Nelson is just like Nelson

Hey, Hey! We're in Nelson, on the South Island. Hoorah! It has qualities similar to that of Nelson, BC, one of my favourite spots to be, with the exception that the Nelson here in NZ is located on the coast with a wonderful blue-green ocean and pretty spectacular beaches. The people here are the friendliest I've come across, ever. When I walk around everyone is smiling at you and saying 'hello!'. Even though there was rain and a dreary sky the first two days we were here, I still felt as though this place is special, with a welcoming spiritual quality and a feeling of.... home. Hmm, those are somewhat dangerous words, Dee. Yep, and that is just great! Beth and I are staying with Hazel, Craig and wee-Cole in their house here in Nelson. These folks rock. Thank you Chris Ball for setting us up together! Hazel has the most excellent Scottish accent, she's a great story teller, and she's got that infectious fiesty fire. We're waiting out the weather to be able to hike and kayak Abel Tasman National Park north of town. Perhaps early next week we'll luck out with the weather... It's supposed to be drop-dead gorgious, and an easy trek along the coastline. Can't wait. For now, we're catching up on sleep and continuing to feed our minds with novels and the odd bit of the Discovery Channel... Last night we caught a show where a company in Manitoba were moving an entire grain elevator 20 kms to the next town. It took three months to finish the job! The movers were typical prairie Canadians cracking jokes and had that small-town appeal, so I couldn't help but smile. On a different topic, a few of you have emailed me asking if I am okay because my blog there for a bit sounded like I was a wee bit homesick and weary of travelling. Yep, I was sleeping a bit more than normal and relaxing and resting up and pondering life and travelling. I was, and still am, a bit tired of moving about, both mentally and physically, but my thoughts of home and my loving friends and family give me a warming energy and the strength to remain positive and live in the moment appreciating absolutely everything.... I'm certainly not tired of New Zealand, but I am looking forward to the time when I can stay in a community and get immersed; really dig my feet into the ground and get a bit of sand stuck between my toes. For now, I'm going with the flow and doing what feels right for the travelling stint, and at the same time I find myself doing some serious contemplating about my relationships with people, both friends and lovers. No major insights have come up, but I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot more time thinking about life, love and living... I knew the anonimity of travelling would cause me to ponder myself, my life, my inner being, and I feel extremely fortunate for this enticing opportunity. The thoughts always within me are that I am happy to be alive, to be human, to be loved by many, and I feel beautiful inside and out. With that as a base, I have enough strength and support to continue to do what I love, to be curious and adventurous, and to invite personal and spriritual growth into all of my experiences. So, um, yeah, I'm doing well, and not even remotely thinking of booking the next flight outta here.