adjustments

I have a few adjustments to make:

I haven’t worn makeup in nearly two weeks.  I can’t say I miss it.  That one will be easy.

I get about 2 hours of internet every few days.  This one will take some getting used to.  The closest wi-fi connection is about a half an hour away, and only open during business hours.  In some ways it really frustrates me.  At the same time, it’s kind of nice.  Granted, I don’t know what everyone’s up to according to Facebook, but I’ve fed chickens and pigs, spent time on the beach, drank nice wine, seen some absolutely amazing sunsets, and worked with power tools.  Part of me wishes I could “update my status” more frequently, but an increasingly bigger part of me is realizing that, if I was constantly updating my status, I wouldn't be out doing the things that make my “current status” so exciting.

I have to downsize.  Again.  I thought I was packing light when I came here with two suitcases and a carry on.  Now, to fit into the van, I have to leave most of it with John and Angela and fit my entire wardrobe for the summer and my laptop into a space that’s about 50cm long, 10 cm wide, and 43 cm deep.  It’s kind of like having to fit all my clothes into one drawer, but at least a drawer would be easier to get to; my clothes space is going to be under the bed.  I have a feeling I’ll be wearing the same few things over and over.

It’s November.   According to everything I’ve ever known, this is the time of year when the days are getting much shorter.  In America it’s almost Thanksgiving.  Nearly time to eat nice food, spend time with family, and take note of all the things in life you’re thankful for.  If you’re an American in England, this is the time of year when everyone asks you, “what exactly is ‘Thanksgiving’?”.  (So…you just get together with your family and eat a big meal?  So…it’s like Christmas but without the presents?...)  I have a feeling the holiday will come and go just like Halloween did.  Back home Halloween is one of my all time favorite holidays.  The most recognition it got here was when we were working on the van and I asked, “Isn’t today Halloween?”  Tom checked his watch and said, “Yep.”

If it hasn’t yet, it will probably snow soon in Michigan.  I thought of the Michigan snow the other day when the sun was blazing down on the beach at Kumera Patch.  The sand here is volcanic and black, but it reflects the sun and sparkles the way the snow does on a crisp winter day. 

volcanic sand on our way out to Kumera Patch

As much as I like crisp winter days, I’m not exactly gutted to be missing out on all the really cold, short, wet days in between.  I’ll happily take sparkling black sand instead.

In New Zealand, spring has sprung.   It still gets quite cold at night, but if the sun’s shining during the day it heats right up.  When the New Zealand sun is blazing down it feels like we must be near the equator.  Any time I comment on the heat of the sun, Angela says it’s only just beginning.  “Just wait ‘til summer,” she says every time.  Everyone here is adamant that the sun is really intense and we need to be careful.  Tom didn’t heed the warnings and the back of his neck got fried just working on the van.  Apparently we’re underneath the hole in the ozone, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “direct sunlight.”  This is not exactly great news for an Irish/Polish/Dutch girl with a family history of skin cancer.  Hell, I burn on a cloudy day in England, and have to be careful in Michigan in May.  I should have invested in sun screen before I moved here.

The van is nearing completion.  The frame for the bed is established, along with the fold out kitchen and space for surf boards.  All we need to do now is finish partitioning off our storage space, screw down the plywood, cut the foam mattress to fit, and add the finishing touches (duvet/comforter, cooking stove, curtains, etc.)  

Speaking of curtains, I miss my mum.  The edges had to be sewn to keep them from fraying, and then the sleeves for the bamboo rods had to be sewn.  I tried, on a couple of different occasions, to work Angela’s sewing machine, but it just didn’t agree with me.  I rarely get homesick, but mom, I was missing you to the point of tears.  It got to the point I took all the thread off and followed the instructions on the user manual to a tee, but still managed to jam the damn thing.  At one point I was convinced I had broken it.  Angela sat down, fixed the thread, and sewed the edges as if there was no effort whatsoever involved.  To be fair, she did say that the machine gave her some trouble, and it didn’t help that the material is quite thick.  Either way, I hate sewing machines and miss my mom.

Next on the agenda: find me a wetsuit, and research seasonal work in New Zealand so once we have the van sorted we can hit the road and find jobs.