Somewhere Out There

I'm now in Little River, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Actually, I'm about 5k outside of Little River wwoofing on a property owned by Glen Rositter. Glen is a sometimes DJ, party promoter, and organic enthusiast. His property is really lovely - on the top of a hill, overlooking the valleys below, he has terraced vegetable gardens, native plant life, and a lovely stream. He moved out here a few years ago, and has been working to be self sufficient ever since. The ouse is heated by a wood burning stove, and is an open floorplan with curtains seperating the rooms. Another wwoofer and I (Ivy, from Taiwan) share the guest pullout couch. There is no plumbing other than a sink - there is a camp toilet housed in an outhouse shed, and a gas heated open air shower/bath. While not what I expected, it certainly has its charm. Glen loves it - he goes into town regularly: odd jobs, family, groceries - but is happy living simply on his plot of land. He's a unique guy, very nice, and he has that New Zealand sense of humor that I still can't quite pinpoint. Readers, I'm sure many of you know that some of these conditions are pushing my comfort zone - but...When In Rome...I'm constantly being shown new ways people want to live, choose to live, or end up living, and it's keeping me on my toes. More importantly, it's giving me a new perspective on my own choices, norms, and hopes for the future. His computer isn't adaptable to my memory card, so I won't be posting pictures for a bit - but for anyone with an imagination, focus your mind's eye on a small stream with large, smooth stones under a canopy of soft green trees. Let your feet rest on one of the stones, half submerged, water softly streaming out of your toes. Take a deep breath, and listen for the bird call. The grass is freshly cut, and spring is rising into summer. New Zealand in late October.