The Connecticut Lifestyle

So after our one month on the road in the US and after countless days traveling across the pacific and NZ, Amy was finally reunited with her family. After being away for more than a year, they were happy to finally have her back. Not too sure that they were stoaked that she brought me with her though! So home it was for us for the next wee while in a cute little suburb of New York City: Stamford, Connecticut. 

Stamford is a town of just over 120,000 people, located at the south-western end tip of Connecticut. The State boarders New York to the south and Manhattan is only a 45 min train ride away. The town is located on Long Island Sound, a stretch of coast sheltered by Long Island, NY. That means no waves. The closest surf is a few hours drive away in either Rhode Island or New Jersey. Stamford is located in Fairfield Country which is amongst the wealthiest counties in America. So in there are plenty of ridiculous mansions about to gawk at!

The travels hadn't made as big a dent in the bank balance as I had expected, so we just continued the jobless, responsibility free lifestyle. Amy was also very excited to meet her little nephew Mikey, whom her cousin had given birth to a few weeks after Amy arrived in New Zealand.  

Amy with Mikey at West Beach

For the summer Amy had a job at a camp for children with Autism starting a month after we arrived. This was her fourth summer working at this camp and it was definitely the best one yet. With an average of 15 kids and 5 counselors, 3 volunteers and 2 directors, they definitely weren't short on staff. For 6 hours a day, they did arts and crafts, sports, games and countless themed activities. During "All Around the World" week, Amy was asked to come up with the activities for an Australian day (Which she turned into Australasia). She decided to have a typical morning tea for the kids of toast with Vegemite resulting the standard foreigner's reactions of spitting it out and making faces, but one volunteer claimed to loved it. The day also included a Kiwi Lingo matching game and an attempt at playing rugby which resulted in two injuries. All in all it was a fun filled 6 weeks!

Thomas tending to the potted garden

We have spent many days just relaxing at either one of the two beaches in Stamford, taken many opportunities to sleep in and there is always a family event or BBQ springing up most weekends with either dinners out or big family feast at home. We eagerly planted a garden both in Amy's grandparents back yard and a potted garden on the back deck at home (The forest in Amy's parent's backyard has proven to be a bad location for a garden due to the excessive shade, and countless deer and other animals coming through enjoying a feast!) Amy's grandparent's garden has produced dozens of cucumbers, so many that Poppy (Amy's grandpa) has started putting them in the neighbors mailboxes! Tomatoes have been the only true success on the porch garden, with cherry tomatos coming out our ears and today I just picked a huge red beefsteak tomato. Our peppers are coming along also but the summer is very harsh and many other plants didn't cut it.

Beach chair accident

 Continuing with the summer theme for nearly a year at this point has some rewards. Despite the often unbearable heat here, usually well into the 30°C's everyday, we have plenty of time to enjoy this weather. I started skateboarding at the local skate park. This has become my surfing, in the older style of skateboarding carving round the bowl, Dogtown style!!! Making quite the impression on the local kids, one in stark amazement said "man, where did you get those shoes?" to my dirty, ripped, $20 dunlop Volleys and "Every time I hear you talk, I just picture you with a kangaroo or somthin!"

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