So, let us start by addressing the elephant in the room that I have not cleared up since my "The Bit Goal for 2020-2021 Te Araroa: The Why?" post. You can read that one here.
I HAVE NOT GONE ON MY 2021 Te Araroa THRU-HIKE ADVENTURE.
My dreams of walking down 90-mile beach and then the rest of beautiful New Zealand quickly slipped away for 2020/2021 with the enforcement of border closures between New Zealand and where I live here in Western Australia. Still hopeful, the plan then changed to walk from October 2021 to February 2022. Slowly as 2021 rolled in, however, hope was quickly lost. I realised that there was a good chance that all of 2021 and 2022 would be a rigmarole of switching between open borders to closed borders, state/country lockdowns, unreliable flights, etc.
And so, another year will pass before I get to tackle this big dream and goal. I cannot wait to walk the length of my home country on my own two feet.
In the meantime, I can dream about Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri.....
MY NEW PLAN: THE BIBBULMUN TRACK End-to-End August - October 2021.
I have pivoted my plans and will now be tackling another goal and dream for 2021 in my own backyard. I will be tackling the Bibbulmum Track Starting the 18th of August 2021.
I have been thinking of doing this shortly after I started dreaming of the Te Araroa, so why not take advantage of the stable situation that Western Australia has offered me to guarantee a walk during uncertain COVID times? I will write a post soon about my prep one month out, so look out for that post.
I am ready for these views! - without Sam's arm being decapitated by the panoshot.
My feeling overall?
Well, honestly, there has been a variety. Firstly I was in pure denial about COVID-19 and its impacts on me - this quickly resolved.... as it did for all of us, I am sure. Then, quite frankly, I became deeply devastated and very negative in dealing with not walking the Te Araroa.
The reasons:
I missed New Zealand and was looking forward to its embrace for a few monhts
I missed my family and wanted to be closer to them
I was feeling stagnant at work/in life and relied on this magnificent opportunity to clear my head
I've been looking to do a gap year and travel for a very long time
It would've been my biggest adventure, something I could be proud of for a lifetime
I was in a place where I really felt I needed to connect to myself through basic nature and routine
But, as I accepted fate and made peace with the situation, I started to count my blessings. I was in Western Australia, one of the only places in the world almost completely spared from COVID-19 due to the excellent efforts of our local government and our remote location.
Feelings of desolation really turned into quite positive feelings:
Gratitude for where I was
Gratitude that my family was safe and my life could continue as normal
Gratitude that I would not have to worry about contracting the virus\
Excitement that I could still have the opportunity to do a Thru-hike
Awe and appreciation for Western Australia's beauty
A trip to Margaret River with my partner for his 30th birthday.
Some of the coping strategies I use to get me through:
Got a second job
Went on many little adventures including hikes and a couple of adventures with my partner.
Started trail running
Trained for/ran an ultramarathon
Meditated more regularly
Worked on my positive and abundance mindset
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