Last week, I was lucky enough to travel to Christchurch for a week. I had a fantastic time, met some awesome people and ate at some lovely restaurants (post coming soon).
It was my first time walking around the Christchurch CBD since the earthquake in February 2011, and it was quite eerie walking past empty pieces of land where buildings used to stand.
One of the things that really struck me, was the earthquake remembrance art installation. 185 chairs sit in an empty lot to represent the 185 lives lost on February 22.
Each chair is unique, and made it really hit home to me how many people New Zealand lost that day and how many families lost the people that they loved. Particularly heart wrenching was the infant car seat.
I don’t think words can fully describe how these chairs moved me. I had family and close friends living in Christchurch when the earthquake hit and I am incredibly grateful that each of them were safe.
My heart goes out to everyone who was affected by the quake and who are still affected today…blocks of houses sit vacant in the worst hit areas, abandoned as they are now unsafe to live in. Let us hope that the home owners will have answers soon about what will happen.
The strength and resilience of the people of Christchurch is amazing and I think that it will stay that way.
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