First post in a long time

So I have wanted to make an entry on the blog for a long time, but never felt sufficiently inspired to do so. One of the reasons is that life hit me, in all of its ordinary and mundane glory; I will try to explain…

Life takes on a rhythm no matter who you are, where you are, what you are doing, what you are seeking, and where you are going. For this reason I used to feel disenchanted with life, craving a natural high in every moment and yet only experiencing the normal, ordinary feedback that comes from getting up, fulfilling the day’s activities, eating, doing more activities, eating again, practicing some relaxation or leisure activities, then going to sleep. And the next day to do it all over again. I spited this and it incensed me to think how much time I had “wasted” simply filling the hours of my day with the requisites of life. It took going on a trip around the world to realize that life does not give itself meaning. We can become as angry or spiteful as we will, but this does not change the fact that we have a very significant role to play in our own pursuit of happiness. Why did it take going around the world? In my mind I used to think that people outside the United States lived differently, and hence experienced more fulfillment in life, however in encountering them face to face and taking in their daily doings, I have come to realize the truth that I stated at the beginning. Our lives naturally (and of necessity) develop a rhythm, and only by understanding our individual rhythm and enriching it by including the things that we enjoy on a regular basis, can we find true happiness and fulfillment in the short term of our daily lives, and I believe ultimately this leads to long-term happiness and a sense of fulfillment as well.

Daniel, Mike, and I spent a long time in Melbourne, and I think this is one of the greatest lessons that I learned. Joy and fulfillment only came when I recognized the rhythm in my life at that time, and then effectively implemented the things that I enjoy into that rhythm. We all have needs and desires that we cannot run from, but rather must learn to embrace and fulfill in the most natural and healthy ways possible, in order that our lives take on deeper meaning simply because we enjoy them more completely.

Life always has the potential to become mundane, and do not think that just because we are on the other side of the world that life does not at times become mundane and ordinary all over again, because it does. We still have to eat, use the toilet, sleep, pay bills, and take care of our needs just the same as when we were at home. Thus, it is not simply in drastic changes, such as travelling around the world, that true change and satisfaction is achieved in the human person. I believe it lies more in the small things, and making them as personally satisfying and fulfilling as possible, such that the little necessities of every day become no longer nuisances, but rather little reasons for joy.

To concretize my reflection a bit, I want to thank all of our friends in Melbourne who helped make our stay so much more rewarding and fulfilling. Friends, family, and relationships are key to maintaining that meaning and sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in life, for without them life too easily devolves into a mundane and even boring repetition of the same necessary tasks over and over again. These tasks are necessary. That we cannot change. However we can change the way we think about them, the way we do them, what we do when we are not doing them, and then suddenly life has been reinvented, life is fun and interesting again. For some it may take a trip around the world, but whatever it is for you, strive to learn more and more each day of what makes your life more meaningful and rewarding, and permanently integrate those things into your life.

Live life to the fullest and die knowing that you have indeed lived.

Where Fiction and Reality Meet

As I gaze out upon the majestic landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand, I sense its striking resemblance to the stunning creation wrought by JRR Tolkien in his novel “The Lord of the Rings.” In preparation for this journey I began reading a copy of the novel loaned from the public library near where we were living in Melbourne. But by unforeseen providence, and after I had discovered that the length of the loan would not permit me to bring the book with me to New Zealand, I happened upon a copy cast to the curb. It lay beside the stop where I awaited my tram every morning to fulfill the work whose payment ultimately made this journey possible.

The Lord of the Rings was born in the mind of a great and talented author, and yet no less human than any one of us. In the end his words so closely resembled the landscape here in New Zealand, that Peter Jackson ultimately brought the filming here to this stunning landscape in the end. And what a tremendous impact that small thought, which began in the mind of an author has now had upon the world at large.

Up until the time of the Lord of the Rings, I daresay that many Americans including myself, had known very little about this fabled outpost of the Commonwealth known to English-speakers as New Zealand and the to native Maori as Aotearoa. And yet it is no longer simply a British colony; it is a country in and of itself, drawing tourism and immigration from all over the world, and setting itself apart for its diverse landscape and warm, welcoming people.

Whether an idea, a country, or a dream, all must start somewhere. JRR Tolkien’s idea later became a novel and then a film, and an outpost of the British empire became its own country. Interesting now that its role as the backdrop for the film has transformed it from unknown to world-renowned. I venture that the connection that all of this bears to our own journey did not happen by mistake. We set out on our own journey starting on the 4th of September, not really knowing exactly what we were doing, nor what the future might hold. Now we have seen a good part of the southwestern United States, Hawaii, lived and worked abroad in Melbourne for almost two months, and have taken holiday in New Zealand; a land I never thought I would reach in my lifetime.

But had we never set out on that Saturday in September, had Tolkien never written out his ideas, had New Zealand never seen itself as more than just an outpost of Great Britain, none of us would have achieved what we have up to today. The world would not have the Lord of the Rings, New Zealand might still serve as an undiscovered outpost, and we ourselves, would never have beheld all of the beauty of this land, never encountered the generosity and warmth of its people, and never learned just how far our dreams might take us if only we give them flight.

Our tour of this land has enabled me to conquer many a fear, to look deep inside and see what it is that I am, and what I like about that person. For that I have only my companions, those who have helped along the way, and all of you to thank for your ongoing support and encouragement. None of this would have been possible had it not first been for you.

All of these stories are true, though they very well could have only ever happened in fictional novels. But they are real, they are true, because we had the audacity and courage to blur the lines between fiction and reality. In fiction, the good guy often wins, but he also never gives up. Thus, just as JRR Tolkien tenaciously pursued his novel, and Peter Jackson the land of New Zealand as his setting, let us be the protagonists in our own stories of life. Let us live our life stories before they reaches their respective conclusions. For as many “The Ends” as we can read through during our lifetime, for each one of us there will come only one end.

May we live our stories well.

Morning Has Broken

Sun rises just off the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The older that I have gotten, the more important I have realized our cognizance of our status as morning birds or night owls. I definitely relish the first light of day and the many promises and opportunities with which the sun first rises. The majestic beauty of a canyon or the foreboding of an ocean-bound sound more profoundly impacts in the glitter of the morning light. A traditional hymn declares that “Morning has broken,” not slipped in, or snuck up on us, but rather that it has broken like a hundred panes of glass or a mirror as it strikes the floor. The night brings an absence of light, while the morning represents a reassertion of the power and glory of the day in all its brilliance!

Interesting that in my youth I more relished the night than the day, but with age I now jump out of bed in the morning, and at nighttime I drag toward bed. Regardless of our state, we must take heed of it, and ensure that we get the time that we need at either end of the day to strike a personal balance.

At times we find our balance in interesting ways, as I did in Foxton Beach on the north island

Today we are to set out for Milford Sound in 25 minutes, and yet I linger, enjoying the rain that falls outside my breakfast morning. Reception wakes, but I move not from my corner abode. The world arises and sleeps in as I quietly observe from behind my writing. Life is a quest to discover these small parts of the day in ever new ways and to learn that it is not all the same. Every new day brings with it new chances, new choices, and new opportunities, and we can either seize or be swept away by the forces that act on us.

Let us be movers and shakers and not fear what the world has in store, yet rather embrace and run wild with our dreams. Even if the thought only pervades the edge of our minds, and our uncertainty runs high, let us go for it!

Tim exits the brutally frigid water of the Azure Pools after screwing up the courage to get in, Daniel jumped off the 10m high bridge whose shadow hits the rock-face in the background

Pursue the slightest inkling of what your heart desires, and your heart will lead you onward. Use your mind to clear the way for your passions and dreams, for we live on these and not on rationality alone.

Take a trip around the world, run with your wildest inclinations, and do not look back until you have begun to achieve what you set out to accomplish. Then ponder your re-entry into the “real world” and consider how you may now impact it in a new way. You have the power to change your environment, you only need muster the courage to leverage your knowledge and experience against that which repels you in the culture to which you will return. Be not afraid, for some will reject you, will misunderstand your intentions, will not allow you to return home. But, as Jesus so eloquently stated, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country” (Luke 4:24).

Crucifix centerpiece of the altar at St.Bernard’s Catholic Church where Fr. Gerry Fitzgibbon generously offered to let us stay free of charge

Thus shall you wander the world and seek out your answers to life’s questions, while at the same time conquering fears and fulfilling the deepest dreams of your heart.

Go for it. Do not ask too many questions, for then you will never leave. Instead, seize upon your dream and greet the new day. For anything is possible, and we need only have the audacity to dream it. The world is waiting. Be not afraid.

The midmorning light creates a rainbow through the mist over a lake en route to Milford Sound

The Power of Fear

Upon arrival to the shop in Queenstown, and after being weighed (about 90 kilos each) Libby drew unique things on our hands – I received a champagne glass

Daniel is absolutely pumped and I am a bit uncertain after being weighed and filling out all the necessary forms

Multiple different jump styles: Daniel and I both ended up choosing different ones that we had originally planned

I pose with the marquis symbol for the company

In the van on the way to the jump point

Top to bottom and right to left:
1. Shot of the jump point taken from the “treehouse” where the video-making equipment, till, and other equipment were stored
2. Daniel considers what this will be like jump from 109m up, then freefall 60m from the jump point, then to be swing at speeds up to 150km/h in a 200m arc across the canyon below
3. Daniel gets harnessed up
4. Daniel and I with our guide Steve the Scotsman back in Queenstown following our successful jumps

I have someone to thank. Sometimes the power to confront and overcome our fears comes from places unexpected. At times we dig deep inside, but cannot muster the courage on our own. For this reason I am so grateful to have the unique community that we have shared on this trip. Though it is at times chafing, and at others grating, the overall sentiment has been extremely positive and I will say that each one of us played crucial roles in ensuring that we had everything necessary to complete the journey, and that each day contained a new adventure and experience in a country that is chock-full of them.

My brother was the one who had never faltered in his desire for adrenaline-pumping experiences. He says that he relishes the moments in which he finds himself at the precipice, and must summon the courage to hurl himself over the edge into the abyss. There have been many occasions for this, beginning early in Hawaii when my good friend and host Andy May led us up to a secluded waterfall. There we found a jump point and several jumpers, but the water antifreeze green, and so I was the only one of the three of us to make the jump (T-1). Later, upon arrival to New Zealand, some newly made friends led us to another waterfall with a shallow pool outside Piha, where all of us jumped (T-2, D-1), and then the wind was taken from our sails when all the boys made the jump in the buff! What a crackup! The next opportunity came when we all made jumps into a swirling river that we found on an overpass just after leaving Hokitika, when after Carrie had returned to the car, the three of us made the jump in the buff (T-3, D-2). There was some measure of preliminary fear, but once we overcame it and made the jump, we discovered a quite liberating experience. The next opportunity presented itself just shy of Wanaka where we discovered the azure pools spanned by a bridge 10m above the water, which gives a brilliant vista down into the frigid, deep-blue water. After testing depth and temperature, Daniel decided to go for it (photo of him on the precipice in my previous post). He did it! There is video footage of this that will be posted here at some point (T-3, D-3). That day all I could bring myself to do was dive in the water, but that took some courage in and of itself as the water registered at an icy 5 degrees Celsius.

And so we arrived to Queenstown, the heart of adventure activities in NZ, and with Daniel chomping at the bit to do either bungee or skydive, we learn about the Canyon Swing. Bianca at hostel reception did a great job of selling it, which included her showing us her own video uploaded to Facebook (ours will be uploaded as soon as we have sufficient internet connection). It was at this point that I realized both that I  was petrified of doing something like this Canyon Swing, and that Daniel and I were even for jumps for the trip. Of course he was already sold on the prospect. I had a few hours to consider it, and I spent most of them sleeping. The next day came, and though I went to reception, I did not make the booking. Something inside me was still unsure. When Daniel awoke, he said go for it, and I returned to reception only to find that we could not get in until 4:30 in the afternoon. I confirmed with Daniel and the others that this would fit our schedule, then made the booking at around 10:30am.

My heart fluttered for the next several hours, and as we prepared to walk down to the shop in Queenstown, I could not think straight nor readily handle anything fragile, lest it drop from my quivering hands. Daniel never seemed to flinch. My heart was in my throat for the whole of the form-filling and weighing, the way there, and all the way up to the point where I found myself on the precipice.

I have a fear of heights. Not a debilitating one, but then again looking down into a canyon 109m below, and knowing that the only thing between you and the river below is a rope tied to your harness, has a way of amplifying that fear. I have long feared what would happen on an occasion such as this. So I slid carefully to the edge, counted to 3 over a period of 40 seconds, and on my own, with a few words of encouragement, but no pushes, made the jump.

It was so good, so enjoyable, and so exhilarating, that I had to do it again. Daniel and I both did second jumps.

Fear overcome. Check that one off the list.

Poached Eggs, Pesto, and Toast

One of the greatest things about exploring a new country is the experimentation with the local food combinations. Through a variety of different economic influences such as a supply and demand, the availability of ingredients and certain spices, as well as the impetus for each culture to share its own cuisine leads to a variety of unique plates. Here in NZ the cuisine varies as widely as the population. Without knowing too many of the specifics, NZ is a nation of immigrants as much as the United States, though people tend more often to come from India and Asia. And in our case, a man who had moved to NZ from Algeria.

Though not directly related to this post, this photo provides a sense of the “foreign-ness” that we here experience every day. I do not suspect one could ever find the term “tepid” used in the US to describe what is essentially a public hot bath.

On this particular day, I had headed out to the Auckland suburbs to drop Addie for her cooling system refit, and hence was without transport. Walking for a couple 20 minutes, I never found the library, but happened upon a fresh fruit market where I met a really nice girl from Pakistan, who went by the name of Annie. She had decided to marry a man by the name of Ben and had opened a “fruit and vege” shop, which litter the countryside and the streets of bigger cities throughout the country. She and her husband had traveled a ton though, and her stories were phenomenal. On my way there I had discovered that our mobile phone had miraculously died, and so I had no way of getting ahold of Mike, Carrie, and Daniel, who were assumedly waking up by this time at Debbie’s place.

Daniel is baffled by the mainstream use of the corresponding term for “napkins” in Australia and NZ

As it turned out I had little to worry about, as Daniel was sleep-deprived (as per usual) and Mike and Carrie were still recovering from the time change. This did not help me any, and yes pay phones do exist in NZ, but Debbie’s and every other useful number to me were stored in the now dead mobile phone! (I use the term “mobile” because it is the mainstream term in Australia and parts of NZ - “cell phone” usually merits you an odd look from the locals, so you make the adjustment pretty quickly).

Thus after a nice chat, Annie and I looked up all the Vodafone shops in the area, where I might possibly find a charger and get in touch with my compadres. They all turned out to be at least a 20 minute walk away, so being the shy individual that I am, I began to ask in the shops surrounding Annie’s fruit and vege. After enquiring with several Indians and locals, I came to nothing, though my last enquiry gave me a lead. And so half an hour later I was seated at the lone table in the Vodafone shop, charging up the mobile, and waiting for Debbie to bring everyone over so that we could proceed with our day.

A good view of one of the types of buildings that comprise the Auckland skyline

By this time I had been up for a while, so after a good deal of journaling, I decided to try to find something to eat in the area. My compadres were soon to arrive, but I was sure that I could find something quickly. So I bid adieu and poka to my awkward Vodafone friends, and proceeded to find two gentlemen smoking cigarettes outside of what appeared to be a pleasant breakfast-style café. The time was just shy of noon if I recall correctly. Irregardless, viewing the menu, I noted a combination of foods I had never before imagined: “Poached Eggs, Pesto & Toast – $6.50.” I couldn’t help my curiosity, and the price was right, so this is how I ended up in the car chowing down on a combo that was probably one of the most novel and best breakfast ideas I have learned in recent memory.

Munching away, I shared it with my newly arrived comrades, and thanks to Debbie once again, we made our way to the market and collected nearly $250NZ in goods and supplies. We were unable to find some things, and unable to bring ourselves to pay what was asked for others ($12NZ for duct tape!), but in the end it was and has been the novelties such as the poached eggs, pesto & toast that has made each day of this journey ever more interesting, and ever more invaluable.