Kevin
We ride into Auckland on a wave of emotions. What awaits us in this, the biggest city in all of New Zealand, the most populated and bustling metropolis that we have seen in almost three months. We will find affordable accommodations? Will we be able to find a new owner for Fern? Will we be able to deal with the honking horns, the hustle, the bustle, the crowds? After all, this is where we come from, a big city.
Though we are the same people that left Miami a year and a half ago, our travels have changed is in very profound ways. We have re-established new tolerances for many things, such as comfort, diet and mobility. We have discovered a new found love of freedom and nature. We have learned to walk slower, mind the details and smile...often. We have, as expressed so many times before, recognized our passion for our family, friends and home. We have learned that life can be as simple or complex as you make it, that you must take chances and that the world is not a big, bad scary place.
Lacking the personal experience, I have to assume that our last three months of travel have given us a peek at what it might be like to be homeless. I know that now having the experience of showering in a public bathroom, sleeping in a parking lot or not showering at all for days, I can't help but have empathy for those who may have not chosen to live (travel) this way. It will humble you and it will make you appreciate even the most minute of conveniences, such as running water, an interior space you can stand in, or a cozy resting area, far from a highway. Conversely, there is an element of freedom in living on the fringes of Western conformity. It is even desirable to move about at your own will and chose what you want to do and when you want to do it. To take a long walk into the bush or meander along the shore.
Perhaps the most intoxicating and invigorating is the freedom to wander. To stray far from the beaten track. To take the gravel road, or climb over the hill. You never know what awaits you at the end or on the other side. The not knowing can be exhilarating and if embraced and not feared can lead to amazing rewards.
Travel has been a metaphor for life. There are a lot of lessons to be learned. The observant spirit can derive a whole new set of parameters. Perhaps the most important are to realize that you really are no different from even those brothers and sisters who sit naked in a jungle on the other side of the world. After all, you are each in a quest to find comfort and happiness. It helps to remember this when dealing with those much closer to you. Smile. To embrace your surroundings and take time to enjoy them. There is music in nature and if you stop to listen you will be rewarded with a beautiful symphony. Life is more and it takes less. You probably only need a fraction of what you think you do to survive. Giving is the best gift you can receive. Live slow. Smile.
We pull into one of the first suburbs of Auckland, Mangere, and find our good ole' friend Pak 'n' Save. We buy some food for dinner and breakfast and head to Amburly Park, a working farm on the fringes of the big city. We are able to camp there overnight. But first, we empty Fern completely and begin the nagging task of deconstruction. We repack our bags with our possessions, separate the trash, and prepare for the Sunday car fair. It takes us the majority of the day and after a late dinner and shower it is off to bed to make the alarms call at six in the morning. It is sure to be a long day. We wake up and it is still dark out and there is a fine mist hanging in the air. We don't talk much as we whip up a quick breakfast and head out the five gates that keep all the animals safe from the city traffic. We arrive at the Ellerslie Racecourse in time to get our sellers package, find a good spot, wipe down Fern and check out the competition. The morning starts slow and the weather is less than desirable for a car sale, but we stay hopeful and positive. In due time, people start to arrive and three individuals inquire about Fern and continue to circle around pondering their decisions, which we now know can be a bit taxing. Two of the potential buyers are local Kiwis and one is a traveler.
It isn't until a couple hours and test drives later that thirty year old California surfer, Kramer, returns to begin negotiating. I am honest with him and take him through all of the coughs and chokes. He opts for the paid vehicle inspection and we wait along side him biting nails and saying prayers. For an old girl, Fern fairs pretty well. The report shows she needs front brakes, a universal something or other and a tune up. The mechanic figures it would cost about $400 NZ dollars to have it all worked out. So, I tell Kramer we will split the cost of the repairs and take our half off the asking price. A deal is struck, the paperwork completed and our pockets are filled with crisp US dollars, which he happened to be traveling with. We wish him well, bid our girl a fond farewell and somewhat gloomily stroll into our double room, named “Queenstown”, at the Auckland International Backpackers.
How to explain the wave of emotions? There is not much you can do to prepare and not much past experience to draw on when it comes to the point where all you have worked for and focused on is about to end. It was, by all accounts, a sweeping success. Aside from two missing cameras, a few battles with the runs and a the loss of a beloved member of the family (We love you Aphrodite), we have done it. We have accomplished what we set out to do and exceeded even our most lofty of expectations. So, now what? How does one prepare to “re-enter the real world”? It will remain an unknown for now. Though we currently feel a whole in our hearts, like something is missing, akin to losing a loved one, we fight to stay hopeful and positive that the future will continue to hold great things. Unlike some travelers you meet, we are not running away from anything and love our home. We are very anxious to be reunited with loved ones and gratuitously spread hugs. We long for creature comforts and some form of normalcy. We will, however, do our best to hold on to the feelings we have been fortunate enough to experience in the last year and a half. We will work hard to stay in touch with new friends. We will not stop searching for adventure and excitement. We will foster the desire to explore. We will begin to see an old world in new ways. We will try to be better people and be better to people. We will crave freedom and appreciate familiarity. We will above all always try to be true to ourselves. As one door closes and a new one opens, we urge you all to continue to come along while we vagabond!
THE END!
