From Controlling the Panic to Wow, This is Amazing

We've finally arrived! Actually it's been a few days, but it's bloody difficult to find an internet connection. The only Wi-Fi we've found is in downtown Auckland at Starbucks, and it crashed when we tried to email some pictures.

Anyway, we arrived ridiculously tired on Friday the 15th here, and stumbled around setting up bank accounts and cell phone service. Everything seemed really overwhelming and confusing. We visited the kitties in kittyjail and I totally broke down crying. Tino was really freaked out and didn't look like the same cat, Billy was agitated and kept hissing at him. It really seemed like we had done the worst possible thing to our cats and come to a place that felt far from home.

Luckily we found an amazing place to stay (again, I'll post some pics as soon as possible) at the top of a cliff at Red Beach which is 30 minutes north of Auckland. We can walk down to the beach, have our own swimming pool, and the nicest couple runs it. Actually they live in the house just up the hill, and we're going to stay with them for the next 3 weeks until we can locate an unfurnished house that accepts cats. Oh, did I mention that their neighbor has connections in the surfboard shaping industry and has given Kyle 2 shapers to contact? Also, free use of kayak while we're there. We just love this area, but it's probably too expensive to purchase in.

Tomorrow we'll drive back in to Auckland and I'll try to find a job. Hope it's not too hard.

I bought a really sweet 2001 Honda Fit (Jazz?). It's red with the sporty ground effects and tinted windows. A real cream puff from Japan. Guess I'll have to learn to read Japanese to read the manual. I've actually driven two times now, and aside from a small curb, I haven't killed anything (yet). Luckily I got full coverage insurance before I left the dealer.

Still learning how to relax with most of our lives yet to be sorted. I wake up at 5am (gets light about then) and start thinking about all the things still to be done. It's a good thing we're living in paradise or it might jsut be overwhelming.

We still feel we made the right decision in moving here. If everything else falls into place like it has in the last few days we'll be soooo happy here. Oh, yeah- when was the last time you made good friends with your used car salesman, and he gave you a bottle of wine? Everyone here is too good to be true.

More posting later, when we're on the internet on our own computers.
Cheers,
Brooke