The Road Back

Mom's 84th BD Party

It has been one year since I last worked in New Zealand and nine months since the last posting on my first blog (johnandfaynessabbatical.blogspot.com). A lot has happened since we returned to the US in June,2011 and we find ourselves headed back to NZ for six months.

What has happened?

1) I was able to spend a fair amount of time with my mother in the last few months of her life. It was a difficult time for her as she faced the slow deterioration of her physical condition and the final transition to whatever comes next. I take comfort in the facts that she had some measure of quality in her life up until the very end, that her suffering did not drag on, and that I was able to be with her in her final days. It was a very difficult time for everyone who knew and loved her, but I know she had a full, rich, and long life. She enjoyed her 84th birthday just one week before her death September 14th.

2) After she passed, a lot of my time has been taken up with duties as the Trustee of her Estate. There have been so many details to attend to, I won't bore you with the details, but I am proud to say that 90% of it has been sorted out in less than six months. My condolences to anyone who has had similar responsibilities.

3) My lovely granddaughter Kimarra, under the wing of her doting mother Sofia Maria, continues to grow and develop at a frightening pace.

Although they live in Phoenix, AZ, we have been able to spend time with them over Thanksgiving (in Albany, NY with Fayne’s family), both of their birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s, and both our birthdays.This week we had a 48-hour trip to Phoenix. Sofia lives a five minute walk from the spring training site of the Dodgers and White Sox.

Tommy Lasorda Holding Forth

Time for one more US of A hot dog! The kiwi version of the American hot dog is inedible.

Hot Dog!

4) I have worked exclusively as a hospital-based doctor in Fort Bragg. Given the current economic times, anyone who is employed has reason to be thankful. As I leave, Mendocino Coast Hospital is enduring some very tough economic times. For the sake of my community (and for my future employment), I hope that is sorted out when I return in September.

5) Dr. Nestler’s 90^th birthday party in Watsonville was a grand event. It is always great to spend time with my surrogate family.

The Birthday Boy

6) On February 26^th, I was able to claim the Arnold, Oscar’s lesser-known Austrian cousin.

The Arnold-2012

So why go back to New Zealand at this time? Mostly because I feel I have some unfinished business professionally. While there last year, I enjoyed my work so much, I applied for a permanent medical license. I was told if I worked a few more months, at least part of the time in a larger hospital like Auckland City Hospital, I could qualify. I also looked at returning to Timaru, but there wasn’t really an opening, and I didn’t want too much time to pass before completing my task.

The situation is different in many ways from May, 2010. I had no expectations and no experience in NZ before, and coming was part of a grand adventure, 50% work and 50% touring exotic lands. We found that everything about New Zealand far exceeded anything preconceived ideas. This time the decision is more pragmatic. If possible, I plan to work at least 5-10 more years as a physician because I still enjoy it and find it challenging. Maybe I will end up splitting work time between here and Fort Bragg.

We don’t plan to move. Fort Bragg is our home, and I don’t think NZ Immigration is looking to add permanent residents of our demographic profile. But having options is a good thing, and having the opportunity to be valued as an experienced doctor and mentor others feels good to me.

As always, there was a crescendo of details we needed to attend to, and most (but not all) got wrapped up in the week before we flew off March 1. We appreciated beaucoup David Nishikawa driving us to SFO, as well as the many hours he spent converting my prior blog into a printable book the size of a footstool. (If anyone is interested in a hard copy, let me know: it may be doable.)

Many people have encouraged me to take up the blog in order to keep track of us and vicariously travel to faraway lands. I choose to think these requests are sincere and not just humoring me. The new blog will probably be different too. We will have less free time to travel in NZ as we are taking two weeks at the end of June to return to the US for various events. We have already given the country a pretty good look-over, and we are not provided with a car. There are still many interesting nooks and crannies within a day of Auckland, and we can always take public transport or rent a car. I am open to any suggestions for the new blog as to content, tone, etc.

My contract ends in August, and we will be home in early September after passing through Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and the Galapagos, so that will be exciting.

We will miss our friends and family, and our blossoming daughter and granddaughter and our aging cat Saturday, but we will stay in touch and be back soon.