yesterday's hike

Above Tolaga Bay, overlooking Cook's Cove on the right

Hole in the wall

Another surfing lesson today with Frank!

a few pics

Tokomaru Bay

Tolaga Bay pier, longest in NZ

town beach

Gisborne tumbleweeds

Tairawhiti DHB grounds, Flat 3, Ormond Road, Gisborne, NZ

In case you were wondering about my palatial accommodations.....

In Gisborne!

Got here Friday morning 11am, met at Gisborne airport by Sandra, one of the midwives with whom I will soon be working.  After dropping off my bags at 'flat #3' (not a flat but a 2 bedroom prefab house on hospital grounds---Julie, it's just like the rez in that way), she took me on a tour of the town and surrounding area, we got a bite at a bookstore cafe downtown (yay for bookstores and for cafes!), then went by the hospital to meet more future colleagues.  Sandra's been here awhile, she's originally from the UK so was great at filling me in on what it's like to come from elsewhere.  The maternity unit is small and sweet, they do around 700 births/year so it's busy enough, a good neonatal unit right next door.  Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.
That evening went to a picnic along the river and listened to a local country music group perform.  I crashed into bed at 9:30 and slept hard until 6am, got up, fixed breakfast and just as I was heading out the door to walk to a farmer's market in town, my neighbor knocked and not only offered a ride to the market, but invited me along for a drive up the coast with 2 other women.  Bought some manuka honey, tea tree brie (haven't tried it yet but looks good), a bottle of local Pinot Gris, and fresh strawberries at the market.  These people do know how to live---the 3 top local cheeses are Brie, Camembert, and Bleu. Cheese, wine, strawberries.  Life can be worse.
Drive up the coast----suffice it for now to say: walked on the longest pier in NZ, ate great fish and chips, and sat in a pub listening to Neil Diamond karaoke with locals, just up the road from where Whale Rider was filmed.
Photos to come when I have better connect.  I'm hijacking wifi and it comes and goes at the drop of a hat.

24 hours

Until I head to the airport. Trying to do too many last minute things, say goodbye to my closest friends, and pack enough but not too much.  I'm in my old apartment to put the last of my things in storage and say farewell to the cat.  I never thought of myself as one of those crazy cat ladies but it's killing me to leave her.
Here's to Zoe, Bitty, Evil, Kedi, Kitter.  She has a great new roommate, my subletter Diana, and I'm sure they'll be happy together.

Cranky girl says goodbye

Clearing out, cleaning up

Sitting in my soon to be not my apartment, looking at what still needs to be cleaned, trashed, stored, packed.  The amount of crap one accumulates over time.  The number of pens that can be hidden, dropped, stashed away in corners, is staggering.  I never knew I was such a pen-hoarder until now.  All the photos of babies, notes from families.  I wish I could take them with me.  I'm happy to have the space downstairs in which to store them.
Friends came yesterday to help clean and hang and have pizza.  K bathroom, T kitchen, L on cupboard and vitamin detail. The guys on lifting and carrying and sorting, and taking away---special thanks to E for volunteering for arms transport.
I have great friends.

More trapeze, and packing

One week to go.  Things are moving forward, slowly---I've taken down the artwork, which makes the whole place look different---it's not mine anymore.  Heard from the subletter, she arrives Sunday night at JFK.  Today will be taking stuff down to storage, books to basement for neighbors to pick through, and clothing to Housing Works.  Then dinner with D.  Maybe go to milonga after, just to say goodbye and listen to the music again.
Yesterday was a bust for packing.  But a good day for flying---as George Costanza would say, I left on a high note.  Finally did the 'trick' they taught me the week before, the one I wasn't able to do at all in class last week, and even got 'caught' doing it at the end of class.  It wasn't always pretty, but still a thrill---
You start by swinging out, then bring legs up and around into what I call Spiderman move, they call 'first position':

then when they call 'final', you take feet off the bar and go into a straddle

then when they call 'hep', you (supposedly) let go and whip around to reach for the catcher, or thin air, whichever happens to be waiting for you

thin air

catcher!

It was a blast--I needed the adrenaline and the focus on anything that wasn't how much of a mess everything is and how freaked out my cat is.  

Final photo---homage to Tom Cruise in MI 1.

9 days

There is just so much to do.  I'm in procrastination/paralysis mode for a time, suddenly feel motivated and jump into the purge for a whirlwind few hours, then back to the couch.  And the paperwork---switching banks, setting up autopay for all the bills, cutting off service, changing over computers.  And getting down to the real goodbyes.  And trying to do yoga occasionally so that I don't exceed the corporeal weight limit on Air NZ.  This is a hard week already, and it's only Monday.

Girls' night goodbyes

Got together with the Drew girls' night crowd on Saturday for an afternoon of food, talk, food, nostalgia, food, iPads, and food! It was great to catch up and hear about everyone's lives. I will miss you ladies, but as you know---if you're thinking of a cool vacation (or honeymoon) spot, there's always room at my house!