Bear hunt

After listening to friends’ stories of encounters with bears, I find myself peering out the curtains at all hours on the lookout for a bear wondering around the grounds. Going for a run on my own, pushing the stroller, I am concentrating more on looking out for bears between the tall pine trees than on the agony of running at such high altitude. Hearing a growl, my heart starts racing and my legs somehow shift a gear, then the sound of screeching tyres makes me aware that it was only an old truck starting up.

BOOM! BOOM! The sounds of gunshots outside our bedroom window. We leap out of bed after midnight, frightened, and peer through the curtains. Gunpowder smoke drifts in front of the dimly lit lamp posts. We can just make out two men standing in the car park with rifles. A bear! It must have been a bear!

By this stage my friends are aware that it is my US mission to catch sight of a bear.

One evening a friend yells ‘Taryn, Taryn, you gotta come quickly! A bear!’ My heart pounding, I run outside to join her, with others now following, and we creep around the corner of a building and stand and stare. We wait. Then all of a sudden this enormous brown bear leaps from a grocery store’s dumpster and looks like its heading our way. We panic and are about to run when we realize that the bear has stopped. He is standing in the dark alley way, staring directly at us, growling softly.

Just when I thought my bear hunt mission was fulfilled, a friend comes home late one night and finds herself face to face with a bear trying to get to a pot of honey on the kitchen counter. The bear gets a fright and exits the way he came in, through the bathroom. The bathroom door slams shut and the bear gets angry! He thrashes around the bathroom, managing to flush the chain and break the basin, before leaping through the already broken window. The same bear has been spotted lurking around the house, pondering how he is going to get to that pot of honey!

Bear Hunt Mission: Complete

The biggest little city in the world

3 hours away from Mammoth Lakes is shopping paradise! At 7am, we load the truck with 4 adults, 2 baby boys, 2 strollers, snacks and hot Black Velvet coffee, and head to Reno, in Nevada State. We drive passed lakes, small towns, canyons, farms and cross the border into Nevada. Our first stop was Target. I could have spent hours in Target. I guess we did. I was completely overwhelmed by the enormity of the store, and more so the prices! I find myself tempted to buy things just because they are so cheap. I continually compare prices with that of New Zealand, where we have lived for 3 years, and I feel almost cheated by the amount of money we had to fork out for things. On to Forever 21, Old Navy, Gap, Levi Store, Walmart, Nike, Scheels, Toys R Us, and the list could go on.

A drive down the main city street had to be done. The flashing lights, bars, cheap motels, casinos, a hobo sleeping on a dirty pavement during the day, were just some of the sights of the day. For the first time in 3 years I had to ask the driver if the car doors were locked. A trip to the city is not complete without stopping at In & Out Burger. I have heard so much about this fast food joint from my American friends, and travellers, so it was time. The simple menu: hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, soda and milkshake. It's no gourmet burger joint, but it definitely tops Mac Donalds! I think the secret is in the fresh salad, sauce, but mostly because of the raw onion. With bags of clothes, baby gear, and gifts, we left the last store at 9.30pm and headed home. A great shopping experience!

Pie in the Sky

We headed out of Mammoth on the US 395 and climbed up to 9,700 feet to Rock Creek. Rock Creek is not only famous for its magnificent lake surrounded by white peaks and the changing colours of the aspen trees; but also for the famous Pie in the Sky at the Rock Creek Lake Resort. The pies are a resort tradition dating back to the 40s. Some of the more popular pie flavours include Dutch Apple, Boysenberry, Blueberry, Lemon Cream, Pecan Chocolate Chip, Fresh Peach, Coconut Cream, Fresh Nectarine, Rhubarb and Chocolate Cream, but the one that I thought topped the list was Cheddar & Pear pie. They make something like 25 pies a day and they always sell out by midday. The secret is to get there mid morning, buy your slice of pie, then take a scenic walk around the lake for half an hour and then sit by the lake enjoying a well deserved slice of heaven!

When in America

You would think that travelling to a country where we speak the same language, we would not have to worry about language barriers, but on the contrary I have quickly become aware of my South African accent, and more so, aware of the words and phrases I use. Try asking for the toilet! The look of confusion, then a giggle, and finally 'oh, you mean the bathroom?'. No I don't mean a bathroom, I've showered already today thanks, i just need to use the toilet!!! Ok, so after asking a few people and reading a few 'Restroom' signs, I've come to the conclusion that I will have to use the word 'restroom' in future. When asking for a glass of water, I have learned that it saves a lot of time and confusion if I put on, to the best of my ability, the American accent and roll my r's. It still baffles me that not many people I have met here have ever heard the word 'nappy', even though it is the only country that I know of that uses the word 'diaper', so I am having to use the word 'diaper'. Phrases like 'hey he's just pooped in his diaper' just seem so stereotypical of an american sitcom, but it has to be said! So to avoid confusion, when in America use words such as fries, soda, gas, store, shopping cart, yard sale, blinkers, baby carrier, charlie horse, and of course ... SUPER-size!

Chapter Two

Like an author dwelling on the perfect opening line for his book, I have been hesitating to start my blog as I had no idea how to begin …

I'm going to start at the beginning of Chapter Two, and then write it as the story unfolds. Chapter One was a long one, an introduction of sorts to my life, which stretches over 30 years. The story could have ended there, but the story of my life would have just ended with a feel-good, predictable ending. The thoughts of 'there must be more', has resulted in the start of a new chapter, Chapter Two.

Chapter Two starts at the beginning of 2010.  The setting - a small resort town situated on Lake Wanaka, New Zealand. Characters - Taryn, thats me. Daniel, my husband of 5 years, and our newborn son, Oscar Jack. 

My father flew in to meet his first grandchild. While he was with us, he encouraged us to dream, and to dream big. Dream without looking at our circumstances and finances. He asked us to submit our Dream Wish List to him within 7 days. My life's ambition was to be a mom. I was living out this dream. The 7 days went by and I would quieten myself, my thoughts, my mind and think about what I wanted out of life, and the only word I got was TRAVEL. How could that be possible with a newborn? I spoke to my father and felt almost tearful. 'Dad, I'm frustrated! I can't dream anymore!' The only thing I could think about was my vision I had years ago. It was an image of Daniel and I walking away in the distance, a baby on my hip, and Daniel holding a guitar. We were going … going where? I do not know. 

In August, I found myself craving change. Daniel came home early from work one morning, and announced that he had been made redundant. I burst out laughing! Not from nerves or fear, but out of pure excitement. A door was closing. I suddenly saw myself in the scene of the new Alice in Wonderland movie when Alice had just drunk the potion, holding keys in her hand, and was looking at all the doors wondering which one to walk through. 

We walk and talk. Walk and pray. Walk and think. Walk and dream… so we walked. Walked along the lake. Talking, praying, dreaming. All of a sudden I was dreaming again. We could do anything, go anywhere. 

We found that as we talked out our ideas, our dreams, they were soon becoming a reality. Tickets were booked, contacts were made throughout the world, visas were being applied for, furniture was sold, we were packing, moving. Farewell parties, last goodbyes. Boarding the first flight of three, I was struck with emotions, sad ones saying goodbye to family & good friends, and leaving the Land of the Long White Cloud, and happy ones with the excitement of the unexpected & discovery of new cultures, new lands.