Interim 2018: Rakiura Track (Stewart Island, New Zealand)

Student Reflections

Luria's Reflection:

I knew ever since my Freshman year that in my Junior year I will be going to New Zealand. Picking a trip for interim is always stressful, for me it’s the most stress I get throughout the school year. I see Interim as a week to meet new people, a new mindset, and to take a break from Singapore and my typical daily life here. With this trip, I got all of that done.

I came to this trip only knowing 2 people, and I knew that I wanted to make new ones at least on the first day. When we landed in New Zealand all the girls have already bonded. I remember when we were all hanging out by the skating park just talking and getting to know each other. When we were leaving for the hike the next morning we all bonded over the excitement we all had that for the next 3 days we would be all sharing one big room and eating all types of foods. Throughout the hike we would mostly stay quiet because we all wanted to focus and breathe, but when we took breaks we would all make sure everyone had water and we were all feeling good. This was on the 1^st day of the hike and when we were all still not as close, which showed me how no one was trying to not be included, it showed me that everyone wanted new friendships in this trip. One thing that really sticks into my mind when I think of every single person in this trip was when we all pushed each other to do our best. Even if we were just playing card games, we still cheered each other on. Even when the trip ended we still see each other at school and plan one time during school so we can all get together and play a game of cards which is what I love about the group of people I met this week, they want to keep in contact.

Not only did I bond with everyone in the trip, I bonded with myself. Deleting Snapchat which is one of the biggest social media apps in our generation was the best thing I could have done during this week. I did that because I did not want to keep contact with anyone from Singapore and pay attention to what’s around me for the next 7 days. During the hike I would look up to the trees and admire them, I know it sounds weird, but when you live in a 34 floor apartment building and you live in the 31^st floor and all you see is buildings you will want to admire nature as much as you can. I would hear the sounds of all the birds around and they sounded like one of those spa soundtracks. I loved every single part of the hike, not only because of the birds and trees but because I found peace within myself. I found a place inside me that I could escape to just relax. In Singapore I am everyday worrying so much about everything I do or did, and having this week away from the country, it made me a whole new person. It taught me how to relax. From doing yoga everyday, sitting down and talking, hiking, all of these made me feel true happiness.

I guess Interim is something that I look forward to every year. It is a time in my school year where I can get away from my normal life and try new things, a time where I meet new people and I get to know their story, a time where I have a crazy story to tell to everyone when I come back, and a story to share in the future. This years trip taught me a lot about myself, how I work in my crazy life and showing me how to just breathe. I now see so many small things that before the trip I never did or noticed them and they mean so much to me now. I really enjoyed this trip and wish I could go back.

Izzy's Reflection:

I chose the picture above because I feel like for me Larry symbolises when our whole trip started bonding. Larry was in a way something for all of us to talk about and an experience we all shared. A first group encountered him at the end of their hike too. In addition to this, Larry appeared at my favourite of the two huts, the hike before getting there was really tough but nothing will ever beat the feeling of seeing that house, putting down our hiking gear and just relaxing. I remember we sat in a circle, shared a bunch of food and just talked. When looking back on the trip what will always strike me the most is that I completely forgot what it's like to really hold a conversation and to be 100% focused just on that conversation. No phones and notifications to distract you. It amazed me how quickly time would pass sitting at that table which overlooked the beach, right where Larry is sitting in the picture, simply playing cards and talking.

The trip may have started on a slightly rough note but I feel like after this hike to this hut we went from being a normal mandatory interim trip to what Nick told us when we first got to New Zealand, we became more like a family. Another thing I learnt on this trip is that I'm capable of much more than I think, during the hikes I would reach a point where it felt like each step would be the last I could take. Especially on the second hike when my water ran out when we were barely halfway through the hike and just reaching the hardest part (the steep climb). But in my head I kept telling myself to just keep going and that I could make it, and as I mentioned before the feeling of reaching the hut and having an experience you can share with a group of people would make it worth it each time.

I've mentioned it before but I went on a hike for interim last year as well, so I went into this year thinking I was rather prepared and "good at this". But I was really surprised to find how different hiking is depending on who is around you. Each hike is accompanied by a different mood and this mood can add to your experience on the hike. The first hike the mood wasn't the best, there was some agitation and stress going on and this reflected on how the hike felt for me. While I still enjoyed the hike it was really straining and seemed to go on for a while. The second hike was a lot more relaxed, even-though it was technically a harder hike than the previous one. This made the hike feel much lighter and easy to get through.

All in all I really enjoyed this interim, its timing was perfect in giving me a week to forget about everything and just concentrate on where I was in that moment. I really enjoyed everything about the trip and hope that me and Crystal did a good job in capturing this in our Interim Video project.

Rahul's Reflection:

This interim trip was a very different experience to my last one. Last year I started the interim knowing most of the people on my trip, but I still wouldn't go back and stay another week with those people. The second day of hiking was, by far, the toughest. We had the biggest incline and the longest distance on that day, so when we got to the hut we were all exhausted and hungry. The photo above is from a few hours after we got to the hut. It is many of us playing cards together. A simple game of cards is the highlight of my trip, because for me it was the real start of the trip. It was the first time that I was meaningfully interacting with the other people on the trip. During the interim meetings at school I remember feeling like there were already friend groups, and that it would be hard for me to fit in. Fortunately those fears were completely unfounded. That is what made this interim so special to me. A card game one night, turned into every night. Stress about the trip turned into laughter about it. We are all individuals with different interests, backgrounds, and friends, but at the table playing cards, that didn't matter. You can belong to a place, but you belong to a place only because of people and memories. The people on this trip were fabulous, the sponsors made sure that we all had the most fun we could, Nick and Carly became family. The memories were what formed my opinions of the people. So yes, the place we were in was incredible, but soon I will forget what the sunset, or the beach, or the hut looked like. The thing I will remember about this trip, though, are the people and the memories that we created together.

Ashna's Reflection:

This interim trip was by far the highlight of my junior year. Before the trip I couldn’t remember a time during the year where I was genuinely invested in everything I was doing, however on this trip I found myself enjoying and savouring every moment of it. There are so many things that we did on this trip that made it special, the long but enjoyable hikes made me feel so accomplished, and seeing the beautiful views at every hut made me so grateful for the opportunity I was given to go to New Zealand, but the one thing that made this trip so memorable was the people. I went on this trip only knowing about three people really well, and I left being close friends with the majority of people who were on this trip. We started out barely acknowledging each other, but on the hike we slowly started opening up. Sharing little jokes with each other while lending someone some water because they ran out, or warning someone if a Bee was next to them just so that they had enough time to plug their ears and run. We played cards with a bigger group every night, and we realised we didn’t need the internet or our phones to find something fun to do with each other. I ended up even deleting my snapchat for the week that we were away because I wanted to be fully invested in everything I was doing and I wanted to be completely immersed with the people around me. There wasn’t a single moment where I regretted choosing this trip. I’ve never been on a trip where I didn’t want to leave, but the thought of leaving the country I ended up loving so much and the people I bonded with so much brought tears to my eyes. This interim taught me how to value the simple things in life, and it showed me how to find a family with the people you’re surrounded with. I know eventually I might forget what the hut looked like, and I’ll forget the pain I felt in my toes after hiking, but I’ll never forget the amazing people I became friends with on this trip, and the amazing memories I made with them. (I couldn't find a single picture that could accurately capture the happiness this trip brought me so I made a video, here's the link!) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/11pCTFPvA-7BblKnYOO_zRCHGJDr-4BXS/view

Tanvi's Reflection

My saddest moment on the trip was as we pulled away from Stewart Island in the ferry. I stood at the back and watched as the orange sunrise receded into the small row of houses along the bay, as the last shag-filled rock disappeared out of sight, as the individual trees and ferns blurred into green and then green blurred into blue horizon. I felt a sense of loss for the feeling our time on the island had been filled with—the feeling of isolation, but the best kind, the kind that separates you from civilization, internet and highways and thousands of people, with miles and miles of wild. I felt isolated while on Stewart Island in the way that my world brimmed over with only what was around me.

It was not isolation in that I was alone, but the isolation that comes of utter self-containment. I existed then, in the moment the sunlight streamed through the trees to outline the edges of the tree ferns reaching for that light (see above), in the moment the path curved away into fairytale forest, in the moment the sea lion on the beach languorously rolled over in the sand. I existed in the moment of the sudden gasp of sea through trees as we crested a hill, in the moment a white-faced heron touched its beak to the water, in the moment of sunset’s red blushing the horizon. I existed in the moment I lost a game of cards (again), in the moment my friends and I sat at the edge of the wharf at Port Williams and watched the water, in the moment the infrared light swung to illuminate the ungainly shape of the kiwi, in the moment all of us were laughing, and kept laughing, for forever and ever. I existed without anything else needing to be to make it whole. I existed, in short, isolated in wild, isolated in wonder. I existed rooted in present, among the trees, on the island, in myself.

Andrea's Reflection

Having never done backpacking previously or having been to New Zealand, this trip was something that I initially didn’t want to think about in the months before. I was constantly stressed about school, and my time and mind was filled with the anticipation of intense academic work after the trip. Thus, I mentally blocked out this week of February as a strange hiatus between my real life that my school forces me into, and wherein hopefully I can better my GPA in some mundane way. I wasn’t excited about the idea of immense physical exertion in a large student group in which I didn’t have any close friends, but I realized that it was something I had signed up to do; I came to the airport with a big smile on my face and an open attitude that I was determined to keep.

That initial perception was challenged on the trip, to say the extreme least. From the start, I was happy to discover that all the girls were super friendly and inclusive, and I had no problem feeling comfortable. I opted early in on the trip when I realized that we wouldn’t have wifi for some portions of the hike to leave my phone in my big suitcase throughout the course of the trip. That seemed insane to me at the time, given that in Singapore my life both is configured by and revolves around my phone. For instance, in periods of extreme stress at home, I often find that I resort to doing the most passive thing possible in an attempt to become as small as possible. That usually turns into hours spent passively scrolling through feeds or watching TV and becoming both more depressed and unsatisfied. I decided that this is the year where that stops, and while in New Zealand I felt whole and fulfilled in a way that I’ve genuinely forgotten to feel for a long time.

Nick, our guide and mentor, told us towards the end of the trip, as we sat in a big group circle to discuss, that we needed to pick one point from the trip that we felt utmost tranquility and take that moment home with us. That moment for me was without a doubt at Port William on the third day. My friends and their usual chatter were inside the hut, and half of the group had left to begin their hike early, so I was left with just a couple others in a period of rare silence. I had brought my book out with me and sat on a bench overlooking the cliff, beach, and coast. I remember looking up from my book at one point and being suddenly astounded by how beautiful everything around me was. I remember hearing the deepest sounds of the ocean and the flurry of birds and the wildlife around us. I remember thinking to myself that I could write the most beautiful literature right there right then but, at the same time, not wanting to move a muscle. Excuse the precociousness, but the only way I can describe myself then is to say that I dissolved. Being so sore from the hiking the day before and so far from everything that usually brings me comfort, it was strangely comforting to sit there and be reminded of the vastness of everything. This feeling of intense perspective, I hope, goes beyond just that aesthetic view and will stay with me.

I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and thankful beyond all measure to those who made it possible.

Riya's Reflection

This interim trip was definitely more than what I bargained for. I signed up to hike for a few days in the mountains, not develop immense self motivation and willpower towards my physical capabilities. I signed up to explore a bit of New Zealand, not dive deep into a rich Maori culture that I grew to love and cherish as my own. I signed up to immerse myself in nature, not reimburse the love and sheer delight that I once had for the outdoors. I signed up to have fun, but instead I took away the best interim experience I could ever ask for or let alone imagine. So yes, this interim trip was more than I bargained for, and for that I am eternally grateful.

One could argue this trip could be represented as a bee. At first, when we saw these bees I could only imagine the fear and otter paranoia that was associated with the sound of their buzz that ringed throughout the cabin doors. Likewise, I remember before the hike when I was at home packing my bag and watching the weight of it rapidly increase, it was fear that I was feeling. Fear that I was not physically capable of doing this hike, and regret for signing up along with anger towards the next few days. However, as time went by, as bees flew by, we started to adjust to the sound and presence of their black and yellow stripes. Possibly, even started to grow a fondness for them. Likewise, as we continued to hike, the weight of the bag started to feel less prominent, my fear quickly transformed into confidence and excitement. Simply because all that burning and aching was just another reminder of the physical obstacle I was able to overcome and achieve. This may seem cliche, seeing myself come out of this hike as a healthier and happier individual made me feel as If I could finally close the wound that had been growing of insecurity about my body's physical capabilities for over the years.

Furthermore, We are often taught that the word love is a word with one specific meaning to it. We associate this word with love songs, heart breaks, boyfriends, girlfriends etc. But, it was on this trip, I learnt another meaning of love, a love which provided me with the most amount of happiness, fulfillment, and sheer gratitude one could ever find. Maybe it was our ability to share our pain walking up those stairs, or our ability to share our laughter when we were pushed by Nick, maybe it was even our ability to share our joy in each MiLo cup we shared. Whatever it was, I remember, with tears streaming down my face, I built an attachment so strong that made it almost impossible to say goodbye to. And although at first, me having to step outside my circle of three scared me and my social comfort zone, the friendships made once done made it all worth it. I couldn't find a photo to summarize the love associated for this trip, so I made a video which attempts to come close to it. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBE5dhPLKqA&feature=youtu.be

Elizabeth's Reflection

In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure why I chose this interim in the first place. I wanted to put myself out there, to meet new people, see new things, yet it was only when we got on that first plane that I realized what I had gotten myself into. I was on a trip with almost entirely upperclassmen, none of which I knew well. I had forgotten completely what was on the itinerary. Much like the picture above, I came into this interim blind, only with the comfort of strangers. As someone who plans out every minute from the time I get home to the time I go to bed, this was an uncomfortable experience.

But in the end, I came to love this interim. The picture above perfectly depicts how all of us, as a group, went through this interim together. It was pretty clear from the beginning that a lot of us, like myself, were unsure at the beginning of the trip. And yeah, we hit quite a few road bumps. Things popped out randomly, and we had to adapt. There were times on the hike where we had no idea how much longer we had to walk. We were tired, sweaty, out of water, and all we wanted to do was sit down and rest. But when you’re in the middle of the forest or in a pitch black haunted house, you can’t just stop. No matter how tired you are, you have no other option other than blindly walking forward. And in so many ways does this simply...suck. I remember on the second day in particular- as we got to the sign post just 2 kilometers away from the hut, we all had a burst of adrenaline. With every step, we could hear the ocean getting louder and louder. But that 2 kilometers stretched on, and every time we thought we could see the hut, we ended up going up yet another flight of stairs.

But the fact of the matter is- together, we did eventually get to the second hut, and that feeling of gratification and pride was well worth the 13 kilometer hike. And so, my biggest take away from this trip is to embrace the fear. I can proudly say that I met an entire group of new people this interim; I can say that I hiked 32 kilometers with a giant backpack on my back, and I finished it on my own two feet despite walking into this trip never hiked before. I’ve grown to love the uncertainty that made this interim one I’ll remember. It makes life interesting, and it’s only once you embrace the feeling of knowing nothing that you can ever get to anywhere you can be proud of.

Priyanka's Reflection

More than anything, I think, I will miss the quiet.

I must admit that my reasons for choosing the Stuart Island interim were not particularly noble—simply that, for my senior year interim, I wanted to go on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime sort of location, a place I’d never been to and most likely will never visit again. I wanted to be with my best friends, to experience a trip I never would have chosen under any normal circumstances. But I never quite guessed how much I would find here, in the woods, on a hike that pushed me further physically than I’ve ever before imagined. Something of stretching wonder between the whispering trees and the infinite sky, in the parentheses of a kingfisher’s call, the pause before hiking a particularly steep slope. Something of realising how truly vast this universe is when you round a corner after four hours of forest and suddenly a beach is stretching onto the horizon. Realising how limitlessly loved you are when your best friends play the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and read you T.S. Eliot poems to distract you from your aching ankles. Realising the beauty of rainfall on tired limbs, the way it erases every kilometre, tastes something like coming home. It’s this feeling of how all this time you think you’ve learned how to tame the wolves, but then you hike around a remote island, lose your packet of porridge, watch your guide’s eyes light up when you ask him about his daughters, call dehydrated beef stroganoff a delicacy, and you finally start to understand the beauty of wild things instead.

That’s I took away from this trip—all of those moments of quiet, you know? The ones that start with hours and end in lifetimes, the ones away from the cell phone, from the computer, from the Internet, from the notifications, from the chatter of everyday life. All of those moments of sun and sky, of sandflies and laughter, of losing card games and red-lit kiwis, of bad jokes and double rainbows, those moments of arguing over whose turn it is to do the dishes and urging each other to make it to that tree before you take a break. Those moments away from all the noise when you feel, for once, like you are standing completely still and holding life open. The quiet that tries to trick you into calling it silence, despite everything still living inside of it—that’s what I’ll miss. That’s what this trip meant to me.

Rhymee's Reflection:

As a freshman looking through our school’s list of Interim trips, I remember thinking to myself that I would never pick an eco-adventure trip. All of them required a level of fitness that I absolutely did not have. However, as a senior, it was imperative for me to pick a trip with friends because it would be our last one together. Tanvi and Kathy’s love for the outdoors, coupled with Priyanka and Ankita’s interest in trying something new, and me wanting to visit New Zealand led to us choosing this trip.

In the months leading up to February, I was blissfully unaware of how strenuous hiking really was. Whenever one of my friends brought it up, I would scoff at them. How hard could it be? It was just walking. Boy, was I wrong! The first two hours of hiking on the first day almost brought me to my knees. In spite of this, we had to push through. During the second day of hiking, I remember wondering why on earth I had picked this trip. Afterwards, as we sat in a circle and laughed about Larry the sea lion, I realized that this is why I picked this trip—to be with my friends, and to make new ones (human or animal).

The above picture signifies this. I took this photo during our boat ride back from the farm. It is special to me because even though my friends are all asleep, they are still supporting and leaning on each other. Although we have been friends for four years, all of us have become more close to each other during this trip because of the all the crazy things we’ve done; whether it be hiking through huge swathes of mud, wading through knee-deep water, trying desperately not to fall over, wrestling fish away from hungry seagulls, or getting chased by a sea lion with breathtaking anger management issues, I will always remember these moments, even if we are all miles apart.

My most memorable memory from this trip would be walking along the beach at night while we were kiwi spotting. The waves crashing along the beach were as loud as thunder, and we could see the entire Milky Way above us. Looking up at all the stars, I felt so small and insignificant. I was just a tiny human looking for kiwis, and above me were thousands of gargantuan spheres made of hydrogen and helium. My entire life span was but a blink of an eye for them. It was this moment that gave me perspective. As a senior, knowing that I will be in an entirely new place in a few months all by myself is all that I have been thinking about. But this moment reminded me that whatever happens will happen, and I just need to go along with it—much like how hiking works. My friends have taught me that. This entire trip has taught me that. It has grounded me and that is something that I sorely needed.

I am so glad that I picked this trip. Thank you so much Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Smith for being such great sponsors and allowing us to have such a wonderful experience!

Kathy's Reflection

Whenever I visit a new place, the first thing I notice is the vegetation. It might sound bizarre, but it's true. I take in each tree and shrub, the texture of the bark, the shape of the leaves, the length of the grasses. I find this helps ground me in a new environment, and even give me some intuitive grasp of a place's character. My venture into the forest on Stewart Island sent my senses into overload—there was so much to see, such layered, strange beauty in the trees. The landscape changed with each step I took, in both time and space. In a minute the forest floor would be quiet, pale light slanting across a carpet of prehistoric ferns. In the next instant perhaps a cloud would obscure the sun, or the path would squelch with mud, or I would narrowly dodge a cheerful tomtit dive-bombing my floppy hat. I absolutely loved the sense of profound serenity and quiet I found in the forest, alone with the trees and the birds and with myself. I reminded myself how to draw strength from my environment, and also from the incredible friends who took this journey with me. For the first time in a long time, I didn't have an anxiety-inducing daily schedule to keep to. I didn't have to worry about not being productive, or about the responsibilities of school and home. I spent more time becoming comfortable with myself, and building bonds of sharing and trust with friends old and new. We each gave of what we had, whether it was an extra porridge packet, the space to carry the cooking pot, hiking poles, poetry recitations, or words of encouragement. I could be my uninhibited self on this trip, and count on my friends to lead me into new adventures and help me up when I fell. At times the going was tough, but the journey was more than worth it. I recall stopping short in awe as I approached the beach at Port William. Breathing in the clean, cool air as the forest fell away to reveal the deep blue of the sea, I felt a rare freedom and peace.

I love this photo, because it captures perfectly my response to each new encounter on our trip. You can see my comical surprise, to be sure, but also my wonderment and curiosity. Even now, having returned from the trip, I find it hard to believe that within a few short days of departing Singapore I could be awakened from an afternoon nap on the sands of a New Zealand beach by a personable weka. Writing this reflection brings a smile to my face—I recall so clearly the wonderful indulgence of lying on the beach, the excitement at finally seeing a weka, and Tanvi's awe when Nick arrived back at the beach with a paua from the sea. I wouldn't trade these memories for anything, and I so glad I had the opportunity to make them. It's been only a week, but the trip already feels like a distant, perfect dream. I had a joyful, enriching experience, and one I know I will always treasure. To everyone who made this possible—thank you for this gift.

Ankita’s Reflection:

Throughout my years in high school I never imagined I would have gone to New Zealand, let alone for a 3 day trek. The second after I signed up for the trip, having thought that it would be fun to try something new and go on a trip with my best friends, I instantly began rethinking my decision. My last two interim trips had been spent in Barcelona and London, two completely different trips from the one I had signed up for this year. I worried endlessly and ended up packing far more than necessary for the trek. However, after reaching our accommodations in Bluff, spending time with my friends, and repacking my hiking bag I felt far more confident that no matter how the trekking went I would have a great time.

I quickly changed my mind halfway through the first day. For the rest of the day as well as the next two days I struggled quite a bit. I would walk at a somewhat sluggish pace and would stop frequently to catch my breath as well as return my heart rate to normal. Luckily, I had a lot of support. While there would always be an adult behind me (except for when we got separated on the beach while being chased by the sea lion), and while others would say words of encouragement, I constantly had my friends with me as well. Going on the trip with friends in the past had not been as meaningful as going on this trip with them. The support I had from them every step of the way was paramount to my completing the trek. Each day while walking they would repeat “hey, we got this!” and at the end of the day we would sit together and play cards or just sit in a circle and simply talk.

In the days after the trek I had an incredible time going kiwi spotting, fishing, and just spending time with everyone. I realized I had a new appreciation for not only my friends but for also being able to get away from technology for a while and experience nature. After getting to the retreat, putting the wifi password into my phone, and watching message after message load onto my phone, I quickly put the phone face down onto the table for the next few hours before deciding to call my parents. Even for the rest of the trip I didn’t spend much time on technology, rather preferring to talk with my friends or play cards with them.

I am so incredibly glad that my friends and I chose this trip for our senior year. New Zealand was absolutely gorgeous and I loved being able to spend so much time outdoors simply taking it in. This was an experience that I never thought I would have chosen to undergo and that I will never forget.

Milika’s Reflection

I signed up for this interim trip with the hope of experiencing something new and unexpected. I have never been to New Zealand nor have I gone hiking before so this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone. I can say that it was the same for everyone on the trip. Both beginners and hiking enthusiasts.

In the beginning, we all had a few bumps along the road. Each and every one of us had struggles, whether it be about the hiking uphill, bumble bees buzzing around us, thoughts of self-doubt in completing our route for the day, etc. During the first day of our hike, I remember my shoulders starting to cramp up from the weight of my backpack which was as big as me and my calves burned from walking through the hills. Despite this, I knew that I had to keep pushing myself because that was the only way to get to our hut. That determination escalated once we noticed the hint of salt in the air and heard the waves crashing along the rocks in the distance, inching closer and closer to our destination. Nothing could beat the feeling of accomplishment and relief once we saw that hut. Later that day, we sat around the table in awe of the view before us with the calm breeze flowing around us, soft ripples on the ocean and tall mountains in our vision. Having only lived in cities my whole life, this was the first time I have ever experienced such peaceful satisfaction.

I noticed that this satisfaction can only be felt in places far away from the city, surrounded by the elements of nature. In a bustling city like Singapore, people follow tight schedules and live a fast paced lifestyle. We live in a materialistic society, often satisfying ourselves with the latest technology and new fashion trends. But, are we really satisfied?

During those three days of hiking, I didn’t care about not having wifi. I didn’t care about not being able to go on social media. Once these were taken away from our reach, only then were we able to get to know each other as individuals and bond as a whole group.

My experience can be summed up in the picture shown above. This double rainbow was definitely more than we expected after it rained for what felt like hours. We were surprised to see one rainbow, but were speechless once the second rainbow emerged. The friendly people, breathtaking views, long hikes, beautiful sunsets, this trip was everything I could’ve hoped for and more.

Crystal's Reflection

Wake up, get ready for school, go to school, after school activities, go home, do homework, eat, sleep, repeat.

Thinking back to the days leading up to picking which interim trip we wanted, I remember how stressed everyone was, constantly talking amongst each other to see who wanted to go where, will we be on the same trip? Will I get a trip that ill end up hating? What if I hate the country I pick? Every year the same thoughts come to my mind, the same anxious feelings in my stomach. Never would I have thought that I would fall in love with a country and find a second family all in 1 week. I remember telling myself that I was going to pick this trip because I wanted to go somewhere new that wasn’t in Asia like my last two interims but I picked this trip not knowing the itinerary at all. Like nothing, nada, zero clue what I was signing up for. It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made my junior year. Having a large family that doesn’t get to travel together very often, the idea of going to New Zealand was so exciting to me. By the time February rolled around I was so ready to just pack and get out of the country. Having lived in Singapore my whole life I never realised how important it is for my body and mind to just take a step back and breathe, take a long look around and the quiet. I miss how we didn’t wake up to the city life.

My Favourite thing about the trip? Well theres so many to pick from. The simple things. Playing cards every night, the hike, the country, the people, the sponsors, the bees (yes I miss that), Larry, the beaches, the views, the bonds created, the fresh air. I loved almost everything about this trip. I don’t think that I’ve been on a trip that I truly with every piece of my heart did not want to end. Yes with everything that I said I loved, there was one thing I wish I could relive and that was the one evening at the beach (the same beach with Larry) where I learnt more about myself in a short period of time than I have learnt before. This was after the second day of hiking, don’t get me wrong, the hike was absolutely amazing and I would do it over again no question, but getting to the hut, It was a feeling of self accomplishment and relief that I made it, and after feeling all that, my toes hurting, drenched in sweat I decided I wanted to go into the ocean. When I asked around everyone said the water was too cold to go into so no one wanted to do it with me but I really really wanted to go in. I got a towel and went down to the water, it was freezing and I didn’t think that I would be able to mentally get myself to fully submerge myself in the water 1. Because I had a fear of the ocean and going in alone terrified me 2. The water really was freezing 3. I was scared Larry would get to me. So I stood in the water just trying to clear my mind for quite a long time and after awhile I took a deep breath and submerged my entire body in the water. The feeling I had is something I don’t know I how to describe. It was amazing. Those few seconds of being under water was one of the best experiences of my life and it may sound funny because people go to the beach and swim alone all the time, but for me it was that and the view I had while I stood in the water. It was a feeling I had never felt before and I was able to do it by myself and not with anyone else. Just in those first 3 days of the trip I had been mentally and physically challenged in multiple situations that I didn’t think I would be able to handle, but I did.

The trip for me was incredible and I wish I could relive every moment all of us had on that trip together. I wholly understood this trip had affected me so greatly during the drive home from the airport. Once we landed back in Singapore, while looking around at the city and noticing how the air smelt different and after saying goodbye to the group, I cried for a good part of the drive home. Thats when I realised how different my life is in Singapore and that New Zealand opened up my eyes to a whole new part of me and honestly a completely different world that I ended up loving. Thats why I picked this picture, because to me New Zealand was unreal and absolutely beautiful. (watch the video at the top of the page that I created along with Izzy to see more)

Kaly's Reflection

When I signed up for this trip, I had no idea what to expect. Not only that I knew I wanted to do a trip with three of my close friends, but also I knew I wanted to go to New Zealand. I’ve never been and I’ve heard so many great things about it.

The Kiwi life is so different from the life that I live in Singapore. Everything is so slow and relaxed in New Zealand. However, in Singapore, everything is so fast-paced and you sometimes almost feel like you're constantly running to catch up. Because of this, I don’t have time to enjoy the little things. However, throughout the entire trip, whether I was on a boat to our next destination, hiking to our next hut, racing down the luge track or just simply sitting and enjoying the view, I enjoyed every single moment in New Zealand. I reckon it’s because I found the fun in everything. I was just living in the moment and not caring about anything else but what I was doing at that time. This picture I chose symbolizes the lessons I learned in New Zealand that I took back home with me.

I learned that life is like a game of chess. You prepare so much with the knowledge and skill, but a lot of times, the knowledge and skill will not help you make it. Each move that you make has unpredictable consequences because you don’t know what is going to happen next. You can make a guess, but you don’t know for sure. But from this, you simply just have to live in the moment and be happy; don’t stress about things that will not matter to you in ten years or when the game is over. You don’t want to waste your time because you don’t have enough time. The clock is constantly ticking on your possession. To not waste time, you have to challenge yourself and do what you want to do. Don’t just take forward moves, take diagonal and backward moves and don’t look back. Looking back will only slow you down from getting where you want to be.

I can honestly say that this trip is the best trip I’ve ever had and I was happiest I’ve ever been. It touched me in so many ways. It changed my views, challenged me, and the people I’ve interacted with inspired me. During my time in New Zealand, I found myself falling in love with the country's culture, people, and environment. Honestly, this is my first trip where I cried on the last day because of how amazing the trip was and the fact that I didn’t want to leave. When I picked this trip, I did not know that this would happen or expected to feel this way. New Zealand is by far my favorite country. I will cherish this trip forever.

Riley's Reflection

This year I was pretty much dead last for interim selections. Originally I had wanted to go to South Africa, or maybe Australia but it wasn’t long before all of those trips filled up. That made the long list of potential trips I ranked the night before useless, so really, I went into the selection room with virtually nothing. I remember furiously texting Kaly while I neared the table, still debating which trip I should pick. So when the lady asked me, I sort of spit out the number of the trip I vaguely remembered discussing with my friends, though I didn’t remember the itinerary and I wasn’t entirely sure where it was going to be honest.

I guess what I am trying to say is I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Even when I actually read the itinerary and realised we would be hiking, I didn’t really stop to think about what that meant. People would ask me where I was going, and I would reply, “We’re hiking in New Zealand,” and then we would move on to study for whatever test we had next block or whatever paper was due next week. I was so busy and overwhelmed in the weeks leading up to interim that I actually hadn’t even realised interim week has arrived until a friend reminded me and my parents and I had to scramble to buy all of the things I needed for the trip four days before we left (including my hiking boots, and six blisters later I now understand the importance of breaking the shoes in). But even as we settled in for the ten hour flight, the thought of hiking never even crossed my mind.

That is until I put my hiking bag on for the first time that night in Bluff and fell backwards onto my bed. That was the first time I actually thought about what was to come. I mean I’ve carried heavy bags before. I’m notorious amongst my friends and family for overpacking. My school bag probably weights a good thirty pounds, but nothing cool prepare me for how heavy that hiking pack was. And that’s when it hit me. I’ve never truly been hiking, at least, not like this. The most strenuous hiking trail I had done before was probably the one in Bukit Timah or Macritchie. That night I joked to my roomates that they may just have to carry me when inevitable I collapsed under all the weight. I was only half joking. I was trying to laugh away my nerves, but nothing could stop the clouds of doubt that had gathered in my mind. I tried to keep it positive, but the thing was, I was pretty sure I was not going to make it.

The first day of hiking was hard. The actual terrain we were crossing was probably the easiest out of all of the days, but because I really had no idea what was coming, I struggled with each incline and stumbled down each hill. I’ll never forget the moment our group took a wrong turn in our final leg on the way to the hut. The moment we realised we had to backtrack, I felt like collapsing. The video above perfectly captures both me, struggling to get up the final hill, and the moment we realized we had to turn around. At that moment, my knees were threatening to give out and I had six blisters the size of a dollar coin and no amount of Nick’s cheesy motivation lines or fruit jellies could stop my back from aching. But then just as I was about to give up, I turned a corner and there it was, like a godsend: the porta potties. We had made it! Never had I been so happy to see those foul smelling makeshift bathrooms.

This trip contained a lot of firsts for me. First time eating freeze dried food, first time going to a haunted house, first time seeing a kiwi, first time going to Stewart Island, but I think my first day of my first attempt at backpacking was probably the biggest moment for me. That was the day that I realised that I could do it, which set the tone for the entire rest of the trip. Everything else I tried after that, whether that be the food, the haunted house or just coming out of my shell a bit and talking to people I hadn’t talked to before I think was all due in part to that influential moment when we arrived at the cabin. It may seem like a cliche but I realised that if I could hike 8k with that much weight on my back, I could do anything I set my mind to and that I was capable of much more than I initially thought. I think what Nick said was right. I could have gone to South Africa or Australia, but I don’t think I would have pushed myself like I did during this interim and I don’t think it would have been as gratifying.

I am truly grateful for all of the amazing experiences and people I met on the trip. I can honestly say that this was my favorite interim out of all of the trips I have been on in the past. The amount of times I have either send or receive a text from one of the other kids on our trip that said “I miss New Zealand” probably rivals the amount of bees we had to dodge. It was as if we were experience interim withdrawal. But it true. Despite the blisters and the back pain I loved every minute of our trip, whether that be running from Larry the sea lion or attempting to make the freeze dried shepherd's pie into something that resembles food, or talking to Nick and Carly about Maori culture and New Zealand, or just simply talking to other people. I’m sincerely glad that I went into that interim sign up room with no clue where I was going, because I really loved the place I ended up.