you can watch the pilots fly, see the runway as you land, and on this little plane the pilots do all the pre flight chit chat.
 
This is the Palmerston International gate, the entire thing, I 'm not sure where you can go to in the world from here, but clearly it is possible to pay your $25 departure tax and go somewhere.

And for those interested in Geography, here are some aerial shots of Wellington. The South Island looks so close from here, even though it is a 3 hour ferry ride. I'm sure Cape Cod is similar from the air.






And Lower Hutt... probably the closest to the city we could ever afford to buy, and that would be a stretch...




And Porirua just north of us




and the eastern edge of the Wellington Harbour