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You all know how much I love living in this country.  Love isn't strong enough...I adore this country.  I can't believe that serendipitous  good fortune that brought me here. In less than 48 hours I'm going to be lucky enough to walk 50km's along the most gorgeous stretch of the most gorgeous beaches in this country doing  Coast Trek , the scenery will help soften every sandy step a little.

Still....

I miss home.  And I've talked here about how you can have many homes that all mean different things at different times, but sometimes you just have one special emotional home in your heart.  And for me, New Zealand will always be the home in my heart.

And at the moment I miss it "So bloody come home" is what all my NZ peeps are saying.  And I need to -  for a visit.
The other day I was listening to the radio and the radio announcer said he was going to interview lets call him "Gav from Te Puke".  I clutched my heart (truly) and waited.  And then Gav started talking and I started smiling.  I miss listening to the NZ accent, and am often startled with how strong it is, it's like my ears have become attuned to the Aussie accent so much I can't even recognise my own.

 Then today I read this,

A staff member at Sand Dunz dairy said people were coming into the dairy "speechless".

... and apologies because it is a truly tragic circumstance it's quoted in. but it brought a teeny warmth to me. "Dairy" - in New Zealand we call "corner shops" - "dairies".  I can't break the habit.  My kids say it, we all say it.  A dairy is a dairy.  And no one here has any idea what I'm talking about.  So to see it in an Australian newspaper was a little satisfying.  A dairy sells milk and ice creams, right?  A " corner store" might not even be on a corner.  Just saying...

I miss New Zealand stuff, the brands in shops, the shops even, I miss seeing the maori and pacific island influence. in signs, on the streets,   I miss the smell of the air, the colours, the plants, the smell of the bush.  I miss my old life there, I miss my friends, I miss home.

I don't know what brings this on - maybe because a dear friend is heading to Queenstown next week to run in an off road marathon I ran in that I swear I can remember every, stunning minute of.  Or perhaps because there have been NZ touristy articles in the weekend newspaper travel supplements.

Or maybe because I am long over due to head back for a visit.

Where is your emotional home in your heart?  Where do you miss if you haven't been there for too long?