Last week started final exams. It’s a weird time here because we’re still abroad, class-free, and yet we’re not free to just soak in the sun all day. Finals kind of loom over our heads; it also doesn’t help that my friends and I all have completely different finals schedules over the next two weeks. Nevertheless, we have been very careful to make sure we are not pre-maturely ending our study abroad experience.

 

During the week, I spent lots of hours studying more than I have in a long time. My final was on Friday and was hard as anticipated. Finals here are three hours! I don’t think I’ve had an exam that long since AP exams in high school. Also, no one uses pencils. Oops. I definitely find finals here more stressful than at home.

 

As a study break, I met with Robyn, the women in engineering equity advisor at UoA. I did a sort of interview and just casual conversation with her. She has been helping me out all through the semester and is just an absolutely lovely person. I admire how she handles her position and her mission. I appreciate her saying she hopes her position doesn’t exist in five years-the percentage of women in engineering shouldn’t be an issue and they shouldn’t need a person to provide academic and all-around support.

 

Yesterday, we went out into the city to look for gifts and souvenirs for friends and family back home. We took a nice trail into the city and the sun cast itself perfectly through the trees. We hadn’t taken this trail together since the first week or two of the semester. It was nice to take it again with those same two people I met from the start. Who knew those two people would be my best friends for my months here.

 

Anyways, souvenir shopping- easier said than done. It’s incredibly awkward and difficult to buy souvenirs when you have lived somewhere for a semester. It feels like sending souvenirs from my hometown in Ohio…why would I do that? Not to mention, buying gifts for people is always so hard (more so with a limited suitcase volume and weight and money running out!). Nevertheless, it was great walking down Queen Street, a main street downtown, full of people on the beautiful Saturday afternoon. People were shopping, playing music, dancing…it was a great atmosphere.

 

On the way back, we stopped at an adorable gelato store off the main road in a quaint little alleyway. We pass the sign for it all the time and realized there was no better time than this lovely day. The woman behind the counter was beyond friendly and served me up the most delicious double chocolate gelato I could ask for. The cone was even fresh.

 

 

We then stopped in a nicer store that sells traditional Maori jewelry and art. It was so nice to be here after spending time in cheesy tourist shops. The woman who worked here was also so sweet and certainly made me want to go back to support her work.

 

 

I have been staring at the wall of my room where I have printed calendars posted. I printed out one for August, September, October, and November to keep organized and note important dates. I have been crossing off the weeks as they pass and it scares me that I’m already on the last of the four printouts! At the same time, though, everything, including time, has been just right.

 

When I first met my flat mate, Joe, I was excited to learn he was a runner. He told me he was training to run the Auckland Marathon on October 28. I was excited for his goal but remember thinking, October 28…that’s forever away. Yet, just a few hours ago, I returned from watching him run. As a high school runner, being back in the running environment made me so incredibly happy. Strangers cheering on strangers and overall good vibes filled the air. It was a great start to the day. And of course, Joe did well, which made it better.

 

It’s nice how beautiful weather puts everyone and everything in good spirits…I don’t mind.