Student Bloggers
Post-Departure
Date
February 22, 2017
Kia Ora!
So I left from Dallas Love Field Airport after swinging through Texas to visit a couple friends and ended up getting to LA at 10:30 AM, approximately 10 hours before my flight to Auckland. Being in the airport for so long takes its toll, but I’m very glad that I could occupy my time by drawing, making beats, and also meeting up a with a couple of other students studying with Arcadia as well.
The flight was a good 12 and a half hours and I slept maybe 3 hours altogether and spent the rest of the time drawing and making beats (see a pattern?), but I was really surprised by the airline food; and by surprised I mean thoroughly impressed. Air New Zealand did a great job of making sure we were well fed and comfortable. I appreciated the accommodations from the blanket, to the pillow, to the various movies and shows available to watch, and even to the music selections (Was jamming to Childish Gambino’s Before the Internet and Kendrick Lamar’s Untitled Unmastered).
Once we landed getting through passport checks took a nice chunk of time—maybe 20-30 minutes—but waiting in line to declare items for bioinspection was a whole nother story. I say I spent about 45 minutes waiting in line to not have declared anything, but that was all cool because I got the opportunity to talk to another student studying with Arcadia.
Once with the welcoming team (who were very, very welcoming and helpful beyond imagination) the day began. We dropped off our things at Kiwi International and got the opportunity to walk around Auckland down by the wharf near the ferry building. After that we went to Balmain Park for a short beach walk then navigated up to Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve where we got to navigate to old Naval base tunnels and have a beautiful overlook of Auckland’s skyline. After that we went back down to the beach for a swim, then to Kiwi International.
After we went to La Porchetta for dinner where I had an exquisite Gnocchi Pesto then after I went to Father Ted’s Original Irish Pub to cheer on a fellow classmate play billiards, watch some football highlights, and proceed to listen to some great live music. So far day one has been very eventful and very promising. I’m looking forward to the next adventure that arises and I know this will be an amazing time.