My transition to
Kaiteriteri took a bit of time, but God has been by my side with each step,
making this journey all the more victorious and rewarding. I came to Kaiteri
directly after our road trip to work at an eco resort called Kimi Ora, which
means “seek health” in Maori language. It is a small resort made up of about 20
cottages that are set up along the mountain side looking over beautiful
Kaiteriteri beach. There are endless mountain biking trails and turquoise water beaches to
discover in this area. I am living in a very small “town" with not much
community outside of the resort and the various campground that surround
us. I am missing my time of fellowship with others amongst many things that you
would have in a community of people; however, I am embracing and enjoying the
solitude I have at this moment. I have never not worked this much since I was
13. Instead of working 5 jobs, 50-60 hours/week, I have two jobs that take up
about 27 hours of my time each week. I work 5-6 nights as the only waitress in
the restaurant at night and then do some landscaping/gardening during the day
for a couple hours.
The landscaping is done to work for free accommodation.
There are many wwoofers here on property. Most workers here are wwoofers which
makes it fun. Every 2 weeks, a new group of people will form here. I have only
been here for 2 weeks and have met mostly German wwoofers between 19-21 years
old. We are starting to build a little family here so it is sad when they will
all move on in the next week. They call me “Grandma” because I am one of the
oldest staff at the resort. It is quite hilarious. I am amazed at how many
Germans and Europeans travel in NZ. It is the bulk of the people I met. I think
it is interesting that their culture encourages their teenagers to travel
between high school and university. I think it is so important to do and it
really gives them a whole new perspective on life if they allow themselves to
be transformed by the experience. US culture is so set on starting university
directly after high school and I am starting to think this isn’t the best way.
I definitely want to encourage my children one day to explore a bit of the
world before settling into a university. You should ponder it too. J
Traveling solo is quite
the experience. It definitely has its ups and downs. I day dream about the day
when I will hopefully have a man in my life who wants to travel or even a great
friend who shares in the same passion of exploring the world and all its
beautiful cultures. Until then, I must go it alone, with God by my side of course.
This trip was meant for me to grow in my relationship with God and I am
learning some valuable lessons. The one thing I am learning that keeps coming
up on my trip is that there is so much freedom and peace in just TRUSTING the
process. The key while traveling the way I am is just to allow situations,
relationships and circumstances to develop your itinerary. The more of an open
mind and heart that you have while traveling, the better off you will be. The
more you try planning your trip, the less satisfaction you will have. It is a
bit scary not to plan when you are in a completely unknown place with unknown
people, but the beauty is in trusting God with His plan and allowing Him to
work in each and every situation. I never thought I’d be working at this resort,
in fact, I initially blew them off in my mind when they first contacted me
about working here. I got a bad vibe initially and wrote them off, but
something spoke inside of me to open up to them again and now here I am and I
am so grateful that I opened my mind to the opportunity.
I am also learning that it
is a poison to your mind if you keep questioning the place you are. If you keep
wondering, “Is this the BEST place I can be at this moment? Am I missing out on
something better?” Well then kiss your beautiful experience goodbye because if
you think like this, you will drown all the wonderful opportunities that are
right outside your door. I seem to have this issue along with some other
travelers I’ve met, but I think it is so important to be as present in your
situation as you can and make the most of the time you have where you are and
with the people that surround you. I find myself day dreaming of what I’ll do
next after my time in Kimi Ora and even after New Zealand, but I think it’s
okay to dream. Dreaming is healthy, but remember to come back to Earth and be
as present in your situation as you can even if it’s not ideal at the moment.
Let its presence shape you and teach you more about yourself. You’ll be
surprised what you discover.
Despite some feelings of
loneliness, homesickness, and confusion, I am feeling alive and invigorated. I
am relaxed, happy and blessed. I am virtually worry-free as I trust that God
will provide me with the things I need in His timing, not mine. This will
always been a constant “struggle” but one that we can improve upon with time
and experience.
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