Saturday, September 29, 2007

Turangawaewae


Since moving to Aotearoa, or New Zealand, some 14 plus years ago, the Ruahine Ranges, located in the central North Island, have become my own Turangawaewae, or home base, literally meaning in the lovely Maori language, "a place to put one's feet". And I have, since 1993, placed my feet there many times. Never having had experiences with mountains in my native Wisconsin, simply due to geological realities, I felt a very strong pull from somewhere inside myself from my first trip in the northern Ruahines to Gold Crown ridge. I have been coming to terms with that connection ever since and have never tired or am tiring of interacting with the mountains to renew that awareness. I suspect I will continue to rendezvous with the Ruahines until physically unable to do so. I appreciate each trip there as potentially the last, as the country is steep and rugged, the rivers clear and fast and quickly capable of turning into muddy torrents, so travel is never clear cut and easy.
So I want to use this forum to continue to write of my experiences within that environment, to share with those whom have traveled there with me, and those whom have not, so they might understand and even enjoy why I do. And most of all, if not somewhat selfishly, for myself, to continue to grow as a man, a father, a husband, a friend, through understanding myself and a very real spiritual connection to a place half way around the world from my original Turangawaewae.

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