Author Archives: ers5188

First leg of the trip!

So today started my journey to New Zealand…

I wish I could say the departing process was easy but it was far from that. My whole life I’ve been a people person and really thrived from those closest to me. Leaving my mom and dad was very nerve-wracking and quite frankly as a 21 year old I have no shame in admitting that. My family is my world and it felt like a huge kick in the butt into the “real world”. In addition I know I’m not the only student who’s ever studied abroad with a relationship. For those who know me, please believe when I say I’ve found a winner! He’s worth the distance! So understandably that part of the departure was so unbelievably hard for me and a million times more difficult than I anticipated. Thankfully the sweetest woman in the world about my mother’s age saw me crying and took me into her arms and let me cry (rather hysterically haha) until I felt like I could successfully go through the security line. What a blessing!

Studying abroad for me is so much more than just a school semester in another country. It’s a long awaited growing experience that I NEED. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to run after my boyfriend and parents and be like “just kidding!!! Take me back home” Haha, because those were my thoughts exactly. But here I am about to go to one of the coolest most beautiful countries, WOW! This is a dream come true and sometimes all you need is a little push. So here I am, I’ve now finished my first leg of the trip to San Francisco and it’s only going to get more incredible from here. I’m scared, anxious, nervous and depending on the Lord more than ever. I must have prayed at least ten times begging God to give me strength and serenity, and as the amazing God that he is, he gave me exactly that.

Therefore I plan to celebrate my first dinner by myself in a state I’ve never been…so I believe this is a perfect time for a cocktail! I know my mom is already laughing and shaking her head at that, but hey sometimes a great margarita and good scenery is just what a girl needs. Let’s see what San Fransico has to offer me….can’t wait to blog again.

P.S. I think I’ll definitely take blogging more into consideration. It’s actually extremely therapeutic to put my thoughts into writing, so shout out to my aunt Janet who’s given me journals since I can remember…it’s totally a hobby worth getting into.

I love you all and please please don’t ever hesitate to comment on here, Skype me, or shoot an email…to be honest it’s what I need right now as I get settled!


Location: San Fransico, CA

Pre-Trip

Hello to all!

First I wanted to thank you guys for taking the time to follow me on this adventure. I leave in about 30 days and there is still so much to be done! I am trying to figure out what to pack, my courses, my living arrangements, and travel goals. Its alot more planning than I thought, haha! Those who know me well also know I am not a light packer, so the packing in itself should be interesting! Since the climate is almost opposite i’ll have to take into consideration i’ll be entering winter in NZ. (NZ has a rather mild climate, it never gets below 45 degrees, or higher than 75 degrees)

I will be living in Wellington, New Zealand, which is the capital! There are many awesome YouTube videos you can find which have great video clips of the city and all it holds, so definitely look those up! The unviersity I will be attending is University of Victoria, which is home to four campuses and about 35,000 students. As I was looking on the school website they have all kinds of things for students. Theres over 30 sports teams and 60 clubs, so there’s no shortage of ways I can get involved and meet new people. Also as I was reading up on other PSU students who are currently abroad in Wellington its getting me so excited to see how gorgeous the city is! Travel Travel Travel!! Apparently every weekend i’ll be able to find a huge fresh fruit open market and along the harbor which is like a five minute walk from my flat, there is a large fish market where you can buy freshly caught whole fish (I believe they sell about twenty different types). Already im pumped!

There is truly so much I want to accomplish by taking this trip. I’ve wanted to study abroad for quite some time but I never felt like I was ready to do it, but nowI am truly ready to take on this adventure. I am so thankful to my parents for financially making these dreams happen and I am so eager to learn how God is going to mold me for the better through this tripl I hope to grow more independence for starters. Going to a foreign country alone and allowing myself to be open and immersed in a new culture is surely going to be life changing. I just want to try new things! Sometimes I feel like I get to used to my little “life bubble” that I dont take enough time to venture into areas of life which are out of my comfort zone. I truly feel this area of my life is going to be changed greatly for the better and I cannot wait!

I hope to blog about three times a week and add lots of pictures, videos, links, etc. I can’t wait to tell you all about my trip as I near closer and I hope you will all enjoy reading! I hope to be as reflective as I can being that this is a memory I hope to be able to read back upon. Thanks for your support!

Love you all!!

Erin Sterner


Location: Pennyslvania, United States