Sunset in New Zealand... Sunrise in Indiana?

The sun has set on my time in New Zealand. It is now June 1st, and I am back in Indiana.

Our last few days in New Zealand were wet and cold; it is winter there and it was especially rainy. It was appropriate and made our leaving a little easier because it was so awful that we wanted to go! But it is still sad to leave such a beautiful place and I will always carry it in my heart.

We spent more than 30 hours traveling back to our home in Indiana, and although that isn't exactly fun it wasn't too terrible. We arrived at our house about 3:30am, and I only got a couple hours of sleep before my dogs woke me up...but it is great to be home.

It turned out that Sam was able to visit his old class here in West Lafayette on the last day of school, so he showed up wearing an All-Blacks jersey and carrying his rugby ball. I heard the class cheer as he walked in, which was really cool. I felt like I was drugged so luckily I didn't run into too many people, but each day gets a little bit better. Lex has already left town again and is traveling with her best friend this week. And Bruce and I have still been unpacking....there is an incredible amount to do.

Life is changed for me, and I'm not quite sure where I fit in here now. I am determined to take the lessons I've learned and live consciously and deliberately. And key to that is the word "live". I have unfortunately spent way too much of my 40 years being really rather unhappy....and really not wanting to live. I don't recommend it. I have spent a great deal of time hiding and running away from things and "living in the shadows". Needless to say, that really is not a very pleasant way to go about life. But I believe that I have faced my demons and done my penance, and I think that I am now ready for the next step on my journey in life. I am a bit wary, but optimistic.

I don't think very many people will read this, and I hope that any that do will not find a way to use it against me. But really, there isn't much that anyone else can do to hurt me anymore. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I've come clean and am doing my best to put the past behind me. It is all a part of me, but it doesn't have to control me anymore. I can only move forward and live each day the best I can - and I plan to do that. I am tired of making mistakes, but I have to be brave and recognize that as a human I will continue to make them....I just have to do my best to minimize the ones I do make, and to continue to make amends when I can.

It's weird to be back. It has always been kind of tough to live in the "normal" world, and now it is even tougher...I just have a different perspective about things. It is true that sometimes my head is too much in the clouds. But hey - some of those clouds are really awesome! :)

Anyway, if you happen to read this and think I'm a little weird, just remember that I've been upside-down for awhile.... (although honestly, I think maybe I've spent most of my life upside-down and I finally just spent 5 months right-side up!).

Remember, life is ultimately good.
Peace and Love,
Jennifer

Autumn in New Zealand

It is Autumn here in New Zealand. It's beautiful.
We recently went for a little jaunt out West to Mt. Cook, then Queenstown, and then to Milford Sound to see the changing leaves and mountains and fiordland. Much of our time was spent in the car driving, but we were just one of many who would pop out at the side of the road to take some pictures.... This first one is a view of Mt. Cook from the road. I love the blue sky contrasting with the beautiful Autumn leaves. The sky got pretty cloudy at times, and we also got a lot of great shots in the rain and fog (equally beautiful, I think).

The second picture here kinda shows that a bit... cloudy, with the sun showing through a hole in the sky. It made it a bit mysterious, and when we went down to the Fiorlands it really got wet and foggy and spooky but beautiful....

It is kinda a reminder that beauty comes in many different forms. And also that sometimes the changes we see are beautiful in part because they are changes.

As I've gotten older, I've become a bigger fan of Autumn. I used to be more of a "Summer Girl"; loving the sun and the water and all that Summer is. I still like Summer, but I think that I am more appreciative of Autumn now. It used to not be so appealing because it represented slowing down and dying to me, but I think that now that I am older and slowing down myself I appreciate it more. There is a lot of beauty in change.

So here I am in New Zealand, and I am trying to appreciate all the changes I see and feel. Life goes in cycles, like the seasons and the cycles of the moon, and I am in the Autumn of my life. Sure, it is possible that I will live more than another 40 years, but I am also well aware that I could die any moment really. And no matter how long I continue to live, my body is slowing down and "changing colors". I am trying to appreciate that. I think that I am mostly succeeding.

For my children, it is still Spring, and I am glad for that too. They are both blossoming, and it is beautiful to see. I am very thankful for the opportunities this trip has given us, and I am glad that we have done it together.

Often I wish we had others to share it with, but I try not to dwell on what I don't have, and instead appreciate what I do have. I wrote about my family in a previous post, and I am very appreciative of it. Although I did choose to have a family, I couldn't choose the people they've turned out to be and when I look at them I realize that I am very lucky. We aren't without our faults and sometimes the colors aren't so "pretty", but really the beauty is in the imperfections and the love that is there. We may not be a lot of people, but there is a lot of love here.

We are returning to Indiana in just about a month. It will be strange to go back ... while in many ways not much on the surface has changed - after all it has only been 4 months - in other ways everything has changed. It is impossible for me to be here and not feel profoundly transformed. It has been a profoundly spiritual journey for me, and I am curious to see what happens when I return to the US.



There is a New Zealand advertising campaign: Get Your Life Back. I definitely needed it, and I think that I've definitely gotten it. The challenge will be keeping it once I'm back in Indiana, but as I keep saying, I plan to take it with me. There is a lot of symbolism about New Zealand that I didn't even realize - things that I have always loved that are symbolic of this country. I first said I wanted to come here for sabbatical over 7 years ago, but I really didn't have any concrete reasons why.... I believe this country has been calling for me for quite some time.

My soul is at peace here and I will always be thankful for this time.

Family

As I was walking with my daughter to school today, she was asking me lots of questions about family. She is very interested in genetics and often asks about various traits; both physical and behavioral. This morning's was a good conversation that I wanted to continue (but I had to let her go to school). Walking back alone, I reflected on the idea of family more and thought about those I consider family....

My main family consists of my husband and two children. We are a "traditional" family who sometimes joke about who the .5 kid is (we also have 2 dogs, and we live in a big house with a white picket fence in Indiana). I didn't strive for this family; when I was younger I was pretty sure I would never get married and I figured that when I was ready to have kids I would have them as a single woman. I was rather dismayed when my husband asked me to marry him when I was only 23, but he's a really great guy and I just couldn't say no. We've had our ups and downs, but we've now been married for more than 15 years, and I can honestly say our relationship is better than ever. Luckily neither one of us has decided to take the easy way out, so here we are, and I feel very fortunate.

The family I grew up in - my "birth" family - was a little different, but not terribly unusual. I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July of 1969. I was the youngest of 4 children, and two rather unhappy parents. My three older siblings were all fairly close in age; born in '59, '61, and '64. Growing up I felt like I was ages apart being born 5 years after my closest sibling, but now it doesn't seem that far. Growing up there were times when I felt like I came from a completely different family and I felt left-out a lot. There was a lot of conflict in my family and I was always pretty sensitive to people's moods so I would find places to go to escape it. Usually it was just outside somewhere - near a tree or water (I wrote about my spot by the Mississippi River in a previous post last year). Sometimes it was just into my own mind. From an early age I did a lot of writing - lots of poems (and "songs") - but I've never been very comfortable sharing. At any rate, I think that I have always tried to avoid conflict when I can. I have also tried to resolve it when I can as well, but I know all too well that we cannot control how other people will react to things. It is still somewhat amazing to me how upset people will get when they *don't* want help resolving something....but I am learning.

My parents got divorced when I was 15 (separated when I was 14). I honestly never remember them being happily married and I was actually relieved when my dad moved out. But it was tough. I don't think there is ever a good time for parents to divorce, and being a young teenager is tough enough without it. My older siblings were all out of the house by then, except when they would return for temporary periods of time, and it was an interesting time looking back. The first year was actually wonderful; my dad had moved out and the house was quieter and calmer than it had ever been. My older brother was at home with my mom and I, but my sisters were both gone and the house was really rather peaceful. I felt happy and confident for one of the first times of my life. Unfortunately it would also be the last time for quite some time as well.... While the separation was great for me, the divorce was much worse and it coincided with some other things which drastically changed my life.

We take on roles in our families, and although we may all see and define them differently they are still there. Looking back, I think that I viewed my role in my family as the sweet, happy child. I felt that I was there to make other people happy, and to not upset anyone. I am not saying that other people saw me that way, but I believe that I internalized it (and I still do). Anyone with some knowledge of psychology can see some of the troubles that may cause down the road though. One of the greatest problems is the futility of succeeding at that in a family of unhappy people, and also the near impossibility of making someone else happy.... it is something that I still nearly constantly struggle with.

There is obviously a lot more that I can say about my birth family - I have barely scratched the surface on that. But one of the very neat things about growing up is helping to create new families, and I am very fortunate to have a pretty great family of my own. I didn't really plan to get married, but I ended up getting married pretty young. There have been times when I have thought that was not the best choice, but I do not regret it. I love my husband, and I think that being married for over 15 years is pretty great for someone who is practically terrified of commitment! I admit that I woke up the day after my wedding and was overwhelmed and scared and wished I could change my mind....but luckily I couldn't and I didn't and I'm still here. Likewise having children was a huge decision that also terrified me (talk about commitment!), and there are still innumerable times when I worry about my parenting, but I am blessed with two really wonderful kids. Although I wish they were more confident and driven, I honestly feel honored to be their mother - they are just really terrific people and I manage to like them more all the time.

Here in New Zealand we are spending a lot of time with just the four of us. Sometimes it feels like it is just us against the world, but mostly it is just us in the world. The kids are 13 and 10 (almost 11), and it is a great time to spend with them. I really truly enjoy their company. Being me, I still need time to myself and I will go off on my own and hike or read or do yoga or whatever, but I think we are all getting to know each other better and every day I am thankful for this time with them. The past year, especially, was a tough one for us and this sabbatical was really needed for all of us. Some of the lessons along the way have certainly been painful, but I appreciate where we are right now. Hopefully it will help give us the strength to get through whatever else comes our way.

Sabbatical Half-Time Report

So... we have been in New Zealand for over 2 months now... our sabbatical is more than half over. Time to take a half-time break and reflect.....

I'm not sure what most people think of when they hear "sabbatical". There are a few different definitions, but essentially it is used as a time to get away and try something new. Most people think of it as a luxury, and obviously since I have been able to hike around here in New Zealand I can certainly appreciate that. But I do want to point out that nothing comes for free and we have worked pretty hard in order to get here (and being here isn't all cushy either).

This is actually my husband's second sabbatical. The first one was spent mostly at home though, and he learned that it is tough to get away when you are still in town... it really was not a sabbatical. This time around we decided we'd better get as far away as possible, hence New Zealand. Of course only a year before the sabbatical, the business I worked at went for sale (with the threat of closing down if no one bought it), so I bought it... exponentially adding to my responsibilities. Even though I had a year to prepare, it really was a pretty overwhelming transition. If it wasn't for the internet, I would not have been able to come on this sabbatical because I still have so many responsibilities at home. Bruce, as well, still has students at Purdue that he is working with and he has weekly conference calls to attend to. And of course bills still need to be paid at home.... so really we are almost living a double life.

The "double life" thing is really sort of a feeling of keeping track of 2 lives at once. My computer has 2 clocks - 1 set to my time here, and 1 set to my time back home in Indiana. My brain is constantly trying to keep track of both. The time change is pretty great, and rather surreal because we are 17 hours ahead (it recently changed when Indiana "sprang forward", and it will change again once we "fall back" soon). At any rate, it is a day ahead here, and that is pretty funky. But it keeps life interesting. It will be interesting again when time stands still for awhile while we fly back home in May......

So we are living in Christchurch, New Zealand. We are living in the city - on the edge of the downtown area - but the city isn't huge and the beach is 15 minutes away, and mountains not much farther. The climate is fantastic. We have a short-term rental in an upstairs flat of an old house. Our carpet is really old and very much like the fake-grass carpet at a mini-golf place, our appliances are old and small, and we are still living out of suitcases (although we did rent some furniture). We have just 4 small plates, 4 bowls, 4 glasses, and silverware, and we hand-wash all our dishes. We do have a clothes washer, but we hang our clothes to dry. And we do not have a car (I wrote about transportation earlier). I have a much greater appreciation for conveniences that I miss now, but I also realize that some things really aren't necessary... it is good to experience.

The kids are going to school here, and they are almost to the end of their school term. I think it has been a really great experience for them. Both kids wear uniforms to school here, and it isn't too bad. The worst problem we've had is Lex's shoes, and cold legs on some mornings (she has to wear a dress). But both kids have made some good friends and I think they have really enjoyed it. I think they will need to do some math this summer to make sure they are caught up with their schools at home, but I know they'll be fine.

My goals have been mostly to catch up on some of my business work (mostly financial stuff), get back into an exercise routine (the past year I really slacked off), and get outside as much as possible. For the most part I am succeeding. I am happiest when I am out hiking amongst the Eucalyptus trees.... with a refreshing wind blowing and the ocean in the distance..... heaven. I had also hoped to do more writing, but that has been more sporadic. But that's okay. It does take more time to do laundry and dishes and cooking too. And of course walking everywhere takes more time. I love it though.

A little over a week ago we went to Kaikoura and did a whale watch cruise. We were lucky to see 2 sperm whales and hundreds of dolphins. I cannot even begin to express the profound feelings I had...there just aren't the proper words, and to try to use words to describe it just doesn't do it justice. Just...wow. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life, and it was really not that exciting - just really profound. That's really all I can say.


A lot of my daily pleasure comes from my walks to and from Lex's school. She is attending Avonside Girls High School, and like the name says it is on the side of the Avon River. The river is really like a creek, but it is a nice one, and I walk along it and watch the ducks and black swans. Again, there is often the smell of eucalyptus and even though I am in the city, the flowers and plants are an oasis. I am reminded of the importance of having an oasis to go to in our daily lives, and I am thankful that I can provide that to others at home. I am looking forward to cultivating that more when I get back.

Other fun experiences we have had include an actually exciting Cricket match (go figure!). We were able to attend a Twenty20 match between NZ and Australia in which NZ was able to pull off an exciting win in overtime. Apparently excitement like that is fairly rare in a cricket match so I feel pretty lucky. We also were able to attend a Rugby match that was exciting as well. We've also attended some concerts - both outdoor and in - and of course museums and such. But by far my favorite things are hiking and seeing the various animals out in the wild. In addition to the whales and dolphins and ducks, we have also been rather close to seals and albatross. They really are beautiful animals.

So that is my half-time report. I miss my home and friends, but this really is a tremendous experience. I have been able to reflect on what is most important to me and make plans for carrying that with me when I return. I think that for the kids the experience was even more valuable and I am so thankful that we were able to give them this opportunity. We've all had our ups and downs but reflecting on it really puts things in perspective.

Life is good.

Thoughts on Love

I have done a lot of writing about Love and it's various definitions, but I don't think I have posted any of that here... so I think it is time to do that.

Love is a word that means many different things and causes all kinds of emotions in people. Although I think it is an overwhelmingly positive thing, it can cause just as much pain as pleasure. As well as confusion, hope, elation, comfort, and even fear. Love is an extremely powerful thing, and I would argue that it really is the most important thing...at least for me.

The word "Love" has many different definitions, and lots has been written to further define it. Since I am here on the internet, I will post the Dictionary.com definition here:

Love:/lʌv/ Show Spelled [luhv]

–noun

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

5.(used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?

6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.

7.sexual intercourse; copulation.

8.(initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.

9.affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.

10.strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.

11.the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.

12.the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.

13.Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.

14.a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.

–verb (used with object)

15.to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.

16.to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

17.to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.

18.to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.

19.to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.

20.to have sexual intercourse with.

–verb (used without object)

21.to have love or affection for another person; be in love.

—Verb phrase

22.love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.

—Idioms

23.for love,

a. out of affection or liking; for pleasure.

b.without compensation; gratuitously: He took care of the poor for love.

24.for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise.

25.in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love.

26.in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door; in love with one's work.

27.make love,

a.to embrace and kiss as lovers.

b.to engage in sexual activity.

28.no love lost, dislike; animosity: There was no love lost between the two brothers.

Obviously that is a lot. Since the word "love" can mean so many different things, some people do not like it. I, on the other hand, appreciate it's vagueness because I can have it mean whatever I want. It is not static, but rather it is fluid, like water. I view love as being like a vast ocean; some days it is calm and comforting, and other days it is rough and unpleasant. It is life-sustaining, but can also make you sick. Personally I cannot live without it, but I do sometimes still hide from it.

Nothing that I write here is particularly unique. I am pretty sure it has all been said before. In many ways, writing this is probably a waste of time. But these are things I think about, and I suspect others do too. Often I think that love is the meaning of life. I also strongly believe that God is Love, so when people speak of God - or whatever term they use - it is confusing to me if it is not loving. I do not believe that there is an "opposite" to love, although since I believe strongly in the ideas of yin and yang, I do believe that there are various aspects that balance love.... things like hate and fear seem to correspond more to compassion and courage, and I think they all form aspects of love. I do believe that we can both love and hate, as well as love and fear. I believe that it all goes together.

Of course integrating all this into our day-to-day existence is rather difficult at times. It's all well and good to try to come from a place of love, but inevitably our humanity makes us stumble. We all know that loving someone doesn't mean we never hurt them. Love can be extremely painful and our scars can run deep. Some times it seems necessary to hide from love rather than feel that pain.

Love is natural but it isn't easy. At least that's my opinion. :) It is natural for me to love every living thing, but that doesn't make it easy for me. My relationship with each person or animal or plant is unique and as such it is difficult to define. But I believe that it is love, and I believe that it is good.

I love you all.

Transportation

Ok, so I haven't been very good about writing here. I do a lot of thinking - especially while walking all over town - but I haven't been good about putting my thoughts down in writing. It isn't a lack of ideas, but rather too many to choose from! So I've decided to be more simple in this one... and talk about transportation.

So we are here in New Zealand for about 5 months. In order to save money and get more exercise, we decided not to have a car while we are here. While most of the time that is working out pretty well, there are times when I really really miss having a car....

We are living in the city here, at 198 Bealey Ave., Christchurch. http://maps.google.co.nz/maps/ms?gl=nz&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=-43.521089,172.640598&spn=0.007188,0.01929&z=16
We are able to walk most places, and take buses. We also have borrowed some bicycles, and we rented a car last weekend when we went to Dunedin.

I have to admit that I really miss having a car. I think the last time that I was without a car for an extended period of time was the beginning of my sophomore year of college. Other than that, it has always been very temporary. There have been times that our family of four has lived with just one car, but I was the one who had primary use of that car... not having even one is probably the biggest adjustment I have here.

I do enjoy walking. Mostly. We live on a busy street, and there is quite a bit of broken glass and graffiti. And car exhaust. :(
And when it rains....well, a few miles of walking - even in a light rain - can get pretty wet. This morning it was raining, and we only have one umbrella between the four of us. I got pretty wet. I know I can't complain too much, but there have been more than a few days where I have felt very soggy and sad...

As I said, we did also borrow some bicycles. It turns out (and I'm not proud to admit this), that I am a bit of a bicycle snob. I fondly remember my first couple triathlons as a teenager, when I rode a bike that didn't switch gears and still did well.... but since I bought my first bike of my own (my most expensive purchase ever until I went to college), I have had some pretty nice bikes. They don't have to be shiny (actually shiny is a sign of non-use, and what's the point of that?) or top-name-brand, but I'm kind of fond of brakes that work and don't squeak too much, wheels that don't wobble, and gears that do in-fact switch. Here, we have learned that it is true that "beggars can't be choosers", and I am humbled as I pedal around squeaking and grinding and wobbling. ~sigh~

And then there is driving. We did rent a car last weekend, and I didn't even try to drive it. I am now able to cross the street by looking the right ways, but I'm afraid I'm too old to learn how to drive on the left side of the road. If we actually had a car full-time I would probably try, but since we will likely only rent a car one or two other times, I guess I'll just let Bruce do the driving.

My legs and my feet are definitely getting work. I walk Lex to and from school and it is about a mile each way so I walk at least 4 miles each day. I'm not doing much running yet, but building up there as well (I was waaaaay out of shape before we left). I also try to hike whenever I can - ideally in the hills, where the trees smell wonderful. Unfortunately my feet are not really happy yet, but I'm hopeful that they will adapt as well. I have especially enjoyed walking along the Avon River, which goes through the city and right next to Lex's school (hence the name "Avonside").

I feel like I can't write a post without a picture, so I will add a picture of me happily biking a few years back.... I miss my bike and look forward to getting back on it when I get back home.

Until then, I'll dodge the glass, admire the graffiti, enjoy the ducks, try not to think about the exhaust, and consider the free bikes a learning experience.

I am in New Zealand, after all. :)

Beach Day

Since we are on an island and about 20 minutes from the beach, we figured it was time to head over there. It was a beautiful sunny day when we started out, so we walked downtown and then took a bus to the New Brighton beach. The ride there was sunny...until about 10 minutes before we got to the beach. By the time we got there the sky was all gray, but no worries - there was still water and waves.



We took a walk on the Pier, where we watched some people crabbing. Seeing my zodiac sign being captured wasn't a thrill, but most of them got sent back and we didn't stay to watch too many get put into buckets.

Mostly we just did a lot of walking and playing in the waves and sand.... We were prepared for the wind and cold, and the fresh air and ocean breeze was wonderful, of course. It wasn't at all crowded and it was just fun to be able to run around.

It was a good day.

New Zealand, Chapter 1

So.... we have begun our sabbatical in New Zealand....

Almost 2 weeks ago, we left Indiana and began our journey. It is winter in Indiana, so the kids got out and shoveled snow before we left. It is Summer here, but it feels more like Spring or Fall to me (which is certainly fine!).

It was an especially busy few months before we left; I bought a new house for my business and had to do some remodeling before moving in (which unfortunately lived up to the usual remodeling nightmares), and we were scrambling to get things done. The saga unfortunately continues there, as the roof is leaking and mud is everywhere from the work that was done.... but that is another story, and I am here to write about New Zealand now.

We began our travel on January 9th in West Lafayette. We rented a mini-van and drove up to Chicago to catch our flights. Amazingly, even though it had recently snowed, the roads were fine and we got to Chicago without incident. There were some minor hiccups with luggage, but we were on-time and the flights were smooth. We flew Chicago to LA, then LA to Auckland, and finally Auckland to Christchurch. We arrived on Monday the 11th, having lost some time flying over the International Dateline. We all were able to sleep on the flights and watch lots of movies (Sam enjoyed watching rugby, and Lex liked the Japanese movies), and our shuttle was waiting for us when we arrived.

Our first stop was the real estate office, where we had arranged to rent a flat for the 4+ months we are here. We filled out the remaining paperwork and got our keys... and then headed over to our flat. Being unfurnished, we initially just dropped off our luggage and got our bearings, and then trekked out to our hotel. We decided to try to walk as much as possible, and in typical Craig-family tradition, we haven't always gotten our distances correct...but it turned out to be manageable. We stopped at a little cafe for some food, and then plopped down in our hotel room. The bed that night felt fantastic.

The next day we checked out of our hotel and headed back to our flat. It was time to begin furnishing our place, and not having a car meant that we needed to walk.... so we did a lot of walking. I think we logged about 10 miles that day, which is a lot considering all the sitting we had done of late. But it actually helped us deal with the jet-lag. By that evening we had rented beds and a TV, and picked up some sheets and towels and food. Unfortunately we didn't discover heat that night so we were a bit cold (we had only gotten sheets, not blankets), but we remedied that by the next night.

The rest of the week was spent walking all over Christchurch and slowly getting supplies. Getting by without a car is a bit challenging and we seem to walk a lot in the rain...but we are getting our bearings. We found the library and were able to get library cards and use the internet there, but we felt really disconnected until we got the internet at our flat. We have also finally used the bus a little, and that should be helpful as well. We are living on the edge of the downtown area, so there is a lot within walking distance. There is an Asian food market just about 2 blocks away, which is really nice. We have definitely stepped back a bit and slowed down some too - we have a clothes washer but no dryer so we are hanging our clothes to dry, and no dishwasher (and only very few dishes) so we are hand-washing everything. New Zealand itself is not so primitive, but we are living more simply while we are here. It is different - and challenging - but good.