Stop the Counter

Well it is time to stop the counter at 2139 days. This is how long it has been since this adventure began, since we left our home in Lacombe and moved to the big city of Toronto to learn how to sail. Can you believe I am actually at a loss for words?

We have arrived back at our home in Lacombe and it is so strange to be back at the beginning. All of our "things" are just as we remember. Funny how they just seem like things now. I guess this happens when you live without them for so long. We feel like we are in a bit of a time warp but we are thoroughly enjoying it. My favorite thing is my king size pillow top bed.

Everyone seems so excited to see us and I feel like a bit of a let down. None of us are quite sure how to describe this journey in a conversation. There just doesn't seem to be the words. Everyone does seem to ask, "How could you do it?" and "Weren't you scared?" and it is funny because I am always reminded of a day with my niece Sarah in Red Deer, Alberta. I actually wrote a blog about it and it still remains my favorite blog post. I think it sums up exactly "How we were able to do it!". I have decided to post it as my final blog below.

Thank you to everyone who has followed our adventures. It always touched my heart to hear that so many of you were enjoying reading along. I loved it. It would be great if you have been reading if you can leave your name as a comment on this final post. It will be a nice log for us of everyone who crossed the ocean with us.

Words escape me....enjoy the post below and don't forget.....BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW AND THEN CHEW IT!!

Julie

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008

Finding your inner strength

This story happened a few days ago but it really signified for me how we each need to find that little piece of something inside that drives us to overcome our fears and challenge ourselves.

Mom, Graham and I, my sisters five kids and our two kids, headed out for a picnic at the Discovery Canyon. Discovery Canyon is a little man made river and beach that kids tube down. When we got there mom and I quickly figured out that it was going to be a bit of an exhausting day. One of us needed to walk up to the start of the river with the kids and the tubes and the other needed to wait at the bottom at the beach and watch the two littlest ones (Joe 3 and Mandy 5). Now Alex and Zac were up and gone and of course needed no assistance. Amelia and Katie were also self sufficient. The problem was that Sarah needed a little bit of help in certain parts of the river. Mom or I would need to enter the river and give her a push in the right direction or help her out of a bind at various points. Not fun, so after quite a few runs, I asked Graham to take a shift going up with the girls.

After a few minutes I looked up the river and could see Graham standing on the side. From my vantage point I couldn't see Sarah but I knew he must be looking at her. He didn't look angry but right away I knew that he had decided that if she wanted to tube the river she was going to need to do it herself. Part of me wanted to run up there and smack him and tell him to get in there and help her but part of me also wondered if maybe his approach was the right one.

Amelia and Katie made it down the river and walked back up to the point where Sarah was stuck and Graham was standing. Graham told me later that they both begged him to enter the river and help Sarah down. Graham wasn't budging. Finally after a while, Sarah realized she couldn't do it and got out and climb up to where Graham was. She began to cry and Graham and her started walking back. She was walking behind Graham. I felt so bad but I thought better not to focus on it. I went to the picnic blanket and called everyone for lunch and mass chaios began, "Who wanted ham?..." ...."This sandwhich has mustard on it..."..."Where's my juice..." and then I came to Sarah's sandwich and I looked up to hand it to her and she was nowhere to be found.

We began looking and then I realized that one tube was missing. We were shocked, never in a million years would I have looked back up that river for her. Graham had already started over there and I was quite a few paces back but at the same moment we had scanned from the start of the river, all the way to the base and our eyes reached Sarah finishing the ride and getting ready to come to shore, at the exact same moment.

We were literally in SHOCK. We were witnessing, a child who I have known since the day she was born, find that inner strength that each of us has. She was NOT going to let the river beat her. She didn't need Graham, she didn't need Katie, she didn't need Amelia...she was going to do it all on her OWN. As she walked towards us I was surprised that she wasn't smiling or looking proud. She was crying and to be honest she looked angry. I think the anger and sadness truly signified the size of her accomplishment. We all erupted in a round of applause as she approached.

I asked her later who she was mad at...I was wondering if maybe perhaps her anger at Graham had driven her but she said...."I was just mad because I wanted to do it!"

There it was for me, my life lesson, from my beautiful, complex, brave niece. It doesn't matter if it is a river you tube down or sailing around the world....you just have to WANT to do it and anything is possible.

The Navigator

The next stop on the Lord of the Rings tour was of course the spot where the four hobbits are hiding under the roots of the tree from the Black Rider. Now I could just describe the moment when we arrive and hike via gps coordinates to the exact spot and excitedly crouch under the roots and snap a bunch of pictures.....but hey don't you wonder about the blogs you never read. The dysfunctional family moments that all of us have.

We spent the morning at a really cool museum in Wellington that had an area within where they simulate an actual earthquake. It was pretty neat to experience this so soon after the Christchurch event and be able to see a bit of what they must of gone through. From the museum we made our way to the grocery store. We bought stuff for lunch and dinner and then hopped back into the overstuffed car to find the Lord of the Rings location.

My job in the car is "The Navigator" and god help the woman who doesn't have a firm handle on exactly where we are going! The Wellington map we have is a free one and is more than a little challenging. After more than one...."Do you know where we are on the map?" and a few "I can't drive and navigate."....we finally arrived at the lookout point for the city. We had thought we would have our lunch here and then proceed via the gps coordinates to the spot.

Lunch sounds easy right...?? WRONG....we pack up our car so tight. I put the air mattress and chairs in and quickly close the hatch and then we stuff pillows and sleeping bags from the back seat into the trunk....so opening the trunk and finding the peanut butter and jam is a full on sweat fest! You can just imagine the great mood I am in once I have located both of these items. I then get the pleasure of balancing all the groceries on the roof of the car in the blowing Wellington wind and trying to make sandwiches as the peanut butter slides away......this is the point that Alex decides to be a witty teen and says..."Mom, I think you just need to breath."....I think I may kill him....I tell him to take his sister up to the lookout and give me a few minutes. Amelia decides she doesn't feel like it. I reply, "Fine get in the back seat and buckle up and prepare for the worst!" Remarkably all of a sudden they both feel like a short walk to the look out! lol.

I get my few minutes to breath and eat my sandwich and Graham reviews the map....I know that soon enough it will be my task to figure out as we drive if we are heading towards the gps spot and watch for signs and review the map.....I try to just enjoy my p&j on the curb in the wind. Soon enough we are all in the car and I catch a break and take us in the right direction and even navigate us into the closest car park.

We all exit the car happy and excited and we hike through the bush watching as we get closer and closer. We all review the pictures in the book and compare to our surrounding and then finally....YIPPEE...we are there. Just exactly as we remember from the movie....so cool....so neat....you hear a bunch of..."Frodo must of stood right here...." and "Man, look it is just like the movie."......All of the dysfunctional family moments wash away and we are left with only a fantastic memory.

Long Drop

I am imagining an endless supply of hot running water, my choice of toilets, a vacuum, soft clean sheets, jacuzzi tub, a mirror, clean clothes and the list goes on. We are on day 21 of living out of our Nissan pulsar hatchback and our tent. I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting ready to come home. We have another 11 days to go though. Everything is pretty manageable, except for the nights when we just find a spot to throw our tent and not even a long drop (this is what New Zealanders call an outhouse) is involved. Sad when an outhouse becomes luxury. We are those people at the local pool who are taking advantage of the showers and brushing their teeth.

Now don't get me wrong, I can't imagine paying 60 some dollars a night for the privilege of staying in a parking lot...disguised with the name "Holiday Park". You do get to use the hot showers but come on people.....$60 for a shower!! As soon as we head for our Department of Conservation tent site and take some secluded gravel rode down to the end of a breathtaking valley I realize that we have made the right decision. The call of the hot shower hasn't out won another beautifully serene New Zealand site.

Another plus is that we are officially out of "black fly" country! Thank goodness. 2 nights was more than anyone would want to handle. You feel as if you are going a bit batty. On the last night there I had to get up in the middle of the night to pee and all I was concerned with was the black flies. I was trying to get my clothes, socks and shoes on as quick as possible, so I could get out and get back in quickly. As I rounded the back of my tent in the darkness and was swatting the bugs, I came face to face with a fat bushy sheep. I was stunned. He was stunned. We both stood frozen in time staring at each other. I felt like I had walked right into a children's book. I had a quick flash of the sheep charging me and then I thought I would try taking a cautious step forward to see what it would do. Thank goodness sure enough it turned around and ran down the hill.

We have spent the last few days in Kaikoura. Graham and I spent some time here 17 years ago. It is always cool to come back to a place you have been. Graham thought it would be fun to tour the area via bicycle and it turned out to be a great idea. We all rented bikes, along with his Aunty Cathy and hit the NZ roads. Our first stop was this beautiful rocky beach area with the NZ seals. As Amelia and I came to the end of the bike trail and we looked ahead for Graham and Alex, I noticed a seal immediately beside us. At this moment Amelia asks, "Where are all the seals?" and she stops her bike. I pointed right beside her and she JUMPED! The seals don't seem quite as friendly as the ones we remember from Galapagos. This guy bared his teeth at us and gave us a "get lost" grunt. It was pretty cool though.

After this Alex let us all know that the trail ended up ahead and all that was left was a hiking trail "switch back" up the side of the hill. Yup you guessed it.....up we went huffing and puffing. We made it to the top of the hill and from there we were pretty much riding a trail along the top ridge of all the hills. Pretty nice. Every so often they would have these wooden 3 steps up and 3 steps down thingies, to make things difficult. No worries though, we are a tough lot and we just would pick the bikes up and over and carry on.

Once we were on the other side we made our way around the peninsula and all the way back into town. We figured we had burned enough calories and treated ourselves to.....omg....are you ready for this...so bad....chili cheese nachos, burgers and fries, fish burger, and even a jumbo thick milk shake. I haven't yet forgiven myself.

We ended the day by doing a really cool loop all the way around the outside of town through all the farm land. We passed horses, cows, chickens and of course sheep. Picture the greenest grass valley ever with a ridge of mountains along one side. It was a wonderful day and a great way to feel as if you really saw the town.

We ended the day with a vegetable stew and a massive healthy salad to make up for all the grease and of course a bottle of Shiraz to wash it all down.

Living it up in the New Zealand Campgrounds

Julie

ps...WE ARE SO EXCITED!! Alex said today that every night feels like the night before Christmas. I have to agree. We have so much to look forward to we all feel giddy.....family, friends, a dog, a new home, new schools, work and lets not forget TIM HORTONS!!!

We are all ok

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for your emails. We are all ok in Twizel, New Zealand. Luckily we had decided to hang back another day and we avoided the Christchurch earthquake. We are heading today to Kaikoura which is past Christchurch. The earthquake was only felt a bit here in Twizel. We actually didn't even feel it but the librarian where we were at did. We all listened along as the news came in. The librarian had 2 grown kids in Christchurch and we awaited their phone calls. Luckily they were both safe but it sounds like it was even worse than the one they had in September. Roger, Judith and Cathy left town at about 10am and they weren't planning on giving Christchurch a miss, so they should also be ok. We hope to catch up to them today.

Thanks again everyone for checking in on us. We most definitely feel loved.

Julie, Graham, Alex and Amelia....safe and sound in New Zealand

Avalanche

Imagine the sound of rain on your tent and then realizing that the sound was not rain but rather black flies trying their best to get in. Amelia and I lay awake in the morning in our sleeping bags looking up at the top of the tent which is is covered in black. Pretty much the last thing we want to do is get up and venture outside but we know that the day must begin. We prepare for our exit by tucking our pants in our socks, pulling our hoodies up around our necks and spraying any exposed bits of flesh. As we step outside the pesky black flies still manage to find a tasty spot to feed on. This morning it is the palm of my hands and in between my fingers......omg....so unbelievably itchy.

The campsite we are at is absolutely amazing except for the black flies. On one side of our tent is a beautiful New Zealand beach and roaring ocean with amazing crashing waves and on the other side off in the distance is the most amazing New Zealand glacier...Fox Glacier. Totally scenic. Luckily last night we were able to enjoy happy hour in our camping chairs gazing up in awe at this massive piece of moving ice before the black flies set in, in force!

On this day we set off to get up close and personal with the glacier! I had an idea that the day might be an adventure because we had heard that they no longer allowed people to hike right up to the glacier without being part of a guided tour. This is the kind of thing that Graham seems to take on as a personal challenge.

When we arrived at the parking lot there was a huge sign letting everyone know that there was a nice short 80 meter walk to the lookout area. I knew that Graham had other plans as he loaded up our backpack with water, food, first aid kit, etc... Cathy had decided to come with us on this adventure and she got to see first hand how days like these unfold.

We hiked to the end of the path and stood at the roped off finish point with a number of other tourist. Behind the rope was a full size photo cut out of a park guide with his hand up in the stop position. The sign read....."Proceed no further without a guide!" Another sign next to this one listed all the potential dangers of proceeding.....falling rocks, moving ice, glacier rivers, and one other I can't remember. Graham became quiet and began to scope out the situation. I could see him looking for potential trails and weighing the risks. At this point in our adventures I usually hang back and try to decide for myself whether or not I am going to join him. I could see tour groups on the glacier and I could see the trail they were following. The risks did seem manageable but the part that made me uncomfortable was climbing over the rope in front of all the other tourists. Cathy hung back during all of this and seemed to be content just to wait and see where this all ended.

A tour finished and came past us all and we had heard that there wasn't any jail time or fines for pushing past the signs, so all at once we made the decision to just do it and we pushed down the ropes and climbed past the friendly photo of the park guide!

The climb to the glacier was pretty easy. Nothing compared to our volcano hike a few days previous. We past a few tours and no one said anything to us. Everything was going great.......until Guide Graham decided it would be cool to hike off the path on the sides of the wall to overlook the glacier. We all followed but with each step I was getting more and more nervous. We stopped for lunch and as we began to eat I looked up at the ice shelves above us and could see rocks and gravel sliding down. I decided lunch was over and it was time to head back to the marked trail. I won't lie to you I was freaking out a bit. Again Cathy took it all in stride and packed up her lunch and followed anxiety stricken Julie and the kids back to the path.

As we walked back I heard this huge sound of an avalanche and I looked across to the other side of the glacier and watched as part of the side wall slipped away. My heart was pumping! Finally we were at a point that I felt safe. We stopped and let my heart rate return to normal and we finished our lunch and took a few pictures. Alex yelled at me for high tailing it out of there without him and accused me of leaving my children behind! Too funny. I told him I left him with Nurse Cathy and that she would of taken care of him. I reminded him of the time we saw the pirates and he hopped down below and left Amelia and I on deck and he was dangling by his tether on the stairs! Pay back!

At this point Graham made the whole day worth it. He found this amazing trail that took us along the side of a mountain. We passed waterfall after waterfall and saw some of the most amazing scenery. The trail was dangerous and we did pass signs reminding us of the steep slopes and edges and not to proceed without a guide but this all just seemed to add to the excitement. At one point we even needed to descend a ladder. Totally wild. I loved it. I stopped Graham and thanked him yet again for pushing me beyond my comfort zone and he replied...."I probably could of picked a better spot for our lunch!" Man I love this guy.

The grand finale of the day was a picture of Graham hanging over the life size cut out of the guide with his hand in the stop position and a huge grin on his face. As we walked back to our car, Cathy remarked on what an amazing day it had been. She got to see first hand that "Perry Style" isn't always smooth sailing but most often it is a happy ending!