Do You Wanna Get Lost?

These past few weeks, I've been a busy girl. I've worked on getting flights back home, applying for jobs in the States, and working in blizzard conditions up on the mountain. I've had plenty to keep me busy to say the least.

Because I am so short on cash, I still have yet to figure out where I'll go after New Zealand. I may have to hold off on Australia and just jump straight into Asia, which is more cash-friendly. What day will I be flying home, you ask? The best answer I can give, is that I'll be home in November sometime before Thanksgiving. 

Yesterday was our first some-what warm day in town. I spent the day with Ryan,  my best friend from the mountain, getting lost in the New Zealand woods. We took his truck two hours from town and drove down private roads, along beaches, and past giant fields of sheep. My window was rolled down the entire time, my head poking out like a child. 

"With my feet on the dash, the world doesn't matter. From the passenger seat, as you are driving me home."

It was great to not have a care in the world. For a little while, I didn't think about how I was going to get back to Texas, the small amount of change I had in my backpack, or about getting a job back in the States. The only thing I worried about was how I was going to get all the mud off my jeans, and how I probably smelled like cows and fish (Because Ryan definitely did). We spent the day roaming around muddy trails, walking through caves, and chunking rocks into rivers and lakes. The best thing about Ryans company is that he knows it's okay to be quiet.... And moments like this, moments like skipping rocks into a clear lake, don't require words. It's the perfect silence. The best part was we didn't spend a dime all day.... and for a backpacker, those are the best kind of days.

The face of ultimate freedom and happiness of a 23 year old.

- Ryan - 

The Kiwi boy that makes me feel like a rebel runaway every second of everyday.

I fell in the freezing lake!!

The field that we drove through to get to a secret opening to a hidden lake.

The lake we found in the middle of sheep country.

"And we ran. Far, far away from the city and all the people."

Have you ever had a moment when you feel like what you're doing at the time, could easily be something out of a movie? My Saturday afternoon was a movie moment: Getting lost with a Kiwi boy in the hidden woods of New Zealand. 


Saturday was also the day of the 7. 9 earthquake. Unfortunately, I don't have any exciting stories about my bed shaking, pictures crashing down to the floor, or my house being split down the middle. I was fast asleep probably drooling while the city shook around me. When I  woke up, I had 8 text messages, 4 missed calls, and at least 10 emails! Honestly, I thought something terrible happened in America and people were trying to get a hold of me. Thankfully, there were no deaths and only 2 people were seriously injured. 

The last few weeks have been filled with disappointing news. A co-worker from my old office passed away unexpectedly. Thankfully, I was able to say goodbye when I left for New Zealand. I just didn't think it would be the last time I'd actually see him. I was also informed that a close friends family just discovered their little girl has stage 3 lymphoma, and that a childhood friend was just deployed to Afghanistan, and in New Zealand, a sky diving plane crashed killing all nine passengers. The earthquake in Christchurch topped off a tragic few weeks. Please pray for these families. Like all unfortunate news tends to do, I have taken a step back and thanked the Lord for all the wonderful people I have met in my life. It also made me realize that we get into such a routine with life. Wake up. Shower. Go to Work. Eat. Gym. Sleep. 

When something tragic does happen, every one seems to say, "Wow, life is so short and can change in the blink of an eye." Life IS short, and things DO change in the blink of an eye. So before you find yourself saying this again, enjoy yourself. Enjoy life. Stay up too late, and sleep in on a Sunday. Find the simple things that make you smile and be thankful for each moment. Ask yourself, "What would really make me happy today? What would bring me pleasure? And then actually do it. 

Not having a schedule or any other obligations have given me this freedom. To do what I want, when I want. To be happy, or sad, or lazy, whenever I feel like it. I'll never be able to explain this feeling to anyone. Complete freedom and happiness. 

We shut the lifts on the mountain down at exactly 4 o’clock everyday. There are always a few winter extremists that race down the mountain to make one last run before patrol takes over the slopes. I always tell them while bumping their chair, “Make this last run down count.” Such a common phrase, yet can mean so much.

Make it count.