Challenges, Clarity, and Courage - First Impressions in New Zealand

Kia Ora! The first week in New Zealand has come and gone. We spent the past seven days at Mimiwhangata, a beautiful farm and conservation area on North Island, surrounded by rolling hills on one side and a beach on the other. In the mornings, we cleared paths, chopped wood, or did gardening work, and we went swimming and lounged on the beach in the afternoon.

Our hosts, Chris and Nadine and their sons, Jonah and Ben, demonstrated how to chop wood and complete other tasks, but they also took us to other beaches in the afternoon. Chris would stop by after dinner to teach us Nga Iwe E, a traditional Maori hymn. He spoke often about the struggles the Maori face in reclaiming their land and preserving their culture, presenting a fresh, thoughtful perspective.

The first few days were filled with big group talks as we got to know each other, but on our last full day, Shane and Jess gave each of us a pile of cards with different values on them. It was our job to sort these values based on personal importance, gradually narrowing down the stack from one hundred options to three specific values that applied to us most. While it began as a somewhat daunting task--with rows and rows of cards spread across the floor--we were all happy with our final values. They ranged from hope to rationality to purpose and self-acceptance, from adventure to stability, and from openness to isolation. After further group discussion, there was a new mood of clarity and thoughtfulness in the air, a satisfying feeling after completing a seemingly insurmountable challenge.

The next day we packed our bags and moved on to Rotorua. We were welcomed by a Maori tribe, and we in turn introduced ourselves with our best rendition of a Maori song of unity.

While in Rotorua, we went mountain biking and white water rafting, neither of which I had ever done before. Mountain biking was tough at first, but we split up into groups based on ability. We learned tips for going down hills and controlling the bike, and soon we were riding through the shady forests with ease. It turned out to be so much fun!

We went white water rafting after stopping for lunch (and conveniently wifi). We suited up - water shoes, life jackets, and helmets - and climbed into rafts. The river we went down has the largest commercial waterfall in the world for white water rafting, and Jess and Shane's raft even flipped at the bottom! As we traveled down the river, we got to jump in the water periodically and let the current carry us. Looking at the photographs once we got back was hysterical, considering they captured Allie falling out of our raft going over the waterfall, Alana making an impressive save to avoid going overboard herself, and Jackson's impressively calm, cool, and collected facial expressions.

All things considered, it's safe to say we've had a variety of experiences so far. It's all been great, and now we're about to embark on a 4-day canoe expedition.

-Helen Fulham