Our world has been turned upside down – in a good, and soon to be rather literal, way. Our visas have come through so now it’s official: we are off on an adventure to the other side of the world. We’re heading to New Zealand – which is a bit of hike for a woman like me, who still lives within 500 metres of her childhood home.
We are taking the children out of school and heading to Auckland – City of Sails – in search of something different, for a short while at least. Of course, Teddy’s coming, too.
It’s happened fairly quickly – hence the last minute visas. The Tales of Teddy store will continue (the wonder of a web-based business), but I’m going to sign off the blog for a month or so while we pack up our house (currently every surface in our home and every recess in my brain seems littered with lists), make our journey around the world (24-hour flights for us all) and settle into a new way of life.
We might share the same language and drive on the same side of the road, but I’m looking forward to all that’s different over there: the beaches of Auckland after the urban sprawl of London; the wild beauty of New Zealand (the tropical north, the Southern Ocean, all the heavenly bits in between) after the familiar green/grey comforts of Blighty. There’s even the accent: as a friend gleefully pointed out, Teddy will soon be answering to ‘Tiddy’!
It’s an exciting thing to do and not without its nail-biting moments. Our current pressing concerns are:
1. Taking enough food for a hungry teenager with severe food allergies on a 24-hour flight. (Is there a cool bag big enough?)
2. Teddy travelling in a crate for 24-hours and then staying in quarantine for 10 days. (We thought it was a relief that we could visit Teddy once he’s in quarantine. Now we are wondering if that will just confuse him. “I don’t think we’ll be able to stay away,” said my husband. Yup. I think he’s right.)
3. Getting everything done before we leave. Those lists I mentioned are endless. Yet still, yesterday I must have made at least 20 cups of tea in an effort to avoid getting on with it.
The shippers, the storage containers, the industrial cleaners, the renters – they’re all to come and there will undoubtedly be a crazy countdown until we leave. Then, when we get there, we’ll want to explore our neighbourhood, the country – find out about the local people, the food, the way of life, the outdoor pursuits (sailing, paddle boarding, hiking, skiing) not to mention the local dog scene…
There are still new products in the pipeline for the Tales of Teddy store, and who knows what we’ll find to add in New Zealand (there are an awful lot of Kiwi sheep, so I’m guessing something wooly might be a go-er)? While I might be easing up on the blog for a while, Teddy’s Instagram will still be going strong. Teddy on Tour: here’s hoping you’ll join him on a virtual voyage. Wish us luck!