Five years ago, with one click of a key on here my life changed forever.  This was during the old MSN days, and up to that time I spent most chat time in a private group room, but I was bored one night, missing my man and decided to venture into public chatrooms.  It's amazing where curiosity will take you... and in one keystroke, exit my man and enter a group of people I became very close to.  Tight bonds developed, and one of those was with a beautiful soul living in New Zealand with her three beautiful children.  She was known as "Datu", and after all this time I still call her that rather than Tracey lol.

Then, in 2006 she and her sister came to the states and Canada to visit some of their online friends and soulies.  They spent a week with me here in Florida, and we had THE BEST time together.  In May of this year it was my turn to go visit her, and I saw it coming as one of two trips of a lifetime (the other was a three week camping trip around the country in 1999).  We had talked about so many things we'd do.... places we'd go, things we'd talk about and more.  THIS was gonna be GREAT .

 

One small detail I should mention here is that I'm 57 years old going on 10.  Long ago, I consciously chose to never, ever totally "grow up".  Unfortunately, the body I reside in had other plans.   It has, at times, defied medical science lol... and refuses to cooperate with my choice made long ago.  I only say this  here because it's what changed all "plans" for my trip in a major way.  Two days after arriving in New Zealand it began... inflammation thru my entire body that caused alot of pain and fatigue.  One thing I remember tho is as soon as I got off the plane, I was constantly thirsty, and that didn't change, so I constantly had a bottle of water or juice with me at all times... even next to the bed at night.  Over there the seasons are the opposite of ours, so it was going into winter... and very damp climate to boot... more so as day turned to night and vice versa.  For all the fun I had in the first couple of days, walking and climbing trees, swinging from them lol... I paid a dear price.  I told Datu (laughing as I said it) that I felt like she had beaten me up lol.  It was all downhill physically from there.  The pain and fatigue kept me from further ventures out to see the beautiful countryside.  I remember thinking "I'll feel better tomorrow if I just rest a bit"... but that didn't happen.  Even the very short walk to the kids school grounds to watch them play soccer took a toll.

I did alot of sitting outside at her lovely home, and was absolutely captivated by all the birds and their songs I'd never heard before.  It was like being in another world... I couldn't get enough of them.  And the monarch butterflies - they were everywhere!  We were able to watch them unfold, drying their wings... it was magic.  And the kids... Jamie, Jessie and David... I am blessed to have gotten to know them after hearing so much about them over the years.  They can, of course be a handful for my sis (as I call Datu).. but I'm telling you , she is a saint, raising them by herself lol.  To watch the dynamics of this little family was wonderful.  They are all so very close to each other.  I'd give anything right now to be back there witnessing Datu with her 14 year old daughter Jamie rolling around on the floor wrestling and laughing so hard lol.  And to see what David had up his sleeve next rofl... his curiosity about everything touched me, and he is great at practical jokes lol.  And Jessie... beautiful sweet Jessie... constantly reminding everyone that she loves them.   To spend two weeks with such a pure and innocent soul has blessed me for the rest of my days.  I love you too, Jessie .

 

By the second week, Monday night to Tuesday morning, the cruel jokes my body was playing got serious.  I couldn't even get out of bed until about 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, and made the short walk to the living room where Datu was on the phone.  Wasn't there long when I got up from the sofa feeling like I was really gonna be ill and headed back down the hall... but apparently didn't get far lol.  In the New Zealand photo album is a picture I call "The Landing Strip", which is where I passed out (for the first time in my life, EVER).  The last thing I remember was calling her name because I was suddenly more dizzy than I'd ever been and sort of knew I was going down and out.  Sis, I want to thank you again here and now for being there with the medical training you've had.  She did everything right, including calling an ambulance when I was saying no don't do it lol.  So from there I was taken to the ER at a hospital in Aukland... an hour away, but she was right there with me shortly after my arrival.  I don't know how she made arrangements for the kids care AND the trip so fast.  She told me that as I was on my way down I hit my head twice pretty hard, which explained the two giant eggs on my head lol.  I had xrays, cat scans and numerous tests, showing that I was severly dehydrated (as I had my bottle of juice beside me lol).. so much so that my kidneys were not functioning and my blood pressure was way too low (I'm on meds cuz it's normally way to HIGH rofl).  They also found a bone fragment floating around my knee replacement (I knew I had done SOMEthing there lol).  Oh yeah.. then there was my neck.  Hurting pretty bad, so they put a hard collar on me and wouldn't let me even sit up... and the collar was pressing right on one of the big lumps on my head.  By the time we found all this out it was getting late, so Datu had to get home.  I was being admitted and they found a room at about 4 am.  I didn't realize until MUCH later that morning that my new "roomies"  were three MEN that I'd be spending four of my last five days in New Zealand with roflmao.  It was all quite an adventure (especially the food  ).  Like finally up and around starting down the hall to the toilet but forgetting I was hooked up to a pole lol.  Poor nurses trying to find a vein... they had all collapsed (oh but you shoulda seen all the pretty colors it made lol).  But the best was when Datu came to visit... highjacking a wheelhair to take me outside for a forbidden smoke lol... omg and the laughing we did... so hard and sooo loud and uncontrollable... but that seems to be the norm when we get near each other lmao...

 

Finally, I was released to spend my last day back with the family before flying home, and FINALLY got to see her sister Chelle who had come to the states two years ago, and it rained for the first time.  She had had another friend from the states visit just weeks before and the same thing happened then too.  Perfect weather til the last day, then the rain.  And it seems his visit ended with an unexpected twist... all of his NZ pictures... ALL of them.... accidentally got deleted after being loaded to his computer, with no way to retrieve them.  I told her to tell him I'd share my pics with HIM if he would tell me how MY scenic trips were rofl.

 

Anyway, after all is said and done, I'm not really bitching here about everything that went wrong.  Sh*t happens, and doodoo occurs, but I have memories that can never be taken away that I treasure.  For years she had been telling me about "her tree"... where she would go to think, cry, think some more... ever since she was a child.  And to finally see it.... experience it and feel the energy... how can I put that into words?  As a bonus, I also met some of her wonderful friends over there, and her mother, a very sweet lady.  And I have NEVER had fish 'n chips that were so good... and I won't, until I go back again someday.  At another time of year of course lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 Mitakuye Oyas'in