After five years

This week, New Zealand and I had our five year anniversary. Five years since I got on the one way flight. Five years since I said goodbye to Belfast and all those I knew and loved. Five years since I sat at Hong Kong airport, one flight down, one to go, wondering if I'd had a temporary break with sanity when I thought this was a good idea.

It's good to look back sometimes. It's good to remember those things: the good times and how they could come out of nowhere; the hard times and that they ended; the people and the shapes they chiselled  on my heart.

So, allow me a little self-indulgence. Today, I remember...

I remember Lee and Sarah, two blessings all wrapped up in the skins of Irish physios. I was less than excited about being thrown into a flat with people I didn't know, but that would have been different if I'd known what was coming: a lot of cups of tea, Friday nights with America's Next Top Model, Irish brush dancing and more than a little inter-Ireland banter in the world's most poorly insulated house.

I remember beauty, a whole lot of beauty. From Milford Sound, to Cathedral Cove, to Lake Tekapo, to Raglan, to random little spots on the edge of the road in the middle of nowhere. It's not really any wonder that New Zealanders are proud and protective of their little patch of earth. 

I remember my first experience of the Waikato Stadium. I don't remember the result (for the record, that's a lie, but let's brush past that quickly). I was so excited to be doing physio at a big stadium that I didn't care that it was pouring with rain and about 3 degrees. It seems the stadium has now become almost my second home, and I can tell you for a fact that it's not quite as exciting at 5:30 a.m. But I am still amazed at the opportunities I've been given to get me where I've been able to go.




I remember people who have welcomed me into their homes, fed me, stopped me from being homesick, shown me around their country, made me part of their families. Special shout out has to go to the Tucks. So Kelly, Stan, Helen, Jase, Abby and Eli, thanks for turning me into Pip McTuck and treating me like part of the furniture.

In case you're in any doubt, I also remember that I've got people that I left behind, in the UK and in South Africa. And I will always remember that sometimes it's worth travelling 18155 kilometres.

There's so much more. Ski trips, Pacific Island adventures, unplanned treks, good food, midnight giggles, paragliding, cats, fellowship, cocktails, questions, the occasional answer, and a whole lot more to come.

Thank you New Zealand. It's been a treat.