We had a big breakfast (foreshadowing) this morning and then set off for the 2 hour drive to Milford Sound. It’s been a lot of driving recently and we did not feel like spending more time in the car but today was the best weather on the forecast, so today was the best day for a visit to Milford Sound.

The drive itself was an activity in and of itself. It was definitely one of the top 5 most beautiful drives I’ve been on, and I’ve lived a blessed life of many beautiful drives.

We went in and out of these thick forested areas. If there was a camera pointed at us taking a timelapse, the footage would show our sunglasses bouncing between the bridge of our noses and our foreheads. Light to dark to light to dark.

We went up a mountain, down a mountain, and through a mountain.

Right around here, Millie started doing some dramatic deep breathing. This is the telltale sign of carsickness. We pulled over to admire a viewpoint and take a break to help her feel better.

It seemed to work but after another 5 minutes in the car she was back to feeling bad. I got a bag ready and we powered through the final 30 minutes of the stunning drive.

We made it to the parking lot without incident and I thought we were in the clear. We know from experience that she usually takes about 15 minutes to come back to life after the car stops. I gave her a piggy back ride to the boat terminal to help her transition.

Once there, she continued to whine while we waited for our boat to board. I thought maybe she needed some food so I offered the many delicious things we had packed. No dice. We boarded the boat and the incessant whining continued. Nick got her a hot chocolate hoping to snap her out of it, but it continued.

When she fell asleep on the bench of the boat without finishing the hot chocolate or eating the fruit we packed, we had a feeling we were dealing with more than just some car sickness.

Nick and I took turns going to the bow of the boat to admire the scenery. The 2-hour tour took us from Milford Sound out to the Tasman Sea, past waterfalls and the mountains that surrounded us. It couldn’t have been a prettier day and the water was very calm.

We saw dolphins alongside the boat, and a little fur seal pup on a rock. Poor Millie slept through it all.

When she finally woke up we tried to get her out for some fresh air. She tried to rally and took a family selfie, but then wanted to go back inside to lie down. She was burning up and so it was confirmed… not just motion sickness.

When got back to the dock and she got two very long piggyback rides back to the car.

We skipped the hikes and stops we had planned for the drive back, and just hustled to get home. I sat in the backseat with her to act as a pukecatcher. I am a recovering emetaphobe so it is not my favorite role, but for her I’ll do anything. She slept for the first hour but then woke up and reached for the bag. She puked up everything from the day. Thank god I was back there because I caught everything.

When we got home she started to perk up some. She had a fever but drank two large glasses of electrolyte drinks, ate some crackers, and then ate half of her dinner. We watched K-pop Demon Hunters for the first time. I’d been putting it off for some reason, but tonight it felt right. By bath time she seemed back to normal.

In the kitchen I found this note. Sweet sweet girl.