It’s hard to capture into words what it feels like to be truly happy. For me, that feeling came the day I realized that Wellington, New Zealand had danced its way so gracefully into my heart.

Studying abroad through ISA provided me with the perfect amount of structure, while allowing me to be independent. I will forever promote ISA's Bridging Cultures Program, as this multi-day orientation is an experience like none other that taught me a great deal about New Zealand's culture and lifestyle.

ISA's site support staff were also a huge perk to going through ISA. To sum it up, I received a phone call on my first day of "spring break" in Australia from my site specialist, who was just checking in to make sure I landed safely. The program staff's dedicate to their students i remarkable.

Before arriving in New Zealand the staff at ISA helped keep me organized with all of the documents required to go overseas for the semester. They were definitely really good at making sure things were in on time too, and they were super flexible and understanding when situations came up. There was also a resource pack provided before going abroad that was filled with helpful tips, even what streets to go to when exploring Wellington! I felt prepared because of how much information ISA provided prior to my travels.

When I first arrived to the Auckland airport there was someone from ISA waiting with a sign to direct all of the students to the right place, which made me feel very comfortable from the start. The trip started in Auckland for a “Bridging Cultures” portion. Basically, we all spent the first few days together exploring Auckland and Rotorua while adjusting to our new “home,” New Zealand. It was a great bonding experience that I truly will remember for a lifetime. After this ended we finally made our way down to Wellington, where I was studying for the semester.

Upon arriving in New Zealand we then started to get to know our University. Once we were all settled in we started having occasional “excursions” that are included in the ISA program price. Our first excursion was a seal coast safari, it was super exciting and I developed a newfound love for New Zealand fur seals! Other excursions included a sleepover at the Wellington zoo, a private tour of the weta workshop, and a visit to Matiu/Somes Island. Our ISA Resident Director (RD) is the person who set all of these excursions up and went on them with us, she was also the person we could go to if we needed anything. ISA also provided us with a 24 hour free emergency line, that I thankfully never had to use (but it’s good to know it was an option). They definitely offered a lot of support while we were there and were really understanding with culture shock and all of that good stuff (they even educated us on how to deal with it).

When we were all getting ready to depart we had a nice goodbye dinner purchased by ISA and it was a good chance to see everyone together one last time before heading home. Our RD also made sure she knew everyones travel plans to be sure she knew when we were supposed to be leaving and going home.

After arriving back home I have received emails from ISA checking up on how everything was and informing me on more opportunities they offer for going abroad for things such as internships and service-learning. My RD also sent me a nice email saying goodbye and that she’s always here if I need anything. ISA has also kept me up-to-date on my transcript and when it should arrive at my home University and they provided us with alumni resources which include ways to develop a professional profile for my study abroad experience.

Modesty. Above all, modesty is what I've found on the campus and within the community of Victoria and Wellington. When you have this characteristic of individuals, it charges a wave of kindness and concern throughout businesses and authoritative figures. I've loved every minute here. The lack of sun is compromised by all the smiling faces.

When I got to New Zealand, we had a day in Auckland and 5 in Waitomo for the Bridging Cultures Program. We were met at the airport in the early morning on arrival day, and had an incredibly busy week - the best way to avoid jet lag! There were around 15 Americans during my semester - July-December is always a small group.
We stayed at Kiwipaka, a great local hostel in Waitomo. There's a bar and small swimming pool and it's a launching pad for all sorts of activities. My group went caving through an underground river, getting to rappel down waterfalls. I used a free day to visit The Shire movie set from Lord of the Rings. We all learned the Haka and visited a Maori village where we ate a hangi, or Maori feast.
Through these activities, I got to know the other Americans and had some friends in NZ. It definitely eased my transition because when I got to Wellington I ran into my new friends around town - it's not a big place. Our group split into a few smaller segments that stayed close throughout the semester.
I didn't use GlobaLinks for much after that first week. However, when the Tongariro volcano erupted, they had great communication with my parents keeping them up to date and telling them that I was safe. I also met with Richard, our on-site director, for some travel advice for my trips to Australia and Fiji afterwards.

My experience with AustraLearn's program at Victoria University of Wellington was simply amazing. I had unbelievable support from the staff at AustraLearn, the housing staff at Stafford House and from my professors and fellow students! My roommates were spectacular and incredibly nice and welcoming. Actually that can be said about everyone I met in New Zealand. They are very wonderful people and are more than willing to make sure you have a great experience. The capital city, Wellington, is the greatest little city on the planet. It has everything you need within reach and has amazing public transportation systems. Seriously, the bus system is fantastic, and if you need to get somewhere right away, cabs are always around. Waking up for class in the morning and walking up to campus was quick and convenient. The campus can be tricky to navigate, but once you locate your buildings for class, exploring is a blast. Finding little study nooks and hidden gardens makes the campus especially wonderful. With coffee shops and restaurants on every corner, you will never have to go far for an amazing meal, or just a quick snack. When you walk around the city, you wont want to blink. Interesting architecture, street art, and fun people are everywhere, especially on Cuba street. If you are a fan of nightlife, Wellington is your place. Visit Courtney Place for a great club experience, some house music and dubstep, or go to a calm relaxing sitting room bar like "The Library." Wellington even has a great beach and great wharf activities on the waterfront. All in all, Wellington is a place I called home right away, because it felt that way immediately, and I can't wait to go back!

I had a great time when I studied abroad in Wellington. The campus was not a far walk from my on-campus apartment, and it was a gorgeous walk, since I could see the water and all of downtown on my way to school.

I chose to take more general credit classes rather than many higher level courses. I found them incredibly interesting, and they gave me the chance to do research about New Zealand history. It was the first time I took a class that had more than 30 students in it, so I had to learn about how the larger classes functioned.

I lived in an on-campus apartment with a furnished kitchen. I chose this option because the staff at AustraLearn stated that dietary restrictions are difficult to deal with in the dorms. While I spent a lot of time hanging out in the dorms with friends, I liked that I could cook for myself. My friends and I would explore restaurants often, and we found a number of restaurants that were inexpensive and delicious.

I felt that the local students were incredibly friendly, and my friends who lived in the dorms and I made some great friendships with local students.

My friends and I tried to do as much travel as possible. The only place we didn't choose to go was to the southern tip of the south island, because by the time our break came around, that area was snowed in. I brought along my ski jacket, hoping to ski, but we missed the opening of the season by a week before we left to travel in Australia. We did a lot of awesome trips, and I highly recommend traveling as much as possible, though some weekends we were tourists in Wellington and loved it. Wellington has a lot to offer, and we made a list of all the things we wanted to see there. I was really glad that I had chosen to study in Wellington rather than Auckland because there is so much to see and do there.