Where in the world is Sarah? That’s right, in New Zealand! It’s early summer right now, and it’s warm and sunny. I flew into Aukland early yesterday morning, after a 12:30-hour flight spent attempting to sleep. My parents were slightly delayed (apparently Aukland has poor signage), so it was a few minutes before they showed up. They didn’t see me right away, so I snuck around behind them. BOO! Max never saw the hug coming. :)

Aukland seems at first glance to be a wonderful combination of India, Japan, Costa Rica, and Key West. The houses are small and cute, the people seem really friendly, and there are trees everywhere. We watched the sunrise (and some cows) at the top of an old volcano, from where we could see the harbor and all the little islands and volcanoes around. Max had his sailing class later in the morning, so my parents and I walked to Takapuna’s Sunday Market along the beach. Well, perhaps not so much on a beach as on the rocks, because the tide was coming in at the time. In the rush to cross one particular bit, I actually lost my sandal to the crashing waves! Papa went in after it, and we enjoyed the rest of the walk in wetness.

It also rained a couple times, but a different kind of rain the constant drizzle of the Northwest. It would just pound down for a couple minutes as we huddled under a tree, and then it would let up again.

Last night we ate homemade pizza and I introduced everyone to Firefly. My brother and my dad went to bed early, and had taken naps earlier in the day. Perhaps ironically, I was the last one to fall asleep! We have borrowed air mattresses from the neighbors because our shipment is delayed until January or February. Even without most of our stuff, my mom has done a wonderful job furnishing the house and making it feel like home! Our little tree has a nice stockpile of “pressies” under it, and I have a few more goodies hidden in my bag.

The first semester of college is over, and here I am in New Zealand with my family. They’re still coming to terms with living in a foreign country, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. But we’re together, and right now, that’s all that really matters.