New Plan. New Adventure. New Zealand: Hopewell

I truly don’t even know where to begin. How do I sum up the last month in a single posting while still doing my experience at Hopewell Lodge justice? It is not a simple backpackers that I stumbled into working at, but a beautifully located, isolated, amazing retreat that is run by the coolest people that make everyone feel like family. I’m still not quite sure what I did to deserve finding such a special place on such a whim, but I am so thankful that I did.

Hopewell Lodge is located in the Kenepuru Sounds of the Marlborough Sounds on the north part of the South Island. I snagged this job, working as a cleaner in exchange for accommodation and immediately caught a bus up from Christchurch. My Marlborough experience started off with a water taxi ride to the Lodge where we ran into a school of dolphins on the way! These amazing creatures immediately came swimming along the sides of the boat and playing in the wake. I stood by the railing in absolute awe, catching their ocean spray in the face… I swear to God I could here them laughing. I felt an instant connection with them and with the Sounds. It was a good omen right from the start.

I can’t possibly go into detail of every moment I experienced there, but I’ll sum it up with the word “Time”. I've never before experienced having so much of it. Being so isolated, there was no township, no grocery store (groceries had to be ordered in), no nothing… but everything at the same time. My work would last about 4 hours each day, and the rest of the day was for me to do as I pleased. I would often try to help out and work more, as I do, but they wouldn't let me! I had somewhat of a daily checklist that I lived by: I would do an hour of meditation and yoga every morning, do my work, read, write, do some form of exercise and learn/try something new. It’s amazing the funny little things you learn, when you make it a goal. You also begin to pay attention to the funny little things you learn without even trying (like why an egg is shaped the way it is, while cooking breakfast with an Israeli man)… you also find yourself in the coolest of situations making sure that it happens (like rowing a little tin fishing boat out to sea to catch snapper for dinner).

I found myself on great hikes, beautiful walks, dressing up as an elf to hand out Christmas presents to local kids at the farm down the road, jumping off a trampoline on the pier into the ocean, swimming with jelly fish, fishing, rowing, biking, running, finishing one book and devouring the next. I got to brush up on my French with French guests and my awesome French roommate, Tiphaine. I spent Christmas in a sundress! I went to a mussel farm, to help harvest and clean mussels for the wonderful mussel nights that were held every few days. I went out water skiing for the first time ever, with an awesome family that comes to Hopewell every year. 1st attempt: went nowhere. 2nd attempt: straight to the face. 3rd attempt: straight to the back. 4th attempt: cruising! (Very awkwardly, I might add, but water skiing nonetheless). I collected oysters and learned how to crack them open and slurp them right up!!! I took the time to sit and watch sunsets, the occasional sunrise and watch the tides roll in and out. I just sat and thought... a lot... I had time.

Just like the magical experience I had with the dolphins on the way in, I had a magical experience on New Years, just days before I left. On New Years Eve, about 20 of us dove off the warf steps into the ocean at midnight. Some guests had lit floating lanterns and sent them out to sea before us. Swimming out into the darkness, the only light was that which glowed from the lanterns and the stars of the milky way. It was a beautiful, serene moment… then I saw the phosphorescence. I had heard about this, but never had experienced it. The water was glowing a faint green all around my body. Any movement I created in the water was followed by a trail of these light green, diamond-like bubbles. I was swimming in a sea of stars. It was an absolutely surreal experience and my words simply can't do it justice. Look up marine phosphorescence and you’ll get a better idea. It’s bio-luminescent plankton that lights up chemically when disturbed… and it’s really, really cool.

On my last full day in the Sounds, I went to the annual Hopai sporting event to help out. It's an event that has been going on officially since 1920 and, oh my God, is it an event to remember. It was not massive by any means, but it includes all of the communities from the Sounds coming together to compete in running races, 3-legged races, spoon and egg races, piggy back races, biathlon-esque races, boat races, wood chopping competitions and, the absolute best of all, gum-boot throwing contests. No shit, gum-boot throwing- it's exactly what it sounds like... and it's serious business. Children and adults alike line up to chuck a gum boot as far as they possibly can. They take a serious wind-up and, more often than not, send the boot flying off in some crazy direction, usually to the face of an innocent by-stander. It is hilariously terrifying. My job was to help gather the boots and return them to the lines, which consisted of me running through the cross-fire, dodging boots left and right. I gave it a whirl at the end of the women's competition. Nobody was harmed in the process and I can now check that off the list of important New Zealand accomplishments.

All of these amazing experiences and all of this wonderful time will remain in my memory, but it’s the people that I have met here that have truly touched my heart. Mike and Lynley, the two extraordinary owners, gave me a home away from home. Mike, with his awesome positivism, fun-loving, life-loving, king-fish spear fishing, guitar playing, song-singing spirit (who, I might add, knows Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie better than I do…) and Lynley, with her amazing generosity, awesome cooking/ baking skills and unbelievable multi-tasking abilities. Kathy, the family friend who comes to live at the lodge each summer and help out with EVERYTHING, who has traveled the globe, and continues to travel the globe, who works on habitat for humanity projects all over the globe, who swims every single morning rain or shine, jellyfish or not, and who warms the heart of every person she comes into contact with. And Hendrik, the young man from Germany, who also has been coming back to the lodge for 4 years to help out with EVERYTHING and to work his butt off, who loves the Sounds so much that he is going to work out a way to live there forever, who has created the most brilliant veggie garden in just one month. There’s Phil and Deb, who are simply the sweetest, funniest, most warm-hearted people. I've truly connected with them over mussel nights, the holiday celebrations and a few glasses of wine. Mitch and Emily, the groovy supervisors of the neighboring Skiddaw Farm who are always open and welcoming and never fail to make you laugh your ass off… this is only the start of the list of amazing people that I’ve met here at the lodge. There were constant travelers passing through with great stories to share and with whom I was lucky enough to spend the most beautiful gift of all with: Time.

This has been an extraordinarily long post, and if you've read to the end, I salute you! I hope you have all enjoyed the holiday season and that your 2014 is off to a great start. May this be a wonderful year for you all full of the most beautiful of moments and the biggest of belly laughs. Fill it with as much love and gratitude as you can muster. Fill it with bold and daring moves because life is short, and fill it with absolute appreciation for the time you share with those you love.

Loving you and missing you so much,

To Infinity and Beyond :)