Clocking the Miles.

Roughly 900 miles and 27 hours of traveling time later-- that is all by bus, train, ferrie, and foot on the smaller places in between-- I have successfully, happily, and thankfully arrived in my final destination of my first "sojourn" through New Zealand, or any country really.  Or I could say, 1 couch, 1 wwoofing house, 2 hostels, one princess bed, and an indoor tent later, I've made it to my furthest northern destination of Te Puia Springs, of New Zealand's North Island. 

All was a success, no troubles were run into whatsoever except for the fact that I did manage to catch a pretty good cold... but even that didn't stop me from working on the ranch either.

So many people I've met, so many stories to tell and be told, and so many bonds have been made with people and things I would have never expected, or did I?

      plants. animals- wild and domestic. germans. californians. kiwis. maoris.              elders. kids. families. students. and what is it that we all have in common? 

WE TRAVEL.  WE SEE. WE LEARN. WE SHARE. WE ALL CONNECT.

  There is so much I have to say and share and show and educate those of you that are wanting to know, but it's all needed to be done through personal time spent together to really get the gist of it all.  And I can't wait to share. Really!  

  I will say that I've had one of the most life-influencing, changing, inspiring, shifting... whatever you want to call it... experience thus far, and I have to say, if you haven't done something similar yet-- now is the time. Like they say, no time like the present.

I will share this bit:  I ended up being placed in a shared room with an older Maori man, probably mid 60's... and yes, I was just as surprised or even more as you may think I may have been.  But this was for just one night in Wellington, and i would be waking very early to catch the bus to Gisborne.  I never felt scared, and I usually have a very good intuition about good v.s. bad situation.  Whatever angels have been traveling with me the entirety of this trip, well they're doing a spectacular job!  I took the opportunity of a good feeling, and began to get to know Geoff.  He was a very intelligent and well travelled man himself, and was stationed in Wellington for 3 weeks for work.  We started talking about the states, California, traveling, family and culture.  He taught me a great deal about the Maori culture within an hours time, and I have taken one of the most knowledgeable, simplistic view of life that should be handed down in all cultures.

   

     He told me, "The Maori people believe strongly in the three P's, and none forget it.  The three P's: Planet. People. Profit.   Keep them in that order and one will take care of the other.  Switch them around an all is lost."  

   Take this wisdom into consideration and really think about it... it makes sense doesn't it?  Right it does.  I could go into depth as well, but I figure you all are smart cookies and can interpret it and make sense of it your own.  

  So just keep it in mind, and we'll all get to where we want and need to be-- we as in all of us, not just as individuals,that too, but as a whole.  

   

I look forward to telling you all about my little trips and all the road I've walked in-between... if you're wanting to know that is :D

Love you all,

will write soon- promise,

Aroha,

Koko