Luke and Nichole Around The World

Happy New Year's Eve to everyone!!

We're the first ones in the world to get to say that! Fiji is right on the International Date Line and therefore the first ones to see the New Year. We're also almost right on the equator -- an interesting crossroads.

We've had to roll with the flow again here in Fiji, as the winds of fate are ever changing our plans. We were bumped from our connecting flight to Kadavu, and sadly won't be able to enjoy the generous hospitality of our friend Kim and her husband Tommy. We're all a bit disappointed about it, but we're still in Fiji!

While we were waiting in line at the airport, I ran into a ski photographer friend from Boulder! Crazy small world. He and his family were in Fiji to attend the wedding of some friends of theirs...Tony Hawk and Lhotse Merriam. Rancid will be playing the reception. Lhotse is an old Crested Butte local who Caleb and I used to see a lot in our ski adventures. Still trying to talk Nichole into crashing the wedding.

So we're just hanging out here in Nadi...enjoying the easy pace of Fijian life. Time really does move more slowly here. The sunset this evening was spectacular, and we enjoyed it from the black beach outside our room. Love and magic was in the air as we reflected back on the trip and the past year together. It's both sad and exciting that this adventure is coming to an end. We have a whole new life to look forward to when we get home. "Home"...it's hard to think of the word in the same way right now. For the past four months, "home" has been two suitcases and wherever we've been lucky enough to be. Now, Boulder will feel like a new home for us. Through it all, I know one thing; "home" is where Nichole is. I love that girl!

Now we're off to celebrate the New Year Fijian style! Fireworks over the South Pacific Ocean at midnight, a warm ocean breeze in the palm trees, and some sweet kisses.

OK, enough gooey stuff! Happy New Year to everyone!

Luke & Nichole

From: krista

your latest message is beautiful. may the new year be as wonderful as the prior.

From: Pa

Happy New Years to you both from Canberra. We arrived back early this evening (1 Jan 2006), stopped to wash the sand and salt spray from the car after the long trek from Noosa to Rainbow Beach, then dinner at Belluci's, hoping the town would cool down, and finally to our house on Waller Crescent, that looks very much the way we left outl, only now +32 inside. It has apparently been very HOT in Canberra (>100F), but cool wave due in tomorrow, thank goodness. Glad to hear that you are safely in Fiji, but sorry that you did not make the connection to your island. But sounds like you have managed to make a really fun time out of it anyway. Hope you managed the wedding there! And tomorrow you start the final leg back to Boulder, nearly 5 months later. What a set of adventures you have experienced. Here's hoping the final travel runs smoothly. Obie Shelbey and Cooper made it back on schedule today, although without any luggage that is somewhere in California. But Cooper slept most of the transPacific leg, so that was great for them. Love to you both and final safe travels.

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