Travel

Countdown New Zealand Day 1

06/05/2020 by John 2 Comments

This is a series of posts that will log some of my thoughts in the month leading up to my moving back to New Zealand.

We made it. For the next two weeks we will be in “Managed Isolation”. I was afraid this was going to be at some unpleasant hotel right below the takeoff zone of the Auckland airport. Instead we are staying in a very nice conference center with a beautiful view overlooking a lake. Everything was handled so thoroughly and efficiently from the moment we landed. We feel welcomed and well taken care of. I’m in a bit of a daze from 30 hour of travel and little sleep so I’m sure I’ll have more to share once I’ve had some rest. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to follow along on this journey.

Countdown New Zealand Day 2

06/04/2020 by John Leave a Comment

This is a series of posts that will log some of my thoughts in the month leading up to my moving back to New Zealand.

We’re in Los Angeles. For the next eight hours. Here is my advice to you: do not fly unless you absolutely have to.

Our first flight of the day was from Philadelphia to Chicago. Almost every seat was full. No way to social distance and very few people felt that the crew member instructions to exit the plane by rows from front to back applied to them. Next, we flew from Chicago to LA. The guy in front of us didn’t wear a face covering the whole flight and was coughing and blowing his nose.

Thanks to having the right credit card, we are now relaxing in the United Club Lounge where there is virtually nobody else. It is an eerie contrast to the flight we were just on. Yes, the haves are not traveling while coach is packed with the have-nots.

On the plane, I listened to the Coronavirus NZ podcast . One of the guests said that only 201 exemptions had been granted to the New Zealand travel ban. I feel much gratitude to be included in that number.

Countdown New Zealand Day 5

06/01/2020 by John Leave a Comment

This is a series of posts that will log some of my thoughts in the month leading up to my moving back to New Zealand.

The hotel room in Philadelphia is overstuffed with our stuff. How is all of this supposed to come with us onto the plane? The answer is that not all of it will. The packing usually doesn’t end until the hours prior to departure. Sometimes it lasts until we check in to the flight and the baggage scales send us scrambling to reshuffle items to balance the luggage out so it fits under the weight limits. It will all go somewhere. It has to.