Friday, September 24, 2010

Christchurch

It feels good to be back in New Zealand.  Surreal, but good...or maybe that should be "and good."  Got my Extreme Cold Weather gear issued today and took a fellow team member to the ocean for the first time in his 29 year life.  Funny that his first is the South Pacific vs. the Atlantic a couple hundred miles from his home...  Oh, I woke up at 3:30am last night to find out what an aftershock from the 21st floor feels like.  That was interesting.  Who knew a building so big could sway so much.  Christchurch looks like it's been in a fight.  Tomorrow I leave for the bottom of the world.  Wish me luck.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Round 2

It's been roughly 9 months since I returned home from the last round of travels.  It seems like so little has happened in my life relative to a year abroad, but when I look back at what these months have fashioned I realize that I've done and experienced so much hidden in the stealth of subtleties; the difficulty in living a "regular" life.  I feel lucky to have caught the beauty there: a sister's PhD, family love, birthdays, climbing adventures, big moves, boardshorts, beer, surf, and a beautiful Florida summer.  In retrospect I've accomplished everything I hoped for 9 months ago.  Life is beautiful like that...  Soon it will be back to travels with a bang as I pack things up for a summer in Antarctica followed by travels in New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.  Check back soon.