Get Well Clarkie!

I have been back in Colorado for 5 days now trying to get used to our new house and new surroundings. I haven’t told a lot of people i am home up until now, as i don’t really want people just turning up to say hi, that will take some time.

I have been thinking a lot about what i went through and put people through, but also a lot about being back in New Zealand after nine years away. Sure it isn’t the way i wanted to be back home, but it really was great to be there. I really missed the water and didn’t realize how much until i spent some time around Auckland in the various bays. I know i always took it for granted, the water was always there, for years i had a ski boat, went sailing with friends and work mates from Air New Zealand, and generally just surfed and played in the ocean a lot.

Living in Colorado i guess i put it out of my mind about how great and relaxing the ocean can be. Staying with Mum and Ray at their house overlooking the harbor was amazing, i would wake up and see the water, really cool. I have reconnected with some amazing people while i was back in New Zealand, it was great to see Simon Hilton and Barry Jones who i did my apprenticeship and worked with at Air New Zealand. It was also very cool to see William Henderson again, and the help he gave me with my flights getting home was great. One of the highlights was getting to know my cousin Michele again after not really seeing her for 30 years, of course she went to visit the wrong Aaron when she first came to Rehab Plus which i will never let her live down but it was really cool just hanging out and talking with her. Wendy, i dont know where to start, but thank you.

Megan, all i can say is wow. My sister has been absolutely amazing and it has been great to get to know her as an adult, as we have been in different cities and countries since i was 16. I knew her partner Andrew when he was at university a little through friends, so it has been great to catch up with him as well. All in all the trip home and the care i received was well worth it, and without a doubt it was the right decision, i wouldn’t change it for anything. Next time it definitely wont be 9 years between visits and it was really great to catch up with various family and friends.

So being home is kind of strange, and it will take time for me really to feel at ease. I have been keeping busy round the house doing some weeding in the garden, yeah who would have thought!  It is really great to feel productive again and trying to do my bit to making the house even better than Tedi, Josh and Scott already have.

Being in the garage with bikes and tools and stuff hasn’t worried me at all, i even asked to see the helmet i was wearing and can’t thank Suomy enough for making such a great helmet. I was trying to figure out all my keys, what they went to and went around and unlocked my trailer to check out what was in there. At first it wasn’t a problem, looked through all my tools, all the still new tires in the rack, even looked at my leathers that had been cut off me and still no problem. Then it happened, i saw the rear wheel and swing arm i destroyed and kind of freaked out. I mean i didn’t go running down the street waving my arms above my head screaming or anything like that, it just freaked me out and brought a few things back to me. I knew it would happen at some stage and am actually glad it happened in my first week home and not in 6 months, right now i have no problem going back into the garage or trailer so i am not sure what really happened. Lots of new things happening and i just have to keep moving forward.

Thanks to everyone back in New Zealand for everything you have done, and i will eventually get in contact with everyone back here in the US. It may just take some time but i will definitely keep these updates going.

Aaron