“On a Mish” #350 Not Going to Plan. Christchurch City. Otautahi. Aotearoa. 13.10.2022. It is safe to say that after more than two and a half years I am nowhere near where I was before being struck by a freezer door. A life of adventure combined with a job that utilized my experience in the outdoors had me on cloud nine, with no idea that life was about to change. The last couple of years have taught me to appreciate how awesome things were before my accident, and how drastically life can change…
Back before my injury I used to head into the hills to clear my mind and prepare me for the next level in life. Having something that acts like meditation is very good for stress, and after every mish I was left with a clear head and the ability to tackle whatever life threw at me. I believe it is important for everyone to have something that removes them from reality for at least a few seconds. When hiking my goal / location dominated my mind space, and apart from my target the only other things I would think about is how awesome nature is.
The sign of a true wilderness addict.
Living in Te Anau meant I had stunning scenery all around me, and an epic mish was only a short drive away. Nowadays it is safe to say that life is ‘not going to plan’.
Being stuck in Christchurch while I await more medical work has been like going from Antarctica to the Sahara. From the untouched temptations of the true wilderness that surrounds the tiny town of Te Anau, to waiting rooms in medical facilities with no mountains in sight. The change in environment left me feeling like an animal in a zoo. As nice as the location that I am is (Christchurch), it is nothing like the place I call home (Te Anau) and everyday away from paradise adds another layer of gloom on the cake of despair.
Everytime I go for a ‘procedure’ that might help, I have only been left with disappointment and more reasons for depression. Being stabbed in the back with big needles (not much fun!), and then finding out that it did NOTHING has been a hard pill to swallow.
Now if I had done nothing to help with my stress I wouldn’t be writing this story because I would have exploded with insanity. Even though I can’t go as far as I used to before my injury, I can still head into the hills and give my brain a break from the never ending saga that is my life at the moment. A night out every couple of weeks has kept me sane (just), and I really feel for the people in a similar situation who might not have an ‘out’ like me. The wilderness and all of its beauty and wonder has been the best medication I have taken since breaking myself. And until I am fixed and while things aren’t going to plan I will make sure I keep taking my ‘medicine’ until I get back down south to the town / life I am missing more and more as this mish continues to take me along the path of the unknown…
