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

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!

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

MOST AMAZING DAY EVER

So, as I predicted- I had an amazing time. I woke up early on Friday (6:30am- crack of dawn) with it still being dark out. I desperately needed a coffee, but got one on the ship. The ferry is HUGE. I can only describe it as being a cruise ship. There's a movie theater, food court, cafe, bar, and tons of sitting areas, some with tvs. Sounds great. But I definitely was getting a bit nauseous on the boat. It was really rough due to the storm that came the night before and one that was expected later in the afternoon. All I could sing was "I'm on a boat".. youtube it if you haven't heard it yet. The ferry ride was about 3 hours.
We finally got off and tried on wetsuits, then grabbed a verrry quick on the go lunch. The guides were trying to rush us because a predicted storm. I didn't believe them and thought they were overreacting...hm.
Our gear was so intense.. splash guards and windshirts. Very different than lake kayaking. The plan was to kayak for about 3 hours to our accomodation. The weather completely flipped on us and obviously, the guides were right. Leah and got so intense trying to get to land. Honestly, we were paddling so hard and not going anywhere. It was windy, the sky was turning grey, water splashing us, and we thought we were going to capsize. And PS.. all of our bags for the night/next day were on board.
The guides boarded us onto a water taxi where it took us to the cabins we were staying for the night. Everyone was so tired, hungry and cold. We ate, checked out the few farm animals and hung around.
The stars were absolutely amazing. I have never seen so many clustered and covering the sky as I did that night. And..... I saw my first shooting star (or 4 for the matter). The next morning we woke up (6:45, another early am) and hopped on a boat to go dolphin watching. We put on wetsuits and the guides kept a look out for dolphins. When they found some that were safe to swim with, a group of 10 jumped off and swam to them. We continued to swap between the two groups for the morning.
It was amazing to swim with wild dolphins. I can't even describe it.. I could go on and on about how PHENOMINAL it was.. but I don't even know how to describe it. New Zealand law, we weren't allowed to touch them because of their sensitive skin. Apparently the oil residue on our hands can hurt them and it was advised to not touch unless they touch us.
But so many were literally right below me in reaching distance. It was so cool to hear them squeal etc. I couldn't hear at first because one ear was completely clogged with the lovely ear plugs. I was basically deaf in that ear But eventually I caught on and heard.. which was cool.
The trip made me become obsessed with New Zealand. Every part of it was amazing and surreal. And, it was definitely the best travel weekend I've had. It's hard being back in this flat because I just want to get out and repeat what I did Friday and Saturday. I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING!

It's been a pretty easy going week. Nothing too exciting to report on- just the same old!
Except for oneeeee major thing: I GOT A PACKAGE. honestly, it was the most exciting thing ever. I got all sorts of goodies from "mum". VT maple syrup, fluff (they dont have it here, Kiwis were interested), Solo cups (also not found here), VT goodies, decorations, GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, and the easter bunny decided she wanted to put in reese eggs. yummo!
It's rather rainy/windy out right now. The day started off sunny and beautiful, so I decided to take the afternoon off from classes (hey, I'm only in NZ for the semester, have to live it up!) and as I was walking home, the clouds turned grey! Donna and I went down to Cuba St for a little shopping and have been lazy ever since.
Last night we went out for Dani's birthday. We started out in her room with cake, headed down to Chow for Buy 1 Get 1 cocktails (yum!), and to The Establishment ( http://www.theestablishment.co.nz/ ), Maya (linked previousl), and Rain (http://www.rainbar.co.nz/). Rain was soo much fun. The DJ played a lot of rap/dance music which was amazing. Clubs around here tend to play very similar music ("Tonights gonna be a good night" - every place, and remixes of it) which gets to be a bit annoying. But needless to say, I have not had a "bad" night out yet- so that's good news!
Tomorrow is the big trip! Meeting time is 7:15 at Massey to leave for a shuttle down to the ferry.
It's about a 3-hour ferry ride to get to the South Island, but look how amazing it's going to be:
http://www.interislander.co.nz/?gclid=CNetwNWIsKACFcQtpAodcR-3UA
The views on the interislander (ferry name) are talked about worldwide and the Marlborough sounds (which we travel through) are supposed to be unreal - it's in the 1000 things to do before you die book.
Then a day of kayaking.. we stay overnight in cabins and wake up to go swimming with dolphins bright and early!
I feel like a kid on the first day of school - I have butterflies because I am SO. SO!!! excited.
It feels kind of funny being cooped up with the rain. Usually if I am not doing anything at this time i go for walks downtown with people or alone to explore and take pictures. But I am not bored.. which is funny, I don't think I have been since I've arrived over a month ago.
Tuesday I spoke in one of my classes and a student came up to me after and mentioned my accent and her desire to spend next semester abroad in America. Funny how I am the one with the accent now! Her perceptions on the US were funny. Ella thought that everything in the east coast was old and out dated, where as the west coast was the only spot where things were up to date and modern. She also seemed a bit confused as to which states are cold...and what states were. Here, the South Island is colder whereas it is very well known that the Northern regions are bitter at home.

On another note.. I've been told that Bailey isn't doing too well. Her tumor is growing back soo rapidly and it kind of makes her limp around. The vet doesn't think she is going to make it through July (when I get home)... so this was pretty alarming news to hear. Everyone who knows me well understand that I am overly obsessed with my dog and I just feel like "the news" isn't real. But obviously I just want her to be comfortable and not in pain- so we'll see. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Sorry to drop that bomb.. just felt like I should tell people and I forget who's been told etc.

I'll be back Saturday afternoon with lots of good stories to share!




- Sunset view from my window -

Due to my 7:30 am Sunday wake up, I stayed in last night. A bunch of us had a food party in 3H which included: New Zealand pies filled with mince (hamburger meat), smores (they dont have gram crackers so replaced with shortbread cookies, ice cream, cookies, popcorn. AH I honestly felt sick after. But Kelsi's friends were in town and introduced me to so much NZ lingo that they say and all their domestic music. It was so funny to hear.
Today was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the best days I've had in New Zealand. About 25 of the internationals went to the 2 wineries i talked about before. The first one loaded us up with about 10 different tastings of reds and whites. It was awesome. Then the server asked if we wanted second samplings, to go inside. Of course I took up the offer and had a few more sips. It was very nice having expensive wine compared to the cheapy stuff I buy. I loved the riesling and sauvignon blanc.. ended up buying the sav blanc. We then went to a small town for lunch followed by another winery. I ended up buying the pinot noir at that one. So I didn't come home empty handed - or with an empty stomach. The ride was GORGEOUS. We went to the Martinborough region, which is about 2 hours away from Wellington. The roads were windy, steep, and elevated. All I could think about was the bus losing its breaks or tumbling down (there are no guard rails..) And the funny thing is, I am terrified of heights. The entire ride my mind was racing of "what if" thoughts. At home, I get freightened by the parking garages and their heights. AH! But, I am alive so that is goood! And to clear things up- I will NOT be sky diving or bungee jumping while here.
We stopped for a champagne break where multiple bottles of classy champagne were popped. This would never happen on a school sponsored trip at UVM. And IF it did, Andre would be the drink of choice for the students.
I was not a cheap college student today- but rather high class. Loved it.
So to procrastinate homework and reading (that hasn't been done for any class in a week) I have:
1) done laundry
2) uploaded pictures
3) cleaned my room
4) emailed people
5) wrote this
ugggh now what! haha. Clearly, it is very hard to work in New Zealand. I guess that's a good thing!

3/5/10

It has been really nice these past few days.. not too windy, warm, and very sunny! I would say mid 70s? But still very comfortable. Basically, the best climate ever!
I went out last night to: The Basement Bar (basically geared towards backpackers, super laid back- fun dancing!), Electric Avenue (free round of drinks on Thursdays with an international passport), Public (had a pancake shot, AMAZING), and I think that's it. But it was a great time. I was really tired, almost stayed in but decided to man up!
Today I wandered around a bit, saw Alice and Wonderland in 3-d which was AWESOME (it was my first 3-D movie). Then, made a last minute decision to hike Mount Victoria to watch the sunset. We were a little late and ended up kind of missing the sunset, but it was cloudy anyways. It was a real nice view and absolutely beautiful to see the city lights. We hiked back down in the dark and ended up seeing some sort of animal, hedgehog or porky pine, i don't know. So that was a good time.
I hadn't been out of the city since I got here so it was kind of cool to be in the woods, even if it was for a few hours.
Yet again, my ruptured ear HATED me. But oh well!!
I skipped my first lecture on Wednesday. I have a feeling that will continue to be habitual (hehe hi parents). It's just really hard to study when its so nice out, I am in a foreign country that I love, and I only need to get a C to get credit- which won't even be calculated into my GPA. So you do the math. It's obviously more worth it to adventure around, mate!
International students are going to a few vineyards on Sunday:
http://www.tkwine.co.nz/ and http://www.alana.co.nz/ . I am really excited..I think almost everyone signed up also, which should make it a good time. They are both in Wairarapa.. which is about a 2 hour bus ride. I've been told the ride is gorgeous too, so that's an adventure on it's own!
I am staying in tonight after 3 nights of going out. It's also raining.. which hasn't stopped me in the past but that just killed any motivation I had.
I am trying to think of some crazy/funny/interesting stories but I always seem to forget them when I write the posts. Sorry kids.


3/5/10
here's a picture of an acrobatic show that I went to Thursday. There was some acting in it too, the characters were dramatizing a pirate lifestyle. Very interesting!

3/2/10

Today was my busy class day. I always seem to book myself up for 1 day of the week and go straight through.. but it pays off at the end!
It was Donna's birthday.. so I made her cupcakes and invited some friends over for a surprise cupcake party. It was good time. It's her 18th, so now she's legal to drink. Funny how the "big sister" (me) can't drink legally back home, yet she can! Which reminds me, I got my 18+ card in the mail today. It was $20 and is kind of like a drivers license, but it's basically a card saying I'm over 18.. I bought it so I don't have to carry around my passport. I don't really trust myself with my passport on me 24/7, I don't always make the best choices when alcohol is in the picture, hehe :)
Things are still going well down here! I'm hoping to work out some trips in the near future (Aus, south island, adventures on the north too). Sunday we are going to a few wineries.. and I think the weather is supposed to be a bit iffy. Oh well, I am sure it will still be fun!!
I went to New World (no Vermonters, not New World Tortilla) - the grocery store- and discovered one of the best things ( I say this in every post).. but I found Jols. They are little sugar free candy/mints that are absolutely amazing. I was OBSESSED with them when I was in Australia and seeing them here just put the biggest smile on my face. It was completely dorky, and pretty embarrassing. But I actually think people noticed my excitement and I was discovered them alone. Haha.
I'm finding it VERY difficult to get into the school mode. I was at the library for a bit today doing a "whee bit" of reading and it was the hardest thing to focus. I feel like I am on vacation still. Hopefully this feeling ends soon, or I will be taking an extra semester of college. in bitter VT.. one more semester of Kalkin. Tempting but, no.
Hope all is well! xoxoxo