Student Bloggers

6 days. 6 days and over 8,000 miles are all that stand between my dream-come-true and I. Does it feel real? Nope. Not one bit.

Everything still feels like a distant dream; a ‘someday’ kind of experience that maybe if I’m lucky I will get to do. Like, maybe someday hiking up mountains, exploring rainforests, visiting the Shire, having a mug of ale at the Green Dragon, meeting dozens of locals and other international students, experiencing Maori culture first hand, climbing up Mt. Doom, visiting the Shire, surfing, zorbing, kayaking, visiting the Shire… will be possible. All of these things just seem too good to be true! Yet, all of it is only 6 days away. Seriously, it’s hard to wrap my brain around.       

While my excitement to go on this trip increases every time I read another New Zealand travel blog, look at another New Zealand Pinterest board, or watch another New Zealand travel documentary, I must say that getting ready for this adventure has entailed some mixed emotions. For example, these past few weeks have been chalked full of some tough good-byes. I am definitely an extravert, and saying goodbye to my friends, family, and coworkers has been quite difficult. I wish that I could just take everyone with me! (I bet Southwest and Air New Zealand wouldn’t mind one or two or fifty extra passengers right?) On the flip side, I know that there will be so many new friends to make across the Pacific and I cannot wait to meet them all! The struggle is real.

I have been praying about my time abroad for a long time now. There is more to see and experience than I can even imagine (and trust me, this is what my daydreams are made of). I know that not every moment of my journey will be picturesque. However, that’s one of the reasons I am looking forward to studying abroad for as long as I will be. I want to soak in as much of New Zealand as I can and to see this country through a different lens than a tourist-type lens. Besides some of the postcard-worthy moments I listed earlier, I am also excited to sit down and listen to people’s stories, to take classes that will challenge and expand my worldview, and to simply have lazy days with new friends. Being away from my Midwestern comfort zone won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. I will be trading Minnesota-nice, Chicago’s bright lights, and the Midwest’s chilly winter (as I write, we’re going on about 2 feet of snow), for ocean views, hiking trips, and Christchurch’s sunny summer skies.

6 days, 8,000 miles, and quite a lot of packing still left to do. Christchurch, here I come!