There and Back Again: A College Tale

Sometimes, you just need to get away from it all and try something new. For me, that "something new" involved strapping my feet to a 5 foot board made of fibreglass and wood and sliding down a snowy mountain, trying my best not to fall on my face. This weekend, I tried snowboarding for the first time! And I think I may be hooked.  Late last week, we were desperately trying to find something cheap to do for the weekend. We didn't want to go too awful far from home, so we looked at everything from "tenpin" bowling to laser tag in Palmy. Nothing sounded too exciting or worth the money. Chandler, Kendrick, Kristi, and yours truly Fortunately, some guys from the States went snowboarding last weekend and didn't have to return their rental gear for a while. They were kind enough to let us borrow their boards, boots, snow pants, and gloves for free! So, Kristi, Chandler, a guy from Hong Kong named Kendrick, and I all pitched in to rent a tiny Hyundai El...

This weekend, I embarked on an amazing adventure on the North Island, along with eleven other Americans. On this trip, I stayed in a hostel for the first time (and had an amazing experience with it, by the way), hiked miles and miles of beautiful trails, and formed some pretty awesome friendships with the girls in our group. I saw some of the most gorgeous scenery I have ever scene, from misty mountains, to crystal clear waters, to majestic redwood forests. The pictures speak for themselves, although there's nothing like seeing New Zealand in person. I had to keep pinching myself, making sure that I wasn't dreaming! I believe God spent a little extra time creating the beauty that is New Zealand, and I'm so glad He did. :) Here are some pictures from our weekend adventure! Put twelve Americans in one minibus on the "wrong side" of the road, add some traffic jams, snowball fights, and old-school navigation and you get unforgettable memories and some frien...

I woke up this morning to an email informing me that school had been cancelled for the day! Yay! My plans for the day are to curl up with a cup of coffee (Starbucks blonde roast, with caramel macchiato creamer) and a good book  my chemistry book. I have a chemistry test tomorrow, along with a handful of assignments that I need to finish before I head home for the weekend. This snow came at a perfect time! (Thank you, God! You knew exactly what I needed.) I have the whole day to study, get ahead on my homework, and explore my winter wonderland. Last week, we got mostly ice and rather ugly snow, but today, the fluffy snow is quite pretty. This morning, I took a walk around campus, and it's amazing how a 4-inch layer of snow changes everything! Usually boring buildings and parks took on a whole new look, and I'd like to share some of the pictures I took this morning. (I only wish I had gone out just a little earlier before the snow plows came and made a slush...