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 …
Continue reading “A Glimpse into Kiwi Living – Homestay Weekend”
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 …
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 …
Continue reading “Split Apples, Tramping, Dolphins, and Sunsets – Another Week Living Life Kiwi”
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 …
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 …
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 …
When I first arrived in New Zealand, the weather was consistently warm, with temperatures rarely getting below 75 degrees. Now, winter has come and the weather has definitely been cooler. The leaves are changing and the sky is cloudy more often. Even so, the weather has still been quite enjoyable. The last couple of weekends have been …
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been busy with essays and other tedious assignments for my courses. It hasn’t been easy balancing all of my school work with travel and adventures. I decided to buckle down and limit my travels to short day trips outside of the city for the last two weekends. I was …
Two of the best weeks of my life just flew by. For mid-semester break, I had to the privilege of spending a week in the paradise that is the Cook Islands. It was an incredible time to be fully immersed into a beautiful, unique culture that welcomed us with open arms. This trip was organized …
It has been quite some time since I have last posted. In the last few weeks, I have gone on many adventures including: skydiving, navigating through caves, climbing mountains, and more. I am adjusting more and more to this new life that I am living. It has just recently gotten to the point where I …
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