2nd time tramping - Mingha Trail

Okay, so backtracking a lot since I've been super busy and haven't written in here in forever, but I'm gonna try to go over all the highlights so far that I haven't written about... so the 2nd time I went tramping I went with Monique, Shannon, and Heather, who are all kiwi girls in the tramping club. We went on the Mingha Trail in Arthurs pass, and I woke up in the morning and was super hungover from the night before and debated even going because I felt so awful. After almost throwing up on the car ride there, especially because the roads here are super windy and such, we got there and I figured out that hiking/tramping is the greatest hangover cure I've found yet. It was pretty cold since it's winter and it was only like 8:30 in the morning, and as soon as we started walking I immediately felt fine, which was pretty ridiculous to me, but definitely good to know now. We hiked for a few hours and took pictures along the way, obviously, and since we knew we were only doing a day hike, we had to decide how far we wanted to go and when to turn around and such. We ended up stopping by a river and doing some slight swimming in the freezing cold water and then sunbathing there and eating lunch. It was pretty cool being able to swim and be fairly comfortable laying out in the sun in just bras and underwear when we could see snow capped mountains behind us. It was really nice to take our time and have some fun while we ate and rested before we turned around to head back. I realized that I prefer tramping with just a few people because it's easier to get to know people and it's a lot more laid back than when you're with a big group and you're constantly hiking with different people and not really spending too much time with any certain people. The Mingha Trail in Arthur's Pass was also a really pretty trail and it was a beautiful day which made it so much better. I also learned that having dry sweatpants, socks and slippers in the car to come back to after doing river crossings in freezing cold water is one of the greatest feelings.

Tramping is definitely one of my new favorite activities, and I love the feeling of being away from civilization and in the middle of nature and just breathing it all in and really appreciating how naturally beautiful our world is. I have definitely gained a new appreciate for my surroundings and the incredible nature that encompasses this country. It's absolutely astonishing how beautiful it is here...