Support Kim & George After Theft

Kia Ora friends & fam,

A couple of days ago, George and I had a lot of gear and personal items stolen out of his van while stopping into Christchurch for what was meant to be a brief visit to take care of some medical concerns. Over the past few weeks, we have been hiking the Te Araroa, a trail that walks the full length of New Zealand. The gear that belonged to me was everything I needed to make this dream happen. Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, PLB, trekking poles, etc. Years of working, saving, and searching. Without this gear, I cannot finish the trail. The gear that belonged to George was everything he needed to go trad climbing. For those of you in the climbing community, you know how difficult it is to piece together your first rack. To lose such an investment to theft is brutal.

If it were feasible for us to simply purchase new gear to keep on going, we certainly would. Unfortunately, we have already put most of our savings into this endeavor and are losing hope that our gear will make its way back to us. Because of the value, both personally and financially, we cannot replace everything that was lost.

We have loved every up and down that this trail has given us thus far. We have been set back with inconveniences, injuries, weather, etc. We have been blessed with beautiful sunsets, unbelievable kindness, and impeccable views. Every thru-hiker knows that there is no such thing as a perfectly flowing hike. The challenges that comes with taking on a long adventure teach us valuable lessons about ourselves and how we move through the world. We want to embrace this new challenge with the same perspective, and we ask for your help.

I create this go fund me with an uncomfortable sense of shame. I know that choosing to take the time and money to do something like a thru-hike is in-and-of-itself, an incredible privilege. That to have even lost this much money in gear means that I am lucky enough in life to have it in the first place. In that same light, we ask for your support in any capacity. If you feel that you are able to, we appreciate any contribution in our journey on the Te Araroa and on the wall. Not a single contribution goes unnoticed. If you are unable to contribute financially, we appreciate your words. Needless to say, George and I are feeling pretty down and unbelievably lost without our means to do what we love most.

Any donation is deeply appreciated and goes a long way (quite literally). Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your support, and thank you for your words.

Arohanui <3

Kim & George