Comfort Zone

During the last 6 months we have been out of our comfort zone on many occasions.  Every time we venture to a new part of the country that often means also venturing into someone else’s house.   It’s the unknown that makes it a little uncomfortable.  Usually we are both quite anxious on the morning of the new move (me and TJ, the kids have no issue with comfort zones 😜 ), usually also snapping at eachother a bit 😆.  We arrive at the new place with trepidation, will we like them?  Will they like us?  Will we like it there?  However, every single time we have been made very welcome, made to feel at home and usually within a few minutes we have a drink in our hand and then we tell our story of why we are here 😊.

It’s also the kid factor.  We are not twenty-something backpackers, we come with baggage…..our kids.  Before we arrive at a new place we have the standard “talk” with the kids.  Be polite, don’t immediately ask if they have internet, don’t start opening doors and cupboards, don’t ask if they have an i-pad or netflix or an x-box.  Don’t make a mess and take off your shoes!  🤣🤣 to be honest the kids have been great and the hosts most welcoming.  Some have kids, some don’t, but everywhere we have been the kids have also been welcomed, usually also been given the internet password within the first 15 minutes.

But I have to say it gets easier, after experiencing so many nice people (no exceptions!) at every place we have visited, we are more relaxed and we are very quickly “in” the comfort zone, and then some. 

This current place, for example.  We were approached via the Kiwi House Sitters website by Chloe asking if we would be able to house sit / dog sit for them for a week.  They have 7 working dogs for their cattle/sheep/deer farms and 2 dogs at home.  They live on a vineyard.  After a quick call with Chloe it was all sorted and the dates were set.  We arrived at the vineyard 15 minutes outside of Blenheim, a short track from the main road then up a hill to the vineyard.  It is a converted barn surrounded by vineyards alongside the Wairau River and with the Richmond Range mountains as backdrop.  It is stunning.  As I type this I am sitting on the back veranda in the sunshine, with a glass of wine and about 5 dogs sitting around me. It’s about an hour and a half until sunset, my favorite time of the day.

When we arrived we were wecomed by a young couple (twenty-somethings!) into their home.   We had a BBQ and some drinks together and the next morning the dogs were explained and TJ was taken out to the other farms by Tim.  Later that morning Chloe and Tim went off on their well deserved holiday and we made ourselves at home.   It’s impossible not to feel at home when you are left with a well stocked wine rack and freezer 😀 and a beautiful house with all the mod cons.  It is SO peaceful here.  At night it is pitch black outside, no street lights anywhere and the stars are amazing.    TJ of course loves the country life, taking the dogs/kids out for their run on the quad around the farm or down to the river.  Rose is in charge of feeding the dogs, and Thijs knows how to change the TV from Sky to Netflix to YouTube 😂😂.

We’ve done some exploring today, even went for a lovely walk up a mountain, well half way up was pushing it for Thijs so Heitie conquored the rest by himself.  We have a boat trip from Picton booked for Monday to see the Marlborough Sounds and dolphin spotting, which we are all very excited for.  

In the meantime I will start looking for our next stopover, not sure yet if it will be house sitting, wwoofing or camping!  I have 5 days to get something organised…..no problem 🙂

Laters! Kelly xxx