The most incredible 5 months of my entire life!

Going abroad completely alone was nerve wracking to say the least. It was my first time out of the country for more than a week. Was I going to make friends? Was it going to be life changing like everyone says it is? Fast forward five months and I can't believe I ever questioned these things. Going abroad was the most life changing thing I have ever done for myself. I was lucky enough to travel through the TEAN program. They were so helpful when setting up flights, housing, classes, and other traveling outside of the country! During the first week we had an orientation in Queenstown, which was the most exhilarating week of my life. For 7 days I barely slept because I was constantly meeting new people, going on new adventures, and learning everything there was to know about life as a Kiwi. TEAN set up speed boats through Glenorchy, afternoons at local wineries, and dinner at some of the best spots in town. Once orientation was over and we were adjusted to life in Dunedin, they set up activities throughout the semester to catch up with everyone. We went to rugby games, explored the Otago peninsula, toured the Cadbury chocolate factory, and dined at incredible restaurants. Throughout my semester, I took full advantage of everything around me. I slept in caves on a beach with penguins, I bungy jumped, I walked on an active volcanic island, I hiked mountains, traveled to Thailand, and did so much more. My trip to Thailand was also set up through TEAN. We visited two cities and three islands during our 9 day getaway. We went to an elephant sanctuary, snorkeled, relaxed on the most beautiful beaches, and spent the night in a traditional thai village. Going abroad is the most eye opening, thrilling, and life changing experience that I wish I could return to everyday that I'm back home.