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June 19, 2014 Issue
Ruth Borgfjord
I was in the middle of nowhere, nature surrounding me Photo: Ruth Borgfjord
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June 19, 2014 Issue
Ruth Borgfjord
Look for all the coincidences and the miracles that are happening around you
I find myself in a foreign land in the southern hemisphere — New Zealand to be precise. New Zealand has two big islands, North Island and South Island. I’m currently in Auckland, on the North Island.
I started traveling a few months ago. As a Canadian you can travel and work for a year with a working holiday visa if you’re 35 or under.
A few weekends ago I traveled to the most southern point that I ever visited,
Dunedin, a university city. I did a photography project there for a theatre company.
The south looks very different from Auckland. Here in Auckland there are many palm trees, small hills, and traces of volcanoes. In Dunedin, there were rocks, high mountains, rolling hills with sheep, and the loud Pacific Ocean.
I had a good and funny trip to that place.
I left Golden Bay, which is at the top of the South Island, in the morning and I wanted to get to Christchurch by nightfall, a seven-hour drive. The next day, I planned to go further south to Dunedin — another six hours.
From Golden Bay, a lovely lady and her daughter drove me to a nearby
city, from where I was planning to hitchhike for two hours to get to the city of Blenheim, where I had a bus ticket booked that would take me to Christchurch on the coast.
With delays on the road before getting to Blenheim, I knew I wasn’t going to make the bus. So I decided to hitchhike all the way to Christchurch on the coast.
Someone stopped and told me the coast route was the longer way around, and going through the middle of the island was much faster. So I literally crossed the street and started hitchhiking in the other direction, through the middle of the island.
I was nervous. My plans changed suddenly and drastically.
I was waiting on the side of the road when a girl appeared. She was from Germany. She was traveling alone and was going in my direction. It was great that we started hitchhiking together. I believe she was an angel, not a human, and that she appeared so I could feel safe with the change of plans, an assurance that everything was okay.
A car picked us up and drove us partway. There, in the middle of an empty, small town, we got out of the car to take our luggage and suddenly I heard someone calling my name. I turned and saw a couple I met two weeks earlier in Golden Bay.
Such a joy!
We talked for a short period of time. I didn’t have a map with me, although I had all the names of the towns I was supposed to go through. They offered me their map.
I began traveling again with the girl from Germany, the angel.
Another car picked us up and drove us further into the middle of nowhere. From that point, the girl was going into one direction, and I remained at the intersection to hitch to Christchurch, another five hours away.
For the first 30 minutes I had great energy. I was in the middle of nowhere, nature surrounding me. Cars turned to go in other directions than mine but I was full of enthusiasm.
After another 15 minutes I started to make other plans in case I didn’t get a ride in my direction.
Emotions overwhelmed me. I remembered people saying I couldn’t make this trip in one day; I felt it was tough when I had a plan and things didn’t go according to that plan; then I felt all alone, in the middle of nowhere.
Ten minutes of crying followed and I started to write everything I was feeling in my notebook, to identify and accept what I was feeling, and to note what was the actual reality beyond my emotions.
I decided right then that the limitations of other people are not my limitations, that if they believed they could not do this trip in one day, it didn’t mean I couldn’t do it. I wrote it down.
I decided there on the spot that I was flexible, and I easily accepted any change that came into my life. It’s okay if plans change because I could adapt, and go with the flow of life.
I decided I was not alone in this world, because the loving Universe is with me, and I’m always safe.
I remembered a quote: “I live by choice, not chance.”
I asked myself, what do I choose for today? To sleep in a small town and start tomorrow, delaying my remaining plans? Or do I go all the way to Christchurch today, as planned?
I chose to go to Christchurch.
I raised my hand from my notebook to hitch as I could hear a vehicle. When I lifted my eyes the vehicle was already signaling to stop on my side. It was a semi-truck driven by a 50-year old woman.
I said to her, “Please tell me you’re going to Christchurch.”
She said, “Get in. It’s exactly where I’m going.”
The lady was taking three large horses to a horse-show.
I thanked her for stopping. She told me that it must have been meant to be, because she was supposed to leave early that morning but there were delays at home. Her daughter was driving another car, otherwise the two of them would have been in the semi, with no room for a hitchhiker.
For the next six hours I traveled safely.
She told me they would have to stop 20 km outside Christchurch with the horses, but her daughter could take me to my final destination in the city. It was perfect.
When we reached their destination I helped them take out three beautiful horses, walked them through the fields and gave them water as the sun set.
After 13 hours, I had reached my final destination.
A friend’s parents were waiting for me with warm dinner, a warm bed and a relaxing shower. I slept so peacefully.
I caught the bus to Dunedin the next day.
I don’t think one needs to be in a foreign country to experience miracles. Life is full of magnificent moments everyday.
Maybe you are experiencing strange things, new situations and emotions. Maybe you are not 100 per cent comfortable. Look for all the coincidences and the miracles that are happening around you.
Just say, “I am open to observe.”
Pay attention. What do you see? You might have woken in one place, and ended up herding horses in another. It’s okay.
The limitations of other people are not your limitations. You are flexible with anything that comes into your life, and you adapt.
You are always safe.