We departed JFK early in the morning.  Sadly, the check engine light (pilot’s words) came on, so we sat.  At one point they even “rebooted the plane.”  Clearly Delta must use Window to power the whole thing.  Mildly concerning.  While most of us ignore that yellow check engine light, I suspect we wouldn’t if driving 500 mph at 30,000 feet across some of the most inhospitable lands known to a planeload of New York Democrats i.e., Trump’s America.  

We safely touched down in California, which smelled like a backyard fire pit the night after.  Haze was everywhere.  We toiled the hours away drinking wine and eating.  I’m not a snacker, but when in travel limbo I just eat.  I had Vietnamese noodles and curry chicken, with several “sides” of Oatmeal Raisin cookies just because.  Makes me think Purgatory is just a Golden Corral buffet … you just never get to leave.  

Below is the view from the lounge.

To conclude Saturday, RBD and I had dinner together, like, actually facing each other, on an airplane.  She had the chicken, I the beef short ribs.  There were several courses.  The Flight Manager brought us a LED candle, which flickered in the purple cabin light.  Weirdest date ever, and certainly the highest.  We reminisced about our crappy, roach-infested apartment on the East Side, how utterly poor we were, and how far we’ve come … geographically-speaking, of course, since by this point we’d left the continental United States.  

I woke early and saw the Summer sun rise over The Pacific.  Air New Zealand has a Seat Chat app, where you can communicate to anyone onboard.  RBD sent me a note asking to shut the shade, the sun was blinding her.  So much for the glorious accession of the Sun.  We had fun chatting back and forth, a throwback to our college days on AOL Instant Messenger. 

With hours in limbo, I had ample time to ponder this whole New Zealand question.  The country has captured the hearts of many Americans.  Everyone I know has gone, is going, or will be soon.  Our plane had many Americans on it, and more New Yorkers than I’m comfortable with.  Why the migration?  

Perhaps people in the Northeast are sick of being crowded.  The population of New Zealand is 4.5 million lumpily distributed over about 268,000 km2.  For perspective New York City has 8.5 million in an area 343 times smaller.  Enough people live on the island of Manhattan alone, all 59 km2 of it, to account for about 25% of New Zealand entire population.  

Perhaps people in the Northeast ping towards New Zealand’s progressive DNA.  Women voted starting in 1863.  New Zealand was the first major country to have its three top positions of power held by women simultaneously.  You drive at 15, the age of consent is 16, and you can purchase alcohol at 18.  Gay rights are further along here, and homosexuals have been openly serving in the military since 1993. Guns are heavily regulated. Perhaps North-easterners share a similar ethos that attracts us.

No country is perfect.  Mark Manson, an author I follow because of his insightful snark and ubiquitous use of the F-word, says, “What you love in a country is also what you will come to hate.”  (Certainly true for the U.S.:  I love our economy and Capitalism, but find the side effects difficult to stomach.) Does that mean the lack of people, the remoteness, the Rockefeller Republican ethos, the deeply rooted environmentalism, the slow pace of life — might all come to be annoying?

I can see how.  At Whole Foods, I roll my eyes when people muck up the color coded check-out lines.  How would I handle an entire country that sees no hurry in, basically, everything? 

We landed in Queenstown around noon and checked into our B&B.  We spent the afternoon get sorted for tomorrow and finding a SD card reader.  I left mine at home.  Speaking of forgotten items, Customs wanted to clean our hiking shoes before entering the country.  With the suitcase splayed open, underwear and socks all over the place,  I realized I’d forgotten to pack them.  No wonder the suitcase felt so light and spacious.    

Still, no matter.  We’re here.  Welcome to Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud.