Update After a Long Break!

Sorry it has been forever since I've blogged! It came from a combination of being swamped with work before the break, not having internet in my flat for around ten days, being generally busy with things and work before the break as well as most recently being on vacation in the South Island!

A lot has happened since the last time I've blogged, including taking my first exam and handing in my first papers of the semester, as well as a 6.2 magnitude earthquake a few weeks ago! However, the most exciting event is that I just got back from a week with 7 of my friends on the South Island for our first week of break! I'd been looking forward to this trip since we planned it near the beginning of the semester and it for sure did not disappoint. On Monday, we began our journey by flying to Christchurch, where we briefly spent some time in the city before hopping into our awesome purple and green van, which we used to get to all of our other destinations.

There is still significant damage and construction in Christchurch due to major earthquakes in February of 2012, as you can see in a lot of the pictures below. It was really shocking to see how much the city is still strongly affected, and how much is still being rebuilt. 

After eating in Christchurch, we went on to drive to Lake Tekapo, where we hiked to the Mount John lookout for the first of many beautiful views.

 The next morning, we did a shorter walk with views of Lake Alexandrina and then headed off to Mt Cook! We were admittedly unprepared to be entering a town with no grocery store or bank, but it provided a great two days of isolation, especially after coming from the city. Our hostel was also very homey and comfortable, which really added to the experience. Once there, we did a hike to see the Tasman Glacier.

View from our walk in the morning

Remaining parts of the glacier in the water, it has melted significantly due to climate change

The next day we had planned our longest hike, which was the Hooker Valley walk. Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favor and we ended up spending our four hours braving the cold, sleet, and the strongest winds I've ever felt. Despite the facts that the visibility wasn't great, I was able to get a few pictures.

One of three bridges we crossed

Rainbow!

 On Thursday we headed to Queenstown, but not until we did a hike to Kea Point, which gave us the ability to finally clearly see Mt Cook! Snow had fallen the night before, and the skies were incredibly clear which provided some breathtaking views.

Mt Cook

I don't know what these are, but they were everywhere and are painful

Once we got to Queenstown, it was time for a classic Queenstown dinner: Fergburger! I had been hearing about Fergburger ever since orientation, so it was an obvious choice for dinner for our first night. Its known for its delicious and HUGE burgers, and having a huge selection of them.

SO good

I was able to get a veggie burger made with falafel, which was great! That night, we explored the town and got some sleep in preparation for our activity on Friday which was...
 
Bungy jumping!! (Sorry Parents...)
Going into New Zealand, I was convinced that I would never bungy jump, however as the saying goes, "if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space."

5 of us did the Kawarau Bridge bungy, also known as the world's first ever commercial bungy. The drop is 43 meters (141 feet), which compared to other jumps is pretty tame (although still very, very scary). I've never had a more terrifying or more thrilling experience.

A little nervous...

 After the adrenaline rush, we spent the next day exploring Queenstown more before heading back to Wellington this afternoon.

 

 On Monday, I head off to Australia, and I will be sure to put up pictures from that trip as well! Thanks for reading :)

(Almost) the First Month in Review

This morning,  I was rudely awoken by my obnoxious old-school cell phone ring with a text message alerting me that in two days, the one month "freebies" that came with my pre-paid cell phone plan would run out (read: no more free texts until I "topped up" my plan again). Not only was this a slight disappointment, but a reminder that I've been in New Zealand for almost a full month! On one hand, this first month has flown by, but I also feel like I've been in Wellington forever. The first month has also been marked by the end of my "honeymoon" period abroad, and starting to miss all things American. Although of course I don't want to leave, this past week I've found myself every so often wishing that I had access to things that are normal at home.

Academically, this comes with missing small discussion classes where my professors know my name (here, its probably safe to say that most don't know I even exist), and I know I'll always have a seat next to my friends. It also includes missing the easy to understand St. Mike's library, where I have go-to study spots, know how to get around, and actually know how to check out books and print  (two things I still need to figure out).

Socially, I miss living within seconds from all of my best friends, being able to bang on the wall to get their attention and all gathering together every Saturday and Sunday morning for omelets and bagels at brunch. And of course, having access to not only my own closet but also the entire clothing collections of my friends at my fingertips.

I find it also quite necessary for me to mention that I miss never being more than 10 minutes away from a dunking donuts, and knowing that I can order a medium coconut iced coffee with skim milk and one sugar for $2.56 and it will taste delicious every time. And bagels. I really miss bagels.


What better cure for homesickness though than a package from home?! Thursday I was treated to a beautiful care package from my parents, including all of the most important things: sweaters, mittens and gloves, sunscreen and leave-in hair conditioner, as well as the most delicious cookies: peppermint joe joe's! These seemingly insignificant items from home made my day (and week) that much brighter.

This weekend I stayed in Wellington, having a relaxing two days off. Yesterday was the epitome of a perfect lazy (yet productive) Sunday: my friend Katie and I went to breakfast, then continued our tradition of going to the Sunday farmers market for ridiculously cheap fruits and veggies, got coffee by the water, and then settled in for an all day movie and homework marathon. Although maybe not the most culturally adventurous day, settling in to watch four movies with friends was the perfect end to the weekend.

I also officially have all of my mid-semester break tickets booked! The break starts with an All Blacks (NZ rugby team) game on the 24th, followed by flying to Christchurch, then traveling all around (plans are in the process of being finalized) ending in Queenstown, flying back to Wellington for a day at home, then flying to Australia where I will spend time in Melbourne and Gold Coast! I'm insanely excited for two weeks of exploring and traveling with friends. It will come up so soon!

Sorry for the picture-less post, but I'm sure I'll be up to more beautiful adventures soon, with plenty of pictures to make up for the lack of them here :)