One Week Away

So I'm now one week away from my flight. I'm not packed, I haven't made a list of things to pack, but I feel quite calm! After getting nervous earlier this week, I received an e-mail about my housing at Victoria University! Apparently I'm one lucky duck because I'm in a flat with four Kiwis! (not the bird nor fruit, but new zealanders) I've already been in contact with all four and they are very welcoming and just as excited as I am about living together. That's about all the info that's worthy of note regarding my trip.

So some more background:

I'm a junior psychology major at Vassar college as well as an undeclared music composition minor. At Vassar, I have been involved in one play, student films, ViCE (Vassar College Entertainment), student government, dorm representative, the Outing Club, Habitat for Humanity, campus patrol, and P.E.A.C.E. (an organization that helps young kids learn a bit about perspective).

My freshmen year was full of change as I was away from home without my parents for more than two weeks for the first time. Vassar and my dorm, Cushing, were very welcoming and greeted me with open arms. I made friends, worked too hard on insane amounts of readings, and used my free time to build housing with habitat, foster growth in children with P.E.A.C.E., and act in student films. I went on habitat's spring break trip to sebring, FL where we started with a foundation and left with quite a bit of roofing! I spent my second week of spring break with my Aunt in upstate New York snowshoeing around the Adirondacks. Later that year I headed to Washington, DC to lobby for climate change legislation. Eventually it was time to head home and I was relieved to be away from the work.

The summer found me exhausted from my first year, and eventually found work in the deli at JEWEL, a supermarket. I worked in the deli until my family's annual trip to Lake Placid, NY, which got cut short for me as I was due back for Vassar leadership training.

Sophomore year found me in the role of an officer for habitat for humanity as well as the sophomore representative for my dorm, Cushing. As sophomore rep, I worked with our House Team as well as the 2011 student council to facilitate programming and reform. After bartering my services at a ViCE concert for black lights for Cushing's wonderful dayglotoga party (blacklight paint + white togas), I joined as regular general body member of ViCE music, one of the many subcommittee's. The big show (in my opinion) was Beirut and I met and worked with the band. This was also the year that I declared my psychology major, something that had to be done early on sophomore year if one was to go abroad! Spring break again, found me with habitat but in Biloxi, Mississippi! The second week found me home getting braces tightened, which I wore from feb onward for preparation for summer jaw surgery. After spring break, the student play, "Finding the Sun", ran for three shows. My classes were hard, finals were harder but it was rewarding year as I took 4 credits (2 full year classes) in music composition which resulted in several electronic and acoustic music compositions.

Summer found nervously awaiting surgery. I had corrective jaw surgery in early June. The procedure was simple (sorta): break my jaw, wire it shut, screw it into place, and "unwire". Everything went as planned! The month of not eating solid food flew by...well in hindsight it sure did! I spent the full two week in lake placid with my family. Feeling much better by the end of the summer, I returned to school with a new smile.

Junior year began very well. Though many students were abroad, the remaining juniors started meeting each other and new friendships were formed. I interviewed for and was selected to be ViCE's After Hours chair the previous spring, and eagerly accepted my position by planning a concert to welcome students back featuring Matt Santry, Myra Flynn, and Kristen Tivey, a very talented student. (I'm sure no one has heard of the other two, but Myra Flynn is worth a listen.) I was also selected to be one of Habitat's co-presidents. Though with the economy, habitat did not have much for us to do. I finally found the time to climb with the outing club. But most of my time was spent doing work for class or ViCE. Although, I did spend a lot of time hanging with friends. I also started working on campus patrol as a student job. I pulled some extras shifts and used the money to through an early 21st birthday for me and a good friend. Finals were miserable (are they ever fun?) and I managed to find my way back home. Where I've been for almost 50 days!!!

So what I have been doing with my time home?

I've been hanging with friends, though now everyone is at school, going the gym, going through my old piano books in order to become more proficient, reading for FUN, cleaning my room, working at Jewel's deli, and trying to organize my life.


I've also spent a great deal of time thinking about next semester and what I want to get out of my trip. My main goal is to improve my knowledge about the world around me and about myself. I think truly knowing oneself takes a lifetime, but I'm hoping to catch up as Vassar seldom leaves me with enough time to do any deep thinking unrelated to classes.

Two Weeks Away (A bit of background information)

Hello!

My name is Johnny and welcome to my blog. In two weeks, on February 7th, 2010 I will be departing for New Zealand in order to study at Victoria University of Wellington. Wellington is the country's seaside capital and is home to many museums. I picked Wellington as my place to study as it is located at the south end of the north island and thus is centrally located (see map above). From Wellington, I hope to travel all over the country trying new activities everywhere I go.

So why study abroad in New Zealand?

College is both a place for higher education and a time for novel experiences, according to my mother. At Vassar, I have been exposed to many new academic ideas, mostly in the field of psychology and music composition (my major and minor), as well as many new experiences including lobbying in Washington, D.C. for better climate change legislation and spending a week in both Sebring, FL and Biloxi, MS with Habitat for Humanity. Although I greatly enjoy my time and the people at Vassar, I am always seeking new ways to push myself outside of my comfort zone. Going to New Zealand is not merely stepping outside my comfort zone, but leaving it almost halfway around the world.

I want to study abroad in NZ in hopes that I spend more time in nature, experience a new culture, and glimpse the world from a non-American's view. Nature has alwasy been a place for deep though and reflection; two things I rarely have time to do at Vassar. Having time in the great wilderness of New Zealand will not only let me reflect, but will also help me prepare for senior year and what lurks in its shadow: the real world. Experiencing a new culture and seeing the world from a non-American's eyes are on in the same. I have never spent significant time with another culture before and feel that it could only be beneficial to any American. Although at college we are taught to think freely, there remain within us many social/cultural biases we unknowingly hold about the rest of the world. I wish to challenge myself to see how the world view us as Americans by participating in the traditions of the Maori and Kiwis.

As for my academics, I home to continue studying new concepts and ideas. I find undergrad psychology to be quite universal and could easily stay at Vassar to study psych. In NZ, you can only take 60 points worth of classes which equates about three classes, which is a bit of a bummer as there are many more classes that interested to take. I am currently enrolled in Maori language, Maori music, and criminal thought; all classes not offered at Vassar. I have also applied to the music composition department at Victoria University and have yet to hear if I will allowed to take any classes. I have my eye on Intrumentalization, which teaches how to write for many different instruments. I will find out my acceptance status once in Wellington.

In summary, I want to study abroad to spend more time in nature and experience a new culture, while becoming more knowledgeable about New Zealand, continuing my academic growth, and hopefully catching a glimpse of the world from a non-American's perspective. I feel New Zealand is a place where I will achieve all of this and more. Traveling to a foreign country with no familiar faces will place me far away from everything I know, which leave a 100% chance that I will encounter new experiences.

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" -- Mark Twain