Author: Riley Farrell
Do you ever just have one of those days where everything should essentially go wrong but it ends up being one of the best days you’ve had in a while? For us, this was one of those days. We were told in an almost covert manner that we were going to be hiking the Abel Tasman for 12 miles, to expect heavy rain and wind, and that we would take a boat to the final hiking trail. We were prepped, we were ready, and we were honestly expecting a kind of crappy day. I think that since we were expecting such a harsh day, we were determined to make it a great one.
So, we awoke at 6 am not to an aggravating school alarm, but to the delightful melody of a Native American flute played by Heather (Sustainable Gourmet & Environmental Science professor). It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Then we made breakfast, grabbed our stuff, and headed out. Yes, the rain poured like nobody’s business, but I think we can all agree that we wouldn’t have had it any other way. You see, the rain was off and on in intensity, but was luckily decently warm with occasional winds. With the bonds made, the conversations had, and the smiles shared? I don’t think any of us would have it any other way (okay, maybe the blisters). Overall, the hiking was utterly breath taking and we got to stop at multiple beaches along the way. I seriously could not get over how turquoise the water was… AND IT WAS REAL, NO JELLO AND DYE SCHOOL PROJECT TYPE CRAP. Then it got better. We got to go on a boat ride to the top and see all the little islands which the locals call the ‘little tongues’ of New Zealand. Just those little moments are what make days sometimes. Afterwards touch down for a quick pit stop for lunch and back to walk the remainder of the trip. With the way back, I realized that I have never met such an uplifting group that truly chooses to have a positive attitude about things. If I had to pin point today’s lesson, that would be it. As our instructor Joanie said, “You can be cold, wet, and miserable, or you can choose to be cold and wet.” Instead of letting the rain weigh us down, we embraced it with songs, riddles, baby names (Dave!), and even coming up with 52 blessings during the hardest part of the hike (thank you Rosie & Aislinn for coming up with that idea).
Lastly, before I close out I want to share a brief personal moment. We were hiking back and I had gotten a pretty terrible headache- the dizzying kind you really don’t want on thin trails. And frankly I got fed up with it. So I pulled my hood back, embraced the rain, and would occasionally stop to just look around & take everything in. I think that sometimes we can get so used to things, that we don’t really take the time to appreciate them, fully relish in every little nuisance of them, and say thank you for it all. I found that moment of just letting go and choosing to push through the pain of that headache was the most freeing feeling ever. I still had the headache for the rest of the night, but it was proof I didn’t have to keep a negative attitude. Maybe if we can all really try leave whatever we are going through in behind and embrace the beauty of the present, then maybe, just maybe, we can find unspoken happiness we all so desperately seek.
To my Mom and Dad, I love and miss you dearly (have fun in Italy Mom & Momo! Can’t wait until we can actually see each other, but at least I can catch up with cooking shows with Dad)
Boys: try to find the strength to push through these last few weeks and enjoy them while you can
Pugs: Happy Parabatai Day (May 16 not 12 like this blog was planned for)
And Lincoln..I love you min kaminchyk *sorry, don’t know how to work the Ukrainian alphabet on here* <3
