Author: Hannah
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Settling in
Well, we’ve been in New Zealand for two weeks today, and it feels like we are getting the hang of life here. The first week plus was a bit rough — so many bags to unpack, but first we had to clean the cupboards of mildew. The kids played a lot of War. The Bay…
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30 hours of travel
We made it to SeaTac, managed to check our 7 bags of 66 lbs each all the way to Auckland (for free, thanks to Riki sweet-talking the agent Ricky!!) , made it through security, and breathed a sigh of relief at the gate. I figured I would need all my strength and patience to make…
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last weeks of packing, etc.
Our last few weeks in the U.S. were a whirlwind of packing, cleaning, saying goodbye and getting rid of a lot of stuff. most of the time I was focused on the tasks at hand, but sometimes I would get sad about leaving behind our magical neighborhood, strong community, and dear family. also we celebrated…
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5 weeks to go…
We spent the weekend camping at Washington Park in Anacortes, and climbing at Mount Erie with Mo, Dev & my mom Candace. The campground had gorgeous views of the San Juans. It was our first time climbing at Mount Erie. I got 2 blisters from belaying the first day without my belay gloves. It was…
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T minus 7 weeks
We have tickets to fly to New Zealand on September 25th. Between now and then we have a long list of things to do. Riki is working hard to finish installing a second bathroom in the basement, to replace part of the ceiling in the kitchen, and, and, and other house projects. I have to…
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Patagonia
As lovers of mountains, Patagonia has loomed large in our imagination as a travel destination. We decided to make the trek to Patagonia while living in South America, figuring we were about 50% closer. Luckily my dear friend and climbing partner Mo also wanted to go to Patagonia, and Mo was game to backpack with…
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Holidays
The holiday season is a special time in Cuenca with interesting traditions. The 24th of December is the “Pase Viajero del Niño”, a parade through the historic center of town where people dress up as different Biblical characters (Virgin Mary, Wise Men, Joseph, shepherds) as well as in traditional indigenous dress from various towns in…
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Po Po comes to town
Po Po means grandmother on your mother’s side in Cantonese. So that’s what my mom, Candace is called. She came to visit us for November & December. We had planned a trip to Bolivia to see the Uyuni Salt Flats, La Paz, and Lake Titicaca; however, we had to cancel our trip due to the…
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Ultimate Frisbee
Our Sunday mornings are usually spent at Parque Paraíso. I play Ultimate, and Riki watches our three kids, plus often three extra (older kids). When my mom was here, Riki played for two weeks, and even bought cleats. Ultimate is so fun! It’s hard on an aging body, but so far I have not sustained…
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