Back to earth

Again I've been lax on blogging. I actually have a life where at times sitting down to write random thoughts can take valuable time away from chores and errands. I came back from my trip to New Zealand on February 24th then immediately took a short trip to Birmingham, Alabama to watch Davis Cup so I have that as a good excuse.

The purpose for out trip to New Zealand was mostly to figure out if immigrating there is a good idea for us. We discovered it wasn't. The biggest problem is the tax structure and the amount we would have to pay if my husband were to work. The other option would be to retire but our cache of cash as been severely depleted recently and we would need a source of income. We were also concerned with the value of beach front real estate and the high cost of building.

The holiday part of the trip was wonderful. I found the country breathtakingly beautiful and the people to be enthusiastic and honest. We met people from all over the world and had interesting conversations about ecology and politics. I ate delicious food, loved the lamb, and drank fantastic wines. But going back again anytime in the near future is not in our plans. Sitting in airports for hours and eating airport/airplane food during a 24 hour setting is not a pleasant way to end a trip.