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...

On Friday, Kristi, Kendrick, Chandler and I took a break from studying and drove three hours to Taupo to cross something very exciting off our bucket lists.  We went bungy (or bungee) jumping. Bungy jumping was first commercialised in New Zealand in 1988 near Queenstown in the South Island, and since 1991, over 350,000 people have jumped at Taupo Bungy in the North Island. Yesterday, I joined that number of brave souls and experienced the thrill of a lifetime.  At Taupo, jumpers fall 47 metres (51 yards) before reaching the Waikato River below, making it the highest "water-touch" bungy jump in New Zealand. (Although, I didn't get to touch the water. I don't weigh enough, and it was kinda chilly the morning of the jump.) The facility is highly professional, and the likelihood of injury is very, very slim. Bungy jumping is completely safe, given the jumper is healthy and has no previous injuries.  We originally decided to do this when we found tickets o...

This past week, I visited the Young family in Sydney Australia. Here are the day-by-day details of my trip! Brace yourself for a rather long post! Friday, October 16th I took an overnight bus from Massey to Auckland. The ride was around eight hours total, although it felt much longer. I was able to sleep a little, which was nice, since my flight left at 9:00 on Saturday morning.  When I wasn't sleeping, I was studying a little for my upcoming exams.  (Honestly, that's probably what I should be doing right now instead of writing this.) The top of the double-decker bus was packed, and it swaying back and forth was a little scary.  Saturday, October 17th The bus arrived in Auckland at around 6:00 AM, and I made it to Auckland International at 7:00, via shuttle bus. Travelling by myself made me feel like such a responsible adult! Other than the flights to New Zealand and a bus ride or two, this was the first major "solo traveling" I've done. I'm actua...