Highlight of my day. . . wait, no, my week. . . perhaps my year.

It’s been foggy, rainy, cloudy and kinda dismal around here.  I know it’s awful to complain about weather when I’m in freaking NEW ZEALAND but it’s also really sad to be in completely mindblowingly beautiful places and not be able to see more than a car’s length in front of you while you’re there. . . the ONLY TIME IN YOUR LIFE you might be there.  Despite the ho-hum weather, Abby floored me yesterday when she requested to hike down off a mountain with me.  We’d driven up, Tom planned to drive back to the campsite while I hiked the 6KM back down.  Abby said, “I want to see the views!!!  I want to be adventurous!  I want to use my body!”  I teared up a bit in pride.

When I twisted my ankle (very minor, no worries), she stopped and tended to me.  We talked about what it takes to be an outdoor leader. . . to be concerned with your *whole* group, how sometimes the very best thing you can do for a group (or your family) is to take good care of yourself.  We talked about how many grown-ups I know that don’t realize how important self-care is.  Seriously. . . my kid is so cool.

Today, the clouds opened up, the sun started to shine and it felt like summer again.  We went to Aoraki (Mt. Cook) and as we drove closer and closer to the mountain, the clouds separated and the mountains came into view for the first time in weeks.  We found a gorgeous hike to do.

Abby stepped up (360 rocks to step/climb up, I know because Abby counted) and found her inner mountain goat.  She climbed like a champ.  And after we were gob smacked by the views, we hiked down, soaked our feet in a glacial-cold stream, loaded up in the car and then all 3 of us sang to The Decemberists for miles down the road.  There is little else that makes me as happy as listening to my kid sing this.  A very, VERY good day.