Liz, resting her foot in our room
We were originally hoping to get back on the trail today, but Liz's foot is still hurting. Dr. Google says it is metatarsalgia, an inflammation of the nerves in between the metatarsals near the toe joints. We're still icing and keeping Liz off her feet, and are hoping to set off tomorrow at a slower pace for the next section, which passes the famous glow worm caves in Waitomo.
The break has been very relaxing, and has again justified carrying the 8 oz Nook in my pack - both of us have gotten quite a bit of reading in. I just finished Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis. It's a scathing, fairly depressing portrait of a middle class businessman in the 1920's, and has made me very happy we decided to leave our careers behind for a while to go on this adventure.
We've also managed to step back a bit and realize that, if our trip doesn't go exactly as we planned, it's not the end of the world. We've been so laser focused on finishing the the trail - the whole trail - that it seemed like a fairly major disaster to be forced to stop and skip a few days of it. We were both really down for a day or two, but are in better spirits now.
I think that, to some extent, you need that kind of single mindedness to finish something of this magnitude. But when things don't go according to plan, you just have to roll with the punches. Even in the worst case, if Liz needs weeks to heal up (which seems unlikely, unless she has a stress fracture), we'll still be able to hike the entire south island. By all measures, we will still have had an amazing adventure if we end up doing that. But hopefully it won't come to that, and we'll be back on our way in a day or two!
Very glad to hear you're not stressing too much about changing plans! No matter what, you guys are having the adventure of a lifetime! (Although some might argue that you guys are accruing enough for several.) Really hope Liz's foot improves soon! Love these awesome updates and pics! Hearing about all the highs and lows really makes it feel like you're not so far away. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah! Just remember - we'll be even closer when you, Sam and Scott come to visit in February. You might want to get on planning that trip before it is too late.
DeleteRest those metatarsals Liz! Detours are all a part of the odyssey I suppose. Glad to hear your spirits are recovering too. We are all hooked on your story no matter how it ends up. Love you both!
ReplyDeleteAre there trail-rated crutches? ;) Heal up and enjoy the time together!
ReplyDeleteA really excellent story needs success & set backs, laughs & drama, boredom & fascination--sounds as if you're experiencing them all--and not even halfway there! Luv you and miss you! Johanna & Jeff
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, Liz! Keep your spirits up! And don't risk permanent or serious injury. Rest up! I agree with Sarah: you are on an adventure of several lifetimes. I wish that I had the ability/courage to take several months away from life here to see a fantastic place like New Zealand with my spouse.You are testing your bodies and minds and I admire both of you! (P.S. Is there any way to rent bikes for a portion of the trail?)
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm enjoying the blog! My wife and I went to the US in 2000 to hike the AT. During 2000 the NZ dollar hit a 45 year low against the US $ and left us with 1/3 the cash we started with (we were just withdrawing it as we needed it and didnt convert it all to USD when we arrived) so we got to Massachusetts and ran out of money. We had been planning for years just like you and it was heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteWe are planning to finish in 2017.