I am an exuberant lover of water. I am blessed to live by a river and the mass of lakes that makes up the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Since I’ve been home I’ve gotten to enjoy watching the ice slowly melt and the blue of the Seagull river appear. I’m anxious for the day when it’s warm enough to swim in.
One of the features that astounded me the most in New Zealand and Australia was the water. There was so much beautiful, vibrantly colored water. When we landed in New Zealand all I could think about was getting in the water. I couldn’t wait to jump into the salty, cool water of the Pacific Ocean. On the second day we were in Auckland a group of us took a bus to a nearby beach. We ran into the water as quickly as we could get our shirts off. It was the first swim of the trip and it was Justin’s first time in the ocean! I was excited to swim as much as I could on our trip.
After our swim came many beautiful oceans and beaches, rivers, and lakes. My favorite memories from the trip happened in water or by water. In Paihia we ran in and out of the surf chasing each other and throwing sand. At Rotorua, after a hike, we jumped in the most beautiful freshwater lake I’ve ever seen. At Tongariro National Park we enjoyed an impromptu swim in a freshwater pool underneath a waterfall. At Mt. Cook I stuck my toes in the freezing, mountain water for as long as I could manage. At Bimbi Park we played tag with the waves as we ran down and up the beach.
I have all these memories that I’ll cherish in and around water, but what made them really special was the people. Now whenever I see a body of water I think of Ivy and the smile she would have on her face as she dives into the water. The people who I spent time with on this trip, and the memories that I created with them have made water even more meaningful to me.
-Abigail P.