And so it begins. . .

My New Zealand adventures have officially begun. Thank, God! After years of dreaming about it, reading about it and asking people questions about it, I have finally made it across the Pacific Ocean to the South Island of New Zealand. I safely arrived, yesterday, in Christchurch. To those of you who haven't yet heard my travel plans, I am here in NZ for 3 months. I'm hoping to do as much kayaking as possible with some other exploration as well, i.e. hiking (here they call it tramping or trekking) or surfing (if I can afford it). In support of the kayaking plan, I'm heading up to Murchison, home of the NZ Kayak School, with the hopes of learning their style of teaching.

Before I go into any more details about my travels, I want to thank, with my whole heart, each and every one of you who sent me off to NZ with encouragement, kind wishes, and lots of love. I didn't get a chance to get home to see my family in Indiana before my travels began, but I appreciated the phone contact and emails from you all. Over the past few weeks I journeyed from Jackson, WY (after a season of guiding for Jackson Hole Whitewater), to Portland, OR (where I got to spend time with my sister, Mary, and where my flights began), via Husum/BZ, WA (where I got to catch up with friends and do a little kayaking on the White Salmon River). I feel so grateful for the dancing, meals, kayaking trips, gatherings and tequila toasts that sent me on this journey with a full heart, knowing that I have the love and support of many. After being in constant company of such great friends and family, I felt a little alone once I settled in on my flight across the ocean, but as I catch up on my sleep here and think about where I'm going, I know that none of you are very far away.