A Peek into the Marine-rich Life of Kaikoura

I have thoroughly enjoyed and learned so much from all of my classes thus far.  From Sustainable Community Development to Environmental Literature to God and Nature, I have gained so much insight on what it means to be a good steward of Creation Care. Being a biology major and animal-lover, though, Marine Ecology was right …

Term Break Part 2

During the second half of term break, we were set to tramp one of New Zealand’s 9 Great Walks, but due to considerable avalanche risk in the middle of the track, we were only able to hike a portion of the track. It was pretty cloudy most of the track, but I think that added …

Term Break Part 1

This past week students had the opportunity to travel for a week and explore more of the South Pacific. Some students went to the North Island and others, like myself, remained on the South Island. We saw and experienced so many incredible things in our week of travel, so I’m going to break my trip …

Doing Life Together

I’ve loved sharing with you all the adventures I’ve been having away from The Old Convent, but really, my favorite part about life in New Zealand is often the things that happen in my day-to-day life here. What separates CCSP from other study abroad programs is the concept of ‘doing life together’ that it embodies. …

A Glimpse into Kiwi Living – Homestay Weekend

The best part about living in a small town is the community. Everybody knows everybody and, undoubtedly, everybody knows about the American students living in The Old Convent.  Kaikoura only has a population about the size of Hope’s, so throughout the last 6 weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to meet members of the community through …

Windy Welly

Kia Ora! (Maori for many things, including “hello”) Last week, CCSP ventured to the north island across the (extremely rough) waters to study sustainable community development from the perspective of several different people in society.  Wellington (aka “Windy Welly”) is the capital city of New Zealand with a population about that of Grand Rapids, so …

Split Apples, Tramping, Dolphins, and Sunsets – Another Week Living Life Kiwi

To celebrate the completion of our first course, two girls and I decided to take a road trip to Abel Tasman National Park.  Rental car (aka The Jellybean) packed, leftovers for food, and no road map, we were in for an adventure.  We eventually arrived after a wrong turn or two…or five, but nonetheless we …

A Weekend in the Marlborough Sounds

To celebrate the completion of orientation week and one last hurrah before classes start, all 14 of us students set out for our student trip weekend. I traveled with a group to the beautiful Hopewell Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds.  It was a 4 1/2 hour drive through winding roads, most only wide enough for …

Goodbyes and Hellos

I’ll start this post by saying: I definitely picked the right country to do my study abroad. The pace of life is slower, tourists don’t flood what few city streets exist, and nature dominates most of the land.  The snowcapped mountains expand much of the island, leaving a trail of sparkling blue glacial lakes where …

Pre-Semester Adventures Down Under

This past week and a half has been an absolute whirlwind. My parents and I decided that we would travel together for two weeks prior to my semester abroad in Kaikoura, New Zealand.  Last week Wednesday we landed in the busy and beautiful city of Sydney.  City life isn’t particularly my cup of tea, but …