Is this a picture of safety or danger?

Perhaps the above picture I photographed on Saturday reminded me of a hobbit’s home, coinciding with our great New Zealand expedition, which begins this Tuesday. Or perhaps the situation of the house built on rocks over a rushing river reminded me of the paradoxical safety and danger we face every time we venture out from our homes.  And what about the safety of air travel to New Zealand, which today seems routine, but compared to a flight to Michigan, seems adventurous?

What the picture most suggests to me is the beautiful balance between adventure and security in our daily lives and how this balance will be performed over the next twenty-three days.  I have imagined New Zealand as one of the most exotic habitats to explore, yet a peaceful, English-speaking country, where the citizens welcome American tourists. For me, the best choice of places to visit.

Victoria and I will try to document our trip without getting so bogged down in the reporting, that we do not truly experience what we came to see. We know how silly tourists with cameras and cell phones can look, as they witness a trip only through the small aperture of a lens. We hope we’ll avoid that pitfall.

For me, however, the experience becomes more real as I write about it. I’ll try to pay attention by writing and reflecting on what we see and hear. We are arriving a day before our scheduled tour with Overseas Adventure Travels [ oattravel.com/destinations/country/new-zealand?ds=true&icid=glbsbx%3Asugclk%3Ar_c_t%3Ac%3Anewzealand ]  to adapt to the abrupt change in time zone, and we will begin our trip in the Bay of Islands, where the origins of New Zealand are on display in the Maori historical records. The adventure begins at 2:55 p.m. this Tuesday . . . .