Well guys, it’s official… not that we’re on our way to NZ but rather that Jonathan is far more involved and excited than even I am!  

So 99 days to go and I still don’t know what to pack.  We plan to do a lot of camping and tramping while we’re there but I have to remember that this is also about me studying so I still have to get that organized.  The University of Canterbury is finally stepping up and getting things in order on their end and after 9 months of waiting for a reply I should be hearing from them in the next week.  Apparently they don’t move at my speed so we’ve all had a crash course in patience around here.  The next big thing to get done is apply for our visa’s.  Hopefully there won’t be any surprises there…

The boys are pumped for the trip but we’re making sure they understand the process and what is going to be happening as we go.  Jackson can’t wait to check out the beaches in January and Will has requested we not live near a volcano (otherwise, he’s told us, he’s not going).  As you can imagine, getting two children ready emotionally for a trip for this long away from friends and family is a process in the works.  We have maps on the wall and talk about what we’ll be doing and how they will play a part in our adventure.  What an opportunity!