Author: Allison Kondrat
After a relaxed time in Raglan, and a lovely celebration of Shannon’s birthday, we were allotted Friday morning to explore further. Personally, Raglan reminded me of the smaller surfing towns that I have been through. It was fun to stroll through town, pay a ridiculous price for fish and chips, burn my fingers on said food, and spend time re-centering myself. After the emotionally impactful experiences, of the previous couple of days, the familiar mundaneness of the town was needed.
We were all jittery, in anticipation, to begin the next portion of our adventure. We met Tiaki, learned some history about the surrounding area, and had fun trying to (best) remember U.S. geography for a visual representation of where we all are from. We then left forManu Wairua. After a thrilling car ride full of sheep-sighting and almost plunging off of the side of a gravely road, we finally arrived. We were warmly greeted and shown where we would be sleeping- the guys in a teepee, the gals in a repurposed sheep shearing barn (Mom, you would love it in here) and the leaders in assorted tents outside. After admiring the beautiful artwork produced by one of our hosts, Rob, we were then educated about tomorrow’s main event: a traditional Native American sweat lodge- who knew that would be on the agenda in New Zealand?!
After some much needed personal time, aka nap time, Tiaki introduced us to Maddi and Elijah who would be helping us learn basic Maori. With the help of multicolored blocks, a ban on using English, and Tiaki, Maddi, and Elijah having the patience of saints, we are all able to introduce our mountain, our river, our land (city/state), and our names (as tradition mandates). It was amazing to see how quickly we all learned (approximately 90 minutes total) and how excited we got when someone succeeded in relaying this information with mana.
In anticipation of the early and profound upcoming experience, the day was relatively relaxed compared to some of our more trying (emotionally and physically) days. Each day here feels both like a whole month and like it is over in a blink of an eye. Each day has come with individual challenges and opportunities, most (if not all) leaving the group more intertwined and invested in the wellbeing of each other. I would like to highlight the resilience of my fellow travelers (and if appropriately bold, myself) thus far. We have laughed and cried together- yes, this tin (wo)man has a heart- and have shared indescribable experiences and honors. I hope to bring this experience, passion, and love back home.
-Allison Kondrat
(P.S. – Mom, Dad, and Matthew I love y’all! The stars here remind me of home- I am carrying you all in my thoughts during my travels. Someone please tell Grandma happy 87thbirthday)