Ok so who ever thought playing house was fun?!  I am so done with this part of it.  New job for those organized types: help immigrants get set up, do all the ground work for them.  Not a highlight for me.
Today started with getting keys made, calling to set up recycling and power, setting up bank account (only to learn the cashier's check I have to deposit won't work!), registering kids in their respective schools, filling propane tank for our stove top, buying a phone and printer, eating lunch in the cool mall with the best toilets ever, getting boys uniforms (can you say Roman sandals on a 14 yo boy?!  not a big hit!), stopping by my clinic for quick tour and paperwork, grocery store for dinner and then a lovely walk around the Mount with Maggie and Lina at sunset to round out the day!!  You can't believe the huge tanker ships that come right into this harbor.  Whoa! Anyway, long day but productive I guess.  Just wish my elves could do it all for me!
Maggie will go to school, barefoot if she chooses, tomorrow, and the boys maybe later this week.  Turns out their school is full so we will be lucky to find a class for them.  Gives them time to break in the sandals!
I'm beat, but we did get Wifi this afternoon, so all is much better now that boys can communicate with home.  Lina made some chocolate chip cookies to warm the tummies and off to bed we fall, exhausted.
Life is good.....
PS: I did look up tonight in the sky to see the constellation Scorpio in its entirety, a special place holder in my life.  It was right overhead unlike at home when it lies so close to the horizon.  No Southern Cross seen yet, but I will find it soon.   Love this side of the Earth!

Kia Ora!! (NZ greeting!)  Greetings from Mount Maunganui/Tauranga!

After years of planning, we arrived safely in this gorgeous place!

It was a long trip here highlighted with a few blips only this family can swing (no pun intended!):  Noah punched Jack at the Portland airport, hitting his hip bone and as a result broke his hand (a boxer's fracture for those in the know!), Mom picked us up to take us for dinner at the San Francisco airport and within 8 miles of leaving the airport on a VERY busy 5 lane highway at rush hour we got a flat tire, had a pull over on a very narrow shoulder and wait for tow truck to come help us with tire change (so lucky the highway patrol man came up behind us!) and finally once we were finally on the Air NZ plane ( a huge 747, double decker bird!) the AC was not working, and after an hour of sitting in 40 degree C heat ( you do the conversion-it is HOT that is all I know!) they took us all off the plane for an hour to cool it by opening all the doors, then eventually got us back on, for a total 2 hour delay at 1130pm.  

Once airborne we left that chaos behind, slept like babies and awoke in this emerald country!

(Ok, one more blip I almost forgot: when we got to customs, and they asked if we really had anything on the list of no-no items to declare, I suddenly recalled the homemade beef jerky my neighbor Andi had given us the morning of departure.  The agent's eyes widened, the rest of the agents suddenly got very quiet, I got pulled over to the bad-girl desk, and had to be reminded in a very paternalistic way that the declaration sheet is a binding legal document and I must always declare all beef jerky.  He graciously did not fine me the $400, but told me I HAD BEEN WARNED!!!   Thanks Mr. Customs Agent.  That $400 would have bummed my high for sure.  Otherwise we managed the 5 bikes and 8 duffles through customs and onto Tauranga with ease.

Becky Gardiner (clinic manager at my new job) and her wonderful family met us at the sweet little airport and escorted us to our new home.  Can I tell you how excited I was to lay down on a real bed?  The home is delightful, 3 bedroom, 1 bath, big scale down from what we are used to, i.e. boys are sharing a room again, small yard and nice deck out front, good storage for the beach toys we are bound to acquire!  There will be items to find like bookshelves and desks, (Lynn, can you start looking on Trade Me for the items needed?  NZ's Craigs list! :)  )  It seems like a great neighborhood with lots of kids, 3 blocks from Maggie's school and a few more to the boys'.  All within easy bike ride or walk.  SO glad we brought our bikes!!

We are literally 2 blocks from the most amazing long white sandy beach that is hailed for great surfing.  Maggie and I watched our first sunrise yesterday as we collected fantastic shells and took photos of the new flowers.  It is Spring here so the magnolia trees are just in bloom!

About 2 km north up the road/beach is Mount Maunganui (elev. approx 300 m)  namesake of this town.  Its an old volcano that terminates the peninsula we are on.  great hiking and walking there.  At it's base lie salt water hot springs, developed into pools both for lap swimming and relaxing.  Reminds me of those pools in British Columbia, yet much closer to home here!!!

Ventured out to the mall yesterday for bedding and cell phones (yes, Isaac and Max, the boys finally got their own phones!) which meant driving on left side of road, a bit strange, requires lots of attention, but doable.  Can I just tell you how nice and helpful everyone is?  Just so lovely!  At least so far, as long we are willing to ask.  

Other new things:  life is expensive here!  Food esp.  People seem very active, lots of sports complexes and folks out moving, NICE!  Rugby is huge and cricket season is about to begin.  They love their Team NZ and hope that Oracle gets sunk in this America's Cup!

Grocery stores have way less variety, thank goodness, but all in all, easy to feel right at home except for the accent, which, despite having to ask people to repeat themselves multiple times, is quite nice!  Totally different night sky/constellations here, so cool!  And realized today that the sun follows the northern sky line and shadows fall to the South.  How cool!!  

Dawn is breaking and I will venture out for a beach walk, the first of many I assume.

Despite all the wonder here, there is a longing for what and those that are familiar.  I am missing my "peeps", hard to know I will not see you for some time, but we will have Skype up and running soon to aid with that.  All in all, a safe landing, great first 24 hours, so grateful to be here!

A location

Some of you have asked where we will be.  check out the link below.  We are living on the Bay of Plenty, in the town of Tauranga, more specifically the community of Mount Maunganui.  Hailed as a beach resort town for Kiwis (the local NZ'ers), famous for surfing and kiwi fruit farms, hot springs and volcanic topography, seemed like a good place to land!!  Mostly I was fortunate to find work there!  More to follow once we arrive....


http://www.newzealand.com/us/bay-of-plenty/

A brief Mary Oliver send off

In the past week I have received two of her poems, and they are meant to be shared in this space.  I will carry them with me inside and out!


It doesn't have to be the blue iris, 
it could be weeds in the vacant lot, 
or a few small stones;
just pay attention, 
then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, 
this isn't a contest but the doorway into thanks,
and a silence in which
another voice may speak.


3 things to remember

As long as you're dancing, you can break the rules.
Sometimes breaking the rules is extending the rules.
Sometimes there are no rules. 

less than 24 hours til departure

So despite my personal issues with writing a blog, (I chose to major in geology and later med school for goodness sakes so I wouldn't have to write!!),  friend Katie M reminded me that this is truly for the cataloging of our story/adventures to share with those we love!  Phew!  Now that that is settled, and I can put my ego to rest,  I can tell you that I shed a few tears this AM: some of sadness in leaving those we love, some of fear (Oh my goodness, what am I doing and with three kids in tow??!!), and few of pure excitement!  "I'm living my dream" I have to remind myself in my momentary flashes of doubt.
Had a lovely open house yesterday as a means of saying a brief goodbye to friends and family, and it was so nice to see everyone!  Thanks for stopping in to all!  And a few last stops today to finish the list and off we go tomorrow morning.

Here is a bit of the "luggage" we will check.  All in all there will be 5 bike boxes and 8 large duffel bags (each weighing 50 lbs!) between the 5 of us!  Not too bad for the year.  And yes, Mike, Alaska Airlines will allow it all on, as long as I pay the fees :)

So surreal that we are actually on our way....lots of deep breaths and gratitudes for all we have and all we leave behind for now!!