There and Back Again: A College Tale

Palmerston North, NZ On Monday, I packed up my dorm room into my two pink suitcases. Everything fit just perfectly, even though I’ve accumulated quite a collection of T-shirts, Salvation Army finds, and other souvenirs. I actually left three pairs of shoes behind, which gave me some extra room in my bags: New Zealand wears your shoes out! Since Sunday night, the international students have been slowly leaving Massey University, and I was able to say goodbye to most of my friends before I left. Some are travelling for a few weeks before they head home, others are going home soon. I’m the first American to head home, and I’ve really gotten some tough comments from some of the more adventurous (and quite possibly wealthy) Americans about being so excited to leave. (“Why are you so excited to leave this beautiful country?” “You should travel more before you leave! Live a little!”) These comments usually come from people who don’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend back home, aren’t particularl...

My time in New Zealand is coming to an end in just a few short hours, and I thought I'd share some of the things that are different here in the Land of Long White Cloud! It's definitely a completely different atmosphere than the Southern US, and I would be lying if I said I didn't experience any culture shock when I first got here. Over the past four months, I've become adjusted to the Kiwi culture, but I am ready to be back in Tennessee. Fashion First of all, guys wear really short shorts in New Zealand. I mean really short shorts. It's not attractive in the least, and there have been a few instances when I was cringing walking behind what I thought was a girl with very unattractive legs and discovered that it was just a guy with a man bun and tiny shorts. (This is definitely something I will not miss about New Zealand.) I believe it comes from the popularity of rugby in this country, since rugby uniforms are fairly short. Case in point. This is a pict...