14 Months of Christchurch, as Told by 9 Photos

Cam and I are leaving Christchurch in about 36 hours, so we spent a lot of the weekend packing. At some point I found myself making a photo collage of my Christchurch photos, and by the time I was done, I realized that each of the pictures held different memories, so I thought I'd write a post about them. Hope you enjoy :)

Rapaki Track, October 2014 -

Rapaki Track, October 2014

I love this photo. On my first Saturday in Christchurch, my friend Sarah (who was "my coworker Sarah" at the time) came and picked me up from the motel to take me on a "hill run" - which turned in to a steep uphill walk surrounded by sheep.  I regretted not having my camera the whole time!

The next Friday, I found my way back to Rapaki Track alone, this time with my camera, and captured this gem. 

I had a really nice time on that walk, learning about Sarah, her family, her religion, her new boyfriend (now fiance!!) and walk/running Rapaki track with friends became kind of a tradition in Christchurch. I've  spent many a night after work with different friends - Jen, Jess, Sarah, and even Cam.

Hagely Park, November 2014 -

Hagley Park, November 2014

When I first came to Christchurch, it took a little bit of time to bond with my coworkers. One of the ways I first connected with my workmates was through running, and this remained true for my whole time here. After two corporate challenges, some Tuesday night 5k's in the park, and a half marathon, I have spent countless hours running (with and without my friends) around Hagley Park. This photo was taken one warm night around 8 pm, when I was feeling grateful for the park and the sunshine and the ability to get outside. Near the end of training for the half marathon, I started to believe James's statement that "Hagley steals your soul", but truly, I'm thankful for the miles, the memories, and the sunsets.

Rapaki Track, October 2014 -

Rapaki Track, October 2014

A duplicate location and time - oops.  This was taken on that same first solo Friday. I captioned this photo, "You keep amazing me, New Zealand <3" Little did I know, I'd be amazed for 14 months to come.

Taylor's Mistake, January 2015 -

Taylor's Mistake, January 2015

Ah this photo. While it may appear to be a beautiful beach photo, it holds so  many more memories. 

First off, Taylor's Mistake is a hike around Christchurch, just out past Sumner Beach. I did this hike on one of my first weekends, I think the day after the above Rapaki photos. 

When the new year came, I decided I would go out to Taylor's Mistake for a run after work one day. I hadn't done much trail running, so this was tough. Especially because the way I decided to go included some serious switchbacks, which makes consistently running very difficult. 

But the funniest thing about this photo, is that on my way to this run, I drove slowly past Sumner Beach and who did I find but my new boyfriend, Cam, changing in to his wet suit next to his car. It was a total coincidental run in (well I knew he was going to be there, but I didn't intend to see him), but needless to say, the friend he was with thought I was a total crazy person. 

Lots of memories.

Bridal Path to Lyttleton, October 2015 -

Bridal Path to Lyttleton, October 2015

As the weather got warmer, Cam and I tried to spend more time hiking, especially the local tracks. One Saturday morning, we parked at the base of the Christschurch gondola, hiked the gondola route, saw this view, then walked down the other side of the hill and in to Lyttleton for the market. We drank flat whites, ate meat pies, and then paid $3 for the bus back to our car. 

The Lyttleton market has always been one of our favorites, so as one of our many farewell events, we took James and Jess with us to try it out. After eating the aforementioned pies, they asked us what we do next and we just said, "hmm we normally look at that booth next." 

It's funny to realize what a routine you have at places like this. That you always go to the same booths, buy or not buy the same items, and then leave. While it was funny introducing someone to the routine, it was really fun to share it with our friends. Walking back to the car, Cam and I started to realize that it was our last time in Lytttleon, until the next time we visit Christchurch. We will really miss you, Lyttleton.

Wonderbar, Lyttleton, February 2015 -

Lyttleton, February 2015

This one of those photos that missed the blog in February 2015 because I was too nervous to share with the internet/people I knew about all the fun I was having with my new boyfriend.

This photo was taken from the first date night that I planned for us. It always makes me laugh because a couple weeks before, the weather was meant to be stunning on a Sunday. As work talk goes, this was prime conversation. James slipped in a comment, "Well that's one of those days that you get a beer and sit at wonderbar." "What's wonderbar?" I asked. "Oh it's this cool little bar over in Lyttleton."

So when Cam decided that it was time for me to plan a date, I chose a trip to Wonderbar. Then I accidentally told James that I had gone  and dodgily left out who I went with. #earlydays. Since then we've spent many a good night in Lyttleton, and as I said in the last photo, I will miss it so much.

Taylor's Mistake, October 2015 -

Taylor's Mistake, October 2015

I posted this photo on Facebook to mark my one year anniversary in Christchurch. I also took it on my one year anniversary, so no need to question it's authenticity. This night I met up with Jess to do a training run for our upcoming half marathon. While parts of it were downright frustrating, the moment I turned around and saw this shot, definitely made my night. The views that night were stunning, and I spent a lot of the run obsessing over the lambs on the side of the road and celebrating how much had happened in the span of a year. I can't even list them all here, but this year has been life changing. Maybe see my one year anniversary post for more details because if I start here, I'll never stop. Let's just say, a sheep, a sunset, and a run with a friend was the perfect way to celebrate an amazing year in Christchurch.

Sumner Beach, November 2015 -

Sumner Beach, November 2015

Fireworks in New Zealand are illegal for the entire year except for "Remember, Remember, the fifth of November," Guy Fawkes Day. (I pronounce it "fox", which Cam finds hilarious.) They do a pretty big fireworks show out of New Brighton Beach, but the traffic in and out of the beach can be atrocious, so Cam had the idea of going out to Sumner, climbing up a giant rock to get a good view of the fireworks. 

We met Margaret on our way, so I felt like I had a gang. I'm pretty sure I lost any "cool girl" appearance I had going on by saying "I feel like I'm in the OC." But I did. And I will really miss being twenty minutes from the beach and drinking beers with friends on the top of a rock at sunset. 

When Cam and I first started dating, we went out to Sumner on a couple Sunday nights and I looved those times. I love that Cam can go surfing after work any day the weather's good. So this is yet another place that I will really miss when we leave. Cam said we can go out to the Rockaways in New York, but it's definitely possible it won't be the same. 

And finally, Sumner Beach, December 2015 -

Sumner Beach, December 2015

One more view of Sumner Beach. This photo was taken just last week at a work holiday barbecue. We got so lucky with the weather, and enjoyed a really nice send off from work. 



And that's it! I'll miss you Christchurch. All the cafes, bars, parks, tracks, beaches, hills, and even maybe sort of the office. I've had so many good memories in Christchurch, and when the sun is shining, Christchurch can be such a beautiful place. I can't wait to see how the city is doing in a few years - I have no doubt we'll be back.

Until then, 
Erin

November Project Christchurch?

I've never considered myself a super runner, and until I left New York, and as a result, November Project, I didn't realize how much it had been influencing my life.

Just waking up the sun with some burpees on the East River

For anyone who doesn't know about November Project, it's a free fitness group in 16 cities in the US/Canada that (official as of today) has 3,934 members! I joined November Project in May after hearing about it from a friend and since then these people have become some of my most fun, fit, and close friends. I've never joined a running group before, so I guess you could say I don't really know, but November Project is so much more than a running group. For starters you don't run from point A to point B. You run loops around a central point, and everyone is at a different part of the course at all times so you are never alone (or last). Sometimes I run different laps with different friends, or talk to someone I've never met before because we're running next to each other, and some mornings I just go hard and challenge myself to run the most laps that I can.They also have a Positivity Award, and every week they tell the most amazing story about a different person at November Project who is making everyone around them a better person.

Not the positivity award, but I got Pin the Badger (on loan) for my birthday from Coach John. November Project is really good at celebrating birthdays

There are a lot of photos taken, and a lot of hugs given, and I have more energy on Wednesdays because I woke up at 5:45 am and ran around with these crazy people, than any other day when I sleep until 7:30. Lastly and possibly most importantly, the tribe (that's what they call the group in each city) drinks. And the tribe never has a bad time. These people know how to celebrate a race, support each other at charity events, and enjoy a few margaritas on a Friday night.

Some of my favorite NP friends celebrating our Bronx 10 Miler

I was really finding my stride is this group of amazing people when I got my 6 days notice of leaving New York City (Just for two months... but still). Having such an amazing group of people in New York, made leaving that much harder. When I first got to Christchurch and talked to a few of my best friends (who haven't joined November Project yet), they both asked 1. Do they have NP there? 2. Is there anything similar you can join? They get me. But unfortunately there is not.

The most homesick I've been so far was last Wednesday when I woke up to a message saying I had missed an awesome bridge workout. Bridge days at November Project are my FAVORITE and all the sunrise photos on instagram were breaking my heart.

I mean, how can you NOT be homesick for this sunrise? Amazing photo by Emily Faherty

I was excited to run the Fidelity Life Corportate Challenge with my coworkers this week, but also nervous that it wouldn't be as much of a celebration as my other races have been recently. I shouldn't have underestimated it, because I had a really good time, and am feeling so much better about Christchurch as a result.

The race was on Wednesday, but due to some pretty extreme weather, we didn't think the race was going to happen...
Tuesday night, when I was leaving work, I heard thunder in the distance, and a few minutes in to my drive it started hailing. Over the next couple minutes, as I drove about a quarter of a mile, the hail got heavier and heavier and about an inch of ice accumulated on the roads. It honestly looked like a blizzard had just hit. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced, so of course I looked it up on the internet when I got home. There were no news stories! Apparently, this happens with some frequency, and New Zealand doesn't have the sensationalized/frenzied media culture that the US does, so there was literally nothing on the internet about it. What remote island am I living on?!

Literally awful.

And that road was clear 5 minutes ago.

On Wednesday, race day, it POURED off and on all day. I'm talking some serious rain. No one wanted to be the one to bail and let anyone else down, so we all put on our TT shirts and went to the race. It started pouring as the rain began, but we ran hard. I PRed and had a ton of fun.

The group from the office who walked/ran the Corporate Challenge! 

I wore my TT shirt for the race because there wasn't bag check and I had to wear it for the photo, but immediately after changed in to my grassroots gear. Upon seeing my grassroots gear, my coworker Jen reacted, "OH November Project is your running group?!?! That's so awesome!! It's their birthday tomorrow or something, right?" Why yes it is. Happy 3rd Birthday NP! The amount of joy Jen's comment brought me is almost embarrassing. Having someone here, on the other side of the world, understand exactly what I missed about home brought me so much relief. And of course I was even happier to hear her say "We should start NP Christchurch!"

Drenched from the rain, but had to take a photo in my #grassrootsgear

After the race we all went to a cafe called C1. They only serve sliders, but they are delivered to you via a network of tubes that go around the restaurant and end up at your table. I have no idea how it works, but it was really fun, and, surprisingly, the food was good! I love most food and enjoy being an adventurous eater, but the food in this country has been pretty bad. (Except the tim tams- the tim tams are good. And apparently the chocolate milk.) I even had a great Kiwi beer, brewed in Nelson where I was last weekend. Overall, the night was really fun -- running, eating, drinking, and laughing. It felt like that little part of home that I so missed, had come to help me out in Christchurch.

This morning when I woke up to messages about my friends PRs at November Project, I was so much happier to hear about it than the week before. And so thrilled to hear #3014 was met!

This weekend I'm going to be missing the race that I organized in honor of my big, Miriam Frankl. I am so blessed to have family and friends who are going to go to Chicago in my absence, meet Miriam's parents, and remember one person who has influenced my life in so many ways. I could go on and on about my big, but for those who are reading, thank you for the support and for the donations to the scholarship fund, and to those running this weekend, I owe you a big hug next time I see you. Just know I'm thinking of you and wish I could be there. Give Miriam's family and friends a big hug from me.

So to November Project, I miss you and I cannot wait to see all of your beautiful faces December 31st for bridge day (this is my #verbal). To the runners in Chicago, race hard and have fun, I wish I were there, and to my coworkers and new running friends, thanks for making me a whole lot less homesick this week.