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| The Bay of Plenty |
I’ve been putting
off writing this post for a few reasons.
First, I’ve been
super busy with life; projects, illnesses, kid, you know the drill.
Second, I’m in process of getting a web site so I can keep all writing, guest blog posts, happenings organized
in one place and I was hoping to have it going now but I don't.
And third, I don’t
want to say goodbye to Joe Wellington. The blog, not the person. The person is still found, just saw him last weekend. We’ve both been carrying on in our
everyday lives, so haven’t seen as much of him lately but I’m still quite pleased we've reconnected.
But I’m really,
really sad to end this blog.
When I began WJW over two years ago, it
was about my search for an old friend. It was a cool story, fun, and I loved crafting blog posts about our adventure here in New Zealand to share with loved ones back home, while getting creative and
trying to tie in the quest for Joe.
Before moving to New Zealand, I had a great life in Vermont. I lived there for ten years, continued my education
there, met my husband there, we played in a local band together, I began my
career, we bought a house, learned how to landscape, had a baby… we were
really doing the adulting thing right. I loved my job. I worked hard to get
promoted and met some co-workers who are lifelong pals (some I’d even consider
family). Still, something else called to me.
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| NZ sunset from our balcony |
It was quite a jolt to the system to leave such lovely things behind. It was hard being
a new mom. And it was hard moving overseas. But it was also hard leaving my
career, one I was passionate about and couldn’t help but be drawn to.
Starting this blog gave me something to do that was mine. In between nappy changes and tantrums, taking a moment to
write was always sacred time where I could be selfish, yet I envisioned a way to connect with others. It was my time to make sense of the day, the
week, the year. A way to breathe and cry if I needed, a way to process new
sights, anxieties, and adventures I was experiencing as a new mom and expat.
Writing has always been a constant companion from the time I was eight. To the outside world, I was a performer- perfect and on cue. But I cherished time in the quiet of my room where I could just be alone with paper and pen in hand. Writing has been calling me for a while now and this time, I'm paying attention.
When I lived in Vermont, I didn't do much writing for myself. Instead, I put my energy into essays and final exams. Moving to New
Zealand and starting Where’s Joe Wellington helped reconnect with my
passion for writing, and I’ll forever be grateful. Aotearoa is now my muse.
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| photo of me in NZ taken by Steve Waller |
So, now what?
I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for liking my Facebook page, thank you for following on Twitter. Thank you for sending me tips on how to find my pal, and for your interest in our New Zealand adventure. Thank you for believing in me, and offering mothering and writerly support when I've been homesick or question my confidence.
I’m
going to change the name of the Facebook page, and eventually the blog. I hope you'll stick around. Please continue to follow as our journey in Middle Earth continues. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm working on a web site. I’ll have a new blog with lots of photos, sharing our experience in New Zealand. I hope you continue to
read and enjoy, because trust me, I'm just getting started with these adventures!
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| photo of me in the Coromandel by Aaron Carlino |
As Keri Hulme
writes at the end of THE BONE PEOPLE, the book Joe Wellington gifted so long
ago in San Francisco,
"Te mutunga — ranei te take"
(the end - or the beginning)
