Highlights: The way Kiwi students viewed education was a lot different than how I saw students view it back home in Texas. It made me appreciate my educational experience a lot more and I brought this mentality back home with me once my trip was over. With it, I was able to not only do better in school, but also be able to more of a social life, which I am grateful for. For the Kiwis, personal happiness was always their priority, whereas back home, it seemed as though students sacrificed this for a mere letter grade.
Overall, I was able to visit many different places in New Zealand and take part in the wonderful culture that they have. I learned to dance and ate food cooked in the traditional Maori culture, which was a unique experience. I also took advantage of the scenic beauty of the country by taking part in many outdoor activities, such as wine-tasting, hiking, jet-skiing, canoeing, white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and paragliding. I grew as a person from all of these experiences and would not trade it for anything.
Morning: Overall, I was able to visit many different places in New Zealand and take part in the wonderful culture that they have. I learned to dance and ate food cooked in the traditional Maori culture, which was a unique experience. I also took advantage of the scenic beauty of the country by taking part in many outdoor activities, such as wine-tasting, hiking, jet-skiing, canoeing, white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and paragliding. I grew as a person from all of these experiences and would not trade it for anything.
Afternoon: My afternoons were spent in class at The University of Auckland, and during my breaks, I would lie out in the grass in Albert Park with Kiwi mates or just walk around the always busy Queens Street, which was a short distance from campus. I would return to my apartment after class and finish up whatever school work needed to be done before I met up with my mates later.
Evening: In the evening time, I would spend time with mates trying the various restaurants that Auckland had to offer, and once in a while, we would explore the night life along Queens Street and the Viaduct Harbor. On nights when we were tired, we would take turns cooking different types of cuisines and sharing each others recipes.