Spread More JOY!

One of the many things I love about traveling is getting to know people from all different cultures who have their own unique story. We are all connected through our love of exploration and expanding our knowledge of this wonderful world. Everyone is seeking something different and we are all thousands of miles away from home. One thing I have found great joy in doing is being able to serve these people through the spreading of joy and acts of kindness. I started becoming more conscious of what little things I could do to brighten their day. While working at Kimi Ora Resort, I began by simply cleaning the staff lounge and decorating the table with fresh flowers so that when the wwoofers came in to eat, they would feel appreciated. I also began posting inspirational quotes up on a message board in the lounge to offer a bit of encouragement. Today, the co-owner told me that they really helped her throughout the day and she was thankful for them! So Cool! See how something so simply can bring joy and comfort to someone? Even if something I do just impacts one person positively, I have succeeded.

For Valentine’s Day I bought some candies and placed them in a bowl with a note that said, “Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy some chocolate and give someone a hug today!” Everyone was so excited to see the chocolate and I got lots of hugs and smiles. People were commenting me on how special I make them feel. I don’t do these things to take credit or for people to like me, but it is for a deeper purpose. I am learning that it is better to be generous. I feel I have been a fairly generous person in the past, but I am experiencing it on a whole other level now. I think my self-doubt in this topic was that I didn’t think that what I did really mattered to people. I challenged my doubts and found that through these simple gestures, I can really help change the way someone thinks or feels. Whether they had a bad day or need a bit of encouragement, each of us has the power to help transform lives. It’s about being aware of the needs of others and what would make their day. For me, seeing someone smile because of something simple is amazing and it probably brings me MORE joy than them! The $5 I spent on chocolates and the 10 seconds it took me to write the note, created priceless joy for them and me. I am discovering that I have re-defined my mission in life and that is to truly serve others and bring them joy and encouragement. There are so many interesting ways to do this and I am exploring them at the moment. J

My challenge for you is to find a way that you can bring joy to others. This doesn’t just have to be through flowers, chocolates and quotes. Think of a creative way to bring a smile to the people in your path. Find your unique way to communicate joy to others. You’ll be amazed at what you discover.

Please leave comments with what you decided to do and what you learned from the process.  HAPPY JOY SPREADING!!

Overcoming Fears and Trusting Yourself: My Trek up Mount Arthur

The morning of the hike felt crisp and energizing. Jo, Larissa and I departed Kimi Ora Resort around 8:00am and ventured toward the Kahurangi National Park located at the top of the South Island outside of the Abel Tasman National Park. The narrow country roads lined with simple posted fences gave us a great sense of serenity as we approached the start of the trail. The sun was beginning to warm our bodies and the hues of blues in the sky made each of us excited for the trek ahead. After an hour of driving, we made it to the Flora car park where we applied some sunscreen and packed our backpacks with food, water and layers. While preparing for the trek, I felt very motivated and driven to get up that mountain. The funny thing is, I have a love/hate relationship with hiking. I absolutely love being in nature and I am always fascinated by the amazing views at the summit, but sometimes I just can’t stand the upward climb! I am still trying to figure out why exactly, but it may have something to do with being a little impatient. I think my brain just wants to be at the top enjoying the view, but there is always a journey and challenges to endear before you can get to the reward.

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but just like many things in life, I think anything worth having includes some sort of hard work or determination to achieve it. The best things in life are worth the effort it takes to get them. We may not enjoy all of the challenges and struggles along the way, but man, doesn’t it feel good when you’ve accomplished the task you’ve been striving to complete?

I really had no expectation of what was to come, but there were some major physical and emotional challenges awaiting me on the way to the summit.

The beginning part of the trek or as Kiwi’s call it, the “tramp,” was very well groomed. There was an easy gradual incline, which I thoroughly appreciated. The trail traveled through the middle of the forest, lined with a variety of mosses, ferns and “Who-ville” trees (think Dr. Seuss J). We hiked along for about an hour until we reached Mount Arthur’s Hut. After a 10 minute biscuit break, we proceeded on.  We reached the top of one of the hills and from there the hike was along the mountain ridge line.
 Fully exposed to the sun, I was grateful I applied sunscreen even though later on I would realize I had missed a few spots. The land was very dry and signs of erosion marked parts of the trail. There was a cooling breeze that danced with the warm rays of the sun and provided perfect conditions to continue the hike.

After about 20 minutes on the ridgeline, we approached our first of many, large hills to summit. With my mind determined, I worked my way up the hill. Halfway through, my “stinkin’ thinkin’” hit me. I told myself before the hike that I would try not to complain on the way up, but dang it was tough! Maybe it was my lack of fitness, but I was feeling it! I began “hating” the hiking process and got a bit frustrated. As I continued to make it up this hill, I did some internal thinking and realized that I didn’t have to furiously conquer this hill. I decided it was okay for me to take it slow and try to enjoy the trek instead of feeling like it was a race to the top. This helped a little. After summiting the first hill, we hiked along the even ridge, passing many rock piles in which we contributed to. The funny thing about this hike was that none of us knew which summit we were aiming for. We were trusting that the blue trail poles would lead us to the place we wanted to be. We kept looking up and trying to spot which summit we were headed to, but we were never quite sure. I remember thinking about 2 hours into the hike that we had to be close. Was I wrong! As we hiked further, we began to encounter even more hills to climb with very slippery loose rocks. About ¾ of the way into our hike, one of my fears kicked into full gear. I have a fear of “getting hurt.” I am SO Thankful that I have never had any serious, life-threatening injuries, but after my knee injury and SI joint injury, I have really feared re-injuring them. My two injuries have improved, but things like hiking can aggravate them and cause weakness and pain in the area especially descending a mountain. Fear invaded my mind and immediately displayed an image of me coming down the mountain, slipping on the rocks and somehow hurting myself again. This fear seemed to grow with each step up the mountain. I did a lot of self-talking and kept telling myself that I could do it and I’d be okay, but my last straw was about to be used up. I remember looking up ahead of me and seeing a couple coming down the mountain and it looked as if they were scaling down a jagged rock wall. Usually this would have excited me, but with the fear brewing in my head and my body in sheer exhaustion, I began to get a bit emotional. Note to self and others: it is never a good idea to start tearing up on a strenuous hike. This will only make breathing 10x harder!!

I took 5 minutes to compose myself as the girls so patiently talked me through what I was feeling. Jo said something to me that really hit a strong cord with me. She said, “You don’t trust yourself.” Wow. She was right. I never thought of it this way, but my fear stemmed from a lack of trust in myself. If I could muster up the confidence to realize that I had the strength and ability to make it up and down the mountain safely and successfully, I would be able to starve the fear inside of me.

During the last very challenging sections of the climb, I felt a bit more confident and determined just as I felt when I started the hike. The section that I had seen where the couple was coming down, was actually misinterpreted from a distance. They were hiking along the rocky ridge, but on a trail that was manageable. This proved to me that you can’t let things in the distance scare you; you must take steps closer to make a better assessment. After a few more obstacles, we made it to the TOP! A few new tears gushed out of my eyes as I gazed at the amazing beauty that was before me. The 360* views of a diversity of landscapes all commanded by spectacular mountain peaks was absolutely mind-blowing. I have never seen such handsome peaks from the summit of a mountain before. Sitting alone on the edge of Mount Arthur made me feel fully Alive! Peace transcended my spirit and I again felt balanced and proud of the challenge that I had just defeated. 
Part of me still can’t believe that I was able to do it, but it’s amazing what your body can actually handle. It is our mind that limits us. Our fears, our assumptions, our self-doubts. We can control these through positive affirmations and facing fears head on. Through this, we will surprise ourselves with what we can actually accomplish. Whether it is climbing a mountain or venturing into a new career, it is so important to work on overcoming your fears. The best way to do this is to just try what you are so afraid of and trust in the process. Have no expectations and enjoy the journey. J

This Must Be Just Like Livin' in Paradise...

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. 

Rooooadddd Tripppp!

 It has been quite the journey since my last post. After feeling God’s lead with moving out of the city, I have found myself in a beautiful part of the S. Island called Kaiteriteri where the beaches are energized by families, kayak enthusiasts, and the welcoming of new beach goers on several water taxis. I feel as though I am in paradise. I have never lived in a ocean front environment before and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. Before I get into what I am doing in Kaiteriteri, I should mention that I embarked on an amazing 2 week road trip at the end of December with Emma and her boyfriend Tony. We flew out of Auckland and into Nelson and began our trip on an amazing farm in the middle of the country in Motueka. Tony’s friend Jimmy was renting a house on some breathtaking property.

During our time in Motueka we hiked around Kahurangi National Park, hiked part of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Kayaked, ate delicious barbequed meats and veggies, went berry picking, and spent a calm New Years Eve playing Cranium.

After our time here, we picked up our rental car and headed South the Greymouth and Hokitika. After being stranded for a day or so due to a massive storm and flooding, we had to change our route and head over Arthur’s Pass. This journey in itself was amazing! The mountains were glorious and showed themselves off as we winded our way through them. We came out to Lake Tekapo and Twizel where we stayed the night. We then took a trip up Hooker Valley Trail and was completely silenced by the commanding presence of Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in NZ. This is the first time I have laid eyes on snow-capped peaks this tall and I was speechless. This is a trail I suggest everyone explore at some point in their life.

After Mount Cook, we headed to Christchurch to witness the devastation of the February 2011 Earthquakes and then some. Most of the city centre is entirely collapsed or abandoned. It is quite saddening and definitely humbled my spirit. Seeing this made me realize how little control we have when it comes to weather and the power of nature. No matter how we made construct out buildings or what preventative measures we may take, nature will do as it pleases and will not yield to anything in its path. This does not make me fear nature, but rather respect and nurture what we have been given.

 The best part was witnessing the Re:Start area of the city which is where they have taken large metal freight containers and painted them bright colors and transformed one of the roads/parks into a section of shops, restaurants and filled them with street performers. It gave me such a feeling of hope and vibrancy. I pray that ChCh will be revitalized.

We scooted up to Hanmer Springs and Blenheim (Marlborough Region) from there and had a wonderful two days of visiting vineyards and having a taste of the delicious wines that are what makes Marlborough so famous around the world. My favorites were Forrest and Larson’s Dry Hills.

We crossed over to Picton for a final hike to overlook the Marlborough Sounds. Looking out over the Sounds made me feel like I was back in NH and VT. 
The ocean meeting the peaks gave me a sense of living back at home with the lake and mountains, but on a much bigger scale. Boats whizzed by one another creating white tails behind them, contrasting against the deep blue color of the sea. Marvelous. The road trip was wonderful and I am so blessed that I was able to see so many parts of the South Island during that trip. I look forward to seeing more in the future!