Bliss in New Zealand

As a nature and adventure sports enthusiast I had been dreaming of a trip to New Zealand for many years. On December 28th, 2003, armed with a tandem bike and a genuine desire to dive into the Kiwi culture, I sit here now in Tasmania, Australia three months later with my jaw still hanging open in awe about all the magical experiences that exceeded every expectation I ever had.

I landed in Christchurch with a flurry of adversity to handle right of the gate including locating an invaluable camera bag I left in the Auckland airport in my sleep deprived state, finding a new crucial tool I lost in Fiji, and a bike in dire need of new parts and repairs from my Fiji expedition into the highlands. But for some reason all these challenges did not phase me much as I was greeted with a huge hug by my Kiwi mate Brett I met in Korea riding. Brett and I were excited to reunite and get some riding in on the tandem up to the New Years music festival called the Alpine Unity and I was determined to get all these matters handled with a smile and while enjoying each moment in beautiful New Zealand.

Christchurch is a charming suburb town and is not much of a "big city" so I felt quite comfortable. There are heaps of bike lanes and it's a city that is not in any major hurry. The boys at the John Bull bike shop not only loaned me a $450 SRAM XO rear derailleur and chain, but they also trued my wheel, fixed my dropout, and dialed in my bike so it was running like new--all without an appointment as their contribution to the tour. Thanks guys! My camera bag was found and was on the way back to Christchurch and my spare tool was also on the way so "no worries mate!"

With a lost frame coupler tool I could not take my bike from single to tandem very effectively but managed to use a crescent wrench to get the tandem built and ready for the journey to Flock Hill in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. After a few days of relaxing in sunny Christchurch running errands, cooking amazing meals and sampling the Kiwi wines and cheeses with Brett's wife Melony and new friend Kristi we finally made our ride towards the concert.

Brett was sporting a super funky shark fin helmet and I wore the reindeer antlers I had in Fiji so we were for sure not going to be missed on the road as we pedaled our 120KM ride. We started early after a pretty late night laughing and frolicking around town on the bike but that did not keep us from an early start through the beautiful sheep laden farmlands of eastern New Zealand. The going was smooth, fast and fun for the first part until the hills and headwinds picked up in the afternoon catching me off guard a bit as I went pretty hard out of the gates.

It was just past the cute town of Appleby that I experienced my first leg cramps in over a year and Brett decided he wanted to pedal the bike solo for the rest of the way up to the concert. I was knackered (a Kiwi phrase I soon picked up meaning exhausted) and my body was telling me to chill out and recoup before the 48-hour dance fest.

I hitched a ride to the concert and Brett arrived a few hours later with a nice sunburn and ready to relax and settle into the 3-day music festival surrounded by beautiful mountains, a pristine alpine lake and nice cool river. We met up with our crew and the next 3 days were filled with amazing times grooving and talking with friendly Kiwis, sleeping under the stars, swimming in the lake, and getting my first addictive taste of the Kiwi musical talent like Trinity Roots, Cornerstone Roots, and more. I was amazed at the soulful talent they assembled!

After the festival my new friend Kristi and I rode most of the way back to Christchurch until the headwinds hit us again and we hopped a ride with Brett and the crew back to Christchurch. We stayed the night a friend of another Kiwi Brett Gray at Brighton beach and soon enough it was time to get on the road and let the tour of New Zealand begin. My bike was still not running perfectly as I needed to wait for the tool to come from America but it was good enough to ride out of town.

My first destination was going to be Kaikoura, a two-day ride from Christchurch. My first day riding was stunning and I was impressed with how friendly the drivers were, most of them honking and waving as they passed. The scenery was excellent changing from farmlands, to swamps, to pine forests, crossing pristine rivers and taking me though cute towns. I pulled in Leithfield and hit a historic pub where I met the owner, his family, and the local crew for some pool and food. They invited me to stay the night in their yard under the stars and surrounded by a nice garden.

My streak with amazing Kiwi hospitality started when I left the plane and was going strong now back on the road! My bike was acting up and was in dire need of the part from the states and once I hit the hills before Kaikoura the timing chain (the long chain between the front and rear rider) was falling off constantly and making progress painfully slow. I decided to hitch over the hills and was miraculously picked up by a guy sporting a tandem kayak on the roof of his Subaru who actually was friends with Brett! The Kiwi angels were starting to show up big time here! So I hit it off with Deb and Matt from Dunedin and decided to cruise with them all the way into town where I instantly found Brett and his family and began an unforgettable experience in beautiful Kaikoura.

I was excited to hit the beach and find some free camping and surfing for a few days while I waited for my bike parts to arrive back down in Christchurch. I was a bit let down when the gal at the surf shop told me the surf break was 15KM away and I'd have to bring the board on my bike each day so my vision of free beach camping and unlimited surf was shot, so I thought. Within minutes I ran into two amazing Kiwi brothers Ryan and Marcel who not only knew where there was free oceanside camping, but also had a spare board for me to use! Yipeee!

So I spent the next 4 days surfing every day, making yummy meals with my new Kiwi mates Ryan, Marcel, Birdie and Andrew, having dolphins swim under my board, catching unbelievable sunsets, and generally living in paradise for peanuts! And it only gets better.

Andrew is from Christchurch and happened to be heading back that way where my parts were being sent so instead of a painful long hitching session I got a smooth ride in another plush Subaru with my mate Andrew filled with fun and inspirational conversations. I was invited to stay the night with Brett's family the first night in town and ate delicious home cooked food with Shelley and her three boys and family. After all my parts came from the states the next day I returned the loaner goods to the bike shop and was taken to Andrew's place in Governor's Bay where I spent two days with him eating great meals, surfing more, and getting ready to go back once again to Kaikoura for my 2nd Kiwi music festival called the Roots Festival.

Andrew invited his 18-year-old son, also named Andrew and a lady friend of his Nora to come along. Our car was full on Saturday morning with 4 eager music lovers, 3 surfboards, camping gear and heaps of yummy food and drinks. Birdie was holding down the primo beachside campsite for us so we arrived back at our site now surrounded by hip camper vans and other hippie machines that indicated I was at the right kind of event. The sun was shinning, people were in great spirits, and we had time to take a nice surf before the concert started later in the day. It was not huge surf, but with 3 long boards, it was a perfect first surf for Andrew Junior who got to take his first lesson with his dad and I.

The concert location was a short bike ride away and Nora and I rode together on the tandem and we were escorted through the back entrance by a cool Kiwi security guard Sarah who became a good friend instantly. The next 2 days were filled with sunshine, amazing reggae and other roots music, great organic wheat beer, and a huge selection of down to earth Kiwi groovers. I was in paradise! Once again I was blessed with front row grooving to Kiwi talent like Salmonella Dub, Fat Freddy's Drop, Shape Shifter and many more.

The waves were small during the festival so we were not surfing all that much. I danced until the very last song was played and met dozens of cool new friends before riding back to our campsite and I checked the surf on the way back and, to my surprise, the swell size had tripled and the surf was up! I ran back to the campsite and woke up the sleeping party goers at the camp and enjoyed one of the best surf sessions of my life with none other than a huge handful of fellow roots festival party goers! And if that was not enough, we surfed to a wicked sunset that lit the sky, water and mountains in exotic colors while we all mustered every ounce of strength left in us to continue to catch wave after wave with our exhausted bodies while screaming in ecstasy!

Nora and I had spoken during the concert about her coming on as a guest rider now that I my bike was fully functional again with the new parts and the tool to tighten up the frame properly. She had always wanted to try bike touring and since she was on a tight budget it was just her style as we eliminated the transport and accommodation expenses right away. On Monday morning we woke up to very strong southerly winds blowing, a very rare breeze that meant a tail wind would be blowing us north if she decided to accept the invitation. The sunshine, the tail wind, and my total excitement to hit the road must have been enough. She was in!

We left Kaikoura on a 5-day ride up north to Nelson where I hoped to connect with my friend David I met in Nepal who invited me to stay at his house outside Motueka. Nora is a fellow American gal from Minnesota who loves yoga, cooking, the arts, and traveling so we had lots in common. She also loved to ride bikes and had strong legs so we were flying along the crystal clear turquoise water with seals lying on the rocks, sun on the shoulders, and tail wind keeping our pace moving along.

Our first day we landed a free place to stay in a barn of a neat farmer named Ian. Nora had her stove and made us up an amazing vegetarian meal--a huge bonus I would enjoy every night was Nora's creative and healthy cooking! Our ride took us through some amazing scenery and, as the Kiwi angels were working, we ran into Brett and Mel who were on their way back south from the north island so I got to give him a huge hug! Bonus!

We had a nice day of touring the wine region of Marlborough and sipping amazing wines in Blenim. The tail wind blew us all the way to Picton where we camped on the bay surrounded by native bush, boats, and heaps of free green-shelled mussels that we cooked up in salt water! Yummy! The stunning Queen Charlotte Road took us above the ocean with views that truly made it difficult to keep my eyes on the road with sunny bays, amazing trees, flowers, and minimal traffic!

We camped out at another cool farmer's place and had our first experience with serious sand flies but at the same time were blessed with a literal orchestra of birds that sang to us in the evenings and mornings. We took a dirt back road to Nelson that was extremely steep and the Kiwi angles sent us a white Toyota truck just as the trail got really rocky and barely rideable. A smiley Kiwi guy named Tom popped out of his truck and offered to take all our panniers and gear up the hill for us and we were grateful for the support. As if that was not enough, at the top of the hill we met a group of cool Kiwi mountain bikers who were out riding this same track and were ready to do the huge downhill ride to Nelson. Our angel Tom decided to continue to take our bags all the way down the other side of the hill and allow Nora and I to do a ripping downhill tandem ride with these great new friends! Thanks Tom!

So we put on the dirt tires and off we went! Nora was a bit nervous with the high speed but eventually relaxed and was having a blast! A couple Simon and Cara were out together and I took Cara out for her first ride and she too fell in love with tandem mountain bike riding. It was a very special experience to be riding with such upbeat and happy people from Nelson.

Nora and I had a huge meal and found more free camping by a river the night before riding to David's place in Motueka, about 50KM from Nelson. We had an epic ride through the vineyards, orchards, and other terrain to David's 100-acre black currant farm. He has a "tree house" where Nora and I were welcome to stay that turned out to have views of the mountains that were from a postcard. We spent 2 days with his wife, 2 kids, and other visiting friends Nick and Marie. Our days were spent off the bike relaxing, cooking, swimming in the river, and sipping yummy wines.

It was back in Nelson where the angels got back to work at the Nelson Kite Festival. I love kites and was keen to check out the show. Just as we rode up we ran into Cara and Simon who we met on the mountain bike trail a few days before and they had their cute 3-year old daughter Aria with them. They invited Nora and I to stay the night and we happily accepted as long as they let us make a nice meal.

We had an amazing dinner with them and their friends at their cute house in Nelson. Nora took off the next day and it was sad to see her go. One thing about riding with someone on the tandem is that you can talk A LOT, and Nora and I had great conversation and grew to become very close friends and still keep in touch to this day.

The Kiwi angels were still around as it turns out that Cara is a teacher and was off for the holidays for several more days and so was Simon so we all made a plan to head to Golden Bay and do heaps of mountain biking and camping! And if that was not enough, they invited a cool friend Melony who was also a teacher and had a sea kayak and bike ready to add that into the adventure too!

So off we went to do the famous Ramika trail and dozens of kilometers of stunning mountain biking, camping on the pristine Golden Bay, eating wonderful meals, checking out music at the Mussel Inn, and meeting many more new friends. Melony and I got a perfect sea kayaking session in Golden Bay that took my breath away. The marine life and company was perfect!

The adventure does not stop there! After a rest day in Nelson we organized the most unique and exciting tour to date! Simon and I decided to take his 3-year old daughter Aria on a 100KM, 2-day ride from Nelson to Motueka on cute little bike trainer! If you don't know what a bike trainer is, it attaches to the seat of the bike and allows the little one to pedal and hold the bars of her own bike while getting towed by the big bike. So now we had a TRIPPLE bike! You have to see the photos to believe it!

Aria is the cutest little girl and we decorated her helmet with silver reindeer antlers like mine, angel wings, got her some neat gloves and her own water bottle, and some shiny new decorations for her bike. Simon decorated his helmet with a Winnie the Poo stuffed animal, and we all had our own bells and horns to blow to boot! It was a site to see!

We took all back roads for the most part and the scenery was beyond words through pine forests, farmland, by rivers, and lots of neat animals for all our viewing pleasure. Aria did great! She pedaled along and honked her cute little horn to let us know was still okay. It was at about the 65KM mark that she did not respond to a honk and we discovered that she was just about asleep! Not good for a safe ride. But all we had to do is keep her fed and go over some bumps and she was back with us.

Somehow we missed the town we saw on the map that we planned to stay at that night so we had to get Aria to make a marathon ride with us of about 80 kilometers! She made it all the way with almost no fussing and that was simply amazing. Yes, we fed her a bit too much sugar and kept her up too late thus warping her internal timer for a few day and putting me and Simon in the dog house with Cara, but it was an epic adventure! Simon's friend Kevin came later in the car and treated us to a room for the team. Thanks Kevin!

The next day we only had to ride 20KM to Murchison and Aria was a bit grouchy but we made it with smiles on our face to the lovely town of Murchison. To my surprise I found David, Nick and Marie from Motueka who I hung out with about a week earlier with Nora and they had a kayak and kit ready for me to hit the rivers with them. How about them Kiwi angles? Melony even came out to join us and we all spent the next few days kayaking, camping, and enjoying the wonderful weather! I was in paradise!

The Nelson crew left and the weather changed to rain and just as I went to return my kayak I ran into a couple of kayakers Rob and Af who we met the day before shuttling up the river. Turns out they were off to run a tough section of the Buller River called Granity Creek but they reckoned that it would not be too tough with the low flow. They were both excellent kayakers and I knew they could bail me out if I had issues, so I accepted their offer and hopped into their van. It was the most insane kayaking experience of my life no doubt! Several head bangs and scary swims later I made it alive and we all enjoyed a huge meal with David's brother Don and his lady Sabina in their cute mountain house outside of Murchison where I was invited to stay in the special "hippie van room". This room is actually an old hippie van that they built the house around and was the first abode on the property. Very special.

So with three days of kayaking under my belt I was ready to hit the road again and do some solo touring towards the wonderful west coast. The scenery was really starting to get amazing now that I was heading west and out of the drier regions of the south island. I followed the dramatic Buller Gorge down and eventually hit the famous highway 6 and headed south for the 500KM ride of the glorious west coast.

The West Coast of New Zealand is a wet, rugged, wild and truly beautiful place. The southern alps keep all the weather systems on the west side and the big weather systems seem to stay on this side so the green, lush, waterfall and river infested areas are on the west for the most part. It's a must see!

I picked up a few guest riders here and there from Holland and from New Zealand but nothing more than a few kilometers until hitting Punakaki with it's huge pancake-like sea cliffs that you have to see to believe. Just as I dropped my Dutch guest rider Roger off I walked over to the shop and saw two guys I met in Kaikoura surfing on the "surf day from heaven" after the concert! They were as happy to see me as I was them and as the angels would work it, they were both keen to ride and had a van to take the extra gear! Oh, I might add, the sun was shinning and a guster of a tail wind was howling away making the decision to continue south to Greymouth in search of surf together a no-brainer!

Mike and Brad are two adventure junkies from from North Carolina, just an hour from where my dog Brandi lives. Both guys are serious cyclists so with no bags and a tail wind, Mike and I were out of the gates going hard for about 45KM of pristine coastal scenery at high speeds. It was great pedaling with such positive energy and strength! Our plan was to ride to 9-Mile beach where we wanted to check the surf break and see if we could get some waves in. We made it down to the break and then some, where Brad took over and provided some fresh legs and new conversation. It was a 120KM ride for me that was beyond words. We had sun, ocean, amazing trees, seals, birds, rocks, flowers, cool conversation with interesting guest riders from 3 countries--what more could I ask for?

Now I have to plug a certain West Coast beverage called Mantieth's Black that has the best "post ride" fit in a dark beer that leaves you smiling. As we Brad and I zipped into Greymouth in the big ring we stopped at a historic pub right next to the brewery where we met Mike with the van, a mate Kevin I hung with in Murchison, and another friend of Simon for a nice meal, cool beers and super friendly people in town led to a 2-day chill session at Kevin's pad to wait out a huge storm with his partner and their family. This recharge helped spur one of the most memorable days of the journey.

It was about 1AM and, after we all ate the super duper tasty Italian feast I cooked up, we got to chatting amongst the laughter about the reality of Kevin's partner's sister Michelle (I think that was her name) along on the journey the next day from Greymouth to Hokatika. Maybe it was the wine, maybe we just grew to trust each other and desired more time to share the experience of life together. Whatever it was lead to her suiting up and riding the next morning with only minimal resistance despite the gloomy weather.

It was a wet and windy morning but, you guessed it, we had another tail wind. Michelle was a bit stiff at first coming out with a burst of power then feeling the numbness that eventually led to a nice comfortable burn that let us both know that we hit “the zone” and the vibe grew perfect. When we arrived into the cute town Michelle's face had changed. Something was drastically different in this woman from this 30KM ride. She had healthy rosy cheeks, a brighter smile, a sparkle in her eyes and teeth that we both noticed and we excited about.

Somehow the energy from this excited woman attracted us to the West Coast Times newspaper reporter on the way out of town who put Michelle on the front cover of the newspaper as a reminder of how fired up we were to ride together.

Now this day just gets better. On the way from Hokatika to Ross I ran into a hitchhiker from New York named Billy. He had massive bags and it was by far the most loaded down the bike has ever been but we had a blast enjoying the tailwind, stunning scenery, and American slang-filled conversation. In Ross we had a picnic and met three Aussie ladies Prue, Alyson and Prue (yes, Pru2, electric Boog-a-loo). We all hit it off right from the start and, just like that, the Aussie Relay Team was formed. Billy hopped in the car with all our gear so the bike was light and fast. Put fresh strong legs, a light tandem, tailwind, breath-taking scenery and loving people all together and you can use your imagination about the energy created. Each rider got 15KM or so of riding and I got the full 45KM of cool Aussie company. It was unforgettable!

We arrived in Hari Hari on a Friday night and, as icing on the cake, there was an epic live band to dance to and a covered school ground to camp out of the evening rain, including a meal with contributions from all 5 riders including wine, appetizers, and dessert. Gotta love it!

The next day I got word that Melony from Nelson had a three-day weekend and was keen for some pedaling into the epic glaciers up ahead. She hitched out and found me fiddling with my deteriorating bottom bracket, an issue that will surprise you soon enough. It was great to see Mel again and we sucked in the sunshine, tailwinds, and breathtaking mountain views that kept us smiling ear to ear. It was simply a day that dreams are made of!

We knew the glacier region of Franz Joseph and Fox were notorious for massive amounts of rain. Any place that they measure rain in meters instead of centimeters is going to be wet sometime. These regions receive about 6-7 meters (about 20 feet!) of rain a year. Just as we pedaled into Franz Joseph the rain started coming down, and it did not let up for 48 hours! We did manage to take a short hike to the glacier that blew us both away with its amazing beauty.

The band that played the night before with the Aussie tag team crew and Billy in Hari Hari was playing that night and I was eager to share the fun with my latest guest Melony so we landed a dry shelter in a barn that was perfect and hit up the party and danced the night away with the locals to groovy live music. Life was good!

Next day the rain was coming down hard and fast as it did all night long. After a morning of writing post cards and drinking coffee we decided to make a run for Fox Glacier in the pouring rain. It was wet, very wet, but very beautiful with rivers and waterfalls in every direction. We arrived in Fox Glacier soaking wet and the next day hit up Lake Matheson for a picture perfect view of Mt. Cook reflecting off the still lake. We caught it just in time, took some photos, and then the rain started heavy again 45 minutes later. It's a wild place that region, you must experience it!

Mel got a ride back home with some friends and I was soon back in solo mode on the way south to eventually hook up with Jane, my good friend and former guest rider in China and Tibet who lives in New Zealand now. First I had to try to fix my bottom bracket that was making horrendous noises and was threatening to go out at any time. I decided it was best to go to single mode to save the front bottom bracket and I pedaled 2 days in single mode of glorious touring south through the amazing rain forests passing rivers, waterfalls, huge mountain landscapes, and other awe-inspiring natural masterpieces.

I found a cheap campsite that I would call our rendezvous point for Jane and I to meet for our ride to Wanaka together. The plan was for her to hitch out after work and ride back together. It was about sunset when a car pulled up and the driver was none other than Jane. Turns out she decided to drive her own car and we would shuttle the car each day. It was wonderful to see Jane again and we built up the tandem again and were off and pedaling the next day with clear skies, perfect winds, and amazing coastal scenery. The bike was riding great all day and I was optimistic we would make it to Wanaka, that is until the last few kilometers!

Jane hitched to shuttle her car to the campsite that I found right on the river but when she returned I had to issue the bad news that the bottom bracket, the same part that went out on us in China, was just about dead. It was a blow that really upset our flow and was almost too much to call a coincidence. Luckily we had a car and we were able cruise over to our good friend's house Pete and Carol we met in Nepal who were now living in Wanaka expecting their first baby.

We spent a few days enjoying the sunshine and rivers of Wanaka with Pete, Carol and Pete's family before finally heading to my 3rd outdoor music festival called Rippon Music Festival. Every Kiwi I met raved about the venue staged at a winery overlooking the mountains and lake and I was blown away at the venue, the music lineup, and the wonderful people that made this a day I'll never forget.

We got the last two tickets to the concert as it was sold out and we had to wait in line at the door. I met a wonderful new friend Ben at the concert, met back up with my surfing buddies Marcel and Ryan from Invercargill, connected again with Kristi, and met dozens of new friends as we grooved the day and night away in natural beauty that kept us all smiling day and night!

I was able to get new parts for the bike and made my way to Queenstown to hang out with Ben, Jane, Mandy and other new friends to celebrate my birthday in the adventure capital of the world. As my luck would have it, my new buddy Ben's roommate Greg owns a mountain bike adventure company called Fat Tyre Adventures and he was willing to take me on a 4,000 foot downhill run to celebrate my 32nd birthday. After the amazing run I was whisked away by another new friend Emily to do a 160M-canyon swing that blew away any bungee jump I've ever done over a huge river. Then I came back to Jane's place to find an amazing meal that she prepared for us all to enjoy. A perfect birthday!

The next week was filled with mountain biking and fun around Queenstown. It also included a 3-day, two night adventure to New Zealand's mountain biking mecca called Naisbee With Mandy, Katie and Tom to celebrate our love for mountain biking on Valentines Day! We also managed to get some biking in the famous Sticky Forest around Wanaka with Ben and Jane and some local trails around Queenstown before I finally made my way south.

I took the ferry across the lake from Queenstown then rode a full day of perfect sunshine and picture perfect scenery to Mavora Lakes and back to Doubtful Sound where I met up with Jane, her friend Shane and hit buddy Nick. We hung out for a few days sitting in an outdoor hot tub, catching the breath taking scenery of the Doubtful Sounds, eating amazing meals, and enjoying the company of more kind Kiwi folks.

Next stop was Invercargill where I was eager to meet up again with my surfing buddies Ryan and Marcel. I was warned about the wild weather down south but I experienced almost perfect weather of sunshine and huge 10-foot waves that to this day make me shiver. Ryan and Marcel were both excited to play and since they were still students living at home I was able to sample some amazing home cooked meals by their wonderful mom too! I was soon part of the family and the 3 days of amazing surf, nightlife, food, golf, giggles and fun was hard to leave.

The day I left a huge storm came in blowing up to 80MPH so I opted to escape the rain and cold weather of the south and head right up to Christchurch where my two good buddies Ben and Andrew were ready for more fun! I took my only bus trip of the tour and met up with Andrew for dinner that night. On the bus I met two lovely German cyclists Nina and Sonja who came to join us the next day. The weather was perfect and we all went out for an unforgettable mountain bike ride to celebrate the uniting of Ben, Andrew and Jamie!

My time in New Zealand was coming to an end but not before we all enjoyed one more amazing outdoor music festival called Destinations. After a few days of administrative work in town Ben and I charged up to the concert where we began to enjoy 3 days of live music and amazing performances surrounded by stunning rock formations in every direction. We were soon joined by Invercargill buddy Birdie and our boy Andrew. If you ever get a chance to experience a Kiwi music festival, this is the one I recommend! The energy created by so many peace-loving Kiwi folks, the nature, amazing music—just beyond words. My finally dance session lasted 20 hours straight with bands like Salmonella Dub, Fat Freddy's Drop and so many more!

It was sad to say goodbye to my good buddy Ben and eventually Andrew but Australia was calling. I was on my way to Melbourne, Australia filled with unforgettable memories that kept my gratitude levels on high for many days and weeks to come.

New Zealand's South Island--with stunning nature, an adventure sports playground, and truly the friendliest and most real people I've met on my travel to date. I'll never forget the journey of a lifetime! Thanks everyone for making it so special!