the last few weeks flew buy and it's almost time to go...this post is more for me than you. Just a reminder that no one can ever prepare you for saying goodbye. That makes saying goodbye a bit scary, which is also what is so wonderful about it. By saying goodbye and confronting it head on, you are brave. No one likes saying goodbye, it is simply one of those things that we must do. So should you find yourself needing to say goodbye to anyone, anything, or anyplace let yourself feel it, don't try to hide from it because in the end it's always there. Also, don't try to confront it early...it has to be at the moment of parting.
For me, I know that all of these wonderful people will pop up again in my life. I also know that I can return and see the same sights. So I guess what I'm really saying goodbye is to everything: the whole experience of being here. And what an experience it's been. I've done things I never thought I could do or would do...which is so fulfilling. I've pushed myself and seen how much I can handle and where there can be breaking points.
So why did I study abroad? I think to be free. To throw off all preconceptions of anything and remove all of the clutter in everything. This I have done and I'm pleased to say I found something. I'm not sure what I was looking for here...but what I found was better. I found an experience that was life-changing in all the right ways. For it showed me that everything is life-changing because life is always changing.
I leave tomorrow, but a different "I" than the one that came. But I leave tomorrow as one who embraces life more that I ever have before. I hope to keep this feeling towards life for as long as i live. This means that I will no doubt travel again and often. There are so many things I need to see. So many things I need to discuss. Thank goodness that I have many more tomorrows in my life yet.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this experience what it was, especially my parents. I love you both so much and am very proud to be your son. Also a thank you to my flatmates who have given me a great home to come and go from.
And thanks for reading. I may post once more...may not.
Life IS good.
Wednesday, June 30
Wednesday, June 16
Overcast skies
It's hard to keep a blog...not gonna lie. I have so many wonderful things I want to share but don't always want to spend the time.
After the trip to Taranaki life calmed down a bit. But I had a maori paper to write, that's right 500 words + sources in MAORI! I couldn't believe the length as my vocabulary is around 120 words or so. It was due friday (May 28th) but Domino, a great friend from vassar who is studying in Auckland, was coming with friends on Thursday! So I scrambled to get it done and had it almost all the way there when she arrived thursday night. It was a rainy weekend and also a WONDERFUL WEEKEND. After she got to Welly I showed her and her five tall male friends New World to buy food. Domino was going to crash in my room (which is freezing...though I have since purchased a heater since her visit) so we headed back and made cookies while singing! The next day found me in a class and eventually partying with Domino in Welly. We attended a Lady Gaga themed party and dressed accordingly and then hit town with Kiwis, Americans, and Domino's European friends. It was a really really nice night complete with a ride home via Pizza King + the pizza, of course to find Camille and one of the Europeans waiting at my house. We all crashed in my room.
Saturday found us recovering a bit and we went to Te Papa and met up with Domino's boys, as they are referred to. During the visit to Te Papa, I organized a get together at Matt's, and IFSA student, to try to get Kiwis + Americans + Europeans again. It sorta worked...and the evening found us all back in town and again with pizza king on the way home. Domino and I had a BLAST and I couldn't believe how much the rainy weather didn't keep us down.
Good food and better company marked a great weekend in Wellington. Domino departed on Sunday and I headed to a potluck with my Maori music group to work on learning our waiata.
The week that followed honestly was not too interesting in my memory and consisted of working to finish all my last assignments. All of a sudden it was Friday and classes were over for me! I spent the whole day cleaning up the flat and baking cakes in preparation for a party I was throwing that night. I also packed my bag as I was headed to the South Island early the next morning. The party was...not as good as I'd hoped, but I enjoyed myself. It was sorta a farewell party but still a month away so it didn't really get the desired effect.
Saturday morning, June 5th now, found me sprinting for the railway station to catch the bus to the ferry. Armelle, Molly, Hannah, and I were headed for Abel Tasman, a beautiful park near Nelson. Hannah and I hitched from Picton to Nelson where we spent the night in a dodgy backpackers. We departed the next morning early for Abel Tasman and had a 24 kilometer hike ahead of us (15 miles). It was, of course, RAINING and the seven hours really flew by...not. The trail was more uneven then expected but we made it to our destination: the trail's 2nd hut. We had too much time on our hands and chatted by the gas fire with some of the other trampers.
The next morning we set out for the 3rd hut, only four hours or so. Armelle and Molly decided they'd rather go back to the 2nd hut as the next day we were headed all the way back to the 1st hut which we'd skipped. Hannah really wanted to go on and I was curious as well so we parted ways for one night. Hannah and I made it to the third hut easy and made dinner and a nice warm fire.
Last time i tramped i learned about water and rain...this time I learned about fire. We closed the fire door after stocking it with more wood, failing to notice the other hut guest had left her shoes on the fire box. When you close the box it heats up MUCH MUCH MORE. Thirty minutes or so after we headed to bed, Hannah smelled smoke. I smelled it to and leapt (in a down sleeping bag) off of the bunk. I opened the door to the main part of the hut to find smoke everywhere...plasticy smoke that hurt to breathe in. I cocvered my mouth, found the boots melting on the fire and took them off. I went for the door next and the windows getting some air in. I asked Hannah to come outside and got the German woman up. She was upset and probably blamed us for melting her boots, but I didn't feel too responsible. Had i seen them, I of course would have grabbed them! But I didn't. I learned she was only going an hour and half up the trail to be picked up by the water taxi and assured her that she could do it barefoot. She went back into her room to sleep and I instructured her to open her window as there was still a lot of smoke everywhere. Hannah and I sat outside. I remembered there was a third room that didn't connect to the main hut and moved us into there. We got the German woman to move as well, when I went into her room her window wasn't open and there was still smoke in in. Don't know how much it would've harmed her...but probably carcinogenic.
The next morning we woke up parted ways with her and hiked all the way back to the 1st hut...took us only six hours which was great timing. It was a beautiful day and we did two tidal crossings, one of which had me a bit startled as my body remembered the rushing waters of Taranaki. Guess I'm a little scarred, but I made it nonetheless!
We met up with Armelle and Molly and met Sharon, a welsh woman hiking alone who joined our party for the last day and half. At night Sharon, Armelle, and I headed to try to see some glow worm caves on the beach but the tide was too high.
In the morning, we tried again and got to the caves, just Sharon and I. We found traces of glow worms and very large wetas and spiders and turned around haha. This day was cloudless and bright blue! We couldn't believe how beautiful it was but I was a bit down as we had just figured out we were three weeks away from the end of our time here.
Back in Nelson we ordered pizza and watched Philadelphia back in the dodgy hostel. The next day found us shopping around and meeting a gelato man. He had only been in the business for two years but had won many competitions. We showed interest and he let us sample so many flavors including lavender & honey, pumnkin, feijoa, and his newest one: SALMON! I'm not a huge salmon fan, but I could eat salmon gelato. It was very unique and delicious. We watched Crash that night and I still felt like I was in a funk...probably still about my time here running out.
That friday (11th) Hannah and i hitched back to Picton and caught and early ferry home. It was nice to be home but also freezing. It is quite cold in welly as New Zealand doesn't believe in insulation or so it seems! Even if you heat your room, the heat goes through the walls.
This past week has been alright. Full of me trying to study. I had a final for Crim and it went quite well. Have a final for Maori saturday. Trying to organize one last trip with some friends while some of my friends have already started leaving.
To celebrate my first final success, I went to Abrakebabra to get lamb burgers (delicious). Then I went to a bar to meet up with some friends. Then to a restaurant. Then to a farewell dinner for a friend where I ended up singing kareoke with some friendly Koreans. Yes, perhaps I had ingested some alcohol perhaps not...In any case, I ended up making some new kiwi friends, watching the NZ soccer team tie in the world cup, and ended my night after McDonald's after a lil' swim. It was a very good night.
Tonight (wed) I spent hanging with everyone and Katherine, an IFSA student, who is leaving tomorrow morning. I knew this part would happen I guess, and I'm appreciative that studying abroad will teach me how to say goodbye, but damn it's hard. But I'm hoping to keep my spirits up and really get the most out of these next two weeks! This experience has been life changing and I am so fortunate to be here. Thanks Mom and Dad!
After the trip to Taranaki life calmed down a bit. But I had a maori paper to write, that's right 500 words + sources in MAORI! I couldn't believe the length as my vocabulary is around 120 words or so. It was due friday (May 28th) but Domino, a great friend from vassar who is studying in Auckland, was coming with friends on Thursday! So I scrambled to get it done and had it almost all the way there when she arrived thursday night. It was a rainy weekend and also a WONDERFUL WEEKEND. After she got to Welly I showed her and her five tall male friends New World to buy food. Domino was going to crash in my room (which is freezing...though I have since purchased a heater since her visit) so we headed back and made cookies while singing! The next day found me in a class and eventually partying with Domino in Welly. We attended a Lady Gaga themed party and dressed accordingly and then hit town with Kiwis, Americans, and Domino's European friends. It was a really really nice night complete with a ride home via Pizza King + the pizza, of course to find Camille and one of the Europeans waiting at my house. We all crashed in my room.
Saturday found us recovering a bit and we went to Te Papa and met up with Domino's boys, as they are referred to. During the visit to Te Papa, I organized a get together at Matt's, and IFSA student, to try to get Kiwis + Americans + Europeans again. It sorta worked...and the evening found us all back in town and again with pizza king on the way home. Domino and I had a BLAST and I couldn't believe how much the rainy weather didn't keep us down.
Good food and better company marked a great weekend in Wellington. Domino departed on Sunday and I headed to a potluck with my Maori music group to work on learning our waiata.
The week that followed honestly was not too interesting in my memory and consisted of working to finish all my last assignments. All of a sudden it was Friday and classes were over for me! I spent the whole day cleaning up the flat and baking cakes in preparation for a party I was throwing that night. I also packed my bag as I was headed to the South Island early the next morning. The party was...not as good as I'd hoped, but I enjoyed myself. It was sorta a farewell party but still a month away so it didn't really get the desired effect.
Saturday morning, June 5th now, found me sprinting for the railway station to catch the bus to the ferry. Armelle, Molly, Hannah, and I were headed for Abel Tasman, a beautiful park near Nelson. Hannah and I hitched from Picton to Nelson where we spent the night in a dodgy backpackers. We departed the next morning early for Abel Tasman and had a 24 kilometer hike ahead of us (15 miles). It was, of course, RAINING and the seven hours really flew by...not. The trail was more uneven then expected but we made it to our destination: the trail's 2nd hut. We had too much time on our hands and chatted by the gas fire with some of the other trampers.
The next morning we set out for the 3rd hut, only four hours or so. Armelle and Molly decided they'd rather go back to the 2nd hut as the next day we were headed all the way back to the 1st hut which we'd skipped. Hannah really wanted to go on and I was curious as well so we parted ways for one night. Hannah and I made it to the third hut easy and made dinner and a nice warm fire.
Last time i tramped i learned about water and rain...this time I learned about fire. We closed the fire door after stocking it with more wood, failing to notice the other hut guest had left her shoes on the fire box. When you close the box it heats up MUCH MUCH MORE. Thirty minutes or so after we headed to bed, Hannah smelled smoke. I smelled it to and leapt (in a down sleeping bag) off of the bunk. I opened the door to the main part of the hut to find smoke everywhere...plasticy smoke that hurt to breathe in. I cocvered my mouth, found the boots melting on the fire and took them off. I went for the door next and the windows getting some air in. I asked Hannah to come outside and got the German woman up. She was upset and probably blamed us for melting her boots, but I didn't feel too responsible. Had i seen them, I of course would have grabbed them! But I didn't. I learned she was only going an hour and half up the trail to be picked up by the water taxi and assured her that she could do it barefoot. She went back into her room to sleep and I instructured her to open her window as there was still a lot of smoke everywhere. Hannah and I sat outside. I remembered there was a third room that didn't connect to the main hut and moved us into there. We got the German woman to move as well, when I went into her room her window wasn't open and there was still smoke in in. Don't know how much it would've harmed her...but probably carcinogenic.
The next morning we woke up parted ways with her and hiked all the way back to the 1st hut...took us only six hours which was great timing. It was a beautiful day and we did two tidal crossings, one of which had me a bit startled as my body remembered the rushing waters of Taranaki. Guess I'm a little scarred, but I made it nonetheless!
We met up with Armelle and Molly and met Sharon, a welsh woman hiking alone who joined our party for the last day and half. At night Sharon, Armelle, and I headed to try to see some glow worm caves on the beach but the tide was too high.
In the morning, we tried again and got to the caves, just Sharon and I. We found traces of glow worms and very large wetas and spiders and turned around haha. This day was cloudless and bright blue! We couldn't believe how beautiful it was but I was a bit down as we had just figured out we were three weeks away from the end of our time here.
Back in Nelson we ordered pizza and watched Philadelphia back in the dodgy hostel. The next day found us shopping around and meeting a gelato man. He had only been in the business for two years but had won many competitions. We showed interest and he let us sample so many flavors including lavender & honey, pumnkin, feijoa, and his newest one: SALMON! I'm not a huge salmon fan, but I could eat salmon gelato. It was very unique and delicious. We watched Crash that night and I still felt like I was in a funk...probably still about my time here running out.
That friday (11th) Hannah and i hitched back to Picton and caught and early ferry home. It was nice to be home but also freezing. It is quite cold in welly as New Zealand doesn't believe in insulation or so it seems! Even if you heat your room, the heat goes through the walls.
This past week has been alright. Full of me trying to study. I had a final for Crim and it went quite well. Have a final for Maori saturday. Trying to organize one last trip with some friends while some of my friends have already started leaving.
To celebrate my first final success, I went to Abrakebabra to get lamb burgers (delicious). Then I went to a bar to meet up with some friends. Then to a restaurant. Then to a farewell dinner for a friend where I ended up singing kareoke with some friendly Koreans. Yes, perhaps I had ingested some alcohol perhaps not...In any case, I ended up making some new kiwi friends, watching the NZ soccer team tie in the world cup, and ended my night after McDonald's after a lil' swim. It was a very good night.
Tonight (wed) I spent hanging with everyone and Katherine, an IFSA student, who is leaving tomorrow morning. I knew this part would happen I guess, and I'm appreciative that studying abroad will teach me how to say goodbye, but damn it's hard. But I'm hoping to keep my spirits up and really get the most out of these next two weeks! This experience has been life changing and I am so fortunate to be here. Thanks Mom and Dad!
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