What do I DO all day?

Brent's application was in the New Zealand bureaucracy for 65 days. During that time, we weren't entirely sure whether or not we were actually going to move. That's not true. Brent was certain. I worried. At one point, I was talking to a friend and colleague - Jan. Jan is very wise. She picked up on my angst and said...so what if you don't go? I replied that I had set up everything to LEAVE. Told everyone. Wound down my business. Forwarded the mail. Arranged for someone to stay in our home. And, more importantly, severed something in my own mind with respect to the next six months. I had already left. So...if you don't go, you can still do whatever you plan on doing in New Zealand, here. Take a sabbatical she suggested. New Zealand is a state of mind as much as a location. How right she was.
What is this New Zealand state of mind?
A glorious sense of freedom and empowerment. Not empowerment like I teach at Northwestern. I now recognize the cardboard nature of empowerment as a concept. Tasteless. Nothing to digest. Empowerment as in I actually choose, each day, how I will spend my time. I think about this very carefully. As I have only one or two "appointments" for client calls, the rest of my day is uncalendared. This is an amazing liberation. Exotic~New Zealand IS exotic...but not due to the topography or absolute remoteness of the place. It is exotic in that I am in the precious state of being able to choose my day.
Which brings me to the title of this post...what do I DO all day?
So far....
- Visited the local library -three times. I haven't been to a library [for pleasure] since I was in like third grade. I've taken out books written by Maori writers; and cookbooks; and Spanish tapes.
- Walked into three or four places where I might volunteer. Health services. Education. The library itself. Introduced myself. No appointment. No pretense.
- Grocery shopping. Takes a while since I'm WALKING both ways. Today I mimicked a donkey with saddle bags over both arms as I hoisted the fresh Italian parsley; local Viogner; fresh red snapper; and other assorted "ingredients" ...from the cookbook at the library.
- Worked out at the YMCA. The equipment looks like a gym in one of those hokey 1950's movies like Hoosiers. Everything is rusty and slightly disgusting [I washed my hands after touching anything] but the people are lovely and they have a spinning class.
- Cooked. Which has typically meant warming up a Sunset Foods deli counter item. I cooked a meal that required slicing and dicing many root vegetables; about seven pans; and involved homemade croûtons.
- Went INTO the bank [no drive throughs here]. Had a lovely conversation with Frances - who has been to Chicago once. For 12 hours. She mentioned she loved Michigan Avenue, but got terrible blisters from walking so much.
- Lots of time on e-mail [just like home except I'm in the hotel lobby as we still don't have access in our apartment].
- Checked out a used bike. Trying to determine if I'll actually ride one as I've discovered how much I love to WALK.
That's what I've been doing. Not exciting...but incredibly full.