There...and back again?

It's 12:24 a.m. on Thursday morning in Auckland. I can't sleep. The wooden handmade clock on the wall in the living room is mocking me. Tick. Tick. Tick. You. Can't. Sleep.

I know I haven't written a post in a while, and the midnight ramblings of a half-insane expat probably aren't what you were expecting when you decided to follow this blog. Trust me, unlike some other people, I'm not one to use a blog as my own public diary to air out all my dirty laundry (for instance, our last horrific privacy-invading housemate), because really who wants to read that kind of shit?

But, I thought I'd share a few hour-of-the-wolf insights about what's been going on so far down here in Aotearoa (Māori for "New Zealand"), if only to illustrate for any aspiring emigrants out there that it's not always smooth sailing after you make the big move.

The single thing plaguing my every waking moment is Happy Cat Sanctuary. For those who don't know, Happy Cat is an indoor/outdoor sanctuary in Long Island, New York that houses over 250+ cats.  I paid Happy Cat to board/foster my Maine Coon cat, my dear, sweet, darling baby Amber.  Amber is doing fine - she lost some weight, but she's eating now and content with her new-found feline friends. The sanctuary, on the other hand, is in grave danger of closing down.  I've basically assumed the role of Happy Cat's Director of Communications and Development (pro bono, of course).

Click here to watch an amazing video of the sanctuary.

I have spent nearly 20 hours per week over the last two months helping Happy Cat Sanctuary - I redesigned their website, revamped their YouTube and Facebook pages, created a new donation-based Virtual Adoption program, written three grants (two were denied), secured at-cost medications through a pharmaceutical company nonprofit wholesale program, contracted with a NY-based rehabilitation program to source volunteers to clean the sanctuary...... but still, it's not enough.

Happy Cat's power will be shut off in April 2014 unless the owner can find $5,000 to pay the electric company. Unless we can raise $15,000 by June and also find a lower-cost food source (i.e. a wholesaler, or purchase option direct from the food manufacturers), Happy Cat will close, 250 cats will be homeless, and Amber will have nowhere to go.

I'll be honest, I'm panicked.  Not just for Amber, but for Happy Cat Sanctuary and all the other cats. I'm trying every trick I've learned in the last 10 years working for nonprofits, but I really don't know if I can single-handedly save them.

You wouldn't believe the stories of how some of the cats came to the sanctuary.  One cat was shot in the ear by some asshole with a gun; the ear had to be amputated. 30 cats were hoarded by a senile woman in a filthy, condemned house, where there were dead cats underneath the floor, which was caving in. Happy Cat has a rescue dog, Tyson, who was beaten and abused in NYC dog fighting rings. 21 cats that were living in a colony in a boat yard were nearly poisoned by one of the yard employees.  Happy Cat saved 20 cats from NYC gangs who were trying to trap them for use as bait in dog fighting rings.

It's ironic: it took me moving halfway across the world to realize my calling: to help these animals, and to try my damnedest to keep Happy Cat Sanctuary afloat.

I don't really know what I will do if Happy Cat closes in summer 2014.  It would be foolish to drop everything we worked so hard for just to come back for a cat.  So, I suppose failure is not an option.

I'd hate for this to be a long-winded appeal for donations.... but if you seriously want to help this sanctuary stay afloat - this sanctuary that is doing so much good in a world full of evil - I know Chris, the CEO, would be so incredibly grateful.

You can choose which abused cat to "virtually adopt" at http://www.HappyCatSanctuary.org. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

In other news.....

Matt has had a couple of interviews, but nothing solid.  He is going down to Christchurch next week for an interview, so we'll see how that goes.

We're still learning how to cope with the high gas and food prices. We're adopting some tricks (eat one egg in the morning instead of two; when we eat out, split one meal; buy as much in bulk as possible; bargain hunt like mad; walk more, drive less.)  It's hard, but we're adapting.

But with the bad comes the good. We got invited out on a boat excursion of lower Hauraki Gulf with our awesome house hosts who are like family now to us. We zipped to the nearby islands, grabbed a delicious lunch overlooking the water, saw some rare birds on the sanctuary island, and did alot of swimming. I got seasick on the way back, but I was able to pull off some of these shots (if you can't see the pictures below, CLICK HERE to go to our picture gallery, and scroll DOWN to see the latest ones.)

Sunset over Auckland

My view of Matt from down below, where I was nearly losing my lunch.

A three twelve hour tour.

We miss everyone and we know the winter has been hard back in the States. We do implore those of you who want to come visit NZ and stay with us to start planning your trip and saving your pennies now. We'd love to have you over, and we promise to show you a kickin' Kiwi time!

Much love,

Melissa