The Southern Cross: Day 0 - Getting There

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

-Lord of the Rings

I love going to airports. And train stations, and probably bus terminals and ports/harbors too. Even if I'm not the one who's going anywhere, there's something about the idea of traveling that gets me excited.

After months of preparing, planning, and waiting, and several months after seeing my husband off at the airport for his own journey, we were back at the Will Rogers airport in OKC, getting ready to embark on the first leg of our trip.

My husband had taken a 6-month position as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, only 4 months before. I was traveling to join him for the last few months of his stay, along with our 7-month-old son, my husband's sister, and a family friend, both of whom were staying for about 10 days. My sister-in-law has always, always, wanted to go to New Zealand, long before LOTR, and what better opportunity than to visit her brother? And I was extremely grateful to have her help with our little Munchkin. I've done plenty of trans-oceanic flights, but this was the first time with a baby, and I wasn't really sure how it would go.

I was already getting excited (and a bit anxious) when we all got to the airport. Being the most seasoned traveler of the group, I had offered to take the lead in getting the tickets, getting us checked in, etc. So we all went up to the ticket counter together, presented our e-tickets and passports, no problem...Until...

Now, I had purchased all our tickets together online, so that we could all sit together. It was the best way to go. But for some reason, I guess because we ended up flying with two different airlines, something wasn't showing up right in the system at the airport. So, to my knowledge, I had already purchased these tickets and we were all ready to go, but the folks at the check in counter were telling me that we had to pay a $200 "airport tax" for the baby...wait....what?? Um....you're telling me that I have to pay the government if I want to take my child out of the country???

Well, after several minutes of going around in circles, with me patiently and exasperatedly explaining over and over that I had already bought his ticket, eventually the check-in counter folks figured out that something just hadn't gone through correctly on their end. I guess it looked to them like we hadn't purchased his ticket, or something. In any case, we didn't have to pay the tax, but it was shaping up to be a regular fiasco there for a few minutes.

I was most apprehensive about how our 7-month-old would do on the flights. We had a layover in Denver, then in LAX where we would catch our trans-Pacific flight. Three flights altogether. The change in pressure can even get to me every once in a while, so I couldn't imagine what it was do to him. But he was a real trooper! He slept through the first flight, and didn't do too bad on the second either.

Our next adventure happened before we left the country. If you've ever been to LAX, you'll understand. If you haven't been to LAX, save yourself a headache and find a different airport. We arrived in the Domestic terminal, but of course we were going to leave from the international terminal. Now, that in and of itself is no great feat, but unfortunately there weren't very good directions at LAX for getting from our arrival gate to our departure gate. That, and we had to re-check our luggage. Oh, and carry our luggage between the two terminals. And ask several airport workers how to get to the international terminal (including one who told us to go in the complete opposite direction of where we needed to go). We ended up having to go outside, take a shuttle to the other side of the airport, re-check our bags, go through security again, and get to our gate.

Yep, that's where we have to get to - the other side of the airport. Outside. Carrying all our luggage and a baby.

At least the shuttle had air conditioning!

Well, suffice it say we made it to our gate and safely onto our Air New Zealand flight.

Now all we had ahead of us was a 13-hour flight!

One of the coolest things about this flight was that they had special bulkhead cots for infants (up to 9 months I think). Here's our bundle of joy taking advantage of his special bed - and giving Mommy a break!

It was a long, long trip. 

But the end result was totally worth it - 

- a happy reunion.

My Pinterest Project

How boring am I? I'm living in one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth, having my own little adventure, spending every day with a little one-year-old bundle of mischief, and what do I decide to write about? Pinterest.

Something's wrong with this picture....

But seriously, I do have a project I've been working on for a little while now. Every once in a while I tend to go overboard when it comes to my interests. That's the reason I have so many wallpapers on my phone, and it's the reason I have so many recipes to try on Pinterest. So I thought, "why not put all of my Pinterest recipes in one place, so I can have easy access to them, and look them up by ingredient, or by prep time, or whatever?" Well, it was a good plan in theory, but I wasn't really able to find exactly what I was looking for - a centralized (online or software) database that I could create for my recipes. No frills necessary, just a place I could input all these recipes. I ended up using good ol' Microsoft Word. I feel so old school....

Anyway, I say all of that by way of introduction. What I really want to do is try all of these recipes. That's the end goal. And hopefully before too long I'll be able to do just that.

My plan is, every time I try a new "Pinterest" recipe (i.e. a recipe I found on Pinterest), to write a post about it. I'm not a food critic by any means, and this is not going to become a food blog. But since this is a big project for me, I wanted to introduce it before jumping in. I will not be posting any recipes on my blog directly, but any time I try a specific one, I plan to link to the original (or the one I used). What I want to write about is what I thought of the recipe, whether or not I liked it, whether or not I would change anything, whether it was easy or hard, etc. You know, that sort of thing. I may or may not post pictures. Hopefully this will be a fun project that people might even enjoy reading about as much as I enjoy trying the food!

And since I'm terrible about blogging regularly, hopefully this will help me get my butt in gear and blog more often. Cheers! Or, as they like to say here, "Sweet As!"

The Southern Cross

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time 

You understand now why you came this way
-Crosby, Stills and Nash

Several years ago now, I had the good fortune (and the willpower and motivation to save) to be able to take a vacation to one of the most beautiful places I’ve been – New Zealand. On that journey, I vowed that I would return one day, but of course that was more like the promise you make to keep in touch with people at camp, or, say the promise to win the lottery – it’s a nice thought, but unlikely to actually happen. What I didn’t expect was that I would one day actually be living in New Zealand – as in, have an actual New Zealand address where I actually go to sleep and actually receive mail. Yet, here I am. God has a wonderful sense of humor. 

Of course, moving to NZ isn’t the only (or the biggest) life change that’s happened since my last lonely post. I don’t have the time or desire to list all the reasons my poor blog has suffered in the past year and a half, but I do have plenty to post about. So, interspersed with my ramblings about living overseas again, this time in a westernized country, I also plan to blog about motherhood, pregnancy, child development, food, music, books, movies, and whatever tickles my fancy. 

I know much better than to make promises about keeping up with this blog, so I make no promises to post every day. I do, however, sincerely want to post about every day that we’ve been here so far, and hopefully every day that we stay here. And even if I don't quite meet that goal, I hope to make it worthwhile to visit this blog, and give me something to look back on and read when I want to remember the time spent here. 

On that note, here is a brief overview of what has brought me to this little corner of the world… 

A year ago today, I lived in Tucson, Arizona, with my husband and our dog. I had a good job at a good company, rising in the ranks, and ... I was pregnant with our first child. In fact, I was just about ready to pop. Funny side note, I think a year ago today we actually were attending a child birthing class... 

Anyway, to make a long story short, we had our first child a week after that class (more details in a future post), spent my maternity leave visiting family in Indiana and Oklahoma, and planned to return to my job in Arizona after Christmas. It wasn't until probably mid-December that we found out Tory was offered a job as a Research Fellow at Waikato University in Hamilton, New Zealand, giving us just about six weeks to get our visas and everything else together before they wanted him to start. 

Tory ended up coming to Hamilton first (the day after his visa came through), and I followed with our son a few months later. I remember when we were dating and engaged, we lived in different states and were only able to see each other once or twice a month, and that was hard. But that was nothing compared to being on the other side of the world, unable to see each other except on skype/facetime, for several months, and having to take care of a new baby on my own. Thank the Lord I was with Tory's family - I couldn't have done it alone. 

The day finally arrived in late May when we - Tory's sister, a family friend, our baby, and I - got on a plane and headed across the country, across the Pacific Ocean, and landed safely in Auckland. And here we are now.... 

One of the definitions for "cross" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: the intersection of two ways or lines. In some ways I see my life now as being at a cross. We're not entirely sure in which direction we'll be going over the next year. I suppose all of life is like that in a way - we always have a choice of directions, and each choice we make will take us in a direction that excludes other possible choices. 

I would never have imagined, lo those many years ago, that the choices I would make would bring me back here, with a husband and a child. But I'm thankful to be here. And I'm looking forward to where our choices will lead us, and to what new crosses we will come.

Shake Your Bum Bum

Body: Doing fun workouts during the week
I have a confession to make. I bought a workout video. Yes, I did. And not just any workout video. It's called... Wait for it... Brazil Butt Lift.

Oh, yes, I did.

So, the story goes that while I was in Oklahoma for Christmas, I noticed an infomercial on TV for a workout called "Brazil Butt Lift". And I normally don't think much of workout videos or infomercials, but this one caught my attention. I actually recognized some of the moves and workout combinations they were showing from back in the day when I was dancing and in decent shape. So right away I was intrigued. "I know that works..." thought I.

After some trepidation, but mostly secret anticipation, the workout was ordered and eventually arrived. It would be another few weeks before I broke it out, but I have to confess I was pretty excited.

The first day nearly killed me. No joke. I had to pause and lie down a few times during the first 30-min. segment. Yikes. Of course, it probably didn't help that it was the hardest combination on the first day, I was terribly out of shape, and I was working out in a pretty small, confined space with no airflow, which got me pretty overheated, pretty quick.

The second day, and each day after that, was much, much better. Enjoyable, even. I am not ashamed to admit, I actually look forward to my workouts each day. The moves themselves are a good combination of doable and challenging. And despite all the soreness that comes during the workout, I haven't been dying afterwards. The trainer does a good job of stretching and breaking things up so you can still walk the next day.

So far, I'm only about 2 weeks into an 8-week program, and I'm already seeing some results. The workouts have gotten easier in terms of how much I can do, which means I can up the intensity to challenge myself more.

I still have a long, long way to go before I'm back to where I want to be, but overall I think this was a good purchase. It's fun, it's not impossible but it's a good challenge, and I am so looking forward to seeing how far I've come in a few more weeks.

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

Soul: Going to Church Every Sunday
Spirit: Listening to Music I Enjoy

Last Sunday at church, we heard this absolute gem of a song. It was the first time I had heard it. At first glance, the title didn't impress me much... Then I read the words... Then the choir started singing...

It was breathtaking! The ethereal melodies and celestial harmonies seemed to lift the soul heavenward, pointing the way to God. The words also simply and beautifully painted a picture of who Jesus is, fitting my standard of a good song: the triumvirate of melody, harmony, and lyrics.

The original poem was written by an unknown New England author in the 18th century, and has been set to music more than once. This particular setting is by Elizabeth Poston, who exquisitely captures the essence of the verse.

The connection between the apple tree of the poem, and the Tree of Life of the Bible, allows for some wonderfully expressive lines. The most abundant of fruit trees cannot compare to Jesus Christ, the Lord of Nature, the giver of life to all things. He invites us to come rest in His shade when we are weary. He invigorates our faith. This imagery is beautifully portrayed in the poem, which can be read below.

Truly, "this is what heaven is supposed to sound like."
(originally attributed to this song)

1. The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.

2. His beauty doth all things excel:
By faith I know, but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

3. For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

4. I'm weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

5. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

*Side note: my favorite version of this song (on youtube) is here.

What New Years Resolutions?

I am a procrastinator. The very fact that I am just now, a mere 24 days into the new year, talking about new years' resolutions, testifies to that. Or take the fact that I waited a whole year after last year's resolutions before writing another blog post.

The fact is, I always struggle with my new year's resolutions. I guess we all do, to some extent - we're only human. But this year was really tricky. I know that, no matter how grandly I scheme and what momentous plans I come up with, in the end they will all fall short. I will fall short. I know that I won't go to the gym every day or blog every day. It sometimes amazes me that I even go to work every day.

And herein lies my predicament. I know the areas of my life that I want to improve. I even have some ideas of how to improve them. But improvement takes work, and I'm not always so great at doing things. I'm a lot better at thinking about what I want to do.

So my number one resolution for 2012 is ... to not make any resolutions. I know myself too well to fib about what I'm going to do. Instead, I am setting goals for myself, and figuring out the steps to get from where I am to where I want to be.

I've divided my personal goals into 4 categories: body, soul, spirit, and mind.

Body:
I remember when I used to feel pretty good about my body. I was walking a lot, eating better, even working out occasionally. And now I have a desk job, I drive to work, have an unused gym membership, and have successfully gained my freshman 15. In order to feel better about my body, I want to not only lose a few pounds/inches, but simply take better care of it. A few ways I can do this include:

-Limiting the number of times I eat out, and taking half of it home.
-Eating healthier meals at home (especially more vegetables!)
-Making one big meal at the beginning of the week, and portioning out leftovers for the rest of the week (portion control)
-Going to bed earlier
-Waking up earlier
-Running in the morning
-Walking during my lunch hour
-Doing fun workouts during the week
-Spending time to pamper myself once in a while - getting a massage, going to a spa, buying that hair or skin product that I've always thought about but never tried
-Getting up early enough to spend time on my appearance in the morning

Soul:
I finally started reading my Bible consistently a few years ago. Sadly, I still feel that my relationship with God and fellow Christians is lacking. In order to feel better about my relationship with God, I want to be involved in things that help me grow spiritually. A few ways I can do this include:

-Going to church every Sunday
-Getting involved in the church in some way
-Spending concentrated time in prayer each day
-Continuing to read my Bible every day
-Volunteering more often
-Internalizing what I read
-Having a "retreat" weekend, spending a significant amount of time alone with God

Spirit:
In the past few years, I feel like I've gotten angrier and more impatient. I don't like feeling that way. I don't know if that's a result of fighting with Tucson traffic, or dealing with stupid people, or simply having to share my room with someone. Perhaps I've always been this way, but used to be better at hiding or ignoring negative feelings. Or perhaps I'm just getting old and cynical. In order to improve my mood and feel better emotionally, I want to spend more time doing things that make me happy. I want to pay more attention to the positive than the negative. A few ways I can do this include:

-Spending time each day relaxing
-Volunteering more often
-Eating new foods at new restaurants
-Spending more time with my husband
-Planning trips I want to take
-Taking a trip to a place I've never been
-Dreaming big
-Listening to music I enjoy
-Writing down the things I enjoy
-Not taking things too seriously
-Avoiding things or doing things that make me unhappy
-Remembering I'm human too

Mind:
I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I am not stupid. Unfortunately, I am not articulate or very well-read, so I often sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. In order to feel better intellectually, I want to spend time learning new things. A few ways I can do this include:

-Reading a few new books each month
-Checking the news each day
-Learning a new word each day - and use it!
-Writing down the things I learn
-Learning a new language
-Blogging once a week
-Keeping a journal
-Taking a class in something that interests me

Am I going to do all of the things I just mentioned this year? Probably not. But it's a place to start. And for someone like me, who, like a freight train, needs all kinds of push to get going, but can't be stopped once it starts, having a place to start makes all the difference. Even if that starting point is a month into the year.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Today I got pulled over by a motorcycle cop. "Why was Gwyn pulled over?" you might ask. "What was she doing wrong?" Well, I'll tell you: absolutely nothing! She was most definitely minding her own business, being a good citizen. Here's the story:

I was driving to my last clinic of the day (for work). I was driving northbound on a fairly well-traveled road, and had turned off of a side street, when I noticed a police car headed south. Nothing odd about that - I am always careful to drive well under the speed limit on this street, because there's no speed limit sign on that particular stretch - except I noticed that the policeman in the car looked at me and our little, black truck.

So I eased over into the left turn lane, making sure to have my turn signal on in plenty of time, when I noticed a motorcycle policeman pull up behind me. I kept myself calm - nothing to worry about anyway, I wasn't doing anything wrong. And even though I made sure to turn into the correct lane, sure enough, the lights came on, I pulled into a parking lot, and parked the car.

The policeman actually didn't adress me right away. Instead, he walked around and looked at the truck from all sides, saying into his police radio as he went "I'm looking at the vehicle right now." The first thing he asked me was where I was coming from - no problem there, I was coming from the health clinic, and gave him the name & location.

Apparently, the reason he pulled me over was that just a block from where I had turned onto the main north-south road, there was a hit and run - a small, black truck, headed northbound. What are the odds?

He was a very amiable, pleasant officer, and chuckled a little when he realized that I wasn't actually who he was looking for. Clearly, there was no damage to the truck, and I hadn't come from the intersection where the accident happened. He was very friendly and thanked me for my cooperation before he headed off. No harm, no foul, right?

No hard feelings, just an interesting story.