And like that... he is gone
So that's it. RIP Three Years of Hell, June 2, 2003 to August 25, 2006. After all these words, there are only a few things left to say.
Two sites, the Imbroglio and the Volokh Conspiracy, have given me a slightly premature sendoff, and their words are very kind. (The site has received its final Kerr Package.) In answer to Ambimb's question as to why the site is closing, the answer is simply that the project is done. I don't know what my next big task will be. I've got two articles in process (much more difficult now I don't have free Lexis access). There's a few chapters written of a novel, a thought made more exciting by three friends who have already written books. The more I look at law and technology, the more I think that an open-source, XML-based framework for writing judicial opinions would bring caselaw closer to the public (as well as weaken the WEXIS duopoly). Perhaps that's a project worth looking into. Whatever the case, I'm sure I'll have no problem coming up with other tasks to occupy my (soon to dwindle rapidly) free time. This story was always meant to have an ending, and after all these months, it is finally here.
Thank you to the professors and students at Columbia Law School who made this journey such a rich experience. The same goes to the bloggers across the 'sphere who've linked, commented and otherwise spread the word. (A special note should go to Martin, who started me on this path.) My family, although asked not to comment on the blog itself, never failed to give me encouragement (and fodder for quite a few posts) throughout my years here.
And finally, of course, thank you to all of you who've read this site over the last three years and a bit. Journeys are made better with travelling companions, and I couldn't have asked for a finer bunch.
Best regards,
A.R.
We bit the bullet. We rented a campervan. We are the proud ‘temporary’ owners of a home on wheels we have endearingly named Bertha after the ‘double berth’ our baby boasts. 
Bertha is a real gem, and bathroom and shower aside, she comes with all the works. We have a sink, small pantry and shelves for pots, pans and dishes. There’s a gas stove and grill to meet all our cooking needs and a refrigerator to keep our wine and beer chilled to our liking. Two long benches line the back of our girl and a wooden table can be set up in between for dining, card games and you name it. We have a small table that folds outside of the van that we use for cocktail hour and meal prepping and some folding chairs we can use to take in the scenery. At night, the benches transform into quite a nice little bed for the two of us and the sheets and blankets keep us warm on some of those chilly nights.
Day one proved treacherous. As Ryan attempted to get the hang of driving a stick again, I sat there white-knuckling the dashboard for dear life. Whether or not we were on the right side of the road was the question of the minute and figuring out where and how to make our turns was a real challenge. Driving, or rather bouncing, our way out of Auckland was a comical disaster and trying to decipher the meaning of the traffic signs along the way was equally taxing. We were off to a poor, yet exciting start.
Glad you are looking to do the campervan in NZ! This may be premature, but I think when this adventure is all said and done, our NZ campervan journey will rank near the top. Can’t say enough good things about the beauty of NZ and how fantastic it is to have the mobility and flexibility aboard a campervan. You will love it!
-Laura
we’re looking into doing this in nz as well – although, your post has me a bit nervous about it!
That’s what happens with a woman behind the wheel. Put her the passenger seat where I have Laura.
Awesome. We had the opposite side of the road issue in South Africa, but no stick shift thank God. Kristin didn’t grasp the concept and almost side-swiped a car taking a turn. What a way to live for the next month!
ExploreMore it is. Same as you, eh? Bertha (officially Campbell) is clanking its way along NZ with us. We already killed the battery, almost lost the muffler by ramming into a rock and today nearly ran out of gas in the mountains. We’re doing a killer job with our girl.
Wish I could meet the old girl and our paths crossed. Sounds like an adventure – and happy you’re not driving Laura!
And boom goes the dynamite! Same campervan we had, though ours was named Bazils. What is the name on the driver-side door? Campbell? Beware the 8.14 Liters/Kilometer petrol consumption.
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