Coming Home
November 21st, 2006
After being away from New Zealand for 6 months and working in 3 different countries, it was time to come home for summer. After traveling for 2 ½ days I finally reached. Scott and my parents were a little unimpressed with the 2 hour wait, and even less impressed with my cornrows.
I think my sister liked the present I got her:
Being home is weird. It feels familiar. I recognize the smells, the weather (although I’d expected it to be warmer), all the subtle things which make it home. But it feels like it did a year and a half ago before I left, and went traveling. And as a result I feel like I did before I left, even though I’ve changed. It’s going to take some getting used to being back in regular, normal New Zealand. Not being an “Aid Worker†anymore. That said, I’ve got heaps to keep me busy while I’m back here: reports to write for Uganda; a bunch of projects to work on and I’ve got to sort myself out a job for next year. Oh yeah – and enjoying the summer!
December 4th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Well, if you’ve got some free time you could always go and see if Dawn Raid will take you on - y’know, as an extra in a Mareko video or something…
December 6th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
spooky……
Have you ever put your name into google and clicked search. Well I did, and your, er, my name came up. Interestingly enough I’m from New Zealand as well. Wait there’s more?? I to, have travelled. Not to the places you’ve been and I didn’t do the aid work you did but I travelled nonetheless.
I lived in Melbourne, Australia for three years (but this doesn’t count). I covered Europe and the Middle East for a year. England for two years. India, Nepal and Thailand for a year. And I just got back from living in Israel for the last six years.
Not sure why I’m telling you this but I just find it interesting that someone with the same name (and we both know that Howden is not a very common last name) has had similiar experiences.
keep on travelling
Michael Howden
December 10th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Hi, Michael -
this is Eric’s mom from Bad Homburg, Germany. Found you in the web, hope Eric will be able to see you when he and his girl friend will be in NZ this month!
Greetings to your parents and Rowan, also from Joerg - we will never forget the Christmas in Mt. Eden (1977?) and when you came to stay with us here.
Merry Christmas, too!
Kristina
January 12th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Oh no there’s more than ONE Michael Howden!
January 25th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Hey Mike - the aid worker - you seem to keep yourself occupied! Looking forward to reading what you’lll get to in the year 2007.
More great things to come, I’m sure
February 10th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
There is more than two Michael Howden’s. I live in Melbourne and just finished doing the travel thing last year. Maybe we should start a Michael Howden annual convention!
February 13th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I thought the world was a wonderful place… but now it is even better than before with TWO Michael Howden’s working to save the world. In New Zealand we tend to refer to people like Michael Howden as “Dirty Hippies”
But let’s face it everybody… they are the best darn people the human race has got! We should have olympic medals for people like Mike. And now there is one in Australia too. PRAISE THAT GREAT ENTITY WE CALL GOD!!!
February 14th, 2007 at 12:18 am
This also has deep philosophical ramifications.
Does the naming of a person has scientifically measurable implications for the development of a human’s identity, and therefore falls under the field of Psychology.
Hmmmmm… Makes you wonder.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Hey
well i guess its gonna be freaky to break it to you, but my best mate is named, you guessed it, Michael Howden. He lives in qld. 
I found this site by googleing his name.
May 17th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Hey…I was married to a Michael Howden, so there’s another one…in Melbourne!!!
Definitely time to start a club
November 6th, 2008 at 2:12 am
Hi there all the Howdens. I married in to the ‘Howden’ clan, and you’ll never guess….. my husbands name is Michael Howden. We too are doing the travelling thing, with a couple of kids in tow. Originally from Perth now sojourning in the UK for a couple of years. Fun, fun, fun.