Dreams In a Time of Transition

Hello again, finally! What happened to my goal of writing blog posts weekly? What happened to the big dream of mine to build this into a photography and blogging career? I promise that goal is still alive and in process, without any glimmer of a doubt. I literally eat, sleep and dream in photography and art, without pause. So, like a long-time friend, I won’t bore you with explanations, let’s just pick-up right where we left off!

Today I was writing a post on Instagram and happened to check the date. I couldn’t believe my eyes, this weekend marks one year that our Boston family has been living in New Zealand! How did the time pass so quickly? In this time, we have enjoyed some of the most gorgeous land and seascapes of our lives, we’ve learned to surf as a family, we’ve made amazing new friends, we’re now proficient with driving on the left side of the road as a right-sided driver, we’ve come to appreciate the joy of having less “things” and a town without a shopping mall and crowds. This year has been so amazing, but, of course, not without it’s challenges. We have only just experienced such a small fraction of all we are planning.

It turns out, we haven’t been on vacation every day this year, as much as that seems to be true each morning, when we wake-up in paradise.

We still need to work, go to school (albeit with a seal pup), run errands and participate in our community. Who knew? All kidding aside, I’ve never wished for more time in my day than I have this year. There is so much I want to be doing all at once, sleep should be optional.

So, as much as I’d love to spend all of my waking hours outdoors in this wonderland, when you have a dream for growing your photography career, one must eventually spend time with none other than Instagram. I have started using social media this year, something I always “thought” I would detest in the past. As it turns out, social media has been a savior to me over this year. I have found a community, stunning inspiration, support and so much hope for my dreams.

I’ve been writing from my heart and it’s been just pouring out so purely.

The drawback has been that I’ve given almost all of my photography and writing attention to these outlets and not nearly enough towards my own website.

So, for now, I’m not sure if I should back-up and retell it all from my present perspective or just keep moving forward. Either way, I’m so happy to be back here and look forward to beginning the rhythm of writing here at least weekly. For now, I’ll leave you with this little tidbit, from my 5am writing session this morning. I looked at this adorable photograph of my daughter experiencing a connection with nature and wrote the following on Instagram:

Every day I imagine what life this past year must feel like for our children as we have moved to the other side of the Earth.

This weekend marks one year since our family immigrated from Boston to New Zealand. What a beautiful and remarkable adventure it has been. We are currently living in our 2nd rental home and, in two months, we will move to our 3rd. Our daughters are attending their second school, my Love is working at his second (this one temporary) job and I’m working to essentially build a dual career. We are living with only the items we could bring on our flight, the remainder is sitting in a storage facility while we rent our US family home. Life is SO good!

There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be and the challenges we are facing are beautiful.

Our children are exactly the same as always, perfect to me in every way, each and every tiny morsel is goodness. They have all the same highs and lows, but it’s their wishes that have grown and developed in new ways. Our daughters still beg for sushi, candy, aka “lollies” and television, but they also understand gratitude and appreciation for things that we formerly took for granted. They now relish a warm house and a bike of their own tops this list. Previously owned community sales are our new marketplace . Like never before, our girls are treasure art supplies, pencils and paper. Nature is now home and a house is a place to rest, cuddle and share meals.

Being new at two schools as an immigrant has taught our children the value in having and being a true friend. Through these neighborhood transitions, each member of our family has developed the most beautiful relationships possible. Since moving to New Zealand, we have each begun developing an adoration and complete view of our unique selves. Our days spent outdoors has brought an increasing love, interest and admiration for the beauty of land, sea and creatures.

Living in our region of Gisborne brings a very special value when feeling connected to New Zealand.

Many traditions are associated with the East Coast, including the story of Paikea, who arrived from Hawaiki on the back of a whale. We have embraced this rich Māori culture, the tangata whenua or the indigenous people, of New Zealand. Gisborne’s population has the highest percentage of Māori of any region Our hearts and souls have grown a special connection with the land and a duty of care has been instilled in us through The Tiaki Promise. This is truly one of the most sacred additions into our lives. Being welcomed to New Zealand through a Pōwhiri, watching our daughters perform at the Kapa Haka Festival and sing the Māori school songs while playing and climbing trees is beyond measure, the most heartwarming and affirming of all.

I’m so proud of my sweet girls for their opening their hearts, growing resilience and moving through this year with such an attitude of discovery and interest. There have definitely been moments that weren’t easy or one of us felt homesick, but just as we had hoped, as long as we’re together, we are home. New Zealand, you have wrapped us in comforts we have never known and our values have never felt stronger.