Coming Home!

We wrapped up this blog a while ago, but I thought it would be a good place to share some news with you all.  After nearly 20 years in law, I’ve decided to give retirement a test drive and will be heading back to St. John’s, Newfoundland on August 26^th for good.  It will be strange to be home after living away for more than 24 years, but I’m looking forward to spending time with family and friends, and to experiencing the joy of a perfectly ordinary life for a while. 

On the eve of my retirement, I find myself being so very grateful for all of the amazing opportunities I’ve experienced, and for all of the amazing people I have met along the way.  I have been incredibly lucky. From St. John’s, to Halifax, to Calgary, to Paris, and finally to Port Moresby, my career has followed a strange and unexpected trajectory, but I have loved nearly every single minute.  Becoming a lawyer was the second best decision I've made in my life (marrying Dennis was the best of course), and I remain astounded that after all these years, I still love practicing law.  What a gift it has been. 

We haven’t figured out what comes next, but I am looking forward to spending the next 6-12 months deciding if permanent retirement is the way to go.  I expect there to be a couple of dogs in my future, and we are pretty confident that there won’t be any travel for quite some time.  After seeing an incredible amount of the world over the past 10 years, we are more than ready to become homebodies. 

Thanks so much to all of you who have supported us along the way.  We have been blessed with incredible friends, family, colleagues and mentors.  Even though it has been hard at times and some days I really wondered what on earth I had gotten us into, I would not change a single thing. 

Here’s to love and laughter and fun times ahead!  For the “come from aways” in our life, the door is always open in St. John’s. 

Thanks all!

Lori

That's a Wrap

It has occurred to me that I haven't explained to everyone where I am and what I'm doing. When Lori and I finished our visit to Calgary, she flew west to Papua New Guinea and I flew east to Newfoundland. I will go back to PNG from time to time for a visit, but from now on, I will be based in Canada and Lori will be listed as a Geographic Single with the company. There are some perks with this new status, she now gets 5 trips home a year. We will see one another about every 8 weeks for the next 2 years when Lori will retire and move back home too. It's not ideal, but we will make it work. We certainly have experience with living apart.

While I will miss seeing Lori everyday, I am very happy to be back home. Being away from Canada this long has made me appreciate and love it even more. I've enjoyed exploring the world and discovering new things, but it's so nice to walk down the street and not look over your shoulder or be able to turn on the tap to get a drink of water. It may not be the most exciting place in the world or the prettiest, but this is the one place that the physical landscape matches my inner landscape (if that makes sense). I've started volunteering a few times a week at the SPCA and I'm going to take some classes to keep myself busy. I'm also going to start curling this winter. How Canadian is that eh?

Anyway, with life slowly returning to normal for us, I figured this is a good time to wrap up this blog. I was only supposed to write it for 6 months and here it is 4 1/2 years later. I'll leave it up because it's a cool way for Lori and I to look back on our adventure, but I won't be adding to it from now on. Maybe something exciting will happen in the future and I'll post another entry, but I doubt it. Thanks for reading and following along. Take care.

db

Japan to Alaska

Lori and I just completed another amazing vacation/adventure. We took a cruise that left from Tokyo and ended in Seward, Alaska. The ship stopped in 3 ports in Japan, 1 in Russia and 4 in Alaska. It was a smaller ship than we are used to, the maximum capacity of passengers on this ship is 382 but we only had 296 on this voyage. Because the ship is smaller, we were able to visit some very interesting ports that larger ships can't. They also offered enrichment lectures given by some very interesting guests. Several lectures on Japan were given by a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, who specializes in Japanology. The best lectures however, were given by a woman named Kathy Sullivan, who is a former astronaut and flew on 3 shuttle missions, and more recently she served as the Undersecretary for NOAA in the U.S. Government. We enjoyed all the lectures immensely.

Here are some pictures of the ports we visited. First up was Aomori. We arrived at the end of the cherry blossom season in Aomori.

We also went to visit a Buddhist temple.

Next up was Hakodate where we went on what was classified as a hike, but was more of a leisurely stroll around a lake. It was still beautiful though.

Our last stop in Japan was in Kushiro. Here we went to an active volcano that was venting steam and gas. It's really quite beautiful once you get over the smell.

The town takes full advantage of the Geo-thermal activity and created places the public can enjoy the natural spas. We stopped at an Onsen to soak our feet.

We ate very well in Japan as well. Lots of sushi, soba noodles and Kobe beef.

Japan is an amazing place with a fascinating culture and history. There is a huge language barrier, but the people are so friendly, and so proud of their country, they want you to feel welcome and enjoy yourself while you're there.


Next up was Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Here we went to a kennel for Siberian Huskies. We were desperate for a doggy fix and we found some real cuties.

Petropavlovsk is a very remote city and tourism is very new to them, so there wasn't much else to do in the city, but it is a beautiful area.

Then we sailed the Bering Sea and crossed the international date line. We actually got to live May 12 twice. It was very bizarre. Eventually we made it to Dutch Harbour, Alaska. The main claim to fame for Dutch Harbour is that the television show Deadliest Catch is based here. None of the boats from the show were around, most spend the off-season in Seattle, but their crab pots are waiting for them.

It was another beautiful place as well. Even though we had never been here, it felt very familiar to us.

Next was Kodiak where we went on a wildlife tour of the harbour.

We saw this sea lion jump on this boat looking for a snack.

There were sea otters everywhere in the water, but we managed to spot one out of the water.

Our next stop in Alaska was in Homer and we went on a proper hike. Getting there was a bit of a challenge. We had to transfer to small landing craft so we could be dropped off on the beach.

We saw lots of wildlife. That small black dot is a black bear. Glad we saw one and even happier he was that far away.

 It wouldn't be a trip to Alaska without a moose.

We had lunch next to a glacial lake which was amazing.

Alas, our cruise had to end sometime. Our final stop was in Seward where we boarded a train for a scenic ride to Anchorage to catch our flight to Calgary.

It was an amazing trip and I highly recommend Silverseas Cruises.

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New Zealand

It's official, we are in love with New Zealand. It's a beautiful country filled with friendly people and a climate that is more amenable to a couple of cold blooded Canadians. New Zealand is made up of two main islands and we spent all of our time on the south island. In fact, we were on the southern end of the south island, so the weather was cool enough for us to wear long pants and sweaters almost every day. It was a bit of a novelty for us.

For the bulk of the trip we stayed in Queenstown, which is the country's prime ski destination and it felt a little like Banff (with smaller mountains). The main purpose of the trip was to celebrate my 50th birthday and on that day we went up in a hot air balloon. It was a very cool experience and a great way to see the beauty of the area.

 They had a GoPro camera hanging from the balloon so we could get some group shots while we were in the air. Lori and I are in the back and on the left if you're looking for us.

 We made it to a height of 6000 feet, but we also spent some time low to the ground as well. I was able to snag a pretty good picture of the shadow the balloon was casting on a hill as we went by.

While we were in Queenstown, we took a day trip to the west coast of the south island and went on a boat trip in Milford Sound. There are filming locations all over New Zealand for the Lord of the Rings movies, but to me, Milford Sound looks like middle earth.

It had rained earlier in the day, so there were plenty of waterfalls pouring into the ocean.

We even got to see some dolphins riding the bow wave of another boat.

At the end of our trip, we spent a couple of days in Dunedin on the east coast of the south island. It was only a few hundred kilometers away, but it felt like a different country. The beach where our hotel sat, is a favourite spot for surfers.

We went on a nature tour of the Otago Peninsula and we saw albatross, penguins, sea lions and seals. It was so cool to walk on a beach while the sea lions played and to watch the penguins come out of the water after a day of fishing.

It was a great trip and I'm so happy we went. I do have to pass along some words of caution though. If you are thinking about going and you plan on renting a car or a camper van or some sort of vehicle, you have to be prepared for the roads. They are not like the roads you are used to, they are very narrow and winding and not at all forgiving. On our way from Christchurch to Queenstown a car (driven by a tourist) hit a motorcycle right in front of us. The motorcyclist was banged up pretty good, but survived. The day we drove to Milford Sound, a car (once again, driven by a tourist) was on the wrong side of the road and was hit by a bus. Both vehicles burst into flames and by the time we arrived, the burnt frames were the only thing left. Luckily everyone on the bus survived, but the 2 occupants of the car died. The New Zealand government knows there is a problem with tourists on their roads and they are trying to help. They provide you with safety information and a driving guide when you rent a car and there are signs everywhere telling you to slow down, but serious accidents still happen all the time. So if you go, and I think you should, just be careful on the roads.

db

New Apartment

Lori and I have moved into our new apartment and we are extremely happy. The first thing we noticed about the new place is it feels like a neighbourhood. We see kids playing in driveways and riding their scooters on the sidewalks all the time.

Inside, everything is new and clean and works. The living and dining area is open concept so it feels roomy. It's a great space to hold a party.

Lots of room on the balcony and a beautiful view as well.

Lori and I have moved a lot in our lives. We've lived in apartments, condos and houses in multiple cities, provinces and countries. It doesn't matter where we live, moving day always ends the same way for me, with sore muscles and a cold beer.

It's amazing how much better we feel, not only mentally but physically as well. I'm sleeping better, breathing better and I'm just more comfortable. Our oven works properly, our shower has hot water and we have a front loading washing machine. We no longer feel like we live in student housing. So happy.

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Frustrated in PNG

I try not to post anything negative on this blog, but January has been a frustrating month for us. I realize that we live a pretty interesting and exciting life, so no one wants to hear me whine and complain, but frustration is part of life as an ex-pat.

The shelves of the grocery stores have been empty since we returned from Australia, our internet connection is unreliable, and the garbage floating in the harbour is at an all-time high. The main source of our frustration though is our apartment. The swimming pool is falling apart and is unusable, the ditch in front of the building emits a foul odor, we have mold in growing in the vents, and our air conditioner died a couple of weeks ago and it took 6 days to get it repaired.

It may not sound like a hardship to those who are battling snow and freezing temperatures back home, but when you're living in a tropical climate during the rainy season, an air conditioner is an important feature. It was so unbearable, we moved into a hotel for a couple of nights. The solution was to pillage a unit from an empty apartment and it worked for awhile, but now the replacement A/C unit is starting to die a slow and painful death.

There is hope for us though, because we are moving into a new apartment and I mean a brand new apartment. A new building has just gone up in the same area and we are moving in as soon as possible. All the appliances, fixtures, and furnishings are brand new as well. Plus, everything is clean and works.

I'm not sure why this month has been more difficult for us than any other, but it has. It's been four years since we left Canada and it feels like we've been living like students for the entire time. Sleeping in uncomfortable beds, sitting on cheap furniture (we have outdoor patio furniture in our dining room), and washing clothes in crappy washing machines wears on you after a while. Fingers crossed the move will brighten my outlook on life here.

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Christmas/New Year's

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. Lori and I spent ours on a multi-city tour of Australia. We started on the west coast of Australia in Perth. We met our friend Erin and her parents for lunch on Christmas Eve at a beautiful seafood restaurant on the beach just outside of Perth.

Erin's parents opened their home to us and we spent Christmas Day with them as well. Unlike Canada where turkey is the main attraction, prawns are the star in Australia at Christmas.

After a wonderful visit with Erin (which was far too short), we flew to Melbourne for a couple of days. Melbourne is another beautiful city on the southern shore of Australia.

There are lots of great restaurants in Melbourne and we had some fantastic meals. We met up for lunch with our friends Andy and Kerryn who live in Melbourne and our friends Melissa and Al from PNG, who were in Australia for Christmas as well.

The food was great, but we had one of the strangest Charcuterie Plates I've ever seen.

It was great to see Andy and Kerryn again. This was a quick visit to Melbourne for us, just long enough to know that we will definitely be back in the near future.

Then we were off to Sydney for New Year's. I'm sure everyone knows of Sydney and their spectacular fireworks display on New Year's Eve. Sydney actually has 2 displays on New Year's Eve, one at 9:00pm for families and of course the main display at midnight. They incorporate the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House into the display along with 6 barges floating in the harbour. We were impressed with the organization of the entire event. Access to all of the prime vantage points is controlled and closed once maximum capacity is reached. They even have a website where you can track the status of the various vantage points around the city. People started claiming their spots by 7:00am. Lori and I were not among those people. We did go down to the harbour to watch the early fireworks, but it was a little too crazy for us. Luckily, we were able to see most of the late show from our hotel room with a glass of champagne in our hand. It was a spectacular show. I only had my phone, so my pictures didn't turn out great. I did however manage to get a shot of the millions of people leaving after it was over.

Melissa and Al were in Sydney as well and they had the best seat in the house. They were on a harbour cruise and were floating underneath the entire thing. If we go back, that's what we will do.

On New Year's Day, Lori and I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was a great way to start the New Year, even if we did have trouble walking the next day.

They have very strict safety rules in place. We weren't allowed to bring cameras or phones and we couldn't wear watches or jewellery of any kind. Everything we wore was issued by them and had to be attached to us, so nothing could fall on the passing traffic below and of course, we were attached to the bridge at all times. Here's the group we went with in our fashionable jump suits.

In some ways it was a very different holiday season for us because of the warm climate, but it many ways, it was the same as every year with good food and good friends.

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