New Zealand Weekly Update #58

27th of November until 03rd of December 2023

Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

Lets get it started

Good morning folks, another week in wonderful New Zealand is about to end. As I told you, I went to Arrowtown (close to Queenstown) this week Monday for my first paragliding soloflights and I am still stoked and ready for more. Fortunately, some flight options just opend up this sunday and I will be going to Arrowtown again tomorrow. Obviously, paragliding is an expensive activity, especially to get the gear and to get your international license. But the feeling being in the sky, being all on your own with the paraglider above you is just incredible. Freedom. Peace. Silence. Just you and all the nature. And being able to fly alone soon is just another great thought and feeling.
Yesterday, we had our alignment day at work (every three months we meet with the team and talk about the last months, the goals for the next months, we appreciate special moments and also have some training). And after our business meetings, we went to Lake Wanaka with the Wanaka team to drive to Mou Waho island with a speedboat. Music, beverages, fresh air and wind. A lovely advenure and some teambuilding with my great team members. Without them, I would not be working in optics at all. Without them, I would have quit that job months ago. Without them, I would not be in New Zealand anymore, since my visa is connected to my current job. Probably the best team I have had so far working in retail. And being friends with your team members makes work much more easier. Much more fun. Much more efficient.

What do you know?

Lately I was thinking a lot about people and friends that have been in my life for ages. That I have seen almost every day for years. That have been really good friends, almost family. I have been thinking about all those people I have met in my life, about those who are still with me and also about those who are not with me anymore. People, I am not in touch with anymore. And about the reasons why we are not in touch anymore. What has happend to lead to an end of our relationshsip, friendship, connection. And I was thinking a lot about if those people would be still the same if we would met. Of course not, since they have made new experiences, they have changed. So as I have changed. Moved on. Different experiences. Different goals. Different adventures. Different lifestyles.
And I was thinking about one quite interesting question. How long does it take to actually „know“ someone? How long does it take do understand a person at all? Their story. Their emotions. Their thoughts. Their secrets. I hear about stories when people break up and comment that they dont know each other anymore. That it seems like they are living with a stranger. That it seems like the person has changed. That the person behaves way different now. And that it seems like the house of cards, which has been build over several years, is falling apart in between seconds.

I think, as soon as we get to know a new person, we only see what we want to see in the very beginning. The good. The exctining. The interesting. The positive. It seems like that we sometimes even dont want to look behind the curtain. Behing the superficial first impression. Mabye to protect ourselves? To not ask too many questions? To not realise that the first impression of ours might be wrong? Maybe because we are trying to be hopeful and trustful?
But the much more interesting question is how are we supposed to know someone else in total if we dont know how we are? What we are? What we are worth? What we want? What our story is? What we suffer from? What triggers us? What motivates us? What our secrets are? How are we supposed to know someone in total if we still try to find out who we are?
Human relationships might not be supposed to be forever. They will change since people change. Different interests. Differents emotions, thoughts, goals. Most of our relationsships will not last forever. They will just last for a certain amount of time. Some friendships will fall apart. People will leave us. Sometimes we will leave people. And for a long time, this fact would make me very upset. As most of the time, there is nothing we can do about it. The only thing that we can do is being happy and grateful for the time we spent with those people. For the good they have brought in to our lives. And about the good we have brought into their lives. And that we are aware of one fact, that will never change. Change.

What else to say?

As I got my new road bike last week, I am ready to go for some bike training now and see how it goes. I am very excited about my first triathlon. For now, my goal is to finish. To not give up. And to cross the finish line with a big smile and some dancing moves afterwards. To train for a triathlin takes a lot of effort, time, energy and money. It is different to a marathon training, it needs much more effort. Much more commitment. But it is very exciting to see and feel the progress. In different sports. Different movements. Different techniques.
Two months to go.
Talk to you next week again fellas. Love and energy to all of you and to al the german folks, happy first advent!

Your DingyInternational
Felix