Ending, Beginning

During the last three months – our months on the road – we have kept a joint journal, tracking where we’ve spent each night and some highlights of our day. We decided to tally up a few things yesterday, which I’ll share with you here.

93 - days on the road
45 – nights spent in a tent
12 – nights spent in a Department of Conservation hut
13 – nights spent in a hostel
23 – nights spent in a homestay
392 – kilometers hiked
12,000 – kilometers put on Betty from September to May – wow!

We have driven and camped and walked the hell out of this country! We have eaten breakfast next to lakes and rivers, in the middle of rainforests, on the tops of mountains. We have sat on beaches, drinking wine; we have eaten dinner by flashlight, huddled in the car on a rainy night. We have hiked ourselves into isolation and enjoyed quiet nights by a campfire. We have met farmers and hunters and horse breeders and shop owners. We have tried our hand at shearing sheep, planting gardens, and breaking in horses. We have seen cows and goats and horses and pigs and all manner of crazy birds, as well as endless sheep. We have learned the names of native plants and trees. We have collected a whole jar worth of rocks from special places here and there. We have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. We have grieved for loved ones in far away places.

We have seen the real New Zealand. I am certain of that. And I’ve become attached to this place in a way I didn’t know I would. It has sunk in, as we’ve been trying to get all of our stuff packed up, that we’ve LIVED here, not just visited. I feel, in some ways, like we are in the middle of a move. We have said goodbye to Bettty, our beloved car, to Bob and Black Chair, our camping chairs, to the cups and bowls we’ve eaten out of every day. And every little thing I’m having to say goodbye to is making me sad! But, as Bjorn told me last night, you can’t have a beginning without first having an end. So true.

Today is our last day in New Zealand. Tomorrow, just after lunch, we will board our plane for Bangkok. One adventure ends; another begins.

I have no idea what to expect in Thailand. We bought the Thailand Lonely Planet a couple of days ago and have been trying to get ourselves organized and to get our heads in a new mindset! I am trying to brace myself for the experience of being in a really foreign country, where English is not the first language, and where I stand out terribly just based on the color of my skin and hair.

We’re getting into Bankok around 9:30 PM on Friday, and then we are getting on an early shmearly flight the next morning for Chiang Mai, in the northern provinces. (I know you all, like me, probably know nothing about Thailand, so it’s time to get out your maps!) Chiang Mai is supposed to be a cultural mecca, full of ancient ruins, Buddhist temples, museums, and classes! Apparently one of the big tourist activities is taking these day-long culture classes – on Thai cooking, Thai massage, meditation, etc. How cool! You better believe we’re taking a cooking class! Anyway, we’ll probably spend about half our time there and then hurry down to Ko Tao or Ko Chiang for some serious beaching. I’ll keep you posted.

And I will! But I won’t have my laptop anymore, and I don’t know how available internet will be. But I’ll be back.

Hope everyone is well! Much, much love.

Goodbye, New Zealand.