We’d always wanted to visit New Zealand, and vowed that we’d do it while we lived in L.A., just a non-stop flight away from Auckland. In the summer of 2009, we took our trip, and had an incredible time. I put together some words and photos here, collected many more photos here, and include this photo, of me showing my excitement at Te Papa in Wellington, as a reminder of our travels in those pre-kid days. It was a busy time: between June 2008 and July 2009, we visited Italy, Hawaii, England, and New Zealand, plus the requisite trips to Alaska and Boston. Excitement of a different variety was just around the corner…