New Zealand a wonderful start.

 

So today is Thursday March 6, 2013,   I got on the plane in LA on Sunday and after about 5 hours it became reality I was traveling to the other side of the world.  The flight was good kind of like sitting in a theater, watched Good movies and the food was very good for airplane food.  As we landing in Auckland my anticipation grew.  What should I expect; what if there was no one there to pick us up.  What if it was a dream, but we got off the plane customs was a breeze and standing there when we got our bags was a delightful man holding a sign saying Gina and Norbert Kemper.  I have never been greeted like that.  He was our chauffer and led us to a beautiful BMW to a half hour ride to the Sofitel Hotel on the Harbor.  The hotel was beautiful and the people here are amazingly friendly.  I have never seen so many sailing boats and racing Catamarans in my life.  The town itself is a lot like downtown Denver but not as rushed.  Something like 90% of the population on the north Island live here, so there is a lot of people and so many cultures, this is really a melting pot.  If you are a sailing fan, the American’s cup is held here and the ships are fantastic.  We got on a ferry and road over to Devonport.  A very cute little town went back to Auckland and enjoyed a gelato (love it) with my husband as we watched the sunset on the harbor.  It started to mist and we went back to the hotel wondering what tomorrow would bring. The next day began being greeted by our same driver and taken to the airport for our 40 min plane ride to Napier.  Anxiety kicked in as I am not a fan of little planes, but Gina is learning to come out of her box.  The plane ride wasn’t as bad as imagined and when we landed, again there was a driver holding up our names.  We drove about 45 minutes to one of the most beautiful spots I have seen.  The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, we were personally greeted and given a tour, we were told to treat this as our home.  (Ya like my home has a beautiful golf course. With views looking out to a bay that will take your breath away), we were shown to our own private cottage, stocked fridge, heated bathroom floor a shower bigger than my bathroom at home and a balcony that is looked out to serenity.  As we were to be a dinner at 7:00 we had some time, so we walked they have many beautiful trails here and so off we went.  I need to thank my son Nick for getting me in shape, after an 8 kilometer walk I was exhausted but we witnessed breathtaking views and stood with a colony of gannets.  We return and dressed for dinner.  (Who new Bert would need a jacket for dinner; thank god they have them in all sizes for their guests.) We were greeted by a sommelier and enjoyed a wonderful glass of wine, a sampling of appetizers and then were served a wonderful dinner as we looked out to the golf course and the bay.  We enjoyed the Sunset as they played some soft jazz and big band music.  I sat and tears actually came to my eyes as I never thought a regular person like me would be able to experience this kind of service and attention.  I knew it was out there but I felt it was always reserved for someone else.  I thought I would always be on the giving end not the receiving end of this type of lifestyle .We returned to our cottage and fell into bed.  The blankets enveloped us like a giant marshmallow.  I slept like a baby.  Today we are going to hike to the lavender fields and enjoy a day by the pool.  Tomorrow we head to Hong Kong.  I hope you are all safe at home and I will right more from Hong Kong

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God Bless and safe travels.

It's almost time. AROUND THE WORLD here I come.

Around the world….I still can't believe it. I guess I am ready for this once in a lifetime adventure, and I hope that each of you can feel the excitement building.  Everything is finalized, we have our travel information, our shots our complete and our suitcases are almost packed.  I am excited, nervous and anxious all rolled up into one.  I have learned a lot about preparing for a trip like this.  I have learned about shots, safety precautions, food, currency, Visa’s and Country entry and exit fees.  I can only imagine how much more I will learn while I am actually on this trip.  I am hoping to be able to write a little about each day’s happenings every evening.  So watch for updates and pictures.  I will be starting in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday evening. 

So wish me luck, and may you all stay healthy and safe while I am gone. 

God Bless

Happy and Safe Travels

UPDATE on Gina's Journey through, transition, training, travel and tranquilty

Recently, I started on a journey to learn more about Gina, I had turned 50 and I wanted to improve my health, I wanted to learn how to adjust to my role as a mother now that my children are grown. I started blogging in 2011 to help me document my experiences and maybe help someone out there that might be feeling the same things. Now, I have come a long way on this journey, I lost 30 pounds, changed careers, and gained a new perspective on having adult children, and now I have a new insight to myself.   2012 was quite a challenge, I went through a mild depression, was on and off medication,  gained back some of my weight and faced some of my fears such as, jumping into a new career with no guaranteed income, traveling alone and the major one was facing the mortality of my father.  

Well I overcame all of those fears with some new lessons in reality.

1. Peruse your passion and income will follow, maybe not right away and not without economic problems, but after one year, my business is now starting to show an income and I see a promising future.   

2. Menopause and depression sucks, but with help it is controllable.  I have lived through hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and sadness.  I am not over this as, God played a little trick on us women, pregnancy last only 9 months, and menopause has no end date. But I am happy to say I am now medication free and handling things well.

3. Being on medication that makes you gain weight is not something I would wish on my worst enemy, no matter what you do the weight just doesn’t come off.  Now that I am medication free, my son Nick has become my personal trainer. He has created a workout program that makes me think he is trying to kill me, (payback for all those “timeouts” when he was a child) and now he has asked me to follow an eating regiment for 28 days to “shock my system”.  No dairy, no sugar, no bread/grains and nothing that has anything in it you cannot pronounce.  4 days into it and I am still alive. Although Coffee is horrible without sugar, but if I can lose this weight before my big trip, it will be worth it. I will keep you informed.

4.  I have three wonderful young men to call my sons. I raised them to be independent, and I have learned that it doesn’t mean they don’t need me, but the way they need me has changed. I am now trying to be a friend and confidant. I don’t get upset if I don’t talk to them every day, (Although once a week is nice.)  I understand that they have their own dreams and passions to follow and if the roads they have to follow lead them away from home, they will be okay and worrying about them is something that will go on forever.  They make me very proud and actually they have given me a new found strength.   

5. Marriage is not easy. It is put to the test on a daily basis. I am very grateful to have a man in my life that has allowed me to grow and change like this.  I think the change he has seen in me over the past 30 years has also opened his eyes to who Gina really is and I hope he love me more for it and he sticks with me another 30.

Lastly: the past year has taught me that strength comes from somewhere inside you that you never knew existed.  I have realized that I can deal with anything, I learned that if I can deal with my father being ill while I am worlds away, I can deal with anything, I know that I am strong and can weather all the mighty storms that will without a doubt come my way.  

I am now preparing to journey around the world on a trip of a lifetime.  Follow me in the future to see where this journey leads.  

God Bless
Happy and Safe Travels.