Mind Body and Trauma

[Mental Fairy]

We drove two hours to the location that the quiz was being held at and I have to say you really do get free stuff when you walk into shops dressed this way!

[Mental Fairy]

We won best dressed!

[troebia]

Ahoy there!

So cute! I love period costumes!

[manuel_moe_g]

so fun!

[Mental Fairy]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350257887/crowd-lifts-car-out-way-anzac-ceremony-new-plymouth


Only in my home town would people do this!

[Mental Fairy]

Just at office doing my office stuff and Oaks song came on. Immediately I welled up as he sent me this song when I was about to face my therapist for the first time.

https://youtu.be/Le-3MIBxQTw?si=A_ThQmY4CxWDlVOR

This is for our friend Oak. Miss you

[Mental Fairy]

Two more nights before the hike. Feeling bloody excited. So keen to go. My old stomping ground. Test my legs out. Will get my kit together in the morning and cut up my energy bar slices I have made for us all.

For the first time in what feels like forever I had an erotic dream last night that caught me off guard. My gosh it was stunning and bizarre all at the same time. I woke at 3am and couldn’t go back to sleep. Bugger it!

Almost done at work for the day, wanted to pop in and say hi to you all.

[Mental Fairy]

The climb is complete. The legs are sore. I got up to go to the bathroom at 3am, stood up with effort and fell back onto the loo. Unable to get back up I just sat there waiting for the lactic acid burn to stop hurting and managed to get up.

We set off at 4am, climbed the stairs that leads up to the old summit track. Thankfully Donya and Lee didn’t turn their head torches downwards. As we cross the razor back ridge cliff the sun started to rise. Omg it was beautiful.

[Mental Fairy]

Making our way south I knew what was to come, three slips carved out of the side of the summit ridge line from years of erosion. Two slips we passed with ease. Donya was behind me after she took a wrong turn and nearly plummeted hundreds of feet, I didn’t trust her judgement! I turn to look at her and she just disappeared down a hole! Omg it was funny. All I could see was her headlamp and hat. I almost pissed myself laughing. I then clicked that I had not laughed like that in years. Lee was also beside himself.
Coming to the final slip my fear grew. I saw it come into view. My gosh all the fear of not believing in myself grew. It was like hands grabbed my brain and shook it, screaming at me I was taking my life in my own hands. I then reminded myself I was a guide for years. I was in search parties, I’m the most qualified person for this. Careful with every step we focused on our feet and poles. Getting to the other side was like winning a prize.

[Mental Fairy]

Making our way to Holly Hut we arrived in good time. Four hours in passing summit ridge.
The fire was on from the climbers the night before. We walked into a snug warm hut nestled in between rangers and mountain. Overlooking the swamp that was more beautiful than I remember it years ago. I had to pinch myself and try not to cry.
Donya has never seen or used a long drop. Throwing her toilet paper, I gave her instructions to not look down and not fall down. I ain’t going into collect her. She came back from the 3min walk to the long drop with a pale face and new appreciation for public bathrooms. She must of looked down!

Passing onto the swamp land all of us gasped in excitement when before us was a place of beauty, which only 12 hours before was being hammered by strong winds and rain. To look at it now and see this oil painting of beauty you would never believe it gets smashed by storms weekly. All three of us were in shock at such beauty we were giddy with excitement. I honestly didn’t want that section of the walk to end.