Update ... Nearly 4 Days to the Minute

Whew. The past few days have been a flurry of activity: my new acquaintances in New Zealand are living up to their world-renowned reputation of being gracious and friendly and all that and more. I have offers to visit nearly every town I first listed on my itinerary; several nights of free accommodation and meals; I've made some arrangements with a college professor and a university connection from Colorado I never knew I had; and am making last minute purchases to make my travel even more complete and productive. Today I even bought a digital voice recorder to help me capture the specific questions and answers about what makes life in the United States different from that in New Zealand so that I can more accurately reflect those differences in my journal and in writing a trade article after the fact. The preparations, large and small, continue in earnest, and now keep me more awake at night than I have been in a long, long time.

My training suffers though: it's a combination of the angst that comes from preparing for a major trip along with that tightening feeling we get that time is short for action and the now continuously grey and rainy days. I'm hopeful that this weather in Vermont gracefully transitions to a notoriously sunny New Zealand late spring once I land in Auckland. Do you know that my chances of becoming sunburned in NZ grow exponentially now that there is a giant hole in the Ozone directly above that country? Here's hoping that the sun graces the country abundantly during the visit.  

My final thought for the day: I am incredibly grateful for the help extended to me from these new associates afar as well as from my family and friends who have stepped forward with financial assistance, words of wisdom, support, and love. I appreciate every extra penny and expression! Additionally, I am blessed with some pretty cool people I've come to know through work here in Burlington - it was great to see many of those come over today for my going away reception...pretty cool indeed. It clarifies how important connections and relationships really are. This all helps me feel increased excitement at the prospect of being more than a simple wanderer in New Zealand - I'm someone on a personal and professional journey of seeing communities from the inside, a journey that will lead to lifelong friendships and connections that add to a deeper and richer tapestry that I won't ever be able to forget. Yep, pretty cool, indeed.

It's Getting So Close I Can't Figure Out How Close It Really Is

This must be unnatural, really. People keep asking me when I leave for New Zealand and all I can tell them is, "October 6!" I am unable to count the days and weeks in my head. Surely most people know to the day the gap in the calendar between the present and when they embark on a most special trip...and I do not. And it's three weeks to the day, to be official. There, I finally looked it up, which caused a slight spike in my heart rate.

I have much to do, and I better get to doing it. There are many decisions to make: the route I will take once I depart Auckland, and which localities I will stop in to study, making acquaintances with the local parks and recreation pros; how long to stay in each place; and how to generally get around. The absolute adventurer in me desires to take public transportation; the general adventurer agrees that it could be easier to rent a vehicle - that way I can also transport my bike and have it ready to ride at whim.
At least I know I'm flying into Auckland.

I lose a full day in the air, flying over the International Dateline. Arriving in Auckland on October 8, the country and adventure is mine until the 18th to be back in time to meet up with Team USA and get to the appointed hotel. So I'll need to figure the best way to get around the North Island in 10 days, which really should not be that difficult to do. There's a Billy Bragg concert to take in, as well, in a choice of up to three locations. After the competition, on October 24th, I plan to head to the South Island for the 10 days I will have before flying back to the States.

 

The maze of buses, and rail, and specialized and general and flexible travel passes is daunting. It feels as though I need to take one day each to figure out each element, to research thoroughly...or not, and simply "wing it" when I get there. That would certainly cause less stress now, only to delay until I'm standing on the curb in Auckland wondering what my options are! All this thought is rather stressful, so I am going off now to read my Triathlon magazine and prepare for the Appalachian Gap bike ride in the morning.