So I leave for California on Friday then onto New Zealand on Tuesday so I thought I better check in with my housing situation. I got an email back from the University of Waikato saying that there had been a mistake with my application and that, as they thought I was a domestic student already living in Hamilton, they did not put me on any housing lists. Essentially I was homeless. Frantically I started applying to flatmate wanted ads in houses around the university.

Today, I just sent in my deposit for a 7 bedroom flat 5 minutes walk away from campus and with 3 guys and 3 girls as my flatmates. They seems awesome and I think I may have come out ontop in the situation. Instead of living with the other international students, I now get to live in a kiwi flat and experience Hamilton from a locals point of view.

Win.

Two days until I leave! My plan is to fly to San Diego to stay with a friend from Friday 11th to Tuesday the 15th. We have plans to snowboard and he said he’s teach me to surf. I’ll take the train up the coast on Tuesday into Union Station in Los Angeles and try to find my way from there to LAX. Couple hours of waiting around and I should be on my way to Auckland. I land in Auckland on the 17th, skipping a day during the flight, and am planning on meeting my friend Jeff in downtown Auckland for the day (he works on a cruise ship that happens to be docking there). After that, I’m meeting my Aunt for two days before heading to Hamilton to move into my flat and start studying!!!

Karen

Location: Baltimore, Maryland