It has now been almost two months since I've arrived in Vermont. My number one issue with returning home is the fact that my study abroad experience has ended. Just like that - 5 months, over. Studying abroad has always seemed like some magical imagery that would "happen next year", "next semester".. something I have always looked forward to since the college search began in high school. It was always something that I had been planning for, ie: taking enough classes so that I could go abroad, save money so that I could be unemployed for 5 months, etc. It seems as though everything has flashed before my eyes.
I can't even begin to express how this experience has changed me. I have met a variety of people from coast to coast of America, formed friendships with people from New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, traveled three different countries, took four classes (or "papers" in NZ terminology), and adapted to a completely different lifestyle- ALL in five months. Not to sound cliche- but I can not imagine moving forward with my life/career without this experience. I have learned to respect different lifestyles/cultures, accept people, gained an immense amount of travel knowledge, and most importantly, I have become more self confident. I think that has come from my intention of adapting to the new culture. And ultimately, I am proud of myself. I feel like I have conquered yet another experience and have really embraced it.
I have come across multiple awkward encounters regarding my return to home. A lot of people act interested in the experience and say "how was your trip". At this point, I feel confused and likely express a shocked expression. I mean, what trip are they talking about? I have traveled to over 25 towns/cities in New Zealand, vacationed in Fiji, and flew to Australia visiting multiple towns/cities there as well. I usually ignore that and start to explain some favourites from my NZ "trip". I then realize, this experience can not be summed up in five minutes (at most) of conversation. If you think about it, it would be like me asking you how your 5 months have been...if you have traveled to over 40 destinations. I usually just say "it was amazing. i miss it so much.. i hiked a glacier and swam with dolphins... i was legal to drink"... a VERY short summary of my life February-June.
My travels back to the States weren't bad, until I reached JFK. Of course, all of my baggage was overweight (50 kgs). It was smooth-sailing from Auckland to San Fransisco (which is the 13 hour flight). I took some sleeping pills, watched some movies, drank some wine. All was fine! Leah (a very close friend I met abroad) lives outside of San Fransisco (SF) and offered to pick me up for my layover. She and her boyfriend took me to In-and-Out burger for my first west coast burger experience. It was amazing! I loved reconnecting and trying that food for the first time. We also had time to cruise around in the convertible for a little while. I then flew to JFK and was there overnight. Awful. I had all of my bags and had to connect to different terminals with them. This meant taking the lifts to different locations. I must have taken the elevator at least 10 times that night. Especially since I was in search for food. Unfortunately, everything was closed and I settled for some weird/gross wrap at 2 am. I finally caught my flight to BTV at 8am. As I flew into Burlington and heard "welcome to Burlington, VT. Partly cloudy and mostly sunny"- I started to cry. Just a few tears but I think at this point I realized that I actually was arriving home and I was very excited to see friends and family. My mom organized a welcome-home party to give me the opportunity to catch up with everyone without being overwhelmed. I was extremely grateful for this. It was really easy for me because people just dropped by or hung out for a while. I didn't have to make plans with anyone.. which was awesome after my 35 hours of traveling!
We had heaps of snacks and drinks (including NZ wine, margaritas, and a log keg of Magic Hat).
I forced myself to stay busy and trained myself to avoid the jet lag. I woke up at 5/6am just a few times and usually went to sleep at a normal hour. I did tended to get grumpy around the late afternoon but I settled that with an iced coffee (which i missed DEARLY). It was also funny to be driving again. I was amped to get in my car and grab the wheel! I was generally okay with driving after running a quick errand on day one. However, I did catch myself once driving on the wrong side of the neighbourhood (hehe!). It's funny, I didn't think it would be a problem because I only drove once in Australia but actually living in NZ with the opposite traffic standards really screwed me up. I still have to think about the direction I'm turning if I'm really tired. It is starting to feel normal again but it's funny that I sometimes actually have to think while driving instead of performing second nature (pre-NZ).
My next step is unknown. I literally have no idea what is next for me and what I am planning for. And for some reason, this bothers me. I do know that I have been bit by the travel bug and that traveling is what I WANT to do next (after graduation). Right now, I am thinking of taking six months off after graduation to just travel around. I don't know where, but I do want it to happen. I have met a lot of friends from my international travels and would love to reconnect with them. Ghana is always a place I want to return to and I've been missing the kids at the orphanage quite a bit lately- so that's always an option. But this whole travel idea is unplanned as well. What if I get offered an amazing job? Basically, I need to stop planning for the next step because it seems like the next journey will just happen on it's own and needs to be unplanned. This all seems to weird to me. Literally, every large step in my life has been planned and as you know, has likely stressed me out.
Last week, Gin Wigmore played free and live at Battery Park on the waterfront. Gin Wigmore is the #1 singer in NZ and is extremely famous among Aussies and Kiwis. Her popular songs "I do" and "Under my skin" were well liked among the Burlington population too. I was SOOO excited for this event and actually got a picture with her as well. She was a very sweet woman and brought me back to Kiwi land. I sincerely wished that I could hop the plane with her and head back. Someday! Until then, I just have to reminisce on the good times I had down under. I am reliving the experience by drinking the wine (good excuse?), skyping with the Kiwis, talking to the Americans who were abroad with me, and obsessing over the pictures. New Zealand will always be considered my home away from home and I am so thankful for the opportunity and experiences.
I appreciate everyone's excitement about the blog and the encouragement that lead me to continue sharing my experiences.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Goodbyes/Heading South
Time has been FLYING- as expected.
I said goodbye to most people today as I will they will leave while I am in the South Island. It was really weird. It felt like I was leaving my friends back at home for New Zealand- but flip flopped. I guess that's a good thing because I definitely have made some great friends here. The best part of that is they live all throughout the world. US: West coast, mid west, south, east coast. Europe: Netherlands, Germany and of course, My Kiwis. So I'll have people to visit everywhere. What a great excuse to travel :)
Exams finished up and we have all just been hanging out and having a good time. Friday night I went to my favourite Kiwi band's concert: Six60. www.six60.co.nz .. they were absolutely AMAZING live. It was an awesome night and probably one of my favourites in Wellington. We started out having a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant on Cuba Street then headed to the concert. Apparently, Six60 was scheduled to come on at 12 and we thought 8pm. So we went back to the Cube and "prepared" for the concert a bit more. It was AWESOME. Then I had a stat exam the next morning. Oh how lovely Business Statistics is after 3 hours of sleep and drinking...hehe.
Last night we (Leah, Jarad, Dani, Jon, and Alex) went to Three Kings (huge sports bar) to watch the FIFA soccer game with NZ All Whites vs Argentina. It was an okay game, but ended amazingly! A Kiwi scored with 30 sec left and it ended up being a draw. That was a lot of fun just to see the culture of sports watching in NZ. The pub was PACKED. We got there an hour early and barely got a table.. hundreds of people were there. It was great! Before that, we went to dinner for Indian food (obviously)..that was great too! I'm going to miss the cultural food. There is so much Malaysian, Indian, Asian style food options here.
Today Jarad and I just walked around town and did some shopping. It was a beautiful, sunny day (I actually got sunburnt!). I'll definitely miss being the Wellington sunny-day walks. Everything is just so pretty when it's nice out. The waterfront is packed and people are out of hibernation. There's so much to do/see when it's nice out. Those days usually speed by. Oh, Welly! I can't believe it's almost time to go!
I'm off to bed. I'll be in the South Island for a week before my 3 1/2 day wrap up of Wellington. HOW did this happen?!
My itinerary is:
June
17: Christchurch
18: Scenic train Christchurch to Greymouth
19: Greymouth to Franz Josef (glaciers!)
20: Franz Josef to Queenstown
21: More Queenstown
22: Dunedin
23: Tekapo
24pm: Fly back to Wellington
28: LEAVE WELLINGTON
29: helllllo Vermont!
http://www.magicbus.co.nz/main/productDetail/index.cfm?productID=8
That's the link of my detailed itinerary. It has a map with descriptions of what each town is known for and what to explore. It's actually a really cool system. I purchased a bus pass for this specific journey and can decide how long I spend in each town, with a minimum 7 days. So someone could have a 3month travel pass, staying weeks at each place. So I'll be backpacking, but with a planned schedule. I am actually really excited and don't know what to expect. I feel like a kid on the first day of school, very anxious yet thrilled for it to start. YAYYY!!!
I said goodbye to most people today as I will they will leave while I am in the South Island. It was really weird. It felt like I was leaving my friends back at home for New Zealand- but flip flopped. I guess that's a good thing because I definitely have made some great friends here. The best part of that is they live all throughout the world. US: West coast, mid west, south, east coast. Europe: Netherlands, Germany and of course, My Kiwis. So I'll have people to visit everywhere. What a great excuse to travel :)
Exams finished up and we have all just been hanging out and having a good time. Friday night I went to my favourite Kiwi band's concert: Six60. www.six60.co.nz .. they were absolutely AMAZING live. It was an awesome night and probably one of my favourites in Wellington. We started out having a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant on Cuba Street then headed to the concert. Apparently, Six60 was scheduled to come on at 12 and we thought 8pm. So we went back to the Cube and "prepared" for the concert a bit more. It was AWESOME. Then I had a stat exam the next morning. Oh how lovely Business Statistics is after 3 hours of sleep and drinking...hehe.
Last night we (Leah, Jarad, Dani, Jon, and Alex) went to Three Kings (huge sports bar) to watch the FIFA soccer game with NZ All Whites vs Argentina. It was an okay game, but ended amazingly! A Kiwi scored with 30 sec left and it ended up being a draw. That was a lot of fun just to see the culture of sports watching in NZ. The pub was PACKED. We got there an hour early and barely got a table.. hundreds of people were there. It was great! Before that, we went to dinner for Indian food (obviously)..that was great too! I'm going to miss the cultural food. There is so much Malaysian, Indian, Asian style food options here.
Today Jarad and I just walked around town and did some shopping. It was a beautiful, sunny day (I actually got sunburnt!). I'll definitely miss being the Wellington sunny-day walks. Everything is just so pretty when it's nice out. The waterfront is packed and people are out of hibernation. There's so much to do/see when it's nice out. Those days usually speed by. Oh, Welly! I can't believe it's almost time to go!
I'm off to bed. I'll be in the South Island for a week before my 3 1/2 day wrap up of Wellington. HOW did this happen?!
My itinerary is:
June
17: Christchurch
18: Scenic train Christchurch to Greymouth
19: Greymouth to Franz Josef (glaciers!)
20: Franz Josef to Queenstown
21: More Queenstown
22: Dunedin
23: Tekapo
24pm: Fly back to Wellington
28: LEAVE WELLINGTON
29: helllllo Vermont!
http://www.magicbus.co.nz/main/productDetail/index.cfm?productID=8
That's the link of my detailed itinerary. It has a map with descriptions of what each town is known for and what to explore. It's actually a really cool system. I purchased a bus pass for this specific journey and can decide how long I spend in each town, with a minimum 7 days. So someone could have a 3month travel pass, staying weeks at each place. So I'll be backpacking, but with a planned schedule. I am actually really excited and don't know what to expect. I feel like a kid on the first day of school, very anxious yet thrilled for it to start. YAYYY!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple" -Oscar Wilde
Lot's has happened since June 1st. Starting with last Thursday, June 3rd- a pretty eventful day :)
Leah and I scheduled massages at the cosmetology training school. It was $30NZD (about $20USD) for a one-hour, full body massage. It was great! My back has really been bothering me so it was nice to get a budget priced massage in.
We then went to Coyote, a little bar/restaurant on Courtenay Place for lunch followed by a lovely film: SEX AND THE CITY 2. I had been anxiously waiting for it to come out in NZ. Penny (Leah's new flatmate- sweet girl!) came with us. It was a great afternoon.
Also, it was Katie's 21st birthday back home in Vermont!!!!! I wish I could've made it to celebrate!! My friends here and I went out that night and I made them have a tequila shot for her (surprise, Katie!).
Friday morning, I left for Rotorua:
Kelsi was on the bus to her hometown for the weekend. So it was nice to have a bus buddy! It was about a 7.5 hour bus ride. However, I didn't really mind it. We watched a few movies and the scenery was beautiful! We passed a mountain with lots of snow on it and the volcano that is represented in the Lord of the Rings quite a bit. And yes, HEAPS OF SHEEP! It's funny.. the mountains and hills are so steep but somehow, the sheep just post right up. It looks like the might roll down but they really can control themselves. My friend joked and said that's why the meat is better here.. haha, could be true!
But $35 NZD ($20USD) was totally worth it to see all the scenery and make it to Rotorua!
Britta (international from NJ) met me in Rotorua on a later bus. So I got off the bus and had a few hours to figure out the hostel situation etc. Instead, I headed to the water and caught a beautiful sunset and gave my big sissy a phone call.
Then I realized, it's dark, I'm backpacking alone, and have yet to find a hostel. I kind of made some moves and searched around town and came across one that was legit and worked out a little deal. I walked to the bus station and some Maori man just started talking to me. He was not harmful, maybe just had a little mental condition. New Zealanders make fun of the Maori accent because they talk like "bros". ie: "cheya bro, i wen dow to da mawket" something like that. Anyways, he asked what planet I was from (yes, planet) and asked if I had children. I said no and started laughing and he said he had never met an American woman without children. I thought that was kind of funny. After what seemed like ages, Britta arrived! We went to the hostel, dropped her stuff off, went to dinner, and passed out! We intended to wake up at 7:30 to start our only day in Rotorua but my "lovely" NZ crap phone turned off and my alarm didn't go off. I woke up around 8:30 and we were able to start our day at a reasonable travel time. We hopped on the bus to go to the Redwood forest. It was "world environmental day" and they gave us free fares. Awesome. Nothing (really, nothing) is free in New Zealand. We even have to pay for a size of sauce out to dinner.
Decades ago, the land was not able to be used for agriculture. People were trying to figure out the reasoning and brought a variety of species into the forest to determine what thrived best. Redwoods were quite successful! It was nice to be out of the Wellington city and breathing fresh forest air. I can't even describe that. So refreshing and just amazing.
Rotorua is built upon a volcano crater. So there are sulfur and mineral pools all over with geysers. It's so cool! In the middle of the park there will be a spot with boiling mud. I touched the acidic mud and it made my finger quite soft after. It's funny to see a little pit/pool of boiling water just in the middle of green grass. I took a video of it because it sounds like tea kettle. Something I've never seen before.
We then went to the Polynesian Spa. At the spa, there are five hot pools, two sulfur and three mineral. It was only $21 for admission to all. They were all full of natural water from the overlooking water.
It was awesome! We were really dehydrated from all of it. Also, there were little flakes of sulfur in them which was very cool. My skin was (and still is) very soft from all of that. We then walked around for a few minutes to catch out bus to Taupo.
And I ALMOST forgot to include the scent of Rotorua. If you can imagine: sweat with rotten eggs, that's it. It's from the natural pools and sulfur. However, I did get used to it and it was not bad.
On to Taupo. They were hoping to skydive the next day. We dropped bags off and went out to dinner. The restaurant was pretty cool. An Irish bar with great prices. What more could I ask for?
Then back to the hostel. The weather was iffy so we were trying to think of stuff to do if skydiving was cancelled. No ideas. Leah, Jarad, and I didn't really sleep. There were three other Germans in our hostel room and they were deep breathing and snoring all night. And, their skydives were cancelled!
I was up early and need some breakfast. I decided on having my first "Maccas" (McDonalds) breakfast. I feel like everyone needs to have experienced that at least once and I'm glad I had! It was yummo! I met up with the group again and we headed off to wander Taupo. It turned out being a fun day. We had to get past the rain-factor and enjoy our one time in Taupo. We shopped, went to a coffee shop, and went out to lunch. Last of all- KAFFE EIS! That is our favourite Gelato shop in Wellington and they had it in Taupo, It was great to experience it in a new location :)
Taupo is an hour south of Rotorua. It had a large lake and is popular for tourists.. often in the summer months. I preferred Rotorua though! Rotorua has a lot of culture to it. It's actually the one town/city in New Zealand that has a lot of indigenous people. It was cool to see and experience all of that.
We had a great trip back. The bus was pretty empty which was nice. Also, there was a Maori lady swearing and screaming on the phone which was hilarious at the beginning of the trip. It was hilarious and Jarad actually took a video of it.
So I've had the opportunity to travel a lot of the North Island and am ready for my South Island adventure! One week from Thursday. And actually today is my 3 week mark. I leave New Zealand three weeks from today! I'm excited/anxious to get home but also, am going to miss the lifestyle here. It will all even out!
A few photos from the trip:
Leah, Jarad, Britta out to dinner in Taupo
We're not really the best backpackers..
Rotorua reminded me a lot of New England in the autumn. Very beautiful... not quite Vermont style though :)
Sign to the park we visited. Lots of mud, vapor, and sulfuric pools
Rotorua
Natural mud pool
Lot's has happened since June 1st. Starting with last Thursday, June 3rd- a pretty eventful day :)
Leah and I scheduled massages at the cosmetology training school. It was $30NZD (about $20USD) for a one-hour, full body massage. It was great! My back has really been bothering me so it was nice to get a budget priced massage in.
We then went to Coyote, a little bar/restaurant on Courtenay Place for lunch followed by a lovely film: SEX AND THE CITY 2. I had been anxiously waiting for it to come out in NZ. Penny (Leah's new flatmate- sweet girl!) came with us. It was a great afternoon.
Also, it was Katie's 21st birthday back home in Vermont!!!!! I wish I could've made it to celebrate!! My friends here and I went out that night and I made them have a tequila shot for her (surprise, Katie!).
Friday morning, I left for Rotorua:
Kelsi was on the bus to her hometown for the weekend. So it was nice to have a bus buddy! It was about a 7.5 hour bus ride. However, I didn't really mind it. We watched a few movies and the scenery was beautiful! We passed a mountain with lots of snow on it and the volcano that is represented in the Lord of the Rings quite a bit. And yes, HEAPS OF SHEEP! It's funny.. the mountains and hills are so steep but somehow, the sheep just post right up. It looks like the might roll down but they really can control themselves. My friend joked and said that's why the meat is better here.. haha, could be true!
But $35 NZD ($20USD) was totally worth it to see all the scenery and make it to Rotorua!
Britta (international from NJ) met me in Rotorua on a later bus. So I got off the bus and had a few hours to figure out the hostel situation etc. Instead, I headed to the water and caught a beautiful sunset and gave my big sissy a phone call.
Then I realized, it's dark, I'm backpacking alone, and have yet to find a hostel. I kind of made some moves and searched around town and came across one that was legit and worked out a little deal. I walked to the bus station and some Maori man just started talking to me. He was not harmful, maybe just had a little mental condition. New Zealanders make fun of the Maori accent because they talk like "bros". ie: "cheya bro, i wen dow to da mawket" something like that. Anyways, he asked what planet I was from (yes, planet) and asked if I had children. I said no and started laughing and he said he had never met an American woman without children. I thought that was kind of funny. After what seemed like ages, Britta arrived! We went to the hostel, dropped her stuff off, went to dinner, and passed out! We intended to wake up at 7:30 to start our only day in Rotorua but my "lovely" NZ crap phone turned off and my alarm didn't go off. I woke up around 8:30 and we were able to start our day at a reasonable travel time. We hopped on the bus to go to the Redwood forest. It was "world environmental day" and they gave us free fares. Awesome. Nothing (really, nothing) is free in New Zealand. We even have to pay for a size of sauce out to dinner.
Decades ago, the land was not able to be used for agriculture. People were trying to figure out the reasoning and brought a variety of species into the forest to determine what thrived best. Redwoods were quite successful! It was nice to be out of the Wellington city and breathing fresh forest air. I can't even describe that. So refreshing and just amazing.
Rotorua is built upon a volcano crater. So there are sulfur and mineral pools all over with geysers. It's so cool! In the middle of the park there will be a spot with boiling mud. I touched the acidic mud and it made my finger quite soft after. It's funny to see a little pit/pool of boiling water just in the middle of green grass. I took a video of it because it sounds like tea kettle. Something I've never seen before.
We then went to the Polynesian Spa. At the spa, there are five hot pools, two sulfur and three mineral. It was only $21 for admission to all. They were all full of natural water from the overlooking water.
It was awesome! We were really dehydrated from all of it. Also, there were little flakes of sulfur in them which was very cool. My skin was (and still is) very soft from all of that. We then walked around for a few minutes to catch out bus to Taupo.
And I ALMOST forgot to include the scent of Rotorua. If you can imagine: sweat with rotten eggs, that's it. It's from the natural pools and sulfur. However, I did get used to it and it was not bad.
On to Taupo. They were hoping to skydive the next day. We dropped bags off and went out to dinner. The restaurant was pretty cool. An Irish bar with great prices. What more could I ask for?
Then back to the hostel. The weather was iffy so we were trying to think of stuff to do if skydiving was cancelled. No ideas. Leah, Jarad, and I didn't really sleep. There were three other Germans in our hostel room and they were deep breathing and snoring all night. And, their skydives were cancelled!
I was up early and need some breakfast. I decided on having my first "Maccas" (McDonalds) breakfast. I feel like everyone needs to have experienced that at least once and I'm glad I had! It was yummo! I met up with the group again and we headed off to wander Taupo. It turned out being a fun day. We had to get past the rain-factor and enjoy our one time in Taupo. We shopped, went to a coffee shop, and went out to lunch. Last of all- KAFFE EIS! That is our favourite Gelato shop in Wellington and they had it in Taupo, It was great to experience it in a new location :)
Taupo is an hour south of Rotorua. It had a large lake and is popular for tourists.. often in the summer months. I preferred Rotorua though! Rotorua has a lot of culture to it. It's actually the one town/city in New Zealand that has a lot of indigenous people. It was cool to see and experience all of that.
We had a great trip back. The bus was pretty empty which was nice. Also, there was a Maori lady swearing and screaming on the phone which was hilarious at the beginning of the trip. It was hilarious and Jarad actually took a video of it.
So I've had the opportunity to travel a lot of the North Island and am ready for my South Island adventure! One week from Thursday. And actually today is my 3 week mark. I leave New Zealand three weeks from today! I'm excited/anxious to get home but also, am going to miss the lifestyle here. It will all even out!
A few photos from the trip:
Leah, Jarad, Britta out to dinner in Taupo
We're not really the best backpackers..
Rotorua reminded me a lot of New England in the autumn. Very beautiful... not quite Vermont style though :)
Sign to the park we visited. Lots of mud, vapor, and sulfuric pools
Rotorua
Natural mud pool
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Happy June! Although it doesn't seem like it could possibly be June already.
a) there was snow on a mountain this morning in visual distance.
b) I can see my breath in my poorly insulated flat
c) I was not prepared for winter in June!!!!
The funny thing is, last year at this time I was in Ghana, Africa. I guess June is my travel month! I am consecutively missing the early Burlington summers (which are my favourite). No complaints!
I was able to complete my last New Zealand assignments in the last week of classes. I have become a great procrastinator since living in New Zealand. Kind of a good trait if you look at it from a different perspective. I put off all the work, have tons of fun- but when it's time to do my work I am pretty good about buckling down and getting it done. ie, I understand that if I am on an Australian vacation for 10 days, I will be doing work for 2 days straight. So that's good!
Hopefully that works with my finals. I am starting to study tomorrow (Wednesday). All exams are 60% of my final great and are cumulative. Long story short, I NEED to study quite a bit. My exams are on the 8th, 11th, 12th, and 15th.
This whole week is supposed to be "study week"... an equivalency to UVM's one reading day.
Another reason I need to really be studying tomorrow and Thursday... I booked another trip!!!!!
Friday morning, I'm bussing it to Rotorua. It's about 7 hours away and has heaps of tourist stuff. It's known for representing the Maori culture and hot springs. I'll probably visit a hot springs spa for a few hours and do some zorbing
Saturday, I'm meeting Leah and Jarad in Taupo (1 hour bus ride). They are planning to sky dive if the weather holds out (cross your fingers!!). I'll either a) take pictures or b) wait for them to do activity 2.
We'll arrive back in Wellington on Sunday 8:30pm.
So that's definitely an exciting thing to look forward to this weekend. They've been planning it for a week or so, I just jumped in last minute. Another part of the North Island that I should be seeing. It would be a bit embarrassing to see more on the South than the North where I was living!
My kiwi friend Kelsi's best friend Ayden came up to visit for the past 5 days. She came up a few months ago and we loved her! So that was a good time having her in town. I picked her up from Courtenay Place on Friday and we surprised Kels! Ayden is moving to Texas for the summer to work for Camp America then Canada for 2 years. So it was her "goodbye nz" trip to Wellington. We hung in Friday due to the obnoxious cold and rain... then had quite an exciting Saturday! Shopping in the rain (not a great plan by us seven girls!!!) and had a crazy night. Matthias' friends were throwing him a going away party/Graduation party so we went there then in to town. Sunday- most unproductive day. I left the girls' flat twice. One being to get pizza and two being to meet up with a group at a cafe. We (Leah, Matthais, Dani, Jon) headed down to the Plum Cafe for a little weekend catch up. It was nice! But we headed back to continue our recoup!
I joined the nicest gym in Wellington for the week. It's called Les Mills and I pretended I wanted to join long term so they would give me a free week pass. I went yesterday and tonight and it made me miss working out so much! It's just nice to get your mind off things and move! I loved it! Can't wait to go back tomorrow! :)
Today, Kels, Ayden, Leah, and I went for a quick lunch and played at a park. It was awesome! The park was called Central Park, located in Brooklyn (the next suburb over from me). But no, it was not even close to Brooklyn, NY or NYC in general.
Their parks are ten times cooler than ours. They had this structure where you hop on a rope with a little saucer on it and swing to the otherside. It zooms to the other end where you honestly think you will run into the wooden poll, but two tires shoot you back and just bounce you around. It sounds so confusing. I'll have to go back and get a video of myself or someone else doing it. I was screaming and laughing- craziest ride ever.
Below: Leah gets the wild ride ready:
Here I am playing in one of the structures.
Central Park:
The design students have finished all of their final pieces and are starting to head home. One of my New Zealand friends Alice left today at the same time as Ayden. She lives in Auckland and should be back before we leave. But it was still weird/sad seeing her leave knowing she won't be here until the end of the month.
It made me think of saying bye to all members of our international family- which I am totally not ready for!
I love and miss everyone at home and am excited to go back but at the same time, I don't want this experience to end. I love it. Wellington, New Zealand, all my friends, the different foods, lingo, COFFEE, and just.. everything! I wish NZ was so close and I would be able to visit frequently. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I KNOW that I will be back sometime, but I just don't know when that will be.
Here's a list of all the places I will be in the month of June.. world traveling!
Wellington (obviously)
Rotorua
Taupo
Christchurch
Greymouth
Franz Josef
Queenstown
Tekapo
Dunedin
Auckland (airport)
San Francisco (airport)
New York (airport)
BURLINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll check in after my Rotorua/Taupo trip! xx
a) there was snow on a mountain this morning in visual distance.
b) I can see my breath in my poorly insulated flat
c) I was not prepared for winter in June!!!!
The funny thing is, last year at this time I was in Ghana, Africa. I guess June is my travel month! I am consecutively missing the early Burlington summers (which are my favourite). No complaints!
I was able to complete my last New Zealand assignments in the last week of classes. I have become a great procrastinator since living in New Zealand. Kind of a good trait if you look at it from a different perspective. I put off all the work, have tons of fun- but when it's time to do my work I am pretty good about buckling down and getting it done. ie, I understand that if I am on an Australian vacation for 10 days, I will be doing work for 2 days straight. So that's good!
Hopefully that works with my finals. I am starting to study tomorrow (Wednesday). All exams are 60% of my final great and are cumulative. Long story short, I NEED to study quite a bit. My exams are on the 8th, 11th, 12th, and 15th.
This whole week is supposed to be "study week"... an equivalency to UVM's one reading day.
Another reason I need to really be studying tomorrow and Thursday... I booked another trip!!!!!
Friday morning, I'm bussing it to Rotorua. It's about 7 hours away and has heaps of tourist stuff. It's known for representing the Maori culture and hot springs. I'll probably visit a hot springs spa for a few hours and do some zorbing
Saturday, I'm meeting Leah and Jarad in Taupo (1 hour bus ride). They are planning to sky dive if the weather holds out (cross your fingers!!). I'll either a) take pictures or b) wait for them to do activity 2.
We'll arrive back in Wellington on Sunday 8:30pm.
So that's definitely an exciting thing to look forward to this weekend. They've been planning it for a week or so, I just jumped in last minute. Another part of the North Island that I should be seeing. It would be a bit embarrassing to see more on the South than the North where I was living!
My kiwi friend Kelsi's best friend Ayden came up to visit for the past 5 days. She came up a few months ago and we loved her! So that was a good time having her in town. I picked her up from Courtenay Place on Friday and we surprised Kels! Ayden is moving to Texas for the summer to work for Camp America then Canada for 2 years. So it was her "goodbye nz" trip to Wellington. We hung in Friday due to the obnoxious cold and rain... then had quite an exciting Saturday! Shopping in the rain (not a great plan by us seven girls!!!) and had a crazy night. Matthias' friends were throwing him a going away party/Graduation party so we went there then in to town. Sunday- most unproductive day. I left the girls' flat twice. One being to get pizza and two being to meet up with a group at a cafe. We (Leah, Matthais, Dani, Jon) headed down to the Plum Cafe for a little weekend catch up. It was nice! But we headed back to continue our recoup!
I joined the nicest gym in Wellington for the week. It's called Les Mills and I pretended I wanted to join long term so they would give me a free week pass. I went yesterday and tonight and it made me miss working out so much! It's just nice to get your mind off things and move! I loved it! Can't wait to go back tomorrow! :)
Today, Kels, Ayden, Leah, and I went for a quick lunch and played at a park. It was awesome! The park was called Central Park, located in Brooklyn (the next suburb over from me). But no, it was not even close to Brooklyn, NY or NYC in general.
Their parks are ten times cooler than ours. They had this structure where you hop on a rope with a little saucer on it and swing to the otherside. It zooms to the other end where you honestly think you will run into the wooden poll, but two tires shoot you back and just bounce you around. It sounds so confusing. I'll have to go back and get a video of myself or someone else doing it. I was screaming and laughing- craziest ride ever.
Below: Leah gets the wild ride ready:
Here I am playing in one of the structures.
Central Park:
The design students have finished all of their final pieces and are starting to head home. One of my New Zealand friends Alice left today at the same time as Ayden. She lives in Auckland and should be back before we leave. But it was still weird/sad seeing her leave knowing she won't be here until the end of the month.
It made me think of saying bye to all members of our international family- which I am totally not ready for!
I love and miss everyone at home and am excited to go back but at the same time, I don't want this experience to end. I love it. Wellington, New Zealand, all my friends, the different foods, lingo, COFFEE, and just.. everything! I wish NZ was so close and I would be able to visit frequently. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I KNOW that I will be back sometime, but I just don't know when that will be.
Here's a list of all the places I will be in the month of June.. world traveling!
Wellington (obviously)
Rotorua
Taupo
Christchurch
Greymouth
Franz Josef
Queenstown
Tekapo
Dunedin
Auckland (airport)
San Francisco (airport)
New York (airport)
BURLINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll check in after my Rotorua/Taupo trip! xx
Monday, May 24, 2010
Well, hello there Sunshine!
Wellington winter weather has hit! It's funny because when I think winter, I'm picturing below zero Farenheit, ice, snow, slush. But here, it's wind, rain, and just dark/cloudy. I'm not sure which is better. But I am pretty sure it's been cloudy and/or rainy everyday since I've been back from Australia with an occasional sunshine day. It's also kind of nasty being in the city during the rain because it is an adventure (bad one) just to get to the grocery store, cafe, and uni.
So imagine waking up on a Saturday to BLUE skies and 65 F weather. Yes- EXCITING. Donna and I walked down to a great coffee shop right near Oriental Bay Beach. It was about a 30 minute walk in pure sunlight and beauty! I can't even describe how great it was to be walking in such great weather. I enjoyed a lovely coffee (first one in a few days!!!!) and we headed down to the waterfront. I kind of (really) went on a picture rampage. Here are just a few.
Oriental Beach- right near the cafe.
The waterfront of Wellington reminds me quite a bit of the Burlington wharf. It is definitely larger and more "hoppin" but it just gives me the same vibes. When it's sunny, people flood to the dock and are running, roller blading, etc. I wish I could just capture the waterfront theme of Wellington and bring it back to everyone! It's SOOO great. These pictures aren't of the section where all the people are. I was too busy eating gelato to really think of snapping pictures. :)
Donna and I met up with Dani and continued to enjoy the weather with a bit of shopping and strolling on Cuba Street. With time catching up, it was time to get our drink on! After a night of the usual clubs, we ended at Burger King. the CLASSY Burger King. Is this not the prettiest BK you've ever seen? And yeah, I ate BK at 3am. That's beautiful too.
Sunday- rainy again. I started my essay with a nice hangover but proceeded to watch movies and eat a pie. Not a real American pie.. but a meat pie. A meat pie is a little different. It's about the size of my palm and you can get it filled with steak and cheese, mince (ground beef), egg and bacon.. basically any type of meat. I don't really eat them much but I reckoned this was the day for it.
Classy BK:
Cuba Street (Wellington's Church Street x 10)
I've been contemplating a tattoo also. I went Friday with Jarad and Leah to research and backed out. Jarad got his and it looks amazing! It's hard because I really want one, but can see myself regretting it in 10 years. I want someone simple and small on my foot with the Maori (New Zealand natives) word aroha (love) or Aeotera (New Zealand). I have wanted one since March and have recently been getting into the idea more and more. But I am trying to be logical and think it through. So I guess we'll see. I am an extremely simple person so I can see this idea not happening. I mean, I look a bit nervous in this picture but you never know! TBA!
Wellington is the "creative" city of New Zealand. Literally, that's what it's known for. Massey (my uni) is the best design school in NZ. I think I've mentioned this before- but many of the students are design students and really into photography, drawing, fashion. For some reason, I feel like the artsy feel has warmed up in me. I love taking pictures and could probably spend hours editing them. I mean they don't always turn out well and I don't really know what I'm doing (though I think I do!). I am pretty eager to just go out and explore by taking pictures on the next sunny day. Could be a while.
I don't really have much to work with either. New Zealand is BEAUTIFUL!!!
I was also able to grab heaps of New Zealand music from my Kiwi friend Kelsi this past weekend. It's different than American music in that most of the lyrics are pretty positive and happy.
Some of my favourites:
"Don't forget the roots" by Six60 - suggests that you remember where you came from... family, friends etc (ironic, huh?)
All songs by Midnight Youth (kind of an alternative, folky band)
Gin Wigmore (Amy Winehouse/Kate Nash mix)
The Opposite of Adults by Chiddy Bang (upbeat, hiphop/mix, some MGMT feel)
MORE TO COME.
But the songs usually have a great bit of meaning behind them. American usually does too but these are just peppy, uplifting, and just feel good music. A nice pick me up!
This is the last week of classes. Really, how did this go so fast? My semester in New Zealand is ALMOST over? I have this 3 more days of classes in Kiwiland. Then a week off to study for finals, which commence the week of the 6th.
As expected, I have heaps of work to complete this week. I was at uni from 10:30-6 today. I realized how abnormal that was when I walked outside and it was completely dark and I hadn't had lunch or snacks all day. Craziness.
I don't know how it's going to fly next semester when I'm back in real school. The internationals here actually call studying abroad "fake school" because it certainly lacks the reality of typical uni. We just have bigger things to worry about, ie- traveling :)
Still working on booking my South Island trip. it likely will be from June 17-24th (give or take a few days).
xo
So imagine waking up on a Saturday to BLUE skies and 65 F weather. Yes- EXCITING. Donna and I walked down to a great coffee shop right near Oriental Bay Beach. It was about a 30 minute walk in pure sunlight and beauty! I can't even describe how great it was to be walking in such great weather. I enjoyed a lovely coffee (first one in a few days!!!!) and we headed down to the waterfront. I kind of (really) went on a picture rampage. Here are just a few.
Oriental Beach- right near the cafe.
The waterfront of Wellington reminds me quite a bit of the Burlington wharf. It is definitely larger and more "hoppin" but it just gives me the same vibes. When it's sunny, people flood to the dock and are running, roller blading, etc. I wish I could just capture the waterfront theme of Wellington and bring it back to everyone! It's SOOO great. These pictures aren't of the section where all the people are. I was too busy eating gelato to really think of snapping pictures. :)
Donna and I met up with Dani and continued to enjoy the weather with a bit of shopping and strolling on Cuba Street. With time catching up, it was time to get our drink on! After a night of the usual clubs, we ended at Burger King. the CLASSY Burger King. Is this not the prettiest BK you've ever seen? And yeah, I ate BK at 3am. That's beautiful too.
Sunday- rainy again. I started my essay with a nice hangover but proceeded to watch movies and eat a pie. Not a real American pie.. but a meat pie. A meat pie is a little different. It's about the size of my palm and you can get it filled with steak and cheese, mince (ground beef), egg and bacon.. basically any type of meat. I don't really eat them much but I reckoned this was the day for it.
Classy BK:
Cuba Street (Wellington's Church Street x 10)
I've been contemplating a tattoo also. I went Friday with Jarad and Leah to research and backed out. Jarad got his and it looks amazing! It's hard because I really want one, but can see myself regretting it in 10 years. I want someone simple and small on my foot with the Maori (New Zealand natives) word aroha (love) or Aeotera (New Zealand). I have wanted one since March and have recently been getting into the idea more and more. But I am trying to be logical and think it through. So I guess we'll see. I am an extremely simple person so I can see this idea not happening. I mean, I look a bit nervous in this picture but you never know! TBA!
Wellington is the "creative" city of New Zealand. Literally, that's what it's known for. Massey (my uni) is the best design school in NZ. I think I've mentioned this before- but many of the students are design students and really into photography, drawing, fashion. For some reason, I feel like the artsy feel has warmed up in me. I love taking pictures and could probably spend hours editing them. I mean they don't always turn out well and I don't really know what I'm doing (though I think I do!). I am pretty eager to just go out and explore by taking pictures on the next sunny day. Could be a while.
I don't really have much to work with either. New Zealand is BEAUTIFUL!!!
I was also able to grab heaps of New Zealand music from my Kiwi friend Kelsi this past weekend. It's different than American music in that most of the lyrics are pretty positive and happy.
Some of my favourites:
"Don't forget the roots" by Six60 - suggests that you remember where you came from... family, friends etc (ironic, huh?)
All songs by Midnight Youth (kind of an alternative, folky band)
Gin Wigmore (Amy Winehouse/Kate Nash mix)
The Opposite of Adults by Chiddy Bang (upbeat, hiphop/mix, some MGMT feel)
MORE TO COME.
But the songs usually have a great bit of meaning behind them. American usually does too but these are just peppy, uplifting, and just feel good music. A nice pick me up!
This is the last week of classes. Really, how did this go so fast? My semester in New Zealand is ALMOST over? I have this 3 more days of classes in Kiwiland. Then a week off to study for finals, which commence the week of the 6th.
As expected, I have heaps of work to complete this week. I was at uni from 10:30-6 today. I realized how abnormal that was when I walked outside and it was completely dark and I hadn't had lunch or snacks all day. Craziness.
I don't know how it's going to fly next semester when I'm back in real school. The internationals here actually call studying abroad "fake school" because it certainly lacks the reality of typical uni. We just have bigger things to worry about, ie- traveling :)
Still working on booking my South Island trip. it likely will be from June 17-24th (give or take a few days).
xo
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"if you have faith, you will live"
That quote is what Sammi said to me yesterday. Sammi is the owner of the coffee shop I go to regularly, Cafe Doria. It’s funny that he just randomly said it and I’m still not sure what his reasoning was behind it. But I showed up Tuesday morning to grab a mocha and read the paper before class- feeling a little tired, grumpy, and missing home.
It’s amazing how just a coffee and genuine person can change one’s perspective on the day. I can’t get past how ironic it is that he almost knew I wasn’t pumped up for the day. Sammi always takes the time to ask about my day, weekend, or whatever- even when it’s busy. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go back to Burlington. I HIGHLY doubt that Starbucks and/or Dunkin Donuts has the potential to provide me with such a barista.
My goal this week is to attend all lectures. So far, so good. I am currently sitting in my consumer behaviour class that I haven’t been to since March. I don’t think I will make it to all labs and tutorials though...don’t push it. I have a paper due next Tuesday- no need to overwork me! :)
I was talking to a girl from my Popular Culture and the Media class, which I had a presentation in last week. She mentioned that it was “sweet as” listening to my accent during the presentation. I still can’t get past the idea that I have an accent.
Today I’m going to lunch with Britta. We haven’t caught up in quite a while. She lives in a homestay and doesn’t live right in the Wellington city.
Then for dinner, a few of us are going to The Flying Brothers Burritos on Cuba Street. It is the only Mexican restaurant in Wellington. I’ve been there once and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Needless to say, I am a bit excited for that. We’re also going to the Southern Cross, another restaurant where there’s live music. I think we’ll stop there for a coffee or tea. Wednesdays are the student night in Welly.. we’re taking it easy tonight though. I still haven’t been sleeping right. I went to bed at 2, woke up at 5. It might have to be a movie night or something low key after dinner and tea.
anyyyways.. enjoy your day and have a little faith :)
That quote is what Sammi said to me yesterday. Sammi is the owner of the coffee shop I go to regularly, Cafe Doria. It’s funny that he just randomly said it and I’m still not sure what his reasoning was behind it. But I showed up Tuesday morning to grab a mocha and read the paper before class- feeling a little tired, grumpy, and missing home.
It’s amazing how just a coffee and genuine person can change one’s perspective on the day. I can’t get past how ironic it is that he almost knew I wasn’t pumped up for the day. Sammi always takes the time to ask about my day, weekend, or whatever- even when it’s busy. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go back to Burlington. I HIGHLY doubt that Starbucks and/or Dunkin Donuts has the potential to provide me with such a barista.
My goal this week is to attend all lectures. So far, so good. I am currently sitting in my consumer behaviour class that I haven’t been to since March. I don’t think I will make it to all labs and tutorials though...don’t push it. I have a paper due next Tuesday- no need to overwork me! :)
I was talking to a girl from my Popular Culture and the Media class, which I had a presentation in last week. She mentioned that it was “sweet as” listening to my accent during the presentation. I still can’t get past the idea that I have an accent.
Today I’m going to lunch with Britta. We haven’t caught up in quite a while. She lives in a homestay and doesn’t live right in the Wellington city.
Then for dinner, a few of us are going to The Flying Brothers Burritos on Cuba Street. It is the only Mexican restaurant in Wellington. I’ve been there once and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Needless to say, I am a bit excited for that. We’re also going to the Southern Cross, another restaurant where there’s live music. I think we’ll stop there for a coffee or tea. Wednesdays are the student night in Welly.. we’re taking it easy tonight though. I still haven’t been sleeping right. I went to bed at 2, woke up at 5. It might have to be a movie night or something low key after dinner and tea.
anyyyways.. enjoy your day and have a little faith :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wellington weather is a lot like Burlington. I have learned to accept that I have not escaped the unpredictable, windy weather. It's currently raining and a bit chilly. As was the plan for the weekend. We lucked out and were able to have some nice mornings of sunshine. Saturday was absolutely beautiful and all of a sudden turned cloudy. Weather moves along quite fast here.
My attempt to attend every class last week did not happen. I skipped more than usual remember I can just "get by" here. Oh well!
We actually only have 2 more weeks of classes before our mega exam break. UVM gives us a day or two of "reading days"...Massey is giving us over a week. I might consider traveling during that.. but I also need to read up on the entire semester's course work. Exams are 60% of my grade. Something tells me it's time to get serious that week. Hm.
I'm still trying to plan out a South Island trip. I am thinking of going with a bus company (Magic) that allows you to hop on and hop off. So if a place doesn't suit me, I could just keep moving and move on to the next. There are few buses that just circle the islands. I was a little nervous to do it on my own but I think it will be okay. Everyone has been to the south island (during break either with family or in the massive group that rented vans). People are also pretty tight on money and as much as they'd like to go with me, it's not realistic. I talked to Jayne (the international student advisor) and she told me everyone on those buses is alone or with one friend. So it could be kind of cool and I doubt I'll get lonely. It's only a week that I'm doing anyways.
I just refuse to leave New Zealand only seeing the wine region of the South Island.
I started missing family and friends a little more this week. Obviously I have missed everyone throughout my journey but it just seemed to be a bit more apparent this past week. I haven't been depressed so to speak, but it's just on my mind. But I also refuse to sit in my room and mope about it so I've been good about keeping up and ignoring the feelings.
I think it's the fact that everyone is now on summer break and I just want to relive summer 2009.
Last week was Matthias' birthday so a few of us went to J.J. Murphys (Irish pub on Cuba Street) for a few beers and played pool. Yeah, I played pool. Leah and I were terrible and ended up being on a team one round and literally just laughed the entire time. It was a good time. And when my Monteith's beer (craft, similar to Magic Hat) is in the picture- I'm a happy camper!
It was nice to be back in the swing of things in Wellington since all my travels.
Saturday Leah, Kelsi, Emily, and I went to his soccer game in Newtown. It is about 30 minutes from Wellington and was a nice walk. That day, it was about 65 pre-rain/clouds. Leah, Kelsi, and Alice also planned a party at their flat for him that night. Parties here start at like 8-8:30 because we're in a dorm and quiet hours starts at 10. A bit ridiculous. So I'll probably come back to the states ready to pregame at 6ish. It was SO nice to be out on the town in Wellington last night. Everyone was out and we all ended up meeting up throughout the night which was awesome. Donna and I stopped at Burger King before heading back. It was my first time stopping at an American fast food place while in NZ. I vouched that I wouldn't end up in one through the 5-months but I failed at that. I ended up seeing so many people in there that I knew which made the experience ten times better. I think it's safe to say that we all had a good night and rough Sunday. I've been incredibly unproductive day. I started out going to the Victoria market to get my fruit and veges. I know I've explained how cheap it is.. but this is crazy. I got 5 bananas, 4 apples, a pepper, carrot, onion, and potato all for $2.20 NZ, which is about $1.50 USD. Out of control. I also think it's best to stay away from that market after a night out. It's pure chaos there. Everyone is digging for their stuff, traffic jams everywhere, people screaming their fish prices. Wow. It was so overwhelming.
I was talking to Donna about her next semester and about my replacement. I can't imagine someone else living in this room. I guess that's good because it is my home and MY room! It's going to be really weird stripping the walls, packing, etc. I have a love/hate relationship for the cube. It's a 9-story building with crammed housing in a cube shape. So there really is no privacy. I look out the window and see someone else in their window. And there are also heaps of freshmen running everywhere. I know it's only a 3 year difference but there is just so much growing from freshmen year to SENIOR (sounds weird!) year. But it's also great having the ability to stay inside and visit someone else's apartment. I say I hate this cube, but I think i genuinely like it.
I haven't been sleeping normal either lately. It's so annoying! I'll try and go to bed at a normal time but end up going to bed around 2, then waking up around 8ish. Even after this weekend when I got about 7 hours total, I can't sleep now. Hence, the blogggging!
xo
My attempt to attend every class last week did not happen. I skipped more than usual remember I can just "get by" here. Oh well!
We actually only have 2 more weeks of classes before our mega exam break. UVM gives us a day or two of "reading days"...Massey is giving us over a week. I might consider traveling during that.. but I also need to read up on the entire semester's course work. Exams are 60% of my grade. Something tells me it's time to get serious that week. Hm.
I'm still trying to plan out a South Island trip. I am thinking of going with a bus company (Magic) that allows you to hop on and hop off. So if a place doesn't suit me, I could just keep moving and move on to the next. There are few buses that just circle the islands. I was a little nervous to do it on my own but I think it will be okay. Everyone has been to the south island (during break either with family or in the massive group that rented vans). People are also pretty tight on money and as much as they'd like to go with me, it's not realistic. I talked to Jayne (the international student advisor) and she told me everyone on those buses is alone or with one friend. So it could be kind of cool and I doubt I'll get lonely. It's only a week that I'm doing anyways.
I just refuse to leave New Zealand only seeing the wine region of the South Island.
I started missing family and friends a little more this week. Obviously I have missed everyone throughout my journey but it just seemed to be a bit more apparent this past week. I haven't been depressed so to speak, but it's just on my mind. But I also refuse to sit in my room and mope about it so I've been good about keeping up and ignoring the feelings.
I think it's the fact that everyone is now on summer break and I just want to relive summer 2009.
Last week was Matthias' birthday so a few of us went to J.J. Murphys (Irish pub on Cuba Street) for a few beers and played pool. Yeah, I played pool. Leah and I were terrible and ended up being on a team one round and literally just laughed the entire time. It was a good time. And when my Monteith's beer (craft, similar to Magic Hat) is in the picture- I'm a happy camper!
It was nice to be back in the swing of things in Wellington since all my travels.
Saturday Leah, Kelsi, Emily, and I went to his soccer game in Newtown. It is about 30 minutes from Wellington and was a nice walk. That day, it was about 65 pre-rain/clouds. Leah, Kelsi, and Alice also planned a party at their flat for him that night. Parties here start at like 8-8:30 because we're in a dorm and quiet hours starts at 10. A bit ridiculous. So I'll probably come back to the states ready to pregame at 6ish. It was SO nice to be out on the town in Wellington last night. Everyone was out and we all ended up meeting up throughout the night which was awesome. Donna and I stopped at Burger King before heading back. It was my first time stopping at an American fast food place while in NZ. I vouched that I wouldn't end up in one through the 5-months but I failed at that. I ended up seeing so many people in there that I knew which made the experience ten times better. I think it's safe to say that we all had a good night and rough Sunday. I've been incredibly unproductive day. I started out going to the Victoria market to get my fruit and veges. I know I've explained how cheap it is.. but this is crazy. I got 5 bananas, 4 apples, a pepper, carrot, onion, and potato all for $2.20 NZ, which is about $1.50 USD. Out of control. I also think it's best to stay away from that market after a night out. It's pure chaos there. Everyone is digging for their stuff, traffic jams everywhere, people screaming their fish prices. Wow. It was so overwhelming.
I was talking to Donna about her next semester and about my replacement. I can't imagine someone else living in this room. I guess that's good because it is my home and MY room! It's going to be really weird stripping the walls, packing, etc. I have a love/hate relationship for the cube. It's a 9-story building with crammed housing in a cube shape. So there really is no privacy. I look out the window and see someone else in their window. And there are also heaps of freshmen running everywhere. I know it's only a 3 year difference but there is just so much growing from freshmen year to SENIOR (sounds weird!) year. But it's also great having the ability to stay inside and visit someone else's apartment. I say I hate this cube, but I think i genuinely like it.
I haven't been sleeping normal either lately. It's so annoying! I'll try and go to bed at a normal time but end up going to bed around 2, then waking up around 8ish. Even after this weekend when I got about 7 hours total, I can't sleep now. Hence, the blogggging!
xo
Monday, May 10, 2010
AUSTRALIA I: THE GOLD COAST
Next comes stop two in Aussie. The Gold Coast was really fun! I stayed with JP which was just about 5 minutes from the beach and the main streets of Surfer’s Paradise. I was shocked when I walked into his flat because it was 500 times nicer than mine. He had a dishwasher, laundry machines, huge tv, nice couches, closets, 2 bathrooms, etc etc. I could just go on about this.
But anyways, I got to his flat and we immediately went to the beach. It’s such a pretty beach with great sand, waves, everything. I could definitely see why (and how) it’s called Surfer’s Paradise. It was great to just lay on the beach and relax. It was cinco de mayo we had a little Mexican fiesta with tacos and nachos.
In Australia, they all drink “goon” which is extremely cheap boxed wine. I’m not talking franzia. Franzia is the Chandon of boxed wine compared to this stuff. They play goon-pong and all sorts of games with it. Reason being: alcohol is RIDICULOUSLY expensive in Aus. I also brought over Captain Morgan Overproof which was pretty strong. I usually prefer strong drinks over sweet, and I would say this was very strong. But I only found that to be when I mixed it, shots were not terrrrrible.
The next day I woke up with two cravings: Dunkin Donuts iced coffee and a bagel. I am not talking a bagel from DD either, I am saying BURLINGTON BAGEL BAKERY OR GT. For some reason, Kiwis and Aussies have not picked up on the need for good bagels. And the iced coffees are made with espresso, heavy milk, and ice cream. I needed proper filter coffee with ice. But no complaining, I was in Australia. Just saying!
I went to the beach with Rachel that next morning. It was so beautiful but out of control windy. I was eating sand, so we decided to head off and do some shopping. She toured me around the streets a bit and we discovered an amazing store called Ally. We both bought some things (which were very pretty but not too expensive). Then discovered we were starving and headed off to lunch and had some delicious steak sandwiches while people watching. We went back to JP’s complex pool and he met us after classes.
That night, we headed to the “village” where pretty much all students live, located on campus. After a bit, we went to the “Tavern” which is kind of a dodgy fun little bar that all students go to on Thursdays. Buses stopped running so JP and I had to get a cab back to his flat which ended up being an adventure on its own. The cab rider claimed to be Jackie Chan and insisted that we give him our emails so he can send us something inspiring. The email (that he ACTUALLY sent) suggested that we don’t need to go to school to be intelligent. For some reason, I don’t think that’s true but I guess I’ll take his advice for the rest of the semester abroad :) It was a good time!
Friday, we rented a car! I can’t explain how much fun it was just to ride around, windows down, in Australia, with the awesome Aussie music. We almost crashed once into a parked car but regardless of that, it was great!! And we’re all alive (including the rental car) so that’s all that matters! We drove up to Mountain Tambourine with the intentions of visiting a glow worm cave and a canopy walk. By the time we stopped for lunch, picked up JP’s friend, that didn’t happen. We only had time for the canopy walk. It was pretty cool but I’m not sure if it was really worth the $15AUD. It was nice to be up high in the air and breathing such fresh air.
So on this whole Aus trip I have done many things that involve heights! 1) flights 2) Eureka Sky Deck 3) this canopy walk - man, I'm on fire with facing this fear! However, they did think it was "funny" to shake the walkway which terrified me. We stopped at a little bar on the way back that overlooked Surfer’s Paradise and we all watched the sunset. It was so pretty! His friend is Australian and took us to a cool little town for dinner. We ordered pizzas and sat by the water. And there are lots of huge fruit bats in Aussieland. His friend, Josh, was throwing stuff at the trees and one flew right in front of me!!! I was terrified!! We dropped Rachel and her friend Marni off then went back to start our night.
We went to a casino. It was the first time I’d ever been and the guys played a few games as I just kind of watched and absorbed the casino scene. The next day, we didn’t really do much but ended up buying our Pub Crawl tickets. It starts at 6 and it’s an organized pub crawl throughout the city. We visited about 4-5 venues. Some of them weren’t that great but the guys had a whole system down. If it was a dodgy spot, we would get the stamp, free drink, and head back to the flat. It worked out great considering entry fees are around $15 each, beers are $8+, and they live 5 minutes away. PERFECT. We ended up at O’Malley’s which was an awesome little bar that would fit right in Burlington. The scene was so fun. They play a variety of songs that are classics and fun. It was definitely a good way to end the night. We were exhausted so we headed back and Rachel + others ended at Maca’s (McDonalds!).
The next day was Sunday, meaning the last day of my Australian adventure! :(
I packed up, took the bus to the train station and took the train into Brisbane (about an hour away). The airport was really nice and actually bans plastic bags. I bought stuff at the duty free and couldn’t get a bag. So weird. I actually have noticed I am way less environmental since being abroad. There really aren’t opportunities to recycle. I have not recycled one thing since I left in the beginning of February. I bet you thought you would never hear that from me!
Grocery stores charge for each bag (10 cents) so I have my own bags but honestly, that’s just to save money really. I lately have not really cared about being environmental. Shocker, huh?
All in all, a GREAT trip! It definitely was nice to see familiar faces and play with friends!
I had a presentation today which I was extremely nervous about! It was in my Popular Culture and the Media class. I actually don’t mind this class (it’s my favourite one here) but everyone stares at me when I talk. Other classes, they just kind of listen but this one, they literally turn their heads and watch me talk. I feel like I’m a doll or some weird creature. The class is split.. it has a lecture (which 5/30ish are Americans) and then a tutorial, which I am the only American. I obviously don’t mind that and it’s not a big deal. But when I am talking it is fairly odd. The presentation went okay though! It’s done.
It’s funny that everyone is finishing up with school back home and seeing “summer time!” all over facebook walls is weird. Because really- I have another 2 weeks of classes before exams. But I heard it snowed yesterday so have fun with that miss Vermont!
So that’s about all.. nothing too exciting going on these next few weeks but I’ll hopefully have some sort of news or drama to fill in.
xoxo
AUSTRALIA I: YARRA VALLEY & MELBOURNE
I'm back from kangyland! It was an awesome trip with great weather and trips.
The few days before my Australia trip I was getting a little nervous. I started getting pretty sick and completely exhausted. I didn't really have time to worry about it, as I had heaps of work to do, pack, and study/ take an exam in business statistics. The day before was probably the worst I've been since being here. I slept and watched movies all day, then went to the library at 5 to prep for my 6:30 exam. Unfortunately, I fell asleep at the library. I woke up in time for my exam, took it, and actually ended up doing pretty well. Oh the joys of abroad education!
I was able to pick up some medicine, vitamins, immune builder to beat this. My mentality at this point: I don't care if I fail that exam, but there is noooo way I will be sick in Australia.
I boarded my Air New Zealand flight (which if you know me, you understand my obsession with this airline). It was a great flight and I was greeted by Marnie's parents Kev and Marion at the Melbourne Airport. It was so nice to have someone there to pick me up at the airport. All flights I've taken since abroad have required additional transportation (busses, trains, taxis). It was a great feeling! We were all equally excited to see eachother since it had been about 4 years since we first/last met.
The drive to their home was about one hour. They just moved from Croydon to Healesville which is located in the Yarra Valley (wine central). We stopped for dinner at a great pizza joint called the Bodhi Tree. It was so Burlington. The hippie, natural vibes were just SHOOTING at me! So awesome. Just a great atmosphere. We headed home and I unpacked my oversize, overweight (again- typical) suitcase. It was absolutely amazing to have a walk in closet, bureau, bed, proper shades, my own bathroom, tons of pillows, etc - basically, amazing to be in this house.
We enjoyed a cup-a tea and caught up before bed.
The first day we met up with Marnie's sister Sal, her husband Jason, and their two kids April and Riley at Riley's "footie" game. Then visited a few vineyards. The Yerring Station, De Bertoli, and Long Gully. The Yerring Station was old fashioned with a great atmosphere. De Bertoli was my favourite. It was very classy and just gorgeous. It made me think of working for a vineyard as a marketing rep. I just kept thinking about how they made me "feel" the vineyard etc. Yeah, I am a weirdo but whatever! Lastly, Long Gully. Long Gully was a local, small vineyard that was very boutiquey. Beautiful.
For lunch, we stopped at the Wattleseed which is a cute local stop. I enjoyed soup and decided I need to go to bed immediately. My sinuses were not enjoying all this. We relaxed the rest of the night and enjoyed a home cooked meal!
The next few days went quite fast. One night I slept at Sal and Jason's and was awoken by Riley at 6:45 am. He is such a cute little kid, so it was acceptable. Sal and I took them to school and she dropped me off at the train station in Croydon. I took the 45 minute train into Melbourne and spent the day by myself adventuring around. I started off visiting the Information site. Which was helpful as they gave me maps and routes to take. I visited the Old Melbourne Jail which was very cool. I showed up and jumped into line thinking I would pay when I got in. Little did I know, the customers had already paid! The tour guide was an actress and simulated a true life jail scene. AKA, she was loud, mean, and obnoxious to us. I was so terrified that she would find out. But by the end, I had realized I saved $20. AWESOME. I wandered around and visited Melbourne Central, hit up a few shops, grabbed lunch, then headed to the Eureka Sky Tower. It is the highest lookout in the Southern Hemisphere!!! I road the elevator to floor 88 (which took literally 35 sec) and looked over Melbourne. So pretty and clear. Yet I stepped out onto the balcony and it was like Wellington wind! It was amazing!
I took the train back, relaxed the next day and visited the Chandon vineyard. YUM! We went out for a great meal at the RACV member country club and just wrapped up our time together.
AND LASTLY- I drove! It was an awesome experience driving on the left side of the road, with the wheel on the right. I started out in the neighbourhoods then went out into the main roads/mini highway, into town, and parked! WAHOO!
Here are a few of my MILLIONS of pictures I took. I'll write about my Aussie Adventure Part II. It's bedtime for this kiwi! :)
Cheers mates! xoxo
LINKS: http://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/ *The Eureka Sky Deck*
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Bay of Islands
Things have been a bit crazy lately! Last Monday was the beginning of school since spring break. Then on Wednesday, I left for the Bay of Islands. It was AWESOME. I flew into Auckland with Jarad and Lizzy then stayed overnight in a hostel right in the city. Most people in New Zealand do NOT like Auckland whatsoever. They actually refer to the people who live there as "Jafa" (sounds like Jeff-ah when it's pronounced) which stands for: Just Another Fucking Aucklander. Even adults use this termonology. So it was kind of interesting to be in the city and figure out what all the hype was about. Apparently Auckland uses all the tax dollars and other towns aren't too keen on that. Also, Wellington is the capital and the people here actually dispise Auckland even more because they think the funding should go to the capital city. Interesting little debate.
But anyways... we arrived at the hostel put our stuff down and went next door to a bar for some beer. It was nice to actually sit down and relax. I felt like I had been on the go constantly with getting back from Fiji, school, laundry, then repacking! The hostel was a bit dodgy too. It was my first time staying in one and it was kind of cool just to see all of the different travelers.
The next day I woke up, walked around for a few and grabbed a coffee. Lizzy and Jarad took the bus to the Bay of Islands and I ended up catching a flight so I was alone during my 20 minutes of city exploring. I felt cool being a "backpacker"- as I see them everywhere in Wellington and it's just such a cool concept. I wasn't really "backpacking" (with a normal outfit, sperrys, clean, and a North Face school bag) but just the concept was exciting! The city just seemed like a version of NYC and Boston.. which sounds funny because the two are completely different. It seemed to have what Wellington has, but more spread out and definitely not the artsy vibe the Welly has. So maybe I'm bias.. but I didn't really like Auckland all that much.
I met Jess at the airport and we flew to Kerikeri, had some confusion with the connecting bus but made it to Paihia. Paihia is the big town in the Bay of Islands and is kind of like a Cape Cod, but definitely smaller and extremely mountainous. The hostel was really nice here. The beds were amazing, free kayak and bike rentals, and so clean. We only planned a few days for this trip so we all wanted to get the ball rolling and plan stuff. I couldn't decide what to do... but the others found a trip they were excited about and signed up.
There ended up being a spot for parasailing at 5pm so I took that! I was really excited and nervous.. that was the one thing I wanted to do in the Islands. I am also terrrrrified of heights so this is my version of a bungy/sky dive. So many people were signed up so we had to ride doubles. I ended up with a guy from the UK and he was cool to talk to up in the air. There's a picture on here from the ride up.. I look pretty scared haha.
The next day I ended up signing up for a cruise around the Bay of Islands. We went dolphin watching- which was cool because the dolphins came right next to the boat, splashed up, swam in and out of the wake, and were very playful. Different than the ones at the Marlborough Sounds that I swam with about 2 months ago (already?!?!).
The cruise was 9:30-4:30 and we basically just drove around and learned about the islands and saw famous stuff (The Hole in the Rock- picture below), Black Rocks (Lava rocks), etc. It sounds boring but it was really cool. Since I was the for 1 full day and 2 half days, it was nice to actually see everything. We also stopped at an island where no one lives and relaxed for an hour.
The next day we took the ferry to Russell which is a small little town. It reminded me a lot of a town that would be in Vermont. There was one police station that housed the ONE police officer of the town. It was a victorian style home, which was really pretty. We flew back that day. The flight was unreal. 16-seater, no flight attendants. We were able to see the captains the entire time. I just kept thinking of that happening in the states, which would not even be an option. To get on that plane, we passed through no security, checked in at the one desk, walked past the one toilet, and took off from the one runway. Tiny little airport. Makes BTV looks like JFK.
It's going to be a pretty crazy week. I have all my stuff to do for this week, next week, and the week after because................. I'M AUSTRALIA BOUND on friday! I'll be staying with Marnie's parents for a few days right outside of Melbourne. That should be great.. I am excited to stay in an actual house and they are great people too. After that, I'm visiting JP on the Gold Coast. That will be tons of fun too. I haven't been there so it will be cool to explore that area and visit with him.
There won't really be any excitement this week besides me complaining about insane amount of schoolwork (which serves me justice after I don't work on anyyyyyything here). I'll check in when I'm back the week of May 10th.
The images are of: the police station in Russell, the island I stopped at during the day cruise, the "hole in the rock" (very well known), the sunset that I parasailed through, and lastly- heading up parasailing (1200 feet!)
But anyways... we arrived at the hostel put our stuff down and went next door to a bar for some beer. It was nice to actually sit down and relax. I felt like I had been on the go constantly with getting back from Fiji, school, laundry, then repacking! The hostel was a bit dodgy too. It was my first time staying in one and it was kind of cool just to see all of the different travelers.
The next day I woke up, walked around for a few and grabbed a coffee. Lizzy and Jarad took the bus to the Bay of Islands and I ended up catching a flight so I was alone during my 20 minutes of city exploring. I felt cool being a "backpacker"- as I see them everywhere in Wellington and it's just such a cool concept. I wasn't really "backpacking" (with a normal outfit, sperrys, clean, and a North Face school bag) but just the concept was exciting! The city just seemed like a version of NYC and Boston.. which sounds funny because the two are completely different. It seemed to have what Wellington has, but more spread out and definitely not the artsy vibe the Welly has. So maybe I'm bias.. but I didn't really like Auckland all that much.
I met Jess at the airport and we flew to Kerikeri, had some confusion with the connecting bus but made it to Paihia. Paihia is the big town in the Bay of Islands and is kind of like a Cape Cod, but definitely smaller and extremely mountainous. The hostel was really nice here. The beds were amazing, free kayak and bike rentals, and so clean. We only planned a few days for this trip so we all wanted to get the ball rolling and plan stuff. I couldn't decide what to do... but the others found a trip they were excited about and signed up.
There ended up being a spot for parasailing at 5pm so I took that! I was really excited and nervous.. that was the one thing I wanted to do in the Islands. I am also terrrrrified of heights so this is my version of a bungy/sky dive. So many people were signed up so we had to ride doubles. I ended up with a guy from the UK and he was cool to talk to up in the air. There's a picture on here from the ride up.. I look pretty scared haha.
The next day I ended up signing up for a cruise around the Bay of Islands. We went dolphin watching- which was cool because the dolphins came right next to the boat, splashed up, swam in and out of the wake, and were very playful. Different than the ones at the Marlborough Sounds that I swam with about 2 months ago (already?!?!).
The cruise was 9:30-4:30 and we basically just drove around and learned about the islands and saw famous stuff (The Hole in the Rock- picture below), Black Rocks (Lava rocks), etc. It sounds boring but it was really cool. Since I was the for 1 full day and 2 half days, it was nice to actually see everything. We also stopped at an island where no one lives and relaxed for an hour.
The next day we took the ferry to Russell which is a small little town. It reminded me a lot of a town that would be in Vermont. There was one police station that housed the ONE police officer of the town. It was a victorian style home, which was really pretty. We flew back that day. The flight was unreal. 16-seater, no flight attendants. We were able to see the captains the entire time. I just kept thinking of that happening in the states, which would not even be an option. To get on that plane, we passed through no security, checked in at the one desk, walked past the one toilet, and took off from the one runway. Tiny little airport. Makes BTV looks like JFK.
It's going to be a pretty crazy week. I have all my stuff to do for this week, next week, and the week after because................. I'M AUSTRALIA BOUND on friday! I'll be staying with Marnie's parents for a few days right outside of Melbourne. That should be great.. I am excited to stay in an actual house and they are great people too. After that, I'm visiting JP on the Gold Coast. That will be tons of fun too. I haven't been there so it will be cool to explore that area and visit with him.
There won't really be any excitement this week besides me complaining about insane amount of schoolwork (which serves me justice after I don't work on anyyyyyything here). I'll check in when I'm back the week of May 10th.
The images are of: the police station in Russell, the island I stopped at during the day cruise, the "hole in the rock" (very well known), the sunset that I parasailed through, and lastly- heading up parasailing (1200 feet!)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Post Spring Break
“Do something everyday that scares you” - Eleanor Roosevelt
I have seen this quote everywhere. I first read it on a card written in a nice font and ever since it seems to be haunting me. It’s an amazing, inspiring quote that really has got me thinking. I feel like I have grown up so much since being on the complete other side of the world, alone. Which is not entirely true, as I’ve said before, the international students are quite the family. I just feel so independent - especially on voyages. I left Fiji traveling to Auckland, rechecking bags, transferring airlines, going through customs, and repeating to Wellington. If you know me well enough, it is well understood that I would be frustrated and extremely confused during this process. But I felt under control doing all this. That’s only one example. But in all honesty, going abroad is the best thing I could’ve done and am SO happy I decided to face all fears and just go.
Today was the first day back to uni. My plan was to wake up at 7, head up at 7:30 and do tons of work before my 12pm lecture. That didn’t go so well, I slept in a bit but ended up getting there at 9 and monkeying around on the internet. Which I guess is justifiable, as I still have not gotten connected at my flat. I just felt so exhausted all day- catching up with people, lecture, and just that “back to school” feeling. I’ve also been thinking about Bailey and how weird it’s going to be when I go back home and she isn’t there :( . So it’s been kind of a weird, exhausting day.
The trip to Fiji was absolutely AMAZING. I highly recommend you all travel to Fiji. Tell all professors, bosses, families that I “made” you go and just drop everything. Hey, you can even come stay in Wellington for a few nights! :)
My favorite day there was traveling to an inhabited island. We were able to snorkel, lay on the beach, and drink. Our favorite was probably floating around in the clear beautiful blue water drinking a beer. Megan kept picking up sand dollars like they were rocks... so common there. The snorkeling was pretty. We saw some tropical fish and lots of blue/indigo star fish. The coral was all alive and pretty as well. Megan asked the Captain if she could drive back and sure enough, he allowed her to drive the yacht (with other families aboard) for about 45 minutes. I was amazed!
Fiji genuinely was paradise. I definitely would love to go back at somepoint and spend a good two weeks there. The time flew far too quickly. Any takers?
Hopefully tomorrow (Tuesday) is a more productive day! I leave for the Bay of Islands Wednesday night at 8:30pm. I’ll be flying into Auckland (1 hour flight) and leave in the morning for the Bay of Islands (45 minute flight). I’m super excited and will hopefully have a chance to do some snorkeling and/or parasailing. It’s supposed to be “the” vacation spot of New Zealand.. so we’ll see! I come back on Saturday at 6:30 pm. Then that week is going to be insane! I will really have to focus, do homework, and go to all classes as.... I’LL BE IN AUSTRALIA the week after! I am veryyyy excited for that trip!
The first few days I’ll be right outside of Melbourne with Marnie’s parents and family then I’ll be heading to the Gold Coast to visit JP at his school abroad.
Should be heaps of fun.. I can’t wait to continue all my traveling!
Lots of pictures here... I will update Picasa (Album connected to blog) at somepoint.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Word on the street that there is a demand for this blog! I’ll try to fill in the last two weeks of amazing events.
First of all, I would like to brag to everyone (New Zealand, Vermont – wherever you are) that I am writing this in Fiji. Hands down, the most beautiful place I have ever been. I am staying at the Sheraton Villas on the Denarau Island. The resort is magnificent. We have access to all other resorts on the island and can use the facilities at all (Westin, Sofitel, Sheraton Hotel.. etc). Almost every pool here is infinity style- which is beautiful on its own. I would be fine looking at those all day, but then there is a beach behind it. Unreal. I love looking out and seeing blue skies, palm trees, birds, cocktails, and music everyday.
I’ll start by rewinding 2 weeks to Easter. Leah threw a red-white-blue (US and NZ) party at her flat where everyone dressed in those colors. It was a blast! It was basically just a time for us all to go crazy on break and have a good time together before the internationals went separate ways for spring break. We also had a potluck Easter brunch because the Easter bunny didn’t come for any of us!
We internationals are quite the family! ☺
Then comes April 5th! Definitely the day of anticipation… my mom and Megan arrived! I went to the airport with Leah and her friend Caroline (they were departing for a trip at the same time my family was arriving) with a sign to welcome them. I obviously cried. It was so weird, I couldn’t even hold back even though I know it was absolutely ridiculous. I think it’s because I love what I am doing with my life, where I am, and the idea of sharing my experience with loved ones. I took them back to the cube, dropped off suitcases and ran them down Cuba Street. Yes, they were jetlagged but I didn’t care. They had lots to do in NZ for only one week! We walked around a bit and I am 100% sure that I overwhelmed them… but I think they enjoyed themselves. I forced them into eating my FAVORITE food in Wellington, Kaffe Eis gelato. It was a beautiful day for it too..sunny by the ocean, with gelato, Mom, and sister, IN NZ.. could I ask for anything else?
We had a busy week of activities which include: visiting the New Zealand national museum (Te Papa), Mac Brewery tastings with fish and chips, coffee, karaoke, Botanical gardens, cable car rides.. etc.
Consensous: favorite restraunt of the week was Istanbul, favorite beer was Macs, and favorite wine from the South Island, Wither Hills.
We also took the ferry to the South Island (as noted) for lots of wine tasting in Blenheim. The company that took us around was called Highlight Wine Tours. They picked us up and drove us to 5 wineries and a chocolate factory! We visited: Villa Maria Estate, Montana (Brandcott in the US), Gibson Bridge Wines (boutique wine), Auntsfield Estate (fabulous), Wither Hills (you can buy this in the USA- Cheesetraders in Burlington)
We stayed overnight, had a nice breakfast, and took the ferry back. Marlborough (the region) is known worldwide for it’s beauty and we definitely enjoyed the scenery. We enjoyed one of our last nights in Wellington by hitting the town! We kind of bar hopped to get the feel of a few but spent most of the time at Boogie Wonderland, a 70s-80s themed club which is AMAZING with a light up dance floor. Nanc enjoyed it. We also went to another bar called Alice’s which has an Alice in Wonderland theme (short bar, mirrors, tea cups)- very cool.
I couldn’t let them leave Wellington without visiting my favorite coffee shop, Café Doria. The owners were so excited to meet my family and gave us a scone one day and muffin the next to share. The second time, Sammy gave us a box of chocolates. It was nice for Mom and Megan to see places I love and share experiences with them. I can now share my stories for here on out with them understanding the context.
Then comes Fiji. We are here enjoying ourselves more than ever. My mom and I have done water aerobics twice, which is hilarious and fun. I literally laugh outloud for half of it, yet still get a nice stretch in. The breakfast is a huge buffet and tastes amazing. I don’t think I could ever get sick of it. It’s very difficult controlling myself, but I know I’ll be in a bathing suit all day so I hold back. The sun here is also strong, and I am extremely burnt on my back.- hurts so bad!
Everyone at the resort says “Bula” meaning Hi and “Fiji Time” which alludes to their laid back lifestyle. Tomorrow is my last day ☹ . I’ll be heading back to Wellington early Saturday AM while my mom and Megan fly back Saturday night.
I’ll share more about specific Fiji activities in the next entry.
I tried to add a few pictures, which didn't go so well. I'll add some soon as well.
A few links:
Mac’s Brewery: great craft beer, located on the waterfront of Wellington http://www.thebrewerybar.co.nz/
Te Papa: National museum
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/default.aspx
Resort (look at the pictures too!)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1158
Boogie Wonderland:
http://www.boogiewonderland.co.nz/gallery.aspx
Publicity on the Alice Bar “World’s Best Bars”:
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/public/venue_listing.jsp?categoryId=56¤tVenueId=16608874
xoxo
First of all, I would like to brag to everyone (New Zealand, Vermont – wherever you are) that I am writing this in Fiji. Hands down, the most beautiful place I have ever been. I am staying at the Sheraton Villas on the Denarau Island. The resort is magnificent. We have access to all other resorts on the island and can use the facilities at all (Westin, Sofitel, Sheraton Hotel.. etc). Almost every pool here is infinity style- which is beautiful on its own. I would be fine looking at those all day, but then there is a beach behind it. Unreal. I love looking out and seeing blue skies, palm trees, birds, cocktails, and music everyday.
I’ll start by rewinding 2 weeks to Easter. Leah threw a red-white-blue (US and NZ) party at her flat where everyone dressed in those colors. It was a blast! It was basically just a time for us all to go crazy on break and have a good time together before the internationals went separate ways for spring break. We also had a potluck Easter brunch because the Easter bunny didn’t come for any of us!
We internationals are quite the family! ☺
Then comes April 5th! Definitely the day of anticipation… my mom and Megan arrived! I went to the airport with Leah and her friend Caroline (they were departing for a trip at the same time my family was arriving) with a sign to welcome them. I obviously cried. It was so weird, I couldn’t even hold back even though I know it was absolutely ridiculous. I think it’s because I love what I am doing with my life, where I am, and the idea of sharing my experience with loved ones. I took them back to the cube, dropped off suitcases and ran them down Cuba Street. Yes, they were jetlagged but I didn’t care. They had lots to do in NZ for only one week! We walked around a bit and I am 100% sure that I overwhelmed them… but I think they enjoyed themselves. I forced them into eating my FAVORITE food in Wellington, Kaffe Eis gelato. It was a beautiful day for it too..sunny by the ocean, with gelato, Mom, and sister, IN NZ.. could I ask for anything else?
We had a busy week of activities which include: visiting the New Zealand national museum (Te Papa), Mac Brewery tastings with fish and chips, coffee, karaoke, Botanical gardens, cable car rides.. etc.
Consensous: favorite restraunt of the week was Istanbul, favorite beer was Macs, and favorite wine from the South Island, Wither Hills.
We also took the ferry to the South Island (as noted) for lots of wine tasting in Blenheim. The company that took us around was called Highlight Wine Tours. They picked us up and drove us to 5 wineries and a chocolate factory! We visited: Villa Maria Estate, Montana (Brandcott in the US), Gibson Bridge Wines (boutique wine), Auntsfield Estate (fabulous), Wither Hills (you can buy this in the USA- Cheesetraders in Burlington)
We stayed overnight, had a nice breakfast, and took the ferry back. Marlborough (the region) is known worldwide for it’s beauty and we definitely enjoyed the scenery. We enjoyed one of our last nights in Wellington by hitting the town! We kind of bar hopped to get the feel of a few but spent most of the time at Boogie Wonderland, a 70s-80s themed club which is AMAZING with a light up dance floor. Nanc enjoyed it. We also went to another bar called Alice’s which has an Alice in Wonderland theme (short bar, mirrors, tea cups)- very cool.
I couldn’t let them leave Wellington without visiting my favorite coffee shop, Café Doria. The owners were so excited to meet my family and gave us a scone one day and muffin the next to share. The second time, Sammy gave us a box of chocolates. It was nice for Mom and Megan to see places I love and share experiences with them. I can now share my stories for here on out with them understanding the context.
Then comes Fiji. We are here enjoying ourselves more than ever. My mom and I have done water aerobics twice, which is hilarious and fun. I literally laugh outloud for half of it, yet still get a nice stretch in. The breakfast is a huge buffet and tastes amazing. I don’t think I could ever get sick of it. It’s very difficult controlling myself, but I know I’ll be in a bathing suit all day so I hold back. The sun here is also strong, and I am extremely burnt on my back.- hurts so bad!
Everyone at the resort says “Bula” meaning Hi and “Fiji Time” which alludes to their laid back lifestyle. Tomorrow is my last day ☹ . I’ll be heading back to Wellington early Saturday AM while my mom and Megan fly back Saturday night.
I’ll share more about specific Fiji activities in the next entry.
I tried to add a few pictures, which didn't go so well. I'll add some soon as well.
A few links:
Mac’s Brewery: great craft beer, located on the waterfront of Wellington http://www.thebrewerybar.co.nz/
Te Papa: National museum
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/default.aspx
Resort (look at the pictures too!)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1158
Boogie Wonderland:
http://www.boogiewonderland.co.nz/gallery.aspx
Publicity on the Alice Bar “World’s Best Bars”:
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/public/venue_listing.jsp?categoryId=56¤tVenueId=16608874
xoxo
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The phrases “time flies when you’re having fun” and “life flashes right in front of you” are perfect expressions to describe my life. New Zealand has already proven so much to me (in just two months- yes it’s possible). To be honest, it scares me to see the time passing so fast. I feel like I just arrived (jet lagged and alone) into my tiny, empty flat.
I now have (somewhat) of a routine and definitely an understanding of the Kiwi lifestyle. I am also pleased with my majors (for the first time in my university career). I recently added International Business and couldn’t be happier with that decision. I love learning about the different cultures in an international setting, with the business understanding. That’s where the Marketing comes into play! It’s so eye opening to see what I could be doing with my life after college and it pushes me to be excited. Whereas pre-New Zealand, my majors were simply stated and I had no idea what they entailed. Yes, that is still somewhat the case. However I actually have a desire to get out there and experience global business because of my newfound international experiences.
I could probably go on forever explaining how much I have learned thus far.
Today was pretty exciting. Two members of WETA (http://www.wetanz.com/weta-workshop-services/ ) came to Massey to give a presentation on some of their work. It primarily focused on The Lord of the Rings films, but touched upon Narnia and King Kong a bit too. The husband and wife team were very exciting to listen to. Emily was the head of weapons and designed/created the weapons for all Rings films. She worked with the lead characters! It was funny to hear her refer to the stars with a first name basis. For example, “We had to make the sword fit Orlando.. this was our favorite scene on set with Orlando... I spoke with Peter about that” - referring to Orlando Bloom and Peter Jackson. She told us some of the secrets of the films with regard to problems, scenery, and props. I have never seen any of the three (I know, I know!) but it was still so amazing to listen to. Props were passed around the room and on display (chain vests, swords, skulls, helmets, hobbit ears, etc). In one of the pictures on this page I am holding the exact sword Orlando Bloom used in the film. SO cool.
If this all doesn’t sound cool enough, we got candy and pizza from Hell’s Pizza. Hell’s Pizza is a very popular pizza place here in Wellington that makes amazing food.
Yes, it gets better.
The international coordinator drew names for multiple vouchers. I never win anything so kind of ignored the drawing and was in my own little world. However my name was called FIRST and I won a free bungy jump (45 meters) in Queenstown. That is supposed to be the best spot in NZ to go and its where Bungy jumping originated (in the world). First of all- I am terrified of heights. Secondly - I do still have a ruptured ear drum that is supposed to be operated on during the end of summer/fall. So I am not sure if this is realistic, but I guess I would give bungying a try. I mean, when else will I be literally given a chance to go to the birthplace of bungy jumping IN NEW ZEALAND.
Clearly, today has been very exciting!
Tomorrow, not so much. I have an exam on six chapters of Consumer Behaviour and I have been to two classes. It’s also all multiple choice (my least favorite). So I guess we’ll see how this goes?
Cheers from Kiwiland! xoxo
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Nothing is really new here.. just trying to get through the next 1 1/2 weeks before break. I can't wait for Mom and Megan to come WAHOO! I have a ton of work to get through because professors think it's cool to assign it over break. It's not just small assignment either, one is a huge database project and then a few others.
We also don't have internet in my flat, again. They are re-wiring the entire building which should take 7-10 days. Hence why I have been so productive with my life lately.
It was EXTREMELY windy on Monday.. winds hit above 120-130kmh (about 80mph)
It was crazy walking back from class against it. It felt like I was hiking or something.
If you don't believe me: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10634035&ref=paidb
That's about all the drama!
We also don't have internet in my flat, again. They are re-wiring the entire building which should take 7-10 days. Hence why I have been so productive with my life lately.
It was EXTREMELY windy on Monday.. winds hit above 120-130kmh (about 80mph)
It was crazy walking back from class against it. It felt like I was hiking or something.
If you don't believe me: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10634035&ref=paidb
That's about all the drama!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lots to report on!
It has been a really busy week (yet I still find time to skip classes ;) ). I've been settling in to my classes and have gotten into some sort of a routine. I'm realizing I have lots of work to do around my traveling. My tickets for Australia are BOOKED! I'll be leaving April 30th for Melbourne to stay with Marnie's parents for a few days, then heading to visit JP on the Gold Coast at Griffith University until May 9th. So I'll be away for 2 weekends and a full week of school. The week I get back, I have a presentation, essay, portfolio, and an assignment due. Lot's to plan ahead on! Then I have a bunch of stuff due the week I get back from break (rude!), so I'm trying to get that going. I refuse to work while my mom and Megan are here!!!
I've also had the opportunity to Skype with a bunch of people yesterday as well. Which was AWESOME to see/talk to you guys and see what you've been up to. Especially since some people (Silas, Sean, Breana) are creeped out with the whole video ordeal. Didn't expect to see you crazies for the entire semester!
St. Patrick's Day in Wellington was FABULOUS! It was a lot of fun and we definitely had our share of drinks. It started out in the Cube (my building/dorm)... with a few flip cup games Kiwis vs Americans- obviously we dominated :) That was a ton of fun and definitely a battle as "Wanna-be Britains" was one of the comments (not by me) haha. Definitely a few games of extreme competitiveness. There was a residential-building St. Patrick's Day theme party at one of the bars downtown. We went to check it out and see how it was.. and bombarded the stage during the award ceremony for "best costume" . Of course, an Irish pub (J.J Murphy's - http://www.jjmurphy.co.nz/page/home.aspx) was one of the places we went to. I was a little disappointed that there was no green beer but was able to settle with MY FAVORITE, Monteith's Original Ale. It is SO good! Details from here on out are not available (hehe), but we did go to The Basement Bar where there's always fun dancing etc. The St. Patrick's Day ambience was sweet! Everyone was wearing green and many had crazy/cool accessories. I had some facepaint and a cute little green pin that said "kiss me i'm irish".
On our way home, we stopped at Pizza King and as many of you who know me well, understand that I lose things/blame it on others when I'm a few drinks deep. I was convinced that one of the Asian pizza shop workers took it for some weird reason.. ah but one of the girls had it and mistakened it for hers. Phew!
This weekend isn't going to be too eventful. Just planning to stick around here, work on some homework, catch up on my life! I feel like the past week or two I have been in and out of my room.. it's a disaster and I need to do laundry SO bad.
Another thing I love about New Zealand is being legal. I just feel so free! I can go to bars and not worry about getting rejected or them knowing Megan. Monday night we went out for Italian and I was able to order a glass of red wine with dinner. There are some things that match perfectly and red wine and pasta are definitely on that list. I can't wait to be able to do that back home IN SIX MONTHS. Honestly, forever.
My coffee addiction is officially on full throttle. Flat Whites (1 espresso shot) with foam milk are not enough. A typical coffee consumption day for me is a latte. Two shots of espresso with "trim" (skim) milk. So yeah, now I enjoy the taste of STRONG coffee. Some days I add a filtered coffee to the list. Filtered coffee is the same as our general coffee. I can drink it black now.
Thanks New Zealand for hooking me up with caffeine, all day- everyday.
Still working on planning some more trips/events: Rugby game (we're the best in the world!), maybe John Mayer (coming to Wellington), South Island & North Island Trips (ZORBing (http://www.zorb.com/rotorua), caving, white water rafting, hikes... all that fun stuff!
That's about all the news from down under- hope all is well with you all xoxo
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