As I write it’s 1am in the morning, 29 degrees Celsius outside with a ‘feels like’ temperature of 33 degrees. I can’t sleep. The air conditioning unit in our dilapidated but cheerful hotel room roars intermittently for a period of around 3 minutes, sounding much like an old car engine idling, rev’s running high – then shuts down for 3 minutes in which time we have total silence. I finally decide to take the silence, along with its heat, and turn the rowdy thing off.
It’s our second night in Galveston, Texas and we’re in our second rental property. The air conditioning unit at the first holiday house – a beautiful and quaint 2 story cottage – gave up the ghost and caused a small flood, no hot water, and a sagging and very wet ceiling.
The move from our chosen Airbnb has separated us from our friends, the Reids, who were staying in a detached house on the same property. This has been a disappointment, but it’s taken a lot of organising to get this far and we won’t let this minor hiccup spoil our delight in being back in America for the World Firefighter Challenge 2023.
To be fair it wasn’t the first hiccup we’ve had since departing Christchurch, and I’m certain it won’t be the last. There’s not much you can do about the unexpected, but there is a choice with how you react to it – and that’s a delicious freedom! So I always choose to try not let these hiccups irritate me … not always with success, but unsurprisingly it gets easier with practise!
3 days in Galveston gives us time to acclimitise before we meet up with the rest of our NZ team and enter a week of challenge fun in Stuart, Florida. I’ve taken the easy job of being a side line member, cheering our 17 amazing competitors on … go TEAM NZ FFC WORLD CHAMPS 2023!
Red Alders 