Saturday Blues

Today is Saturday. Last Saturday I was in Florida, and the Saturday before that I was in NY. Now I am back home in North Carolina, and I am wishing I were somewhere else. Mostly Auckland. I miss living in Auckland. I miss my job there! I had the coolest job in the world- I was working on a yacht, on the ocean, in Auckland Harbor, with harbor bridge right in front of me and the sparkling blue water all around me, making $20 and hour. I was working with Ned, and we were working with our friend Nathan. We had cool co-workers- from Argentina, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Canada, America, and Scotland. We worked outside in the sun all day with the sea breeze blowing through our hair.

It was work, yes, exhuasting work, but it was satisfying and it was fun. We had great conversations with our co-workers about life and God and what being a Christian is about and why we followed Jesus. At lunch we would stretch out on the boat and eat our turkey and sprouts on rye, or we would cross the marina to the little cafe and eat chinese. On special days. we treated ourselves to Almond Magnums, yummy! (It's an ice cream bar.) And every Friday after work, we stopped on the way home at The Birdcage, where we got the $5 beer and nachos special. It was a good way to end a long week.

In Auckland we lived at the Freeman's house, which is a hospitality ministry of YWAM. We paid rent- a little more than we pay here, but it was a 3 story townhouse with a gorgeous view of the city and the tower, which was especially breathtaking at night. There we lived with friends- Nathan, from Canada, who worked on the boat with us and was on the DTS with us; Paul, from New Zealand, a very wise soul who took us kyacking to an island volcano across the bay; Dino, from San Francisco, who was heading up the Freeman's House ministry; Tina, from Canada, part of the Freeman's house ministry; Jo, from New Zealand, who is now in California doing her DTS; Fredy Johnson, from India who worked at a muffin shop and brought us yummy muffins; and Danielle, from Austraila. I miss them.

I miss Auckland. The city buzzed with life and light and culture. The street performer who stood as a statue at the crosswalk, and then when the light turned green, he would chase people across the street. The guy who sat and played his saloon-style piano in the back of his truck bed, with a little electric monkey who would shake the coin jar every time he pushed the foot peddle. The Viaduct, where the most enormous, glamorous superyachts you can imagine were docked, all lit up in the evening, providing a picturesque scene for all the dockside cafes, which buzzed with music, conversation, and the clinking of glass. All within a 20 minute walk from our place.

All of that was 4 months ago. And now all we have left of Auckland is our memories. And that makes me sad.