There and Back Again: A College Tale

I’ve discovered that for me the most difficult thing about studying abroad is finding balance. Here are some tips for students who are studying abroad or want to study abroad in the future! Balance between being present and communicating with the people you love back home. Keeping in touch with your family, significant other, and friends is vital when you’re away from home, especially when you're gone for months at a time. It provides a link between your life in your new environment and the life you left behind (and will get back to soon!). Every email, text, and Skype call is so wonderful, and it will help you feel connected to everything going with the home folks, even when you’re thousands of miles away. Still, it’s a sacrifice. And I don’t mean just for you. Sure, you may be taking time out of your day that you could be using to study, see the world, or hang out with your new friends in order to communicate with your old friends. But, your loved ones back h...

Happy 20th birthday to me! It's my second birthday being away from home, and it does feel pretty strange not being with family and friends on this special day. Thank you all for the birthday wishes! They mean so much, especially from all the way across the Pacific! Dear 19, Being with you has been fun. It's been a lot of fun, actually. I've learned so much from you about life, love, people, and God. While you were still around, I experienced my freshman year of college, made tons of new friends, and travelled the world, among other things.  No offense, but I'm actually a little excited to leave you behind. We both know it's for the best; we can't be together forever. Not that being with you hasn't been great, because it has! But, the time has come to move on. What I'm trying to say is, it's not you; it's me. I've got to let go and move on to bigger and better things. I mean, come on, 20 is in a completely different decade! You un...

This weekend, some friends and I went on a bus trip to the Manawatu Gorge. It was kinda rainy and cold, but since we only paid $4 NZD to go, we really didn't mind. Even with the dreary weather, the scenery was beautiful, and we had a great time! The Manawatu River. Although I've heard a few different translations, "Manawatu"means "heart standing still" because Hau, the Māori explorer who discovered this region, was afraid that he wouldn't be able to cross the great river. Landslides happen fairly often here, and you can see the aftermath of the last one in this picture. This lookout was called "The Big Slip." The Manawatu rapids from above. On a clear day, you can see for miles from this point. Even though it was foggy, the green landscape was gorgeous. At the end of our trip, we visited the Te Apiti wind farm on the hills outside Palmerston North. Combining the fog and the windmills made for some pretty aweso...

March was such a magnificent month! Despite the busyness and the rushing to and fro, March has turned out to be quite wonderful.   Test Week Because of relentless snow and ice during February, so many classes were cancelled and as a result, exams were postponed... all to the same week.  The week before spring break, I had five tests in 48 hours, along with a five-page paper due and regular homework. (Biology, Statistics, Psychology, and two Chemistry tests. Yes, you read that right. Two. Chemistry. Tests.) Needless to say, I was a bit stressed. But with endless studying, prayer, and amazing support from my family and friends, I made it through, with flying colors, I might add. As it turns out, everyone else had faith that I could do it. I just need to have a little more faith in myself and God.   Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7 The Music Man If you know me at all, you know that I ...

I've been with Ben for well over a year now, and for about half of that time, we've lived hours apart from one another.  In July, when I travel to New Zealand, we'll be 8,164 miles apart, with most of the US and an ocean in between us. We both know how difficult this type of relationship is, but we choose to make it work everyday because we know that in the end, it will be wo rth it.  Ben and I before we went to see the musical Wicked last April.  Saying “goodbye” never gets any easier. It doesn’t matter how wonderful our time spent together has been, and forget the fact that I’ll see him in a few weeks; that final “goodbye” will always bring tears to my eyes.   The hour or two leading up to his (or my) departure is an emotional roller-coaster of ups and downs, laughter and tears.   One moment, I feel incredibly happy knowing how lucky I am to have someone in my life that is so supportive and caring.  The next, I’m in tears when I realize...

It's so hard to believe that it's already March! Where does all the time go? I only have about two months left of my freshman year in college, which just blows my mind! My dad told me that this year would fly by, but I didn't realize it would go this quickly. Here's a look back at February: a month filled with snow days, busy weeks at school, and wonderful memories. Valentine's Day Weekend  Ben came up to see me for the weekend!  We, along with everyone else in the Knoxville area, decided to eat brunch at Tupelo Honey Cafe , which is definitely a place you should try out if you're ever in Knoxville. Tupelo Honey is famous for their biscuits; they put Cracker Barrel to shame! We had a wonderful weekend, and Ben bought me a beautiful green dress and matching earrings for Valentine's Day.  (Unfortunately, Ben and I always forget to take pictures, so here's a picture we took when we went ice skating the last time he came to see me.)  Fauré ...