I'm going to live as a New Zealand Kiwi for six months! - Kiwi-Travels

"Adopt the Pace of Nature; Her Secret is Patience"
Boston, United States
I haven't actually left for New Zealand yet. Clearly. I do not leave for another week and a half. But - I have been doing the majority of the grocery shopping lately, and I have been measuring my time left by the expiration dates on the gallons of milk I buy. Whenever I check the expiration date before placing the milk into my cart I think, "Wow, when this milk is expired, I'll only have a week left before I leave!"
When the gallon of milk expires that I bought today - I'll be in New Zealand.
Farewell dear January, you have been a blissful month of excitement and raw anticipation caused by milk expiration dates. But alas - the month I have been waiting for is finally arriving.
February, I welcome you with open arms, as you represent the month when all the big adventures begin! Bring on the Kiwi magic!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on January 31, 2008 from Boston, United States
from the travel blog: I'm going to live as a New Zealand Kiwi for six months!

I'm in Dunedin!!
Dunedin, New Zealand
Kia ora! (Maori for "hello, thanks, cheers, good health")
I am now in Dunedin - I have reached my destination and couldn't be happier! I have done so much so far and I haven't even been here for a week.
I will start from the very beginning.
Staying with Jerry in Palm Springs was the perfect beginning to my journey. We did some hiking and traveling, and him and I had a lot of cousin bonding time, which is always refreshing with Jerry. My last night in Cali Jerry, Steve, Josie, Albert and myself went out for dinner before I was dropped off at the airport. My flight was to leave at 9:30 p.m., and we arrived at LAZ airport around 7:30 so it was perfect timing....until I was informed that my flight was delayed six hours. Not so great. But on the positive side, a six hour delay was a great way to meet all the kids in my program! There were thirty of us, and I'm already close with a lot of them. Amazing people - adventurous, kind, passionate.
We arrived in Auckland around 12:30 in the afternoon on my wednesday, USA's tuesday. We gathered our bags and hoped on a bus that took us a few hours north of Auckland to Whangapaoroa. We weren't off the plane for more than four hours and they had us in kayaks. Kayaking is my favorite outdoor activity so I was super excited to start my Kiwi adventures that way! We played a "bonding" game where we had to pile up our kayaks out in the ocean, setting them up like a tic-tac-toe board, and with us balancing on this structure. We made it pretty high with only a few more people to go when the entire thing collapsed on top of us. Afterwards we dried off, had delicious kai (food) - a lamb dinner, and the entire group went for a hike along the hills to watch the sunset. That was not organized by our program, we all just decided to absorb the beauty ourselves. It was a very strong group of people - I am so blessed to have had them in my first few days in this beautiful country. After a long day of activity, we all crashed after the sun set.
We woke up bring and early for an interesting breakfast - spaghetti and toast! It's a Kiwi breakfast, and actually quite yummy. The Kiwis are all about kai. Every few hours we were fed. After breakfast we did some rogaining - a navigation game that involved us breaking off into groups and running through the hills at 9 oclock in the morning looking for different landmarks. It was fun, but pretty exhausting. Kiwi people are very active, very early. After that around noon (of course after more kai - tea and fresh fruit) we played rugby!! Rugby is a new obsession of mine; it was so much fun. I got really brusied and muddy, but it was a lot of fun. After rugby we had more kai, and then moved on to more outdoor outings! We did about a hour and half of mountain boarding. Basically you go down the side of a mountain on a skateboard with really big wheels. I wasn't too graceful doing this, and gathered a few more bruises. This was followed by a few hours of rock climbing. By the end of all of this at seven, - I was exhausted. We had more kai, visited the beach for a few hours and went to bed around midnight.
The next morning a few of us were able to drag our aching bodies out of bed to watch the sunrise. It was the most beautiful sunrise...it was right over the ocean. A feeling of pure happiness overcame my entire body. I thought to myself, "Yep - I've been waiting for this for months and now New Zealand is my home." I feel so at home. In this one week of being here, I have seen more natural beauty than I have seen in my entire life. We started this day with a visit from a Maori man who taught us basic Maori pronunication. He was preparing us for a visit to the Marae the next day. We learned a song:
Tutira mai nga iwi
Tatou tatou e
Whaie te mormatonga
Me te aroha eng a iwi
Kai ko tapatahi
Kai kotahi ra
We also learned a song that goes like this:
Te aroha
Te whakapono
Me te rangimarie
It translates to:
With love
With faith
With peace
We are all one together
We spent the rest of the day learning Maori and learning about the Maori culture. That night we had a safety/health lecture, and then went to bed early for an exciting day awaiting us.
Waking up, we had kai, packed up, played some quick cricket, and then got on a bus to take us to the west coast of the northern island to a real marae. It was not a tourist marae, it was the real deal. It was a beautiful drive, we went through Auckland and got to see the city for a bit, and climbed Mt. Eden (a volcano in the middle of the city) and had a wonderful view of the city and ocean from the top.
Then came the part I have been waiting for - the marae. Arriving at the marae, we had to wait at the gate while a Maori woman sang a welcoming song, inviting us into their home. We sat on red benches facing the marae, and two male speakers from our group introduced our group in Maori. Then we sang the two songs we learned. While we were singing the first song, it started to drizzle a little, but the sun quickly came out again and a full rainbow was painted in the sky. One end touched the river. I had never seen the end of a rainbow before. We then did the traditional Maori welcome - hongi. This is where you touch noses and foreheads with another person and share the breath of life, offering them peace and luck. This is when I noticed a little Maori girl watching me. When it was our turn to exchange the hongi, she whispered "you are very pretty...." and squeezed my hand. After the hongi we went to a haka and poi performance. This is where the young boys of the marae do the haka dance. They slap their thighs and chant and open their eyes very wide and stick out their tongues trying to look as scary as possible. Then the young girls performed poi. They had beautiful beaded blue and white dresses and carried poi - two white and red poms poms on a string. They whipped their wrists around and danced and sang a Maori song.
Then it was our turn.
The boys in the group had to do the haka dance - which was hilarious, and the girls in the group had a try at the poi. That was even funnier. We kept hitting ourselves in the face with poms poms - the little girls made it look so easy! This was of course followed by a huge kai dinner of fresh fish and shellfish. They cook their meals in the ground. They place the food on burning coals, then cover the pots with burlap sacks, then cover the sacks with dirt and let it cook. The food was AMAZING. I mean AMAZINGGGGGGG. I have never had fish like that before.
After kai we played what I think was called Bull Rush. The kids of the marae stood in the middle of the field and we lined up about twenty feet away from them. They called out a color and if you were wearing that color you had to run and try and reach the other side before they tagged you. Or they could yell "Bull rush!!" and the whole group had to run. This was followed by a quick game of rugby - those little girls are tough! They were really beating up some of the guys in our group.
Then we prepared ourselves for bed. We slept in the marae, a large building with one open side and all along the walls were pictures of Maori ancestors. The pictures were like wallpaper there were so many. Then the eldest Maori woman, Waitara, came and talked to us about the ancestory of her people. It is a Maori tradition to gather everyone into the marae at night and everyone shares stories about their ancestors.
Her talk was one of the most powerful speeches I have ever heard.
She talked about Abel Tasman coming over to New Zealand, and without even setting foot on land he gave it the name New Zealand after the county in Holland he came from, even though the Maori people had already given it a name. They were completely disrespected. Then James Cook came to New Zealand and he too never set foot on land, but the highest mountain in New Zealand was named after him - Mt. Cook. Waitara said the only thing the white Europeans brought to their country were diseases. That year thousands of Maori people died from influenza.
She spoke of the lack of equality and respect the Maori people received from the Europeans. She spoke of the oppression of her people in her own country. She spoke of change - of present day change; change that she herself was working toward. Change that would help the Maori people keep their culture alive. She asked us if in the application for our visas to come here if there was any place where the Maori were mentioned - did we get their permission to come here in any way? No. We didn't. Then she said, "Consider us inviting you to stay here as our personal stamp in your passport. This is our blessing to you." That is when I thought: "This is exactly how I want to spend the rest of my life - hearing stories like this." Experiencing authentic culture. The richness of individual cultures. Being at the marae I experienced the most intense spiritual feeling I have ever felt. I could barely sleep as I focused on all the faces of the ancestors covering the walls. I questioned my own heritage. I questioned my own spirituality.
I am an American. Sometimes I do not know what that means. Sometimes thinking that makes me feel very detached and disconnected.
I wish you all could have heard that speech. It gives me chills thinking about it.
I ended up going back outside to the river because I couldn't sleep. My friend Ethan had the same idea I did and we talked about Waitara's words while staring up at a blanket of bright stars looking down at us.
I felt protected by something more powerful than myself.
It was my first real spiritual moment. For the first time in my life I felt whole thinking about a higher being. In all my years of attending mass every saturday night, I never felt connected to "God," to the Universe, as I did in that moment.
Two Maori men came over to us and we stayed up for a few hours talking about America and New Zealand.
A few more students came out of the marae and joined our conversation.
We brought out our sleeping bags and lay under the stars. Then it began to rain, and we retreated back into the marae. I slept very well that night - I was lulled to sleep by a peaceful presence.
I woke up to my small Maori friend smiling at me. She took my hand and gave me a tour of the marae. We ate breakfast together, and I gave her a few piggybacks. I taught her how to use my camera and she took so many pictures - she was so fascinated by it! She told me she was eight years old and that her name was Njatwahoua. She held my hand wherever we went. When it was time to leave we said our goodbyes, did another hongi, and we each said our thanks for our kind and welcoming visit. As I gathered my bags she began crying and gave me a huge hug. She asked me if I would come back. She gave me her bracelet, and I gave her a necklace of mine.
I left with a bigger heart. I left feeling at peace.
On the way to the airport we went to a black sanded beach. We stayed there for about 45 minutes and then boarded the bus to go back to Auckland. We flew to Christchurch and then from Christchurch to Dunedin.
Finally we arrived at Dunedin!
My flat is great - I live with two 22 year old Kiwi guys, one Italian girl, and another American girl from New Hampshire. We have two bathrooms, each have our own bedroom, a large living room, and kitchen, -- and a backyard! One of the Kiwis has a car and he drove me to get bedding today and gave me a short tour around Dunedin. Last night, our first night in Dunedin, a bunch of us went out dancing and met some other student Kiwis. Everyone here is very friendly and has a very warm and outgoing personality.
I already feel so at home. Right now, this is exactly where I am supposed to be.
I'm going to end this post here because I think it is long enough! I had a lot to say - so much has happened! Tomorrow I am going to register for classes and get a tour of my campus. More on that later!
I miss you all so much, and hope you are all having wonderful experiences back in the states and for those abroad, I'm sure you are having a blast as well!
I cannot wait to hear everyone's stories.
Kia ora! Love love love!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on February 17, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand
from the travel blog: I'm going to live as a New Zealand Kiwi for six months!

Orientation Week in Dunedin!
Dunedin, New Zealand
So I have been in Dunedin for exactly a week and I'm finding it difficult to find the words to explain how amazing my experience has been so far.
First - the town of Dunedin is precious. It is a tiny city on the east coast with rolling green hills wherever you look. The people here are all about outdoor activity. We stay up late and wake up very early. The town has a adorable dowtown area called the Octagon. There are so many cafes and pubs - and a lifesize chess board! We've spent our days going downtown, to the beach, walking through the hills, and we spend our nights dancing and pub hopping. My two kiwi flatmates both do fire performance. They have a long stick and the two ends light on fire and at night there are fire shows on the side of the streets. I live in a college town - it reminds me a lot of Burlington VT, but a lot crazier. Kiwi people have no off button. Orientation week has been the most insane experience of my life. I'm not trying to worry my family back at home but there are couch burnings which turn into crazy street parties around burning couches, fire perfomances on the side of the road, BBQ's in almost every backyard - and there are low fences separating each lawn so it's really easy to hop the fence and go visit other yards, and blasting music wherever you walk. I was warned from my program coordinator that O week was complete insanity, but I did not expect this!
I'm getting my flatmate's bike fixed up because in a city like this I NEED a bike. I need to tear up this town in every way possible before I leave. I've found a few great cafes as well. One is a vegan cafe with the most delicious chai smoothies and potatoe and pea tortillas. They have board games - I actually just got back from there - we played a game of clue over wine and chai smoothies. There is also another favorite of mine called The Green Acorn where there is a patio with waterfalls and comfy pillows to sit on.
I'm absolutely in love with Dunedin. It is exactly the kind of place I've been wanting to live in.
I took a train trip the other day (you can see pictures that I posted). It was a six hour train trip for all the international students so that was a great way to meet other study abroad students! It was beautiful, and I feel silly saying this, but it was my first up-close Lord of the Rings experience.
I've been doing a lot of camping since I've been here, too. My flatmates have a tent and a few nights this week we went to the beach and slept next to ocean. We also went camping in backyard, which isn't that exciting, but sleeping outside is just better than sleeping inside so I was still pumped.
Oh! And I registered for classes. Im taking Pacific Societies, Theories of Social Power, and Post-Colonial Literature. I met with the Anthropolgy and English departments and they said my classes work really well together. As fun as these two weeks have been of outdoor activity and partying, I'm ready to be a student again. I can't wait to experience the Kiwi classroom!
I joined the Tramping Club, which is a club where we do things like tramping (hiking), mountaineering, mountain biking, and some water activities. Tomorrow we are going on our first hike to Mt. Cargill. For the month of March we have some beach camping planned, a trip to the Fiorland (yea!!!), and some other small day hikes. I'm already itching to get out to the bigger hills and mountains - I need to see all of New Zealand!
I love having conversation about politics with people here. Everyone knows about American politics and when they hear I'm from Boston (everyone so far LOVES that I'm from Boston -- "Oh Boston!!" And they want to hear all about it) they want to get into policital conversations. I never feel discriminated against though. Everyone is just curious and wants to know what it is like to be an American, how I feel about the war, the president, etc. I've been learning a lot about international politics as well. I've been reading the New York Times everyday and sparking up some very stimulating discussions with people.
Well, I have a BBQ at Leith St. to get over to, so Im going to end the post here. I'll have more soon about classes and my hike tomorrow!
I send my love to all of you back at home, I miss you all so much! I wish you could be here with me in this beautiful country! This trip is a natural stimulant and it just emphasizes the one thing I want to do with my life - travel. Take advantage of every moment of your life, no matter how young or old. There is an amazing world to be seen with fascinating people and places! Embrace the day! Be blessed with each breath taken! We are alive! Smile and celebrate!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on February 22, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand
from the travel blog: I'm going to live as a New Zealand Kiwi for six months!

Pictures of my hike!
Dunedin, New Zealand
No time to write much, but I posted pictures of today's hike. We hiked Mt. Cargill - tiny mountain, but only THIRTY MINUTES away from my house! So basically all those beautiful pictures of hills next to ocean and me in bushes, that is Otago Penisula A.K.A MY BACKYARD A.K.A MY PLAYGROUND!!
Oh and I posted a picture of a black sanded beach - that's not near my home. That's on the northern island west coast.
Beautiful, right?
New Zealand truly is nature's playground. Kayaking trip this week! More pictures and stories later!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on February 24, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Pictures of hiking Mt. Cargill!
No time to write much, but I posted pictures of today's hike. We hiked Mt. Cargill - tiny mountain, but only THIRTY MINUTES away from my house! So basically all those beautiful pictures of hills next to ocean and me in bushes, that is Otago Penisula A.K.A MY BACKYARD A.K.A MY PLAYGROUND!!
Oh and I posted a picture of a black sanded beach - that's not near my home. That's on the northern island west coast.
Beautiful, right?
New Zealand truly is nature's playground. Kayaking trip this week! More pictures and stories later!

Finally Updating
So I haven't been able to update in a while because whenever I bring this website on my computer, the Internet shuts down - not sure why.
I bought my plane tickets for spring break -- I am going to Tasmania for five days and The Great Barrier Reef for seven days. Very excited, but very expensive.
This past weekend I went cave camping. We went up north a little bit and found a huge cave, which became our home for the weekend. We did some rock climbing as well.
When we returned home there was rugby game to go to. Go Highlanders! Rugby is definitely a new obsession of mine.
This weekend is Wild Food Festival in Hokitika, which is a six hour drive north from where I am. It is on the northwest coast of the southern island. Apparently it is a huge New Zealand event that a lot of students go to. A lot of my friends are going, but I am road tripping with my two kiwi flatmates, their kiwi friend, a few Americans I met through my Butler program. We are camping on the beach, and the Southern Alps are on the other side of us. We have to go through Arthur's Pass to get there. I'm very excited - we're going to get to eat strange exotic food like kangaroo and grasshoppers.
I am joining the kayaking club. I am part of the tramping club, but feel as though I need more water in my life. Every wednesday morning I wake up at 6:30 to get to the pool downtown to learn how to roll. That is when you flip yourself over then use your paddle to flip back up without leaving your kayak. It's extremely difficult. I still can't do it. This is intense kayaking, too. It isn't gentle lakes with quiet water - it's kayaking with helmets down roaring rapids and you flip over about every 15 minutes.
I'm working on getting a volunteer job; I have an interview on friday so I can figure out what kind of work I would be best doing. I'm also working on getting a job. I'm running out of money a lot faster than I thought I would.
Tuesday night was my catch-up dinner with the Butler crew. It was great being with everyone again. We went up the coast about an hour, had an amazing fish dinner on the ocean, climbed rocks, saw penguins - it was a blast.
More on classes later...and the Wild Food Festival once it occurs.
Ta Ta!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on March 5, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

This weekend in Lake Tekapo
Hello everyone!
This past weekend was amazing and probably my favorite weekend so far being here. I am now an official member of the kayak club and this weekend we all went to Lake Tekapo.
There were about thirty of us and we all carpooled for the five hour ride across the country to a beautiful turquoise lake in the moutains. The color was identical to the color of the water of the lakes in Alberta, Canada. The color is the sentiment from the glaciers and when the sunlight hits the water it creates this amazing bright, turquoise blue.
We arrived late friday night and had a bonfire while sharing stories and laughter. A few of the kayaking members are fire jugglers (my two kiwi flatmates do this, too), and they light the ends of a pole on fire and juggle it. It's quite impressive. This was a great opportunity to get to meet other members as well.
We pitched a tent - ours was HUGE. A lot of the Kiwis joked about how us Americans march in with a huge tent that dominated all the others. It was all in good fun though.
The sky that night - incredible. We were surrounded by nothing but mountains and water and we could see so many stars. It reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon - that feeling where you are unable to comprehend how many stars there are in the sky and that there are millions more besides the millions you can actually see. It made me sad to go to school in Boston. In the city we get excited if we can see six or so stars.
I don't know why I chose to go to school in a city.
I'm really not looking forward to going back to Boston. I know I shouldn't be thinking about that now, but I am just so happy in nautre. I am fulfilled. I feel at peace here.
Anyway! We woke up bright and early the next morning because that is what Kiwi people do - party late, sleep for five hours, then wake up and do some extreme sporting.
I have NEVER kayaked like I did this weekend.
We were in wetsuits and helmets and skirts which wrap around the pit of your kayak so you are securely placed in there and the way to get out is you have to pull this red emergency rope and lift yourself out of the kayak. Intense!
We started off on course II rapids. I cannot explain to you how afraid we all were. I will post pictures of the course soon - it was so intimidating. We didn't have to do the course if we didn't want to. We were practicing other things like turning and stopping and such, but I felt confident enough to give it a go. My heart was beating and all I keep saying in my head was "paddle, paddle, paddle!" because that is what you are supposed to do in rapids - keep the nose of the kayak facing straight ahead and paddle your face off. So that is what I did. And somehow I didn't flip. The course started off with a HUGE hole - meaning, the water shoots straight down very heard and creates a hole that you have to reach your paddle up and around to get over and out of.
This is what I love about being here - these kind of adventures that I never thought I would get into elsewhere. My confidence is skyrocketing right now. It is so important to challenge yourself on a constant basis. Always break out of your comfort zone, always test yourself, see what you are capable of. There were about 12 instructors, too, who were protecting us and making sure we wouldn't die so I felt safe, don't worry. I know you are worrying.
But it was so insane! And I did it again and didn't flip and I felt so so so good...then we spent the rest of the afternoon practicing rolling - still can't get that down. It's difficult, but I will conquer it by the time I leave!
Then the night came and a few of us drove into town and took pictures and explored Tekapo. Afterwards we had another bonfire with more dancing and fire juggling and what not. My kayak instructor is my new favorite/inspiring person in this world. His name is Jethro and he is only 19 but he doesn't extreme kayaking, surfing, snowboarding, and the first time he went bungee jumping he was six! He was born in raised in Queenstown so that isn't too much of a suprise - that's the adventure capital of the WORLD.
Another beautiful night of stars and another early morning the next day on Sunday. Sunday was great, we kayaked down an actual river...of course with crazy rapids, but I did not flip, I came close a few times though - but it such a rush! Such a rush! I cannot even explain! It takes HUGE amounts of mindfulness, too. All I am concentrating on is my boat, the rapids, and where the rocks were.
Afterwards we went swimming and sunbathed.
We packed up our belongings, said goobye to Lake Tekapo, and headed back home.
On the way home we took the scenic route - although that doesn't even make sense because no matter where you are in New Zealand, no matter what road you are on it is the scenic route because there is beautiful everything and anything EVERYWHERE. This is most amazing country I have ever been to - have I made that clear enough by now haha =)
We drove through the mountains and the sun was shining with no clouds and all of a sudden we turned the bend and there in front of us was Mt. Aeoroki (Mt. Cook) standing stoic and brave before us. It was across another beautiful turquoise lake and had snowcaped peaks and it really felt like the king of New Zealand - the same way the Pru feels like the king of Boston - and I started crying.
We pulled the car over and I cried and cried and cried and writing this now is bringing tears to my eyes because I am remembering how amazing it felt. I have never seen a mountain like that before. I was overcome with happiness and my friends began to cry, too, because the people here are beautiful and cry when they are overcome by nature's beauty. And I knelt down in the dirt and stared at Mt. Aeoroki and the beautiful lake and let myself cry and was aware of each and every breath I took thinking "I am alive I am alive and I'm in New Zealand and I'm alive...."
Coming home through the green rolling hills I was so excited to see Dunedin! Whenever I drive into Boston I normally feel sick to my stomach.
I know that sounds awful, but I feel my stomach get weak and I get somewhat sad.
Dunedin does not make me feel sad. It empowers me.
I am home.
I spent my night with a new friend of mine - Jake. He is from the states but is actually going to school here. Lucky....
We sat drinking tea and taking about philiosophy and life and nature and religion and everything I love talking about with people here.
SOOO much more to say but I need to turn a paper in in the next five minutes! I haven't even told you about my classes or my flatmates in detail! I love my Theories of Social Power class - it is amazing and nothing like back in States and everyone loves that I bring an American perspective to the class. I love it I love it I love it!!!
So I guess more later...
This weekend for Easter we are going on yet another roadtrip. We are going to camp out for five nights. We are spending one night in the Catlins, driving to Invercargill...maybe going to Stewart Island, going to the Fiordlands (AHHH!!!!!!) for two nights, then Queenstown for two nights (AHHHH!!!!!) and I want to bungee jump!!
LIFE LIFE LIFE! I am so amped and love New Zealand and I love and miss you all at home and am very sad I will not be here for Easter this year!
I told Aunt Helen to eat an extra piece of bunny cake for me!
I love you all. Pictures later I promise! Only good things...only good things...just let go, no worries (Kiwis love to say "no worries" !!!), and only good things. I promise.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on March 16, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Beaumont
Another beautiful Kiwi weekend...this time with the kayak club - I am officially addicted to the club and so sad that this may have been my last weekend with them. We went to Beaumont, which is only an hour and a half away from Dunedin. It's a very small town but absolutely beautiful as it is hidden amongst the rolling green hills of the Otago region. Both mornings we woke up around 9 and drove down to the river and it was early enough that the fog was still settled in the valley, yet slowly rising as we made our way down the river. The sun broke through the fog and its rays slowly warmed our chilled bodies secured in our kayaks. This river was much more challenging than the last time. The rapids were stronger and there were many boils and a giant whirlpool nicknamed "Big Whirlie." We arrived around dinner time on friday, set up our tents, and spent the night playing games and getting to know the new members. Saturday we did the course bright and early and it was pretty rough. I flipped twice. One time when I exiting an eddy and second time Big Whirlie got me. Today was a lot smoother. I didn't flip once and my group finished the difficult part of the course early so we spent some time cooling off jumping into the water from a rope swing. When the other two groups caught up we rafted - we all make line with our kayaks, holding onto the kayaks on either side of ours as we go down the river and took turns climbing out of our kayaks and running down the line of them on the noses then jumping off the ends of them if we actually made it that far. Great fun, exciting weekend.
It's the most gratifying feeling for me - dominating nature. It is a balance of embracing it and domination at the same time. I want to own the river and fly down it in my kayak, yet at the same time I need to hold a level of respect for the river because its water can flip me and claim me as its victim at any moment. It's a huge rush, unlike anything I've experienced before.
This week consists of yoga tomorrow night, Backstage tuesday night - open mic there every tuesday. There is a fireplace and we bring sticks and marshmallows and roast them while listening to good music. Rolling wednesday morning and prom night thursday! My classes are going well. I have a big test in my Pacific Societies class on thursday. I have to memorize capitals, population, head of government and state, and dates of independence for all the countries in the south pacific. I'm a little frightened, but I've studying so I should be ok. My Theories of Social Power class is incredible. We have class discussions outside in the sun and just ask questions about how much power the state has and how it uses and abuses power.
Time for study. It's been an adventure-packed weekend, but now I need to work.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on March 30, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

More Amazingness
I believe I have hit that point in the semester where everything catches up with me at once. Homesickness, emotions, school work, travel galore, craziness, etc.
Yes, I have reached this point.
My work load is increasing and sometimes I am struck with an immediate realization that I am very far away from home and will not be returning for a while. This is not meant in a negative way. I'm just feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with my New Zealand home. But only good things, yes? Only good things.
That is another thing - I'm really starting to incorporate Kiwi lingo into my everyday conversations. I have started actually and seriously using words like "sweet as" "keen" "wee bit" and "cheers." It is funny when I catch myself saying things like that.
I am goimg to try and make this entry as quick as possible because I am going to go to a cafe after this and catch up on all of my reading and take amazing notes and feel like I have more control over my life by doing this. I am not slacking in my classes! I do not want any of you to think that I am forgetting about my classes. I have not yet missed a lecture and am keeping up with all my reading and assignments.
This past weekend was incredible - and last week as well.
I AM SO CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO ROLL! Last wednesday I almost got it! I am so close I can feel it. Sadly, there are no more kayaking adventures. It is getting too cold in New Zealand and they have no more organized trips. I am still going to continue rolling every wednesday morning though, and I hope to find a white water kayaking club when I return to the States.
Thursday night was prom. Molly was curious as to what my prom outifit was =) I wore a black komono and did my hair up in chopsticks. The prom was held at Leith St, which is an apartment complex of about 40 students consisting of Americas, Kiwis, and a lot of Europeans. It was a great night, much better than any actual prom I ever went to.
Friday night I went cave camping with a group of writers I have been getting close with. We meet at a cafe once a week and bring our writings and ideas and read aloud and just talk and inspire one another. So Friday night we camped out in a cave and we all brought our writing and a book that inspires us. I of course brought The Little Prince. Other people brought Tao of Ching, The Celestine Prophecy, and a bunch of Buddhist literature. We had a sort of Dead Poets Society and read aloud and commented on each others work and I read The Little Prince aloud cover to cover to start off the circle. Jordan brought a Native American peace talking stick and we passed it around the circle and whoever was holding the stick could be the only one to talk. We had an incredible sky of stars and a great bonfire going. Lots of inspiration, really happy and moved that I found a group of wonderful writers out here.
Saturday we started our road trip out to Te Anau and The Milford Sound. I am living in Te Anau one day. It is this adorable little town right on the water and SURROUNDED by mountains. We camped out next to the water and went on a glow worm cave tour! It was the first touristy thing I have done so far - but so amazing! We hiked through a cave then went out on a boat into the depths of a cave and watched glow worms shine on the ceiling and walls of the cave! Sunday we did a boat tour of the Milford Sound in the Fiordlands - beautiful. Beautiful times a thousand. I cannot express how utterly gorgeous the Fiordlands are. It was the most beautiful place I have ever laid eyes upon. Every book tickets to New Zealand NOW and go see the Fiordlands. Huge mountains coming out of the ocean covered in trees and waterfalls and ahhhh it was so incredible. Google pictures because I do not have any to put up online.
Monday we did the scenic drive down through the Fiordlands and around the coast through Invercargill and such. We stopped at all these tiny beaches tucked behind the rocks.
Last night we chilled and watched Flight of the Concords. Cousin - people here LOVE the show just as much as the States except they can appreciate it differently when they make silly jokes about New Zealand. It's not that different from the States.
For everyone who has not seen the show, it is about these two Kiwi musicians who move to New York City to make it big. They are very awkward and small in the giant city and often talk about their lives in New Zealand with the penguins and they have silly accents no one can understand. It is a goofy show loved by both Americans and Kiwis.
Okay I have a lot more stories and details of my trip but I really need to get my reading done! My blog does not work from my own computer for some reason so it is difficult for me to post, especially pictures. I hope I will find a way to post more soon.
Open mic night at Backstage tonight, more rolling tomorrow morning - and Queenstown and Lake Wanaka this weekend! From April 17th-28th is my mid-semester break so I will not be posting for a while. I'm going to Tasmania and Australia with a bunch of friends. More later! Much love! Hope the springtime weater is bringing lots of smiles and happiness to the States!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on April 7, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Pictures
I was able to post more pictures. I have had a few requests from people back at home to post more pictures, and I finally got around to doing it! There are a few of Stewart Island - those being the rising sun and the full moon. I also added a few from my kayaking trip to Tekapo and hopefully soon I'll be adding pictures from the kayaking trip to Beaumont and pictures Milford Sound!
The beautiful pictures of snow-capped mountains - that is Aeoroki (Mt. Cook).
So amazing.
This weekend is Queenstown - should be amazing. More mountains! We are trying to find a good two-day tramp to do and then go kayaking at Wanaka for a day.
Maybe bungee jumping. Don't know if I have the guts to do it though.
Peace and love everyone!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on April 9, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Bungy MADNESS!
Crazy weekend. I'll make this as quick as possible. I feel like I say that in every post - but I am a busy girl.
A weekend of Queenstown, Glenorchy, and Lake Wanaka/Hawea. Friday night was Queenstown. Exciting night life - slept in a hostel because they next day we had a busy day planned - BUNGY JUMPING! Nevis Bungy - the third highest jump in the world reaching a height of 134m, 440 ft, a free fall of 8.5 seconds. Go big or go home, aye? Saturday morning I was a nervous wreck. I didn't want to jump, I did not want any part of it. I woke up with pulse all over the place - I was anxious beyond belief. I have a terrible fear of heights, and a terrible fear of lack control in situations, so bungy jumping wasn't the easiest thing in the world. Plus, all I could picture was myself falling for 8 seconds hoping that the rope tied around my ankles would save my life. Driving up to the actual bungy location was terrifying. On the car ride there they played all these songs about jumping, diving, and dying - it was great, just wonderful that they did that. Then as the bus drove higher and higher up the mountain everyone became crazy as we came closer and closer to our dive. We got all harnessed up and gazed upon our challenge: a metal hut suspended in between two mountains by wire. It wasn't even a bridge. We had to have a gondola take us over the hut - that alone made my legs shake. So inside this hut was a crew of men who held my life in their hands - literally, some techno music, and a group of twenty scared individuals thinking about the dive they were about to take. Each person jumped one by one and each time it was unbelievable. I just could not get it through my head that that was about to happen to me. Then I heard "Sarah - you're up." And my heart started pounding and my pulse went insane and my palms started to sweat. I had neon yellow cuffs velcro-ed around my ankles, then I was placed in a chair as I got all hooked up and was explained what it was I needed to do. The directions were simple: When he counted to three, I was to jump, then on my second or third bounce I was to pull a cord to right myself up so I was sitting like I was in a swing. "Got it," I squeaked - I barely had a voice. I waddled over the ledge, did not allow myself to look down, then listened as he began counting to three. All of a sudden I was overcome by a powerful calm as he counted. I accepted that this was happening, and that I probably would never do it again, so I should just jump and embrace it. "3....2....1!" And at "1" I swan dove over the edge without even thinking about it. At first your stomach leaps into your throat and my split second thought was "WHY DID I DO THIS?!" But then I started falling and the air rushed past my face and I could see the rocks and water down below coming closer and closer but I knew I was safe. I just free fell - it was so liberating. Then I bounced back up and before I fell down again, I experienced a moment of zero gravity - I felt like I was flying! A third bounce and I flew down again and pulled the cord to right myself up. At first I was scared, I looked down and got nervous. Then I thought "Wait - I just BUNGY JUMPED and fell for 8 seconds. No worries. I let go and let myself lean back, enjoying the mountain view.
FOOD TIME! More later.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on April 13, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

More of the weekend
To finish my post from yesterday...bungy jumping was incredible, but the rest of the weekend was just as amazing. Saturday afternoon we spent eating waffles drenched in ice cream, still glowing from our morning jump. That is when Glenorchy was brought up. The previous weekend my friend Jessie and I were traveling together and we came across this small cafe. Inside it had a GORGEOUS watercolor painting of mountains and it was titled "Road to Glenorchy." We asked our waitress where this gorgeous mountainous "Glenorchy" was and she replied it was a short distance north of Queenstown. Jessie was traveling with me on this trip as well and we told our friends about this beautiful park hidden in the mountains. They were all excited to go. We gathered our things and drove along a lake as the sun was setting over the mountains. Amazing sunset - one of the best I have seen since I have been here. Bright pinks and oranges exploding over jagged peaks covered in snow. Magical. Oh readers! New Zealand is so magical!
We arrived in Glenorchy, pitched our tents next to a river, started a bonfire, and danced as the stars started to appear. We had a great dinner of pasta and tuna mixed together. One by one people retreated inside the tents, but Jessie and I stayed up all night talking. She is one of my new favorite people - born and raised in Michigan! And she loves ice cream as much as you do mom - it must be a Michigan thing! We watched a lonely bright star rise up over the montains and talked about the past, the present, and the future. Finally, when the star was directly above us, we fell asleep.
The next morning we woe up bright and early, had some breakfast, and started off on our hike for the day. We climbed a mountain with an amazing view at the top - straight up Lord of the Rings. I know it sounds silly to say that, but this view we had at the top was EXACTLY what Frodo and Sam were looking out on at the end of the first movie....except we were IN it. Ah!!
Sunday night we decided we were not ready to go back to Dunedin. None of us had class the next day, so we decided to keep heading north up to Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Traveled down a winding road through the mountains, again right at sunset.
Pitched our tents on Lake Hawae - ahhh the most beautiful lake I have ever seen in my life! A view like in Te Anau expect this place is more hidden and not touristy at all, so we had a gorgeous lake all to ourselves. We had a nice dinner of beans, cheese, and rice with some tuna and pita sandwiches on the side and layed on our backs in the sand watching the stars. What will I do when I return to Boston and can no longer see the stars? It will not be healthy for my soul. That night must have been a meteor shower because I saw five shooting stars, and the people I was sitting with saw more.
Woke up monday morning unable to leave. I really could not leave. I could have stayed on on that one rock on that lake for another few days, weeks even. But we had school to get back to. Driving home we stopped at our favorite ice cream shop in Lawrence. Mom, you would LOVE this place. They give you HUGE portions of ice cream - just as big as Deer Cap, no lie, and it is only $1.80! We are all addicted. Hokey Pokey ice cream - so amazing. It is vanilla ice cream with caramel swirls.
Arriving back home, I was sad to leave such an amazing weekend...but in two more days I leave for Tasmania and the GReat Barrier Reef! Eee!!
The weather here is getting chilly, which is both good and bad, we shall see how many more weekend camping adventures we have. I don't plan on stopping, hopefully my travel pals aren't either.
And yes, Molly, a few of my friends were talking about making a picture CD at the end of our semester, so we will have a New Zealand slideshow when I return - whenever that is. I am pushing my ticket back, I don't want to go home!
Much love, everyone. Kia ora.

Mid-Semester Break
Cairns, Australia
Hello everyone!
I just returned home from my mid-semester break. It was by far the most exciting/adventurous vacation of my life, although at the moment I have not slept in over 24 hours and am feeling a wee bit loopy. Vacation was amazing though. We spent four nights in Tasmania and six nights in Cairns at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Tasmania was my favorite part of the trip. We arrived in Hobart on Friday afternoon and took a shuttle into town. We were meeting up with Billy, a student we met on couch surfers, which is a website where you can crash on people's couches as you are traveling to save money and such. Friday night he took us to an outdoor music festival in downtown Hobart with great music and people of all ages dancing. Afterwards, we went to his friend's house who was having a party. They are all part of the rock climbing club at the university in Hobart so we got to meet a good mixture of adventurous and welcoming people.
Saturday morning we went to the town market where there was good, clothing, music, and dancing. We stayed for a good hour or so - wondering around with our huge backpacks on our backs. I really felt like a traveler. After the festival we rented a car and drove up the coast a few hours to Wineglass Bay. Apparently is was rated as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world, which is true as it is a gorgeous white-sanded beach that you have to embark upon a two-hour hike to get to. It is nestled in the mountains and the water is the color of a clear swimming pool. Gorgeous.
We cut our hike short as we decided to venture up the coast more. Our rock climbing pals told us about a great place on the coast we needed to see, so we decided to go there. We hiked and climbed for a good four hours until we got to the top of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. We were hours away from any sort of civilization - just the way we like it, although it was not an official campground so we had to set up our tents on the edge of a cliff on top of roots and rocks. It was not the most comfortable night sleep, but it was exciting! I saw a tasmanian devil that night which was even more exciting - they are cute little creatures that look like skunks at first glance mixed with a badger. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise with bright oranges and pinks shooting across the sky. We sat on the edge of the cliff eating our tuna sandwiches watching the sun rise up over the ocean. It was one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. We drove back to Hobart that afternoon because we had only rented it for two days, but spent the remainder of the day climbing with the rock climbing club and eating a delicious bin-diving meal with them. That's right, bin-diving. They refuse to pay for food, so they jump into dumpsters and find still-packaged, okay-to-eat food, and survive on what they find. They actually find a variety of good food.
It's hard for me to tell this story. Along with being overly tired and barely functioning at the moment, it was just such an amazing experience being in Tasmania and I feel like crying when I replay all the memories in my head. My friends had a similar feeling. Leaving Hobart, boarding the plane, we all commented on how we felt like crying, as though we were leaving something sacred. I cannot explain why. It was just so special. The people we met, waking up on the side of a cliff to a sunrise being painted only for us - it was spectacular. I also met one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my entire life. Leaving him was very difficult for some reason, although we had only known each other for a grand total of maybe a day and a half. I felt like I had known him a lot longer. I felt as though we had met before. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been somewhere or met someone that is unlike anything or anyone you have ever experienced before and having to leave breaks your heart? You only want to indulge deeper, stay longer, experience more, linger for a few more moments. You beg for time to stand still just so you can hold the moment close for a little bit longer. But you can't. You have to accept that time is ticking, and as much as it kills you, you must let the moment go, accept it and love it for what it was, but understand that it is time to let go. I never wanted to let go of Tasmania. Yet, at the same time, that is what made it so incredible - the fact that I had to let it go. If I could have somehow stayed longer, the novelty would most likely have worn off. The sacredness would most likely have died down a few notches, maybe entirely so. One of the most precious and exciting aspects of being alive is experiencing those moment of beauty, that are short of time, yet bring your heart and soul to depths that forever change you, forever mold you - and when you least expect it. When you are not ready; when you are not looking. It holds a certain magic, as you can only get a brief taste, yet that one lick is so powerful, so inspiring, you want to devour the whole thing. Yet, it is best to be taken in small amounts. It is best to remain unsatisfied so that you only become that more passionate and driven to find that fulfillment again.
Is this making sense? Do you understand what I mean? If you do, be thankful, for you are truly alive. If these words are foreign and alien to you, take my advice, and go deeper, break out of your comfort zone. It is painful to find something so wonderful and then have to say goodbye, but the magic of it makes it worth it.
I said goodbye to Tasmania with a sad, yet thrilled heart.
I can only be thankful that I was given a taste.
Anyway!
Next came the Great Barrie Reef. Equally as adventurous, yet with a completely different vibe. It was all tourist fun, no cliffs with magical sunrises. I need to get some school work done, so a brief summary of what it was like: scuba diving deep under water in my own little world, swimming next to sharks, jumping out of a plane 14,000 feet in the sky and falling to the Earth for a 60 second free fall, inspired to get my parachuting license when I graduate, must jump out of more planes - amazing adrenaline rush, way better than bungy jumping, snorkeling, kayaking on the reef, crocodile tour with crazy old tour guide, rainforest hiking, gelato overdose every night. New friendships. New stories.
Most on that later. Must sleep. Must do school work. Must reflect.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on April 30, 2008 from Cairns, Australia

Autumn Love
First, I feel so loved whenever I post because I know there are many people who are reading my blog back at home. I love being able to share my experiences with everyone! Thank you all for reading!
Today is a BEAUTIFUL autumn day in Dunedin, New Zealand. It seems as though it is always a gorgeous day whenever I have heaps of work to get done. I'm working on my paper for Theories of Social Power, and do not mind being indoors as much because I love what I am writing about. I am writing all about the hyperreal - this postmodern theory that because we dependend on technology, media, advertising, television, etc. as much as we do, our reality is becoming one made up of simulated images that are filling the void of where the authentic real used to be. I am arguing that we are born free, yet become subjects because of this perpetual influence of advertising and the media. We have assumed socially constructed gender roles based upon what we see on television and advertising and it is becoming this hyperreal reality.
It's quite interesting - I had my presentation on the topic yesterday and my class was really into it. Now I just need to write the paper. I am taking it bit by bit - it is a heavy topic and sometimes it is hard to wrap my head around theory, but I know I will do my best and it will be great once it is finished.
It's making it difficult to sleep, though. Last night I was awake until the early hours of the morning because I got so into what I was reading. I was reading Baudrillard - the postmodern theorist who developed this idea of the "hyperreal." I started reading essays of his about 9/11 and how the collapse of the Twin Towers is a huge climatic point in our hyperreal reality. I'll post a link to the article later if I think of it so you can all read it if you are interested.
Anyway!
This past weekend was fun and amazing as always. I didn't think I was going anywhere - as I just got back from Aussie adventures, but then it started HAILING friday morning!! -- and my mates and I packed up our packs to go exploring. We thought it was going to be a short trip, but no, of course not, we drove across country (keep in mind that only takes about 4-5 hours) and visited the two glaciers - Fox and Franz Joseph. Gorgeous. We stayed at Lake Hawea on friday night (my favorite favorite FAVORITE place in New Zealand...it's about 3.5 hours away from Dunedin) and camped out on the lake again. Saturday we drove to the glaciers, did a half day hike, then set up camp on another lake near the glaciers.
Woke up sunday morning to FROST! Yay! Saturday night was chilly so we all bundled in our sleeping bags, stuck our heads outside our tent and stared at the Milky Way and an endless night of stars.
Made a few wishes.
Hope they come true.
But yes - Frost! I am so excited for the cold weather!
And Dunedin is COLD! We do not have any heat in my flat - hardly anyone in Dunedin does, and the other night it dropped to about 20 degrees F. I was in my sleeping bag with long underwear, PJ pants, a poly-pro top, Tshirt, sweatshirt and my winter hat as I was sleeping inside my house. It's so crazy! Kiwis are so crazy! We just chill around the house in our winter coats and hats like it is no big deal.
I love it. I think it is fantastic - I feel so adventurous! Or like I am a character from a Jack London story or something...my other two American flatmates do not like it so much. They complain a lot, especially Amy. She is always complaining. But seriously, we are in New Zealand to experience Kiwi culture...not to bring American culture to New Zealand. But it is not in my control - it is her mindset.
So yes! Cold weather! Leaves falling! Beautiful colors! My campus is so beautiful - there is a river that runs through it and all the colorful leaves are all around the banks of the river and when I walk home from class I am just so happy and always smiling!
Today driving home from the pool downtown, I just could not stop smiling as I drove through the rolling green hills and saw all the foliage!
I am so happy for all of you back home that it is getting warmer - springtime always brings about a special sort of happiness and confidence.
Ok. Paper writing time! I have my philosophy group this afternoon and we are going to go for a walk in the Botanical Gardens!
I also have been going to Amnesty International meetings...the International Socialists were too crazy, and now that kayak club is done (so much sadness!) I need more clubs to be a part of so I thought Amnsety sounded great...which it has been. Last week we watched this movie called Control Room...all of you need to watch it NOW. Its about Al Jeezhera (I have no idea if I spelt that correctly) which if you don't know this Arab show that is banned in the US and it is the perspective of the Iraq War from a Middle Eastern perspective...very interesting.
This week is International Rape Awareness week. Please keep that in your thoughts this week. Say a prayer for all the people in this world who have suffered the trauma of physical and sexual abuse. Tomorrow's amnesty meeting should be interesting as we are finishing up a big project we have been working on for this week.
Okay work time!
Love!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on May 5, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Baudrillard
Hi everyone,
So I was not able to find an online text of Baudrillard's essay on the Twin Towers that I mentioned in my last post.
But, if you would like to attempt to find it, the title is: "Requiem for the Twin Towers" by Jean Baudrillard. I only spent a few minutes looking, so it may be worth it to try and find it. If anyone does find it online, let me know so I can post the URL.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on May 7, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

Paper Writing Galore
Paper-writing overload.
My life for the past two weeks has been turning one paper in after the other. One more to go! Friday I am DONE...with paper writing. Classes end on the 30th of May and Finals end on the 18th of June. I still have a while to go, more work to be done...
My paper for Theories of Social Power came out really well done...if anyone wants to read it, let me know and I can forward it.
This past weekend was insanely fun and gorgeous. Dan, Ethan, Jill, Jessie, and myself hiked up the mountain next to Mt. Cook (the highest mountain in New Zealand). My friend Ethan is a geology major at the Univeristy of Otago and he explained all the science stuff behind everything we were seeing as we hiked up the mountain. It was a veyr difficult hike. It was stright up for a few hours with some minor rock climbing and hiking through three feet of snow with our 20 pound pack on our backs. We started early Saturday morning. We camped out on the base of the mountain Friday night so we could get an early start.
Climbing up the mountain, for the first two - three hours everyone was groaning a bit and I think we were all thinking "Are we really doing this?" But then we made it high enough that we hiked out of the fog, so we were on the edge of this cliff on the mountain overlooking a blanket of fog hovering in the mountains. We couldn't see the village below because there was such a thick layer of fog. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I will post pictures as soon as possible.
Hiking up further it just got better and better. We made it to the ridge around 12:30, and it was much easier from there. It was through a few feet of snow, but it wasn't straight up hill so it wasn't too bad. Arriving at the hut, we through our packs down and explored. Our view from the hut...let me tell you about this view. We were in the middle of a huge mountain range...a beautiful straight on shot of Mt. Cook from our window, and glaciers EVERYWHERE. There were also avalanches every few hours. We woke up Sunday morning to one outside our window, actually. It was such an exciting feeling....so be in the mountains, hoping they will protect you for the night, yet knowing that at any minute a large avalanche could sweep you away.
The mountains protected us. We had an amazing sunset while eating our dinner, and spent the remainder of the night playing card games and such. I learned Yuker - does anyone know how to play that? Apparently it is a Michigan thing (mom!). My friend Jessie is from Michigan, and she is the one who taught us how to play.
As for other little things going on around Dunedin...
Thursday night was karaoke night with some Kiwi neighbors of mine. Tonight is Backstage - the open mic downtown every tuesday. This weekend is a kayaking trip around the Doubtful Sound with my orientation group! Next thursday I am hosting a Halloween party at my house because with autumn here I feel as though Halloween should be approaching, but it is not, so I decided to change that! Now it is.
AND! I AM SO AMPED BECAUSE IN TWO MORE WEEKS ITS THE BANFF FILM FESTIVAL!!!! I bought my ticket today! It is the Canadian Banff Film Festival and we all sit in a theatre till like 5 in the morning watching crazy footage of insane sporting like kayaking, sky diving, base jumping, rock climbing, skiing, etc. I AM SO EXCITED!! And. What is even more crazy - the picture on the tickers are from Tasmania. The Totem Poll rock cliffs we went to with our Tasmanian rock climbing friends.
It made me very nostalgic. Jill and I smiled when we saw the picture, but both got very sad.
I do not know why Tasmania affected me so deeply...I just don't know.
I really feel like New Zealand is my home. Dunedin, New Zealand is my home. It is strange to think about. When I first arrived I thought: "This could definitely be my home one day, but it isn't home yet." But now, it is. I have my friends, I know the town very well, I know campus and am really getting involved with Amnsety International - the Human Rights club on campus.
It is a really incredible feeling. I feel my growth this semester is unlike anything else I have ever experience in my life. I am a new person, and changing more and more each day being here. For those of you who don't know, I won't be coming home until the end of August. I do not remember if I posted that in my last blog....I am staying in New Zealand until July 23rd, then I am gonig to Fiji until August 1st, from Aug 1-9 I will be in San Francisco/Palm Springs/Berkeley, then the West Coast trip with my family, then finally back to Boston.
I will be homeless in New Zealand for a month. My plan....or "plan" rather....WWOOF, couch surf, camp around, go to Tacaca (crazy hippie village up north!)...we'll see what happens.
More paper-writing! Kia ora, all.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on May 12, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand

More Pictures
I posted some more pictures.
Most of the new ones are from this past weekend hiking Mt. Cook, but there is one new from a past kayaking trip with all of us getting our gear ready, and there is a new one with ocean and cliffs - that's Tasmania. Enjoy!

Doubtful Sound
Te Anau, New Zealand
So I just realized I could type in other cities besides "Dunedin" so you would all be able to see exactly where I was in the country when I tell me stories.
Too bad I just realized that.
This past weekend was my orientation group to Doubtful Sound. It was so wonderful to see everyone again and catch up on all of our stories and adventures. We spent Friday night at a backpackers hostel in Te Anau. I went there a few weeks ago when I did my glow-worm caving and Milford Sound trip. It was Lauren's birthday (my friend from Portland, Oregon), so we spend Friday night at midnight celebrating until the early hours of the morning.
We woke up early Saturday morning to a wonderful breakfast provided by Butler (Butler trips always provide amazing food), hoped onto a bus and headed over to Lake Manapouri where we would get a boat to take us to the Doubtful Sound. The ferry ride over was beauiful. We were sailing on Lake Manapouri while surrounded my huge mountains with snow-capped peaks - a completely different view than what I had last time I visited. Last time it was not snow season yet and the mountains weren't as beautiful.
Saturday consisted of a gorgeous boat trip around Milford Sound, along with kayaking the Sound, and jumping off the boat to go swimming! Saturday we ate the most delicious meal - salmon, beef, lamb, pasta salad, sweet potatoes, roasted stuffed peppers, chocolate cake, cheesecake, fruit salad...yeah the list goes on. Realized: I really despise smoked foods. It ruined the salmon for me, which was disappointing considering I have not eaten salmon in months.
Saturday night was more celebration of Lauren's existence in the world.
Sunday we went to a farm to do activities like cow milking and sheep shearing.
It was actually a very bizarre experience.
We watched sheep dogs herd the sheep by listening to simple signals from his owner. We were given the chance to separate the sheep, which was one of the most difficult tasks I have ever experienced. Sheep are not too bright, and it is difficult to make them do what you want them to do. Alas, it was a fun experience.
Then came the sheep shearing. I was all ready to go, very excited about it - until they did a demonstration. They held this sheep down in front of us - it was all twisted, and his head was squished between the man's legs, and then he took out this motor-blade and started shearing. The sheep was kicking and looked very uncomfortable. When he was done, he pushed the sheep down a shoot and brought out another one. Now it was our turn. After watching two people try it, I decided I really did not want to do it anymore. I know that it needs to happen, that it doesnt actually hurt the sheep, but I could not do it.
One of the sheep was bleeding everywhere because one of the kids messed up, and the other one just looked so sad....plus it was such a tourist event. If I were WWOOFing and they were like, "Sarah - it is your job to shear the sheep." I would do it. I would it as gently as possible and get it over with. But this just seemed wrong. It was about twenty or so Americans standing around a stage taking turns shearing sheep. I don't know. I really just did not enjoy it. I had to leave. I couldn't handle it.
Afterwards the farmers took us to a field with 2,000 sheep in it. That is not an exaggeration. We ran through the field of sheep for about twenty minutes. Again, it just felt so bizarre. I had run. I will admit - it was liberating almost, running through 2,000 sheep in a little town in New Zealand, but it just felt so touristy.
It was by far the most touristy thing I have done yet, this whole weekend.
Fun and beautiful, but definitely not the best weekend I have had. I did not like so much going around with a group, I prefer to do things on my own agenda.
Enjoy the day, everyone!
written by  Kiwi-Travels on May 19, 2008 from Te Anau, New Zealand

Saying Goodbye
Well this is it.
The week I never thought would come has come. The week of goodbyes. The week of reflection, of tears, memories, craziness, last-minute "I love you's" and "wish I could have known you better's," and everything and anything in between.
I never thought it would come.
It's like I have been in this amazing, playful world where everything and everyone is on the same plane of living and everyone has this beautiful energy and passion to travel, explore, listen, adventure, inspire...it's so real.
I ended up on this island in the middle of the South Pacific in a town that no one has heard of, in a country that people can barely point out on a map...and I just don't want to leave. I am trying so hard not to start crying while I write this. I am in the library ("Studying" for my last final which is tomorrow), and it would be quite embarrassing if I just start bawling, also distracting...
No one from home is going to understand my study abroad experience.
Of course not. I dont' expect them to...and to be honest, I really don't want them to.
This is my own. This is personal. The closest thing you may get to understanding how absolutely amazing this experience has been will be the dreaming glazed look I get in my eyes when New Zealand is mentioned.
I have founded a new confidence and energy here in New Zealand. I will take it home with me and on to new adventures that await me where the confidence will grow and multiply and change and all sorts of wonderous amazements.
I am meant to travel. I need to explore. This natural rush and high from living because I am constantly throwing myself into the unknown. Last night some friends and I were sitting on my porch out back crying and laughing and sharing memories and little things from New Zealand that we will miss so much like plugging in a converter to do anything, the small selection of cereal at our tiny-sized grocery stories, all the thousands and thousands of sheep, the fire-juggling, the rolling green hills wherever you go, the kind and silly Kiwi accent, Jango! This crazy pirate man we met on the peninsula, Modak's pot of peppermint tea.....is this real? Am I leaving this place? Am I actually going back to Boston?
My problem right now is this: I do now want to go home because I do not feel as though that is what I should be doing with my life right now.
I do not have a home anymore. Everywhere is my home, everywhere I end up and I am done with Boston. I will push through my senior year and then I am done. I love Boston, I do, I love the city and my friends and classes and the Charles River and what not.
But I need to explore elsewhere. It needs to keep coming.
I need to study. And this is making me too sad. I'm sorry I have not been writing over the past month...finals and goodbyes have been my main priority.
I leave Dunedin in two days. From there I will WWOOF, couch surf, and just see what sort of opportunities come my way...
I have no energy to write right now. I've had this awful pit in my stomach that has been grinding itself into my gut for the past week. And it is only getting stronger.
It is so hard to say goodbye to some place you may never see again.
It is so hard to say goodbye to people you may never see again.
written by  Kiwi-Travels on June 16, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand