I arrived back in New Zealand on the first day of the New Year. Michelle and Steve B. picked me up at the airport and fed me and transported me up to the D's place at Hahei.
The weather, they tell me, has been inconsistent for summer weather and there has been grousing about the coldest December on record, but coming from Seattle, where we had the wettest November in recorded history, this is outrageously nice.
Sunny or broken clouds all day; temperatures in the 80's; almost no one wears shoes except maybe Jandals (what Americans call flip-flops, I'm too tenderfooted to go with out my Tevas for long). Birds I can't recognize (sorry, Tom L.) calling all day. White sand beach on a crystal blue ocean. Heaven, thy name is Hahei.
I am DEFINITELY the whitest person here. Everyone else has been taking advantage of the sun for a while and I am rather albino-esque at the moment, although steps are being taken to remedy this situation. I am, however, exercising great caution, as I have no desire to increase my already substantial chance of malanoma. I wake each day and slather SPF 30 waterproof sunblock all over my swarthy Scots complexion, paying particular attention to my nose. Sun glasses and a hat are not optional equipment here.
So far my list of activities includes swimming every day, sea kayaking to an island and exploring it (my group being the only persons on the island), snorkeling the marine reserve on the island, dredging mussels somewhere up near Cook's Beach where the good Captain came ashore for water and masts, cooking dinner for the family I'm staying with and the many people who drop by about 6pm for drinks and then just linger in an wonderful way throughout the evening, finning back from the island (approx. 1.5 kilometers), hiking, watching a fire that threatened some local homes that was started by some local youths with fireworks, and nothing. Doing NOTHING.
I have been reveling in the nothing part. I have nowhere to go and no when to be there. And it is the first time in a very, very long time when I haven't been on a vacation or some kind of break that that I wasn't worried about "what's coming next;" about focusing on getting back to work rather than just enjoying the here and now in front of me. And for me, right now, there is no 'next' because I honestly don't know what to expect from Tertianship and have no expectations of it, so I might as well take the grace God is providing at the moment. And right now that grace seems to be calling me to maxing my relaxing. And it's working. I haven't had this much fun since I can remember. So right now, think of me with envy. It is correct to do so...
2 comments:
Yer a right bastard. You DO know that, don't you?
Established long ago, as you are well aware. I now rub salt in the wound by telling you that I am about to go for a four day fishing trip to the Great Barrier Island...Google Earth it and despair, ye snowbound...
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