Life Down Under

Vacation

Remember when you were a kid in school and there were those glorious "half days" right before Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation? You showed up at school never to do any work; just to have parties and eat copious amounts of junk food. Then, by the time mid-day rolled around, the final bell was ringing and everyone was streaming into the hallways and practically running out the door, knowing that vacation had just begun and there would be no more thoughts of homework or papers or tests or pop quizzes or anything of the sort.

Well, that's kinda how I felt today as I finished leading the 10am prayer meeting and Aaron and Taylor and I climbed into the car to head home. No, there were no parties or junk food in the prayer room this morning, but our vacation does start today, and for the next several days, there need be no thoughts of intern accommodation or transportation, curriculum, preparing notes, schedules, handouts, and legistics. We are on vacation!

This afternoon my job is to pack suitcases and then make multiple lists of the all-important things we can't bear to leave behind. Taupo doesn't have grocery stores, you know. The way I pack, you'd think we were headed into the bush, miles away from any civilization. But hey, I'm a woman. And a mom. I get to.

So tomorrow we head off to Taupo for several days to meet up with some good friends of ours who currently live in the States, but are back in NZ for a month visiting family. Marty is Kiwi, Candice is American. Josh (NZ) and Misty (USA) are also going to join us, and then we're in for a good 'ole time. Especially Saturday night when the All Blacks play. Josh, Aaron, and Marty all together in a room is bad enugh as it is; can't even imagine what the three of them together will be like during a rugby test match. Let's just say I hope New Zealand wins. And Taylor sleeps through the rucus coming from the living room.

I'm leaving my computer at home so I don't get sucked into working while we're away, so unless you hear from me briefly tomorrow morning before we leave, this will be my last post until we get back. Cheers!