Why coming home and blogging is fun..

After Four and a half months in tropical Fiji, I am home.

I live in the South Island of New Zealand and this time of the year it is freezing cold! Ah the joys of travel and study. I had been wearing shorts, sandals (we call them jandals here in NZ) and tee shirts and now I've graduated to fleecy hoodies, trousers, socks and shoes (yuk!) and some nice new ugg boots. Oh, not to forget a wollen hat or beanie, although I think they are called 'touque' in Canada.  Leaving Fiji was sad. I made many friends and it was especially hard to tear myself away from the tropical sea I love so much. Having a surf in 25 degree water is pretty special... The sea water temperature here is about 9 degrees at the moment. That's actually not too bad, it's the minus two air temp in the morning that really tightens my nuts! On the west coast of the South Island, this wind is called 'the barber' because in the winter it cuts right through you! BRRRRRRRRR. I was especially happy to see my girlfriend Eve, she had been doing it tough while I was away. Enjoying bags of chocolates and lots of wine. I'm sure she was pleased to see me though:) My faithful hound Fin gave me a rather underwhelming welcome back...

The look of love, or simply begging for a sultana... hairy bastard.

Although he did give me many licks, showed me his latest stick and presented both his mighty balls and a watery shart for me to inspect. Lovely boy. Our other dog, Nui, was much more appreciative of my absence. Gently snuffling my ear and making noises that I'm sure were the closest she could get to 'Oh my god welcome home, I'm sooo glad to see you, rub my tummy, rub my back, pat me on my head... more ooo more... oh yes oh yes that's the spot right there!'

The benefits of travel ay! Oh, and although I put as the caption for the photo there, something about sultana's, before I get lynched by the SPCA or Doglovers anonymous, I KNOW that sultanas are bad for dogs. It was just a clever trick by me to get him to pose for the camera, so calm the hell down thank you. I also found this wonderful quote ,regaling anyone who cares, about the joys of travel...

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

Because to come home, first you must go away. That is what I have done. The heat pump blows warm air into the lounge, protecting from the chill of the cold wintery south west wind as it slices through the clothing of anyone silly enough to under-dress. It merely make the memories of the past four and a half months all the more precious. When you are in a foreign land you miss your home, when you meet strangers they become new friends, when you get home you remember where you have been.

 So I'd like to say a huge thank you to all who I have met during my travels and studies while in Fiji, I want to say thank you to Eve for holding the fort while I was away and for all the dramas she had to endure while on her own. I wish all the best to everyone studying for the future, whatever it may hold, and best of all... I look forward to future travels and future homecomings and of course... Rum! HAhaaaaaa...