Raise your hand if you got almost a week off of school and work because of Easter. In New Zealand, Good Friday is a public holiday so nothing is open. On Saturday things stay open until about noon. The Monday after Easter they decided to make a public holiday as well and then they take an extra day just to rejuvenate, so Tuesday we didn’t have school either. That means Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are all dedicated to the celebration of Easter—as it should be I think.
The pace of life in New Zealand is so much slower and more relaxed that I think they search for reasons to have another public holiday. Although to some that might sound like the equivalent of laziness, the Kiwi’s seem to have a much higher quality of life than most Americans. We need to slow down and take a chill pill every now and then. It’s amazing how much we try to shove into our lives. We are masters at managing our time well which only means that we can find ways to cram more things into one day. It has been interesting not to have a cell phone. We are required to be more reliable because there is no way to get hold of someone if we decide not to come to Rugby night or something like that. I just hope I can find ways to bring this lifestyle back home.
I went tramping for 3 days and 2 nights on a track called Kepler. The weather was beautiful and the 60 kilometer hike quite nice. On day 2 we were hiking up the mountain with 50-60 mph winds to help us along. At times we had to sit down because we were getting blown off the track which was surrounded on either side by drop-offs. I felt something like a soldier as I quickly responded to calls such as “down!” and ‘go go go!”. When the wind got so strong that it was blowing Mark Widmer off the cliff he would tell us to sit down and we waited for a lull in the winds at which point we stood up and ran as fast as we could. My camera was out of batteries so I wasn’t able to take pictures but I did get some from my friends that went. The people we met while staying in the huts became our good mates. We played cards together and talked about Mormon’s and our beliefs. People who travel are so interesting. They’re all in the same boat just trying to make friends and connections to help them along their way. There is a feeling of, “let’s help each other” among these travelers. I love it.
The pace of life in New Zealand is so much slower and more relaxed that I think they search for reasons to have another public holiday. Although to some that might sound like the equivalent of laziness, the Kiwi’s seem to have a much higher quality of life than most Americans. We need to slow down and take a chill pill every now and then. It’s amazing how much we try to shove into our lives. We are masters at managing our time well which only means that we can find ways to cram more things into one day. It has been interesting not to have a cell phone. We are required to be more reliable because there is no way to get hold of someone if we decide not to come to Rugby night or something like that. I just hope I can find ways to bring this lifestyle back home.
I went tramping for 3 days and 2 nights on a track called Kepler. The weather was beautiful and the 60 kilometer hike quite nice. On day 2 we were hiking up the mountain with 50-60 mph winds to help us along. At times we had to sit down because we were getting blown off the track which was surrounded on either side by drop-offs. I felt something like a soldier as I quickly responded to calls such as “down!” and ‘go go go!”. When the wind got so strong that it was blowing Mark Widmer off the cliff he would tell us to sit down and we waited for a lull in the winds at which point we stood up and ran as fast as we could. My camera was out of batteries so I wasn’t able to take pictures but I did get some from my friends that went. The people we met while staying in the huts became our good mates. We played cards together and talked about Mormon’s and our beliefs. People who travel are so interesting. They’re all in the same boat just trying to make friends and connections to help them along their way. There is a feeling of, “let’s help each other” among these travelers. I love it.
2 comments:
That is some crazy wind speed! I'm glad to hear that you didn't get blown off the mountain. I think if you are going to attempt a hike like that again you should go on an eating frenzy to try and gain some more weight. It seems like it would be hard to stay on the path when you only weigh one pound.
I agree with you about the fact that we need to stop cramming so many things into out lives. I wish we could have days off here like other countries do. I think Americans work more than anybody.
Maybe I'll start today by not cleaning my toilets. I'm starting a revolution.
I miss you and love you!
Andy
Life in New Zealand sounds grand. Are you going to be able to leave when it is time? I love hearing about all of your adventures and about the kiwi's. Sounds so fruit-i-ful!
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