Day 50 in Te Araroa

WE’RE HALFWAY!

So excited!! Sam, the guy we stayed with last night (not the Sam I can’t escape!!!) was an absolute legend and took us to the trailhead AND let us out halfway to take a photo.

We justify that it is our true half way because we did the Round the Mountain track, which is many more kilometers than Te Araroa. WELL?! I only hitchhike when it’s on the road, not on the trail.

I listened to Alex Honnold on Huberman Lab. Live a life you don’t regret was what I got out of it. Did you die doing something you were passionate about? Better than many other ways of doing it. Death is inevitable and it is so strange that it is not talked about anymore.

I finally hiked a trail today! I did a classic climb up and down without any point of view. Super wind. Super muddy. We finished the last 2 km in rain and were greeted by a field of 15 tents in front of the cabin. Since I was the last one to arrive, it was safe to assume that I would NOT be sleeping inside at night.

Now I’m lying in my tent and I’m dripping because the fly is soaked. This is still character building, right? Am I going to remember this and laugh? GOOD?!

Honestly, I’m so ready to get off the North Island. I don’t want it to haunt me, but I was thinking about it today and the terrain, simply put, is: bad vibes.

I really hope South Island redeems itself because otherwise I’ll be seeing a lot of side quests in my future. I want to see the beauty of Aotearoa and if Te Araroa can’t provide it, I may have to look elsewhere. But as I said before, I’m talking about a great game. I will most likely continue along the path and not deviate too much from the line I follow.

Verdict: Live a life that follows your passion.

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