Day #20. Lake Tekapo.

Fourth day in a row of rain. Very depressing.  Even more depressing is the earthquake that just shattered Christchurch around 1 pm today.  It wasn't as big as the quake that hit in September, but it was closer to the surface.  Judging by the pictures seen on TV this afternoon, the city is devastated.  Rain is the least of anyone's concerns right now.

The day started off alright enough.  It was a long bus ride.  I got to plug my Zune into the bus' speakers and play my playlists Rich made for me :)  Kids were singing along with "California" and "Such Great Heights".  Most everyone on the bus decided to pitch in $5 or $10 (5 for veggie, 10 for carnivores) for a joint effort BBQ at the hostel that evening.  Our bus driver stocked up on the goods at a Countdown grocery while the rest of us grabbed snacks at a bakery.  We stopped at a beach known for its giant pebbles strewn across the sand.  But it was raining so I ran down, snapped a pic, and high-tailed it back to the bus ASAP.  Once everyone was back on the bus, our driver informed us of the tragedy that had just occurred in Christchurch.  We were stunned.  It seemed surreal.  And many of those kids were to be in Christchurch the very next day.  From then on, the mood was undeniably sober.  It certainly didn't improve my mood after reading the entire book Bridges of Madison County which was so sad, I was in tears by the end of it!  Thanks for that, Meg… ;)

Once at the hostel, many of us were scrambling trying to sort out bus and air changes.  The news broadcasts told us of the devastation to the city and unfortunate casualties.  But somehow we pulled together and made a danged good BBQ.  The first thing we did as one big group was to peel 20 lbs. of potatoes.  Then we split up for efficiency.  I was asked to be in charge of the veggies.  Good job for me, eh?!  I enlisted several girls and we stir-fried a huge amount of zucchini, carrots, onions, broccoli, green beens, and Swiss chard.  The meat crew chopped up a heap of onions and peppers and made hamburger patties.  These were taken to the grill masters along with sausages and were BBQ'd to meat lover perfection.  Another group of girls made the salad, and yet another + one boy made some yummy slaw.  That massive pot of potatoes was whipped up with butter and a ton of cheese into a fine "mash", as the UK'ers called it.  There was so much food leftover people were putting aside plates for tomorrow.  To top it all off we had hokey pokey ice cream!

I went outside ad took a look around.  The view of the lake from this hostel was spectacular.  The rain stopped and the sky opened, as if to reassure us, "everything will be alright".  We had a beautiful sunset.

As I was re-packing my backpack in my hostel room later that evening, I got into this crazy deep conversation with my 3 roomies and friends from the bus this past week.  Joan, Alexandra, and Daniel from the UK.  At first our talk centered around the shocking events from the day.  How sickeningly close we actually came to being in the middle of that quake… realizing how blessed we are… and acknowledging the tangible fear that was expressed by our families and friends.

Then we started comparing our travel experiences; specifically, how we felt in the beginning compared to now, are we excited to go home, and how have we changed?  It's crazy how similar we all were in that the first week or two of traveling we have felt depressed, homesick, and stressed out.  We've all cried, and thought about turning around and flying back home.  But after that initial phase it gets so much easier, even turning into a sort of addiction.  I compare traveling to a marathon.  At first your body hurts, you have cramps, you can't get into the groove… most people will say that the first bit of the run is the hardest.  But then you find your pace.  You flow, almost without thinking.  And by the last 5 miles, even if someone were to offer you an out, you wouldn't take it cuz you are so stoked to see the end.  We talked about the ways traveling - seeing and tasting the world's vast cultures - have changed us.  Or have they?  Because of her 3 months away from home, Joan is now certain of the career she wishes to pursue upon her return.  Because of her 5 months on the road, Alexandra is more confident and independent.  Because of his 6 months of travel, Daniel is renewed with more energy to push the boundaries of print journalism as a freelance writer.  And for me, it has made me want to work harder to become a better person; more loving, patient, and selfless.  Traveling… it can be so many things.

frustrating..

challenging..

stressful..

uncomfortable..

rewarding..

enlightening..

reaffirming..

exciting..

life changing..

When it's just you and all of these things, you learn a lot about yourself.

They say that music is the universal language.  I think laughter is also.  Laughter.  The can't-breath-can't-see-cuz-you're-crying-falling-off-your-bunk-bed kind of laughter.  With random strangers in your hostel room!  There is nothing like it :)  As we were turning off the lights last night, Alex complained to Daniel that he needed to charge his cell phone somewhere else other than by hear head.  She "didn't want electrical currents hitting her brain all night."  I said I had a similar fear… at work I keep my cell in my scrub pocket a lot and I'm worried that it will fry my ovaries and I will become infertile.  Daniel started laughing first.  So hard he couldn't stand up straight.  He sounded so funny that Alex and I started cracking up, then Joan couldn't help herself… and before we knew it, we couldn't stop laughing for 5 minutes straight.  "In… in… (*sputter*) in-fer-tile? haha… omg, fry what?!! your.. hahahahaha… OVARIES!!!! BBBBBAAAAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!"

As I write this blog, the front desk guy just came into our room and asked for a "torch" so he could check the "gas"… couldn't really understand his accent.  Then he added, "Yea, need to check gas before it explode" and I was like, "UMMMM do we need to evacuate?!?!"  Earthquake… gas explosion…  Fortunately he quickly fixed whatever was wrong and returned the flashlight (aka torch).  Crisis everted :)

Plan:  Hike around Mt. Cook area tomorrow

Budget:  $26 hostel, $3 internet, $5 BBQ, $8.50 bakery