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All of the redness and irritation of the tattooing is now gone, all of its scabs are shed, the infection completely resolved.

When I feel the tattooed area now, it feels smooth.

Just like the rest of the skin on my body.

The irritated, scabbed and infected tattoo had been raised, had felt like it was on the surface of my body.

But not now.

The tattoo is not on the surface.

It is in me.

Inside of me.

In the literal sense. But also in the sense of how it’s integrated into my interior self-conception.

In the many ways it’s changed me on the inside.

It feels so cool.

And it looks so hot.

I’m ready to head home after seven weeks separated from Dan.

But I’m also eager to come back to Taranaki to have the tattoo completed by Phil and Rangi.

I had a great talk with Phil yesterday, who’s already mocked up another possible rear design, this one symmetric and more static.

I took Mark and his wife Shari out for dinner last night, to their favorite Indian restaurant here, Cinnamon.

And Mark and I did some drone shooting of me walking on Eastend Beach early this morning at low tide, under a crisp blue sky with a few low clouds hovering over the lines of rolling breakers. Breathtakingly beautiful. Temps in the 40s.

We did a little exploring afterwards, checked out Fitzroy Beach, so Mark could scout the surfing situation. Also to a beautiful point where the Waiwhakaiho River runs into the Tasman Sea.

Which afforded a spectacular view of snow-covered Mt. Taranaki, and of its companion older eroded volcanoes of Pouākai and Kaitake.

A perfect, picture-postcard ending to my stay here in magical Taranaki.

Tonight, I’m taking Rangi and Marie out to dinner at Arborio.

And tomorrow, Rachel Hooks, my Vrbo host, is taking me to New Plymouth airport at 11, for the beginning of my long journey home, leaving Auckland at 8 pm on Saturday, May 13, arriving at Vancouver, BC at 2 pm, also on May 13. Where Dan will collect me and drive me home.

It’s been a joyous journey.

Thanks for coming along with me.