Wednesday, October 2- The Southern Cross

The New Zealand night sky is breath taking, especially here at Mohaka River Ranch. To the west lies a 45,000 acre farm, 45 minutes to the east lies the small ocean town of Napier to the North is open wilderness and the south sheep and deer farms. This is all to say that when I stepped outside tonight there it was nothing but me and the stars. Even the moon took the night off. Straight above me was the milky way shining so brightly I could have sworn it was city lights reflecting off clouds.

My eyes scanned for any constellation that looked familiar. There was one that looked vaguely like the little dipper but apart from that I was starting from scratch. I felt like early man staring up at the night sky and having the opportunity to name that which he saw. There was the shepherds crook, the square, the pitchfork, the Dalek and so many others, and that's when I saw it. The only constellation I knew before coming. The one I had searched for with a constellation app while in Hawaii by pointing it straight at the ground and magicing myself to the night sky on other side of the planet. The Southern Cross and the pointers. My breath caught in a sharp intake. It was more beautiful than I imagined. It was HUGE. My eyes turned to gum drop buttons and in that moment I dropped 24 years in a split second and squealed like a kid at Christmas.