TIME FOR SOME R AND R....

So we have just come back from a holiday. Three weeks touring the South Island in New Zealand. This year has definitely had it's moments, so for both of us we were ready to relax and enjoy. And we did. It was just lovely.

We had visited Christchurch briefly five years ago, then headed north and visited the North Island. We knew we wanted to come back, and eventually we made it.

I made myself a pact. I was going on holiday. No thinking about work or writing...I was just going to enjoy.


And what was not to enjoy? Mountains and lakes and birds and gardens and houses and boats and water and...

You get the idea. Every where we turned it was WOW...stunning view.


Or quaint buildings.


I'm a bit of a nature nerd. I like to walk, I like to look. I like to feel a place.


Give me some birds to see and I'm happy.


Even if I have no idea what they are. And although I said I wouldn't think about work I had to go into a library over there. Take photos, question the librarian and listen to their Storytime. Enquiring minds etc etc
But that is part of the adventure on holiday. New things to see and taste and do.

A helicopter ride over the mountains to land on top of one and peer down onto a glacier was AMAZING.

I've never skied or such, but I could so understand the want to be up high on some glorious snow.


Truly an amazing experience. 


As was doing the Canyon Swing. I must admit to being scared at this, and jumping off and trusting all would be well was a big step (no pun intended). But it was so terrifying  exhilarating. So much so I did it again. 

We walked in forests in search of kiwis...found none. We walked along beaches in search of jade...found none.  We visited Milford Sound and Stewart Island....rode in a jet boat through canyons and ate abalone and whitebait fritters. 


It wasn't perfect weather. It rained more than the sun shone. Was grey more than it was sunny. But you can't change the weather. You enjoy what you can, when you can...or else why bother leaving home?

Even though I told myself not to write, just to sit back, relax and take it all in, two poems came home with me. As did a list of stories an tales told to us by various people we met on the way.  So my not writing, turned into not writing...much. 

And the best part of the holiday, sharing the fun with this guy.



Vicki 






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UNTITLED....

Image
I must admit to a difficult time thinking of titles. Most of my work at the beginning has a very bland and often generic title, simply because the computer needs a title to save the work. I do have autumn 1, autumn 2 etc...not to mention many poems that simply have a date as a title. Perhaps it would be better to say these are working titles. 29/05/12 is such a catchy title isn't it? Makes you really want to read it.... But when I do send my work out, not only do I edit, re-read and work on the pieces to make them the best I can, I work very hard on the title. Because this is the first thing an editor/publisher/ reader sees. And we do want it to stand out from the crowd, to grab attention. Every time I open a short story collection or a book of poetry I read the contents page.  Looking for a title that grabs my attention, that makes me smile, makes me ponder, wonder what that is about.  I'm sorry but having a poem entitled UNTITLED is a bit of a cop out. I am left t
Read more

PLANNING AHEAD...

Image
In my day job I do a lot of planning. In fact the school holiday program that runs for two weeks in January was planned four months ago. And we are just about to plan for the Easter school holidays. In so many ways, it is difficult to plan so far ahead. Once chosen, these programs are locked in. They are in booklets and flyers and are advertised. Not to be changed. We have no idea if a new theme or program will work until it has been tried and tested. Just because it works in another library, doesn't mean it will work in ours. Different space, different people, different reactions. And when we trial a new program, which we are next year, as well as new days and times for programs, it is a step into the unknown. Will they work? How long before we know? When can we tweak? When it comes to a lot of the programs, we have to give them a year. And of course during that year we are planning for the next year's programming. It is a continuous circle of planning months
Read more

FRESH START....

Image
There's something about the beginning of a new year. Fills us with inspiration, hopes and dreams. Lets us believe that anything is possible. That the year to come can be anything we want it to be. And it can. And of course there are resolutions...I'm still debating about what tack to take. Whether to focus on poetry or short story, the novel(s) that I wrote last year....hmmm too hard to think about just yet. I'll let it percolate, ponder on the pros and cons, on what I WANT to do, not what I SHOULD do. Personal resolutions are so much easier- I have plans on health and wellbeing, on the house, on the garden, on myself spiritually as well. The writing ones are so much harder. And of course there is knowing when to stop. There is no point in having a list a mile long ( I so used to do that)... totally unachievable and so daunting. So it's better to have a few solid ones on the list...ones that can be achieved within twelve months. And also goals that I have contr
Read more