New Zealand, In Spirit

I sit in my room, with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack playing through my ear-buds, and feeling very complacent with life.  The Husband is downstairs watching a video, and my 2 kiddos are sleeping soundly.  Far away, on the opposite side of the continent, my oldest sister L, is probably winding down her first evening in Auckland, New Zealand in her hotel room.  This is most likely a one-time trip for her, and as-such, she will be there for 8 weeks.

I am with her, in spirit.  L will spend 2 weeks on a LOTR tour, visiting The Shire, Mount Doom, and other LOTR place-names.  As she visits these places, in-person, I will live through her experience by reading about it on her blog and viewing her photos, and re-imagining the splendour of the valleys, fields, rivers, and mountains in Peter Jackson's LOTR Trilogy.

If I could, I would whisk my family to New Zealand for this experience, but alas, the price of such a trip would be too much.  I don't feel sadness, though, for missing out.  I'm so glad that someone I know, someone that I'm close to, will be able to experience a LOTR tour - because when L returns, I can pummel her with questions, and gape and drool at her, as she regales her New Zealand tales to us.

I've asked for a token souvenir, should she be able to find them - The Hobbit postal stamps.  That is all I ask, and yes, I know that they can be purchased online.  However, it would be much more special, if L could bring them back herself.  If she can't, though, I would be happy with one, or many postcards, sent from New Zealand.

This is Day 1, of L in New Zealand.  I hope she had an incredible first day!