Near, Far, and Everywhere You Are

My glasses rest on the nightstand, my head on the pillow, and the light walks across the bedroom wall appearing just as anxious as I am.  There is a fair amount of ambient light that seeps in at night: the street lamp is positioned so that it shines exactly between the panels of shades, the marina is lit as if it was a lighthouse on top of a treacherous cliff, and the construction cranes flash like an airport runway.  It's late and I can't sleep.

Tim challenged me to a five day "stretch." A five day metaphorical stretch. This kind of stretch is the equivalent to someone daring you to do something that you don't particularly want to do so you say no. But then they double dog dare you times infinity. Basically, you have to accept if you don't want to get beat up in the parking lot after school. Grow up already. Jeez.

After a false start and redo on day one I've successfully made it five days and beyond. Challenge? Pshh, bring it on. Tim challenged me to be positively optimistic for five days in a row.  I know, I know ... but it's harder than it seems.

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Today we moved out of our apartment. It's a good feeling to move and not really have anything to move. Freedom.
I love New Zealand, I really do, and even though this trip was the converse of what I planned [and it was completely] it was all right.  For four months I watched the sunset everyday and appreciated countless hours of comedy television.  I also explored the crannies of a beautiful world far from my own and shared my days with a person who taught me the importance of an awesomely awesome really grand smile.

In the last few years I have tried to defeat the universe, twice, and failed so I ran away. No, toward? No, through it. And here I am tumbling head first into a new day everyday. Tada!

I do miss home and friends and family.

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We are staying in a hotel in downtown Auckland until Sunday and then we are out of here. Probably, hopefully.  We are closely monitoring the whereabouts of the volcanic ash cloud because we have a schedule to keep. Jetstar however, has it's own schedule and it's not flying with us. Literally.

Wake up! It's time to make the donuts. Zig-zagging around the world: Singapore ... Kuala Lumpur ... Bangkok ... Israel ... Stockholm ... Milan ... Venice ... Fussen ... Munich ... Berlin ... Leipzig ... Prague ... Madrid ... Barcelona  ... New York Aug 5! And San Francisco shortly after.

I will have at least a bazillion photographs to share along the way and surely some stories to tell. YES!