Study or Explore?

I went to New Zealand by myself, without knowing anyone else. I was a little worried at first but I ended up having a phenomenal time! I did a home stay and made a bunch of local friends, whom I went out with on weekends and showed me around the suburbs as well as the city. I traveled with some of them to Middle Earth to see the set of the Hobbit. I lived in Lynnfield right along the coast of the ocean. I went for daily jogs on the beach and saw the most beautiful sunsets that I have ever seen. I even took holiday in Melbourne with my host mum! By the end of my stay, my friends even threw me a Halloween Costume going away party. It's been two years and I still keep in touch with them via social media. And I actually made one of the best, closest friends I have to this day over there. She lets me stay at her house whenever I come back to visit, and we send gift packages back and forth to each other whenever we get the chance. I met some of the most inspiring, wonderful, caring people abroad and they definitely enhanced my life. I did get homesick, but my Kiwi friends helped me out so much and stood with me through it all. It was truly an amazing experience that I would do over in a heart-beat.