from a few days ago

I saw my first New Zealand glowworms today. I’ve been excited about them ever since I first saw the caves episode of Planet Earth. Even the good Sir Attenborough could not have prepared me for how magical they actually are. Magical is the only word I can think to use. They turn a cave into a planetarium and look just like pinpricks of stars forming clustered constellations in all directions. Mom and I chose Waipu Caves in our attempt to find some of these worms. We turned off of the highway at a sign pointing toward them, drove for what seemed like forever through countryside, hit a dirt road, drove another forever, and just when we were certain we had missed it, Mom noticed a tiny, hand-painted sign, which one can imagine used to read, “caves.” We pulled up in an open field with one other car in it. No signs about glowworms, no tourists, no ticket office, no warnings about the countless things that could kill you when you wander into an unknown cave without a guide or a map or signs of any sort. Nothing. It really changes things when suing isn’t an option. So we grabbed our headlamps and headed into the only apparent cave mouth. I felt really vulnerable walking into a deep, dark cave that I know absolutely nothing about. A little ways in, just past where the light no longer reaches the ceiling, Mom and I looked up and there, suspended above our heads, was our first set of glowworms. They hang by clear, gooey threads, but all you can see is the glowing greenish-white point. That part was amazing on its own and we wanted to go deeper, but there was a stream running through the cave that seemed to cut us off where we stood. We left, walked around outside a minute, and decided that we needed to take off our shoes and head into the stream. Pushing thoughts of eels and bottomless abysses to the back of our mind, we went back in and waded through the stream. Turned out, it was about 6 inches deep at its highest point. No worries. The deeper we got into the cave, the more magical our world became. Once we were pretty near the back we turned off our lights and were surrounded by little wormy stars. Mom and I were completely alone in this cave, with only the sound of running water and constellations of glowworms. I’m always amazed when I see nature mimicking other nature. Storm cloud with rain in the distance = jellyfish, lines from the tide in sand = mountain ranges, wind through a forest = waves crashing on a beach. Those things always make me smile, but glowworms = stars is my new favorite example. I always think nature is impressive, but sometimes it is almost too much to bear.

Today was one of Mom’s final days in New Zealand, and every element of the day played out perfectly in her favor. It seems that she came surrounded by some sort of well-deserved-vacation magic that scores her perfect timing, weather, and general luck.

Today’s schedule was one of my favorites:
9 am: wake up at gilly and greg’s beach bach
9 am - 12 pm: read/eat breakfast
12-12:30 pm: eat lunch
12:30 pm: depart for the day’s activities (scenic road trip)
1:30-2:30 pm: explore glowworm caves
2:30-5:30 pm: sit/read/walk/swim at perfect beach
5:30-6:30 pm: lovely drive home
6:30-8:00 pm: dinner with garden veggies, fish, wine and chocolate
8-9:30 pm: read
9:30 pm: sleeeep

Gilly and Carolyn (and their families) have taught me lessons in generosity that I could not have conceived of before coming here. If they had a global generosity competition, like a Generous-Off, I feel certain that Gilly and Carolyn would be the two finalists and then whoever won would just give the prize to the other. I think that they have forever changed what I feel I can do for others. I don’t know how I managed this lot in life, but if anyone can give me a clue about how to even begin to deserve it, I’m open to all suggestions.