March 17 is for Remembering Sunil

Today is March 17 here. In NY, in the pertinent place I guess, it is still March 16. It is still Drew's birthday. It is still the day before our lives changed forever. But in New Zealand, it's St. Patrick's day.

People are traipsing around the streets already - 12:30 in the afternoon, and I sit here in bed trying to reconcile what to do with this day.

The confusion of these dates is getting the better of me. Am I supposed to be sad now? Tomorrow? March 17 as a universal reminder sucks to be quite honest. Happy people everywhere, big MARCH 17 strewn across banners everywhere, and all I want to do is cry.

Thinking about which day (my March 17 or yours) to 'mourn' has me wondering whether mourning is the right way to handle this. I can't help but let this date bring back memories of that late night phone call, of uncontrollable tears, of the worst week of my life to date.

But earmarking it to this day in the confusion of it still being March 16 at home makes me think that maybe picking a date to be 'sad' isn't the right approach. . . Annie & Karen must be under the same confusion as I today.

I guess all I can do is use these next days, be it one or two, to try not to be sad - to try to forget the horrors of that night, that week, and try to just use it as a remembrance. Maybe I can get the March 17 signs everywhere that will forever connect to Sunil to be a way that I have him close to me as this day approaches.

It is just his style to have left this earth on a day where so many people are out there celebrating life. Maybe he wanted it to be really really difficult for us to be sad this day.

Well Sunil, I hope I can eventually smile on this date. For now it is just too painful. But I will try.

My start is to say that for me, as I begin my New Zealand March 17, I will sit and remember our moments in the courtyard, your Sunil hugs, our endless phone conversations, that voice that was the one I went to with things I couldn't talk to anyone else about - the brother I had never had. I'll try to honor the lives we talked about leading - and remember those things this day.

Oh. And it figures. We've had 40 degree weather with high winds and rain the last week. BUT today in Christchurch New Zealand - its 86 and sunny. Yes babe, I know you are here!

Taking Flight

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll please)

THIS is how I spent March 3, 2007:

Yes, that's me, up above the clouds! I always said I wanted to do it, but I'll be honest, I never knew if I'd lose my nerve. Jay, Margie, Josh, Jen and myself put fear aside, and went skydiving with NZSkyDive in Glenorchy!

The day started out a little scary, as we originally were booked with another company, and were told when we arrived that due to rain, from the previous day, Queenstown air control would not let them go up, and we couldn't dive. You can imagine how we felt at this point, when we had spent a full morning psyching ourselves up - including Josh's blasting musical countdown which included Eye of the Tiger, and The Final Countdown.

In what was somewhat of a blur, we re-booked with another company, found out that the new company had much more scenic vantage points, were bussed out to Glenorchy, and were putting our jumpsuits and gear on.

The next thing I recall is being on this tiny little plane, heading high above the clouds - without question presenting some of the most amazing views we've seen so far. The plane contained 10 people - myself, Margie, and Jay, each of our Tandem Masters, each of our Cameramen, and the pilot. We embarked the plane un-strapped to our Tandem Masters which, of course, left a few wondering questions in my mind, but I decided to let faith (and the fact that my Tandem Master had completed 14,000 jumps) take over.

I watched the dial on my instructor's altimeter go from 0 - 12,000 feet (we jumped from 12,000, pulling the parachute at 5,000). At about 11,500 I started taking some very deep inhales and exhales, but I knew there was no turning back. I was first jump of the 3 of us. I thought that was somewhat of a disadvantage, until I heard Jay and Margie explain what the feeling was like when they looked over, and I was just GONE. I digress.

At 12,000 feet, the door was opened, and my heart began racing wildly. The cameraman jumped first, and I was swung around to the door of the plane to find him holding on to the wing, staring at me with the camera. Next thing I recall is this terrifying 5 seconds of free fall, and then the equalizing shoot pulled (the little white one), and in that 5 seconds I had acclimated to myself to the environment and spent the remaining 40 seconds and 7,000 feet of free fall screaming and pumping my fists and yelling HI MOM into the camera!!!!

At 5,000 feet the real parachute was pulled, and at that point, when my Tandem Master instructed me to look up and watch Margie - it was amazing - these 3 bodies floating through air - and I'm thinking I JUST DID THAT!

It took about another 5 minutes to get to the ground, which was scenic, and overwhelming - the adrenaline was unbearable - to the point where once we had landed and I was unclipped, I ran and tackled Margie (much to the pleasure of the cameramen and tandem masters lolol).

The final result - I appreciate the ground, but will never forget the feeling of being up in the skies.

Enjoy the video -

Here's the full set of pics.

Take me to the Water . . .

As I mentioned in my last post, this was my first week at 30, and it just so happened to be my most adventurous!

I'll start with the first leg of my adventure - on February 26, we went white water rafting! My first time! We happened upon a perfect day, headed out to the Rangitata River, and with our fearless leader, Ben, made our way from Level 1 through Level 5 rapids!!!!!!!

This day was our first out of Christchurch City proper, and it was much needed - we were beginning to miss Australia terribly - but just when the chips are down, New Zealand decided to show us what it was made of. First of all, the Rangitata river was crystal clear (it was drinkable, can you believe that!) and a color blue of which I've never seen before. It was glacially fed - so cold is a bit of an understatement - let's use the word refreshing - but temperature was soon forgotten as we made our way down the river. LOOK at the scenery - can we say Lord of the Rings anyone?!?!

Perhaps the highlight of the trip for me was this little moment here [follow the progression, noting the second red hat from the back of the raft on the right hand side]

Yes, that's Elliot (red hat) falling out - only the highlight because I love him and can laugh with him! (and if you really look you can see me laughing with him from across the raft, I'm in the green hat!)

Here is the full photo set so you can see all of our antics!

Turning 30!

Thanks to time zone changes, I got to stretch my transferring of decades over 42 hours, as opposed to 24! At 12 midnight here in New Zealand - all the way until 6pm on the 25th, when February 24th finally ended in New York.

Anyway, the milestone has come and gone, and nothing has really changed except a little ol prefix - I will not let the forced recollection of changing decades change the amazing way I feel, and create aging before my time!

As would be expected, Elliot made sure to make the day special for me - we started out the NZ 24th with a wonderful brunch on the Avon River that runs through Christchurch, and moved on to some strolling around, light shopping, but mostly relaxation and resting up for the coming evening. We then went to an amazing dinner at the Lobster Club - a beautiful, upscale restaurant on Lichfield Street - where we shared a colossal seafood platter for two!

We then moved on to Liquidity - a very New York City-ish bar where we met up with our friends that we have been traveling with. Thanks to my sweetie, it felt much like I was at home with my friends and family the way I normally spend my birthday (though he said he had offered to fly most of you out here, but you declined, what gives!?!?!).

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't something missing - well I guess a few things are missing this year - my location blocking my closest family and friends (aside from Elliot of course), and my birthday wishes from Sunil. That being said, El did you all very proud - it was a happy birthday indeed.

I'm adding a few pictures here of my 30th Birthday Celebration - and my next post will show you how I spent my first week as a 30 year old - if I must say myself, I'm off to a good start. ;)