One Month! And What a January it was!!

What better way to celebrate one month in New Zealand that going to my first New Zealand dinner party! I was lucky enough to get to go along with the family I was staying with for a friend's 30th Anniversary Dinner and it was a real treat. Think English outdoor tea party with the grandiose New Zealand backdrop scenery and rural settings with a touch of flair. The hostess had even had 3 outdoor chandeliers installed just for that night. Everyone was dressed up and brought a dish for the dinner. It was all so delicious and the company was welcoming and interesting. The evening was a really fun way to cap off an impressive month.

Probably one of the more exciting moments of the month was the 6.3 earthquake that hit near Palmerston North. I have to say I was pretty proud of the fact that once I realized what was happening I did remember you were suppose to get into a doorway. I went to one of the doorways off the main room and saw that Doug was freaking out on the patio and it dawned on me that where the house was built on the side of a hill I really didn't want to be in it. So I grabbed the dog and up the stairs we went out onto the front lawn. Tia was actually outside on the front lawn so it was good to know all my charges were out of the house if anything did come crashing down. Luckily, the only thing it did was open some cabinet doors, knock pictures off the wall and a few things around on shelves and what not. But nothing broke. It was scary and I was a bit shaken up out on the lawn afterwards so it made me feel a lot better to have the neighbor come running out acting just a shook up. They all agreed it was the biggest quake they had felt. In researching afterwards I was very shocked to find that the magnitude was the same as the earthquake that did so much damage in Christchurch. The difference between how much damage and shaking happens depends on where the epicenter of the earthquake is. Luckily, this one was like 17k below the surface. The one in Christchurch was only 3k below the surface so that's why it was so much worse.
Earthquakes and dinner parties aside it has been a pretty crazy January. In this month I have stayed in Auckland and Palmerston North. I have traveled by bus, bike and boat. I have been to the beach and even an island. I have gotten a phone, went grocery shopping and even gotten library cards. I have become a pretty avid Skyper and realized that blogging takes some work! It has been very fun and interesting for sure but I will also say it hasn't been all easy. I do miss all of my friends back home and it was especially hard being this far away when one of them suffered a horrible loss. While I am liking the slower pace here, I miss working. Housesitting is going well but it does by its nature leave one pretty isolated. I hope to in the coming months find work and more ways to meet people. The past week has also been a little unsettling as until just two days ago I was unsure what I would be doing for the month of February. But in just the last couple days I have lined up two more housesitting jobs. One in Gisborne for the month of February and the second in Whangarei for April and May. In some ways it seems like forever since I was in Phoenix working and with my friends there, but in other ways it does seem like I just got here. I feel like I am suppose to be learning something or figuring something out during this year and the impatient part of me is a little nervous that isn't clear yet. But it is only one month, two cities, only part of one of the islands. I have a lot of New Zealand left to see and 11 more months for it to be clear.

I have over the first month here added up a little mileage for my goal of getting in 1000 miles this year. I don't know that I am going to get in the 1000 miles running but if I add in the hiking I think I will for sure. Doug has helped and this past week I have done a couple rides and hikes as well with the family here in Palmerston. So my January totals are:
            
                 Running: 31.39 miles
               Hiking: 43.36 miles
               Biking: 81.13 miles

Well as usual, here are some more photos I have taken this week! They are from a hike on the Sledge Track and from biking around town.

I brought one of my Husker shirts and had an interesting time explaining how crazy we are where I'm from about our college American football. So far it doesn't seem like they get very into the college level sports. I have heard a lot about rugby and cricket pro teams but nothing about college level sports.

 

 

Well just a couple more days here in Palmerston North and then I am off to Gisborne for the month of February! Seems strange for this to be the time to head to a surf city but February here is summertime. February Goal: Get a TAN!