We set off this morning with high hopes. Or rather I had very optimistic expectations, despite the drizzling rain; Dustin was slightly more realistic. The clouds looked much higher than they did yesterday, and I was nearly certain that our hike of the Franz Josef Glacier would go off without a hitch. It looked like there was plenty of visibility for the helicopters to safely take off and land on the glacier, depositing us in an exotic world of ice to explore for several hours.

Unfortunately, it just was not to be. When we arrived at the Glacier Base building, we noticed very little activity. Unlike yesterday, there were no guides outside welcoming people. In fact, there weren’t even any other people, and the bright red sign “Tours operating today!” was conspicuously missing. As soon as we went inside, the kind girl at reception told us that all tours had been canceled for the day. After being canceled yesterday, I was sure that today’s tour would go. Positive. I would have bet on it. It took me a moment to appreciate that I was not going to get to go in a helicopter or go on the glacier; there was no more time for us to rebook on another day, hoping for better weather.

When we got back to the hostel, Dustie investigated some options, since we now had another day wide open to fill with new plans (we hiked the Robert’s Point track yesterday, which was phenomenal). I was sitting quietly being slightly disappointed and not really relishing the idea of heading out in the rain to go hiking. But this is also Dustin’s trip, and it certainly wouldn’t have been fair to him to ruin it, just because Mother Nature ruined my plans.

He suggested we try the Tatare Tunnels walk, an hour and a half hike return that goes to some old mining tunnels. Splendid – it’s raining already, and in the description it says to be prepared for ankle deep water. With a “fake it til you feel it” smile on, I joined Dustie and we headed out. By the time we were ten minutes up the wide track through the rainforest, my legs and feet were soaking wet from the pouring rain (Dustie was happily dry in his waterproof hiking boots and rain pants). Well, might as well enjoy the forthcoming cold ankle deep water, since my feet couldn’t get much wetter.

About halfway up, Dustin said something along the lines of, “this is quite nice. It’s our lemonade day.” I actually stopped, and my entire attitude turned around completely with his phenomenal phrase. I don’t often have moments like this where something penetrates all the foggy layers of my mind and really strikes me, but this certainly did. What an excellent way to look at things; lemonade day is such a perfect phrase. We didn’t get what we had planned on or what we had wanted, so the only option really was to make the most of what we did have, which was some rain and one last day in Franz Josef. It was time to make some lemonade.

Despite the rain, it wasn’t actually very cold, and it did enhance the rainforest side of things, creating some little waterfalls and adding an interesting soundtrack to the walk. It made it feel like an adventure, like we were little kids exploring. Then at the end of the trail there was an old tunnel that we went in with flashlights and wandered down (that’s where the water was – it was about ankle deep in some places, and flowing out). It was a real adventure.

The rest of the day went really well – we checked out Okarito beach with gale force winds and driving rain, pretending to be weather reporters live on scene; we sent some emails and watched a bit of a movie with some other folks in the hostel; and we did the one part of the glacier hike that didn’t involve a glacier – sitting in the hot pools that would have been the end of our day.

Today could have turned very sour and been written off as a casualty of weather. Instead, with one striking phrase, Dustin made me stop and reevaluate our situation, and thus saved the day quite literally. I am confident I will have many occasions to use the phrase (and almost look forward to them). Even on non-lemonade days, I know it will be a useful way to gain perspective and add a little more appreciation and gratitude to my day. Alright life, bring on the lemons.