Hey everyone!

It’s almost exactly two months until I fly down to New Zealand to start my study abroad experience. I decided to study in New Zealand because I have a lot of family from there and hold citizenship but have never spent much time getting to know the country. I hope this experience will allow me to get to know the culture and help me forge connections that will be useful if I eventually decide to move there for good!

I grew up in Devon, United Kingdom, but have been living outside Baltimore, Maryland for 10 years. I’m a junior at Penn State and will be studying at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Hamilton is the country’s fourth largest city in the Waikato region of the North Island. I’ll be living in self-catered accommodation and taking four classes in arts, international tourism and hospitality and Maori culture and language.

My hopes are that I get a chance to embrace my citizenship and really begin to feel like I have a right to hold it. I also want to do a bungy jumping tour, try zorbing (strapping yourself into a inflatable ball and rolling down a hill), learn how to pack like a backpacker and not like I’m moving my entire house (I’m limiting myself to three pairs of shoes) and travel through both the North and South Island taking in the sights. I’m also hoping to take a trip to Australia.

If all goes well, I’m hoping to find winter work on the ski fields at Mt. Ruapehu, so I’ll be flying with my snowboard strapped to my back!

Check back in a few weeks to see if I’m sticking to my three shoe packing rule…

Bye!

Karen
 

Location: State College, PA