There and Back Again: A College Tale

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...

This weekend, a small group of us took a bus to New Plymouth, a smallish city on the west coast of the North Island. It was a four hour bus trip one way, but getting to see the ocean was worth the long, winding drive. We stayed in a nice hostel about a 25 minute walk from town, and the whole weekend cost me next to nothing! (Hostel hopping is the way to travel!) This weekend was incredible, and I can't believe how gorgeous this area of New Zealand is! But then again, I haven't seen anything but beauty since I've been here. I'm definitely planning on going back to New Plymouth when it gets a little warmer; it's by far my favorite place I've travelled thus far. (Plus, it was a still a little bit chilly to do some of the things I wanted to do.) Here are some pictures from my weekend! Haley took this picture without me knowing it, and I love it! I think it really captures the adventurous spirit of this journey. These boots were NOT made for walking. The...

This morning, I had every intention of sleeping really late. But, I woke up at around 3:00 AM wide awake. So, I sat up, sent a few emails, iMessaged my sisters, and then tried my best to go back to sleep. At around 7:00, I decided to get up and start my day. Campus is already quiet enough since the semester hasn't started yet, and it was even quieter early in the morning. I decided to try out a cafe that is about 10 minutes away from my dorm called Cafe Options. (Sounds real fancy, doesn't it?) It was delicious and had some great options, hence the name. I had a poached egg on toast and a bacon and cheese scone for $5 NZD, which translates to about $3.40 USD. (Pretty good deal, right?) I've never had a poached egg before, and even though I usually like my eggs "well-done," it was pretty good, and the scone was amazing! I plan on eating breakfast there again tomorrow, unless it's easier to go to the dining hall before my international orientation sessions begi...