Onto the Next Adventures: Meg & Me

Meg and I have been friends for over 10 years...
Our friendship began one snowy spring afternoon at a Seedy Saturday seed exchange event in London, Ontario. Shawn & her boyfriend had been saying for some time that we had a lot in common and we should meet up and hang out sometime. Then, we meet that Saturday by fluke and ended up hitting it off right away:) Our love of food, cooking, gardening & the outdoors connected us initially, but then our continued mutual interests in all things made us fast friends.
Meg is by far one of the smartest, hardworking, loving, caring, intelligent, down-to-earth, inventive, creative, tenacious and funniest people I know! Being friends with Meg is like going to your favourite show and afterwards thinking, “can I do that all over again tomorrow?” -it’s that good. I just couldn’t get enough of her!
So when she moved to New Zealand 3 years ago, my heart skipped for the opportunity she and Don had been given but also ached for an even greater distance between us. Although she had been living in the States (Georgia & Washington State) completing her PhD for 5 years before the big move across the ocean, the distance before that only seemed a short flight away. So when the opportunity finally presented itself to “complete” our world trip journey, it was a no brainer to go visit & stay with Meg in New Zealand.

After our initial meeting and hitting it off right away at the London Seedy Saturday, it didn’t take long before we were in the kitchen cooking up a storm together & laughing until our stomachs hurt. As a side note; Meg is the one person who can make me laugh until I cry & I (almost) pee my pants😂
We spent the first summer doing all kinds of activities together; riding our motorcycles to the farm where Meg helped me work on growing my organic veggies (yes, we both had bikes!), painting the outside of our first house, making new creations in my kitchen, enjoying backyard hangouts, downtown festivals, local eatery hot spots, and dog walks around the neighbourhood. Life was good with my new friend Meg. Summers were then spent travelling up to her dads cottage in Bancroft (still a yearly tradition); hanging out on the dock on the lake, and sharing in a million laughs and great chats. Something I always look forward to each & every year. Her family has become an extension of my family and getting together with them always feels like coming home.

When I told Meg I was thinking about coming to visit her in New Zealand a few years back she was super excited, and when we were finally able to make it a reality this year, she was ecstatic! Shawn and I were welcomed after our 9 hour bus journey from Auckland to Palmerston North where Meg now lives with the warmest hugs and laughter right from the start.
Meg has made such an amazing home and place for herself (and Don) over the last 3 years here, and I’m so proud of all the things she has accomplished. Leaving almost all her possessions behind except for a few precious items that fit into a couple of suitcases from Pullman, Washington, Meg (and Don) finally found a little slice of heaven on a farm property south of Palmerston North on the North Island. They’ve gotten pretty creative with their talents; making their own furniture (mostly), many of pieces of clothing, bags & and anything else she can sew up, crafting little things around the house to make life easier (a shelf for an egg flat, paper towel holder, & clothes drying rack); all while continuing to work (Meg) and study (Don in Vet school). Don also does blacksmithing on days off and Meg has her own hive of honeybees to tend too on the farm where they rent a sweet little place.
Meg landed a great job last year working in the North Island with the honeybees and I’m so proud of all she’s accomplished in the time she has been in New Zealand. I’m thrilled to have been able to spent quality time with my friend Meg; picking up right where we left off and laughing so hard my sides hurt.