Our adventure in California has begun!

Some might say, ‘Start out as you mean to go on,’ when they see the pics of us in a stretch limo driving from Los Angeles airport to Anaheim for a few days at Disneyland and California Adventures. But really, it was just a nice distraction from the reality ahead. We’ve left behind all we have known and loved for many years, in New Zealand, and are about to start living a very new life – thankfully in a beautiful place, but still – there is so much to learn and get used to (from large bowl toilets and paper money, that would be unlikely to survive an accidental whoosh in the washer like New Zealand notes, to driving on the opposite side of the road and learning how to refuel the tank).

The first few days have been a ‘total immersion’ experience. Disney was an overwhelming distraction from reality. It was exhausting, fun and crazy. We were glad of having a five day pass and that the park was open from daybreak to midnight! We mixed up our visits and took it in turns to enjoy different aspects of the park at various times of day and with each of our three children.

We had some wonderful moments and it was great to have that time before we start settling into our life in Santa Barbara, California.

We arrived this evening. Stopping in temporary accommodation for a few weeks, until we can move into the place we’ve leased for a year on 4 September. School starts 28 August and our seven and a half year old is going to join her ten year old sister at the same school. It will be a big change for our seven year old, after a couple of years enjoying free range home / unschooling! Our ten year old will find it different too, since she’s spent the past two years at an all girls private school in Wellington. But life is all about adapting and being flexible in an ever changing world! As for our three year old, she will be hanging out with me, but is looking forward to making friends too, of course!

Right this moment I have just eaten the best meal since landing in the USA; thanks to the food treasure trove that is ‘Lazy Acres’ in Santa Barbara… accompanied with a delightfully delicate Californian Pinot Noir, that has left my taste buds aroused, my stomach satisfied and my mind momentarily calm (tomorrow morning, with hubbie back at work, and me on my own with three children and no car yet, I shall probably be working a little harder to find my calm state!). x

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