Finding myself and my tribe

Jan. 28

I met up with Natalie and we drove to lake taupo and met all my girls for wanderlust. I had not met Natalie or any of the other girls in my cabin, but we got connected through the volunteer page for wanderlust. I was able to catch a ride with Natalie from Auckland and got to spend a nice car ride talking about our lives and making pit stops to buy avocados and blueberries off the streets. Once we arrived at our cabin, the rest of the girls started to filter in. I got excited and nervous, 6 girls, different backgrounds, different perspectives and personalities... This is going to be interesting and exciting.

 I heard there were natural hot springs and I was determined to go to them. I walked around recruiting people from my cabin and campsite to go to this hot spring I had never been too and I had no idea where it was either. I got about 6 of there's to join me and we found the hot springs. They were free, natural, hot, cold, warm and had small waterfalls that fell into a river. That led to hot waterfalls falling into hot water that merged into colder water into cold water in a river. One body of water merged with the hot cold, and warm sensation. Seriously, the most perfect hot spring I have ever been in...we sat there as the sunset and eventually went back to our room with our new cabin mates. What we didn't know was that the next day, we would become a tribe, we would unite so much over the next couple days, and have a new seed of life planted in our souls. 

Jan. 29

I went in early morning to do my first volunteer shift and met some other volunteers. We got our nice shirts and of course, I redesigned mine, goodbye tshirt and hello beautiful tank top with slits in the back and new anklets. I quite enjoyed my shift working registration, I got to meet a lot of attendees and volunteers and then I went and wandered around the event when my shift was done. I saw my friend working the sign in at the hula hoop workshop after my shift and ran to ask to join in. Jamie... I felt your spirit there with me all the way from Utah! The workshop was with Deanne Love and it was so fun. I have self taught myself some hula hoop moves, but never taken a class. It was so fun to learn and play hula hoop for over an hour. I feel freedom, I feel love, and I feel friendship when I hula. I have a new hula goal too... I want to hula the hoop from my knees up and over my boobs #circusgoals #getweird. 

Jan. 30 

I volunteered for wanderlust and registered more attendees. I'm loving meeting all these new people and the other volunteers I have met are awesome! I signed in people for a workshop and sat and listened to part of it. It was about the meaning of love. Later I went to an acro yoga class and a meditation and cleansing class. Then, me and Blair went to do a pick up..for some of the artists. We had no idea who it was but hey, we were keen, we got to drive and so that's always fun. We pulled up to Huka Falls Reaort and guess who it was. Only two of my favorite people from Medicine for the people, Chase and Justin. It was great cause they got in and actually remembered me, I'm flattered guys, cause I know you meet so many people on your travels. Anyways, so good to see these two again. I met Chase in Aug. 2012 while I was living in Alaska and I met Justin in August 2014 when they played in Jackson Hole. It's always good to cross paths with people you have met before and it was a beautiful thing to run into these guys again! We stopped at Huka Falls on the drive back and then Blair and I went to find food and I attempted and roller skating class. It went good, but I got a little bored going around in circles time after time. I decided to leave the festival early around six and go back to cook some food at the campsite and I logged into the Internet to find out, Cindy is coming to NZ in 5 days... WHAT!! Yes!!! This night ended with being lazy,going for a skinny dip and showering before falling into a deep slumber. 

 

Jan. 31

Today is the day. I woke up and volunteered again and then skipped off to find a tree to hang my silk in... Mission accomplished, I found a tree, borrowed a ladder, and played shapes on my silk in the Forest by myself. It was beautiful, I even got to share it with a couple people who snuck back. Later medicine for the people played and chase borrowed my tambourine again for the show. Bluebird is a star! I danced the night away, sat in the Forrest and I got my first ever hula hoop bruises thanks to deanne loves hula class. I tried a handstand class as well and guess what... I can hold a handstand for like...ten seconds.. That's like 70 hours in dog years #beimpressed. Today was my last day volunteering for the festival and now everything I do I get to truly enjoy and suck in. So when it came to be music time in the eve, it was perfect. Medicine for the people and Xavier Rudd both put on awesome shows and it was a very beautiful venue as well. Today was perfect.

Feb. 1

Kicked off with an acro yoga class, then I went to listen to a workshop by Xavier Rudd..... He is the most beautiful man... I went to meet him and I was like.... Hi..... Then I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped and I mumbled can I get a picture .... I feel so lame... I can't even say the words I want too because I looked into his eyes and was speechless uffff... But I got a picture ... Maybe I'll use it as my Christmas card this year #creepy or not.

 After that class... And a beautiful photo of me and Xavier, I went to a bringing sexy back class.

What started as a fun and energizing class, led to a sad and lonely feeling... They said to merge our movements on the ground and be free so I did and I couldn't stop or else I would cry. I missed .., feeling connected someone on a intimate and emotional level, I felt very alone. I saw a girl crying in child's pose and I went and hugged her and I started crying. I feel her pain and I feel my pain, it hurts, so I let it hurt. Sometimes you need to feel the emotions and just.. Let it out... So I did... Like a baby... Then I stopped and composed myself.

   Class continued and I ended up doing a demo in front of class that ended with massive giggles, but after class I broke down and started crying. I feel, half empty.

The next class I went to was about starting a revolution. We danced with our eyes open and then closed our eyes. It was freeing, it was powerful, and it helped me feel stronger. At the end each person stood in the middle and yelled out what they were going to improve on. I stood back and thought what am I going to improve on, I don't know. I had one thousand ideas flutter thru my brain and then my friend Blair pushed me In the middle and I yelled... Self love .. Learn how to trust myself again... And I started crying immediately after... Saying that outloud was hard, because I realized I need to try to love myself again. I do love myself, but not like I use to... I don't believe in myself like I use too.... Now it's time to gain that back again. I feel free, I feel emotional, and I feel a bit refreshed. This festival has been incredible and I love my tribe of girls, me, Muriel, Natalie, Sara, Britt, Ana, Emily, Katie, Blair. Such incredible people and we are going to change the world. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I feel like I can let go of some things now and take ten steps forward.. Or even a hundred steps forward. I needed this...

My Tribe:

Feb. 2

Woke up, said some "see you laters" and packed. I was planning on going to the Tongariro Crossing and ended up in raglan couch surfing. It was raining... And plans changed. I'm sleeping in a tent now with a giant panda bear... He is nice and furry and warm. I'm at this place called Scott's Place in Waitetuna and I think I will stay here a night... Or two... Or three.

"I want to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see them dancing..."

-Little Mermaid