“Unexpected Walkabout" Part I

How An Older Female Backpacker Unwittingly Finds Herself Hitchhiking In Arthur’s Pass, (South Island) New Zealand

A lone highway leads to a mountain range on the South Island of New Zealand

When I was 56 years old, I found myself on the South Island of New Zealand. With major decisions to make in my American life, I thought, well, I’ll go on a walkabout and get some perspective.

Having gone through a divorce and uprooted my life in the Midwest to work for the National Park Service, I wanted clarity around where to begin this next chapter of my life. From my home in northern Arizona, I organized three months of backpacking in New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia.

It was a big walkabout. And I had no idea what I was doing.

On a whim, I made the plans, deciding in what order to see the different countries. I bought an external frame backpack, a daypack, and a pair of rugged Italian hiking shoes—crampon ready. I would realize much later that the boots alone weighed five pounds.

In backpacking, weight can make or break joy…

✨ And I was about to learn that lesson the hard way. Continue reading Part I on Substack (it’s free) → READ HERE

Photo Credits: Unsplash