Day 1-2: Wednesday-Friday, June 25-27
Our adventure started on Wednesday, June 25th a little after lunch. Beth and I headed to Jeremy's school to pick him up so we could head to the airport. Our first flight was from ATL to LAX. All the airport walking and security checks made me hot, so when we got to the terminal I was sweating. Jeremy went exploring and came back with dinner #1, just because it would be past dinner time by the time we arrived in LA. As we sat in the terminal, we listened to them asking for volunteers to be bumped from our flight because apparently they overbooked it (by about 10 people). They offered up to $700 in Delta vouchers before they finally got all ten people. Due to trying to find volunteers for the bump our plane took off a little later but we made up the time in the sky.
The flight attendants on this 4+ hour flight were funny, and they kept the mood on the plane light as they made their rounds. Pregnancy perk #1: I got all three of the snacks because I couldn't choose! Later they came by again and even though I hadn't asked for anymore they gave me extras. I went to the bathroom a few times before leaving the airport and then a few times on the flight. Prior to this trip I had done a good bit of reading about blood clots and flying while pregnant, so I got was hyper aware of how my legs felt and how long I had been sitting still.
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| View of Atlanta |
After a bit of turbulence, we landed in Los Angeles and headed straight to the international terminal. LAX is never much fun when you are trying to make an international connection from a domestic one and it always makes us a little crazy. Last time we made this trek we had 2 extra suitcases to bring to Evan and Morgan, but this time it was a little easier. We had better and lighter luggage but you still have to travel along the street and this girl doesn't go as fast these days. The terminal was pretty full because there were two flights to Auckland leaving from the same terminal within an hour of each other. Jeremy got some pizza for us while we waited. I was already racking up my bathroom trips and was up to almost 10 from when we left the Atlanta airport.
The Los Angeles to Auckland flight left a little late too, but we don't know why. It took forever for them to board us. I was the most nervous about this flight because of the length. Jeremy bought us the sky couch so I would be able to sleep a little better, so my feet wouldn't be dangling down all the time, so my back wouldn't hurt as much, and so that it would be easier to access the bathroom instead of stepping over multiple people. I went to the bathroom 6 or so times on this 13 hour flight. I'm actually surprised with that number because I slept most of the time so I didn't go as much. Even though some people on the flight never even got up, I'm thankful I didn't care what they thought. Jeremy watched 3 movies while I slept. I came in and out of sleep. When I would get stiff in one position, I would wake up and move to another one, but overall it was totally worth the extra money for the sky couch! I even missed a meal because I was asleep. I only realized it when I woke up super hungry.
We arrived in Auckland on Friday, June 27th around 5:30 A.M. Since not many things were open we hung out at the airport for a while and rearranged our bags so we could put the others in storage while we spent time in Auckland. We also tried to freshen up because we knew we must stink! After all of that we made the trip from the international to the domestic terminal to put our luggage in storage, however we realized you could only do that at the international terminal so then we made the haul all the way back following the green line. This green line was a reminder of the last time we came and were hauling 4 huge bags and running the whole way to the domestic terminal as to not miss our next flight. They kept falling off of the trolley as we ran, which proved to be frustrating. Now we laugh about that, but at the time we were not laughing! The place where we wanted to store them "decided" they didn't want to store them anymore as of the previous day, so we had to find another company. They would do it, but we ended up spending about $85 for a 1 1/2 day storage. Oh well.
Once all of that was done, we ventured to the bus stop so we could head to the city center with the desire to walk around, go to the top of the sky tower, go to a few parks, see the wharf, and then have some guy named Brian pick us up on the corner of two roads.
Since the bus driver said it was supposed to rain during the day, we went straight to the Sky Tower while it was clear. The building is 328 meters high, the highest in New Zealand. Visitors can go up to a few different viewing areas and look out, walk around, or jump off the top. The view gives an 80 km view in every direction. There was even glass on the floor that you could walk on and see all the way to the ground.
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| The view of the ground from the top on a piece of glass was pretty incredible, but standing on top of the glass was pretty scary. |
Here are some of the views from the different directions.
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When we felt as if we got our money's worth out of the trip up the tower ($54), we headed to a nearby coffee shop to rest, eat a little snack (10 AM), and get on wifi. After enjoying some hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin, we went to Albert park. While taking pictures it started raining on us so we had to run towards shelter. Although rain doesn't bother us, we had a camera, our phones, a laptop, and an iPad. In order to dry off and not mess up the technology, we hung out under a gazebo for a few minutes until the shower stopped. The rest of the day there were showers on and off, but we just stayed under the shelter or went into some stores so we could dry off. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Burgerfuel and then went to Starbucks a little later to pass some more time since we couldn't be outside in the rain all the time.
We were expected to meet Evan's friend on the corner of two roads so he could take us to meet Evan. All we knew was what he was driving. We soon found out that Evan and the guy had only "met" on skype! :)
He took us to Burger King in Pukekhoe to met some other people then we grabbed some food at a grocery store before heading to the house where we would stay for the evening. The house where we went was extremely nice. We were given a bed to sleep in while the others had to sleep on the floor. We ate dinner and then I crashed! The family was so kind in letting us stay there though.
Day 3: Saturday, June 28
We woke up extra early (5:30 AM) in order to head to to a video shoot. The video shoot lasted about 10-12 hours and was physically exhausting. We had a quick lunch of pizza while filming. I was put in charge of continuity and writing down information about all the different takes. It was a neat experience though. After rushing the shoot along all day, we finished around 5:30 PM, went to grab dinner at Carl's Jr. before heading to the airport to catch our flight. We had to get our stored luggage, return Evan's rental car (since he was now with us), and then we made our way to the terminal. Once we arrived in the terminal, we only had to wait maybe 10 minutes, if that, before we boarded the plane so you can see we were quite rushed. The flight was quick and easy, however, I was super thirsty from the minute I stepped onto the plane. I hadn't really drank anything the day before or during the day because we were walking around Auckland and then working, well those things and because I didn't have my water bottle. Morgan met us at the airport to drive us to the house that would become our home for the week.
Day 4: Sunday, June 29
We got up, got ready and headed to church. It was nice to see some familiar faces. Even though the sermon was great, I was struggling to stay awake. We talked and got to know new people afterwards before we headed over to the church meeting house for lunch because it was Souper Sunday. Jeremy talked a long time, about IT, to a guy who is the CIO at Evan's company. He is actually getting to meet with him later on in the week as well. Jeremy really enjoyed talking with him. It was nice to chat with some more people at lunch too before we had to rush out and go to a 50th anniversary jubilee for Morgan's school. The program was quite nice and I got to meet some of Morgan's coworkers and see a little more of how her school operates. Before heading home, we went to the ReStart mall and walked around and then walked around more of the city center. It is amazing to see what they've changed since we were here last time but it's also still crazy to see the damage from the earthquake. When we got home we ate tacos and watched Airplane but I fell asleep on the couch about 6:30 PM, right when the movie was starting. I was exhausted from the busy day!
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| REStart Mall- All the shops are in packing containers/crates |
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| The Christchurch Cathedral was definitely affected by the earthquake. |
Day 5: Monday, June 30
We took it easy around the house until lunch time and then ventured out. We didn't ask to borrow the car for the day because we wanted to go by foot, so off we went. Little did we know we'd be gone until dinner. It actually makes me laugh to think about one of the conversations Jeremy and I had concerning the plan for the day. He said we were going to go to McDonald's for lunch, go to a park and/or grocery store and then we would head back home. When I asked about the grocery store he told me that it was going to take about 30 minutes to get there and back. I quickly decided that wasn't really my idea of fun because carrying bags of groceries that far would be challenging. He agreed we would go later in the car, so the decision was made that we'd go to a park instead. After grabbing lunch at McDonald's, yes I know we don't even eat McDonald's, we pulled a map of the area on his phone and headed to a park.
After traveling quite some ways, we arrived at Malvern Park and realized it was just a rugby field and playground and wasn't anything like Hagley Park so we decided to go to another one. I wanted somewhere different though and I knew there were lots of parks around so we decided on Riccarton Bush and headed towards it. On the way we found a little "hidden" path alongside the railroad tracks that was designated for walkers and bikers and so we got on it. By this time, school was letting out so we saw lots of pupils in their uniforms riding their bikes/scooters or walking home. After miles of walking (and folding down my socks because I was getting a blister) we made it to the bush. Earlier I made a snide comment about there being nothing at this park either, not even a lake, but Jeremy was aware that this park was a little bigger than the one before. We got there and sat on some benches by a little river and watched the ducks fight the current as they tried to swim upstream. It was quite relaxing and enjoyable.
Then we headed into the bush, which was a protected area with fencing all around it to continue to allow it to thrive vegetation and species-wise. One sign said it would be about a 20-30 minute loop around the bush, but we started it anyway. Once we got about 1/3 of the way through Jeremy was bummed he didn't have his camera so we turned around and decided to return to see the rest of the loop.
With our feet beginning to feel tired, we headed back home a different way. This time we went straight through, I mean straight through Hagley Park. We walked across the golf course... WOOPS. Oh well, we like to have adventures.
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| Hagley Park |
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| Porthills in the distance |
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| A tree planted in the 1870s. |
In the end we calculated our distance and we traveled about 6.73 miles, give or take some because of walking around the parks.
That night we headed to Cocopelli, an Italian restaurant, for pizza and then to the grocery store so we wouldn't feel as if we were mooching on Evan and Morgan. I was quite proud of myself because I made it to 9:00 PM though, so maybe I'm adjusting to the time. However, I did fall asleep on the couch as they played Wii so maybe one day I'll make it to the bed before falling asleep.
Day 6: Tuesday, July 1
We knew we wanted to take it easy a few days while we were in Christchurch so we designated today as one of them. Jeremy took Evan to work and then took the car to the mechanic. I slept in hopes that I would finally adjust to the time. After lunch, we headed out to Riccarton Bush again. This time we walked all the way around the loop inside the bush because we brought the camera. The air was quite chilly as the forest was dense. The high was about 51 degrees so that added to the chill in the air as well.
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| Plants and fungus don't mind the winter here. |
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| My bird-friend. I made a noise and he came right to us. |
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| scary looking roots |
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| weird tree |
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| The bush |
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| Tiny mushrooms |
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| A root growing in the sidewalk |
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| photographer at work |
Afterwards, we went exploring the areas around Christchurch. Morgan gave us a map with a few places to visit because she said they were nice areas. Since we aren't familiar with the area, we had an adventure trying to navigate around. Jeremy's actually doing quite well at driving on the "wrong" side of the road and through roundabouts. One of the places we went was called Prebbleton and it reminded us a lot of the Harbins/Bethlehem area. It was a nice area with some nice houses and farms.
At the end of our driving adventure, Jeremy took me home and then went to pick up Evan at work. Morgan had to work late, so we made burgers and then watched the movie Top Secret until she got home. I fell asleep in the movie, but then got up and played Wii when she got home.
Day 7: Wednesday, July 2
I went to school with Morgan in the morning and Jeremy took Evan to work, did a little cleaning, went to the grocery store to look around for an hour, and then just relaxed until he came to get me (around 12:30 PM). While at school, I got to participate in the staff devotion, see an assembly, meet a few teachers, see some classrooms, experience a kiwi classroom environment, help out with some maths centers (yes it's maths here), and even teach a little Spanish and cultural things to a class. It was quite an adventure. The rest of the day was a lazy day until the evening because we went to Evan and Morgan's small group. A Campus Outreach group just came in from Berry College so there were actually more Americans than Kiwis at small group! We had a great time eating and fellowshipping while getting to know people a little better, but I crashed as soon as we got home.
Day 8: Thursday, July 3
Jeremy got up and took Evan to work this morning while I rested. We originally talked about going to see the sunrise but I finally realized we weren't going to do that after the sun had already been up a while. That can only mean one thing; I must have been sleeping pretty hard because I wasn't aware that Jeremy wasn't even in bed anymore! He went back to Evan's work later in the morning to meet with John, the CIO of Tate, and was asked lots of questions. John gave Jeremy some tips on things he could learn if he wants to apply for an IT job in New Zealand, which Jeremy found helpful. John is a Kiwi but lived in the U.S. for 20 years. After the meeting, Jeremy and Evan went to Wok Right In for a delicious lunch. All the while, I slept. I didn't end up getting out of bed until about 1:00 PM because I knew Jeremy would be home soon and want to do something, so I forced myself to get out of the warm bed. While not dozing, I did a little reading so that makes me a little less lazy right?!
Since the day was quickly coming to an end, we headed out exploring. This time we went up to the Porthills to Victoria Park, a place we visited last time we were here. The temperature didn't get about 50 degrees today so we limited our time outside. I was shivering even though Jeremy said I had more insulation than usual. I told him that I was being an incubator so my heat was being used to grow a child instead of heating me. :)
Although we had the TomTom, we were pretty good at navigating our way home. Once we arrived home, we relaxed a while before Morgan got home and before Jeremy had to leave to pick up Evan. Also since today was a lazy day, I did a little more reading of Shepherding a Child's Heart. I've really been enjoying it and am excited about conversing with Jeremy about it once he reads it.
Jeremy and Evan went to the young adults Bible study where Evan was in charge of the devotion for the evening while Morgan and I stayed at home and chatted before going to Strawberry Fare for dessert. Now I haven't eaten many desserts since I've been pregnant so I was a little worried about getting something and not liking it, but Morgan and I shared some chocolate cake with raspberry sauce drizzled on top that was pretty delicious so it made me excited I finally had a dessert in NZ that I enjoyed. It seems like all the ones I tasted last year were sub par. This dessert was $17.50.... Remember it's NZ dollars so that takes some getting used to. Food seems to be more expensive at restaurants, but there are items in the grocery store that are comparable to the states-That's something Jeremy learned while he spent time at the grocery store.
The funniest part of our day happened in regards to the laundry. Jeremy decided to wash a load of clothes last night so we'd be ready for our trip this weekend. Most people here in NZ hang their clothes to dry and know it's better to wash clothes at night or on the weekends because the rates are a little lower. In the winter, there is a special art to drying your clothes. Morgan and Evan actually bought a tiny little dryer so that made our lives a little easier. However, our first load took hours to dry and had to finish this morning because we had a big load. All was well until the second load. Jeremy washed the jeans, but the other clothes were still drying so they sat in the washer a while. However, when we made plans to go off galavanting, Jeremy decided to put the jeans on the line outside. I thought about the cold weather and about how the clothes would dry, but I thought Jeremy would know better so I didn't question him. After he came back in he realized he was tracking things on the floor. He soon realized he must have stepped in rabbit poop outside when he was hanging the clothes, which caused him to spend the next 20 minutes cleaning the floor and his shoes. We didn't bring them back in before leaving for a little bit which made it quite a problem later. Apparently, another dew came when the sun set and they were frozen by 9:00 PM. Woops. He tried to cast blame on me for not bringing them in earlier, but I don't believe it's my fault since I didn't put them out there. Then he tried to blame Morgan for not telling us about the necessity of putting them on the line at the first hint of sunlight until the afternoon. Therefore, our evening was filled with lots of laughs.
Day 9: Friday, July 4
Term 2 ends today for Morgan. She has been so ready to be done and each day it has gotten harder and harder for her to have any desire to go because she's so ready for the two week holiday. As I lay in the bed in the morning, I often hear her groan, "Do I have to go?!" which is much like something I would say.
This morning Evan made homemade biscuits from a Southern Living magazine as well as some sausage gravy. It was quite a tasty treat for a 4th of July morning. After Jeremy took Evan to work, we went to the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. I bundled up, knowing I would be walking for over an hour outside in the 30-40 degree weather. The reserve seemed to be never ending, but we did reach a point where we could go back to the main visitor's center to warm up before heading out to the next section. We ended up spending a few hours walking around and saw all kinds of wildlife.
For lunch we headed over to the Riccarton Mall food court for a variety of options. The rest of the afternoon was spent looking/shopping around at the mall and in the Kathmandu store nearby. All the walking and shopping was exhausting but Jeremy didn't stop. He then went to the store to get all the ingredients to make macaroni and cheese for the 4th of July party before he picked up Evan.
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