Hello from my birthday/my FINAL blog from New Zealand!!! I get to say it because it's technically the 21st over here ;) AHHH! I'll be leaving Palmy in TWO days!!! Once again, it still doesn't feel like I'm leaving despite the fact that I finished buying the souvenirs/food I'm going to bring back. I also have no idea how I'm going to pack all my stuff back in my bags...
So what has happened the past week? I had my finals, my last pancake dinner, last free Thursday lunch (I had just recently learned about them too...), had dinner at Colin's house again (delicious! Complete with the All Black's rugby game and Monopoly Deal), and HOBBITON!
It was really cold in Rotorua, and it was especially cold in my hostel. I don't know why it was, but I was in my sweatpants, shirt, sweater, scarf, jacket, socks, and under the covers...and I was still cold. It was like they didn't have any heating in the building. But I survived.
Before I went to Rotorua, I was kinda joking about how Betsy said "back home in Palmy" after being away for two days at a farm show (or something). Then I went to Rotorua, and on the bus back I kept thinking "I can't wait to get back home" to Palmerston North. After being in New Zealand for 5 months, I can't just say "I was in NZ for a semester", but I have to say I LIVED here. It was on that bus back home and these last couple of days when it hit me that I think of Palmy as my home. I know I'm going to miss it here immensely, but I don't know how much more I'm going to miss it once I'm back in the States.
I was talking to Colin the other day, and he mentioned how there are two kind of American study abroad students--the ones who love it here and the ones who hate it. The ones who love it are the ones who go out and explore and experience what NZ has to offer and the ones to hate it are the ones to stay in their rooms. I keep thinking back and wonder at all the stuff I got to do while I was here--it simply amazes me that I could have such a wonderful opportunity. I couldn't have done %99 of the stuff I did if I were in the States.
I keep wanting to say something profound that encompasses all that I feel, have felt, and what I've learned, but I don't have that kind of talent at writing (coughlikeAnnaBethcough). Instead I'll just include some picture from Hobbiton.
<3
Rachael
P.S.
I would have added a couple more photos, but I have no more
So what has happened the past week? I had my finals, my last pancake dinner, last free Thursday lunch (I had just recently learned about them too...), had dinner at Colin's house again (delicious! Complete with the All Black's rugby game and Monopoly Deal), and HOBBITON!
It was really cold in Rotorua, and it was especially cold in my hostel. I don't know why it was, but I was in my sweatpants, shirt, sweater, scarf, jacket, socks, and under the covers...and I was still cold. It was like they didn't have any heating in the building. But I survived.
Before I went to Rotorua, I was kinda joking about how Betsy said "back home in Palmy" after being away for two days at a farm show (or something). Then I went to Rotorua, and on the bus back I kept thinking "I can't wait to get back home" to Palmerston North. After being in New Zealand for 5 months, I can't just say "I was in NZ for a semester", but I have to say I LIVED here. It was on that bus back home and these last couple of days when it hit me that I think of Palmy as my home. I know I'm going to miss it here immensely, but I don't know how much more I'm going to miss it once I'm back in the States.
I was talking to Colin the other day, and he mentioned how there are two kind of American study abroad students--the ones who love it here and the ones who hate it. The ones who love it are the ones who go out and explore and experience what NZ has to offer and the ones to hate it are the ones to stay in their rooms. I keep thinking back and wonder at all the stuff I got to do while I was here--it simply amazes me that I could have such a wonderful opportunity. I couldn't have done %99 of the stuff I did if I were in the States.
I keep wanting to say something profound that encompasses all that I feel, have felt, and what I've learned, but I don't have that kind of talent at writing (coughlikeAnnaBethcough). Instead I'll just include some picture from Hobbiton.
<3
Rachael
P.S.
I would have added a couple more photos, but I have no more
Yay! Sam's house!!!
Actual Bag End!
See that Oak tree? Yeah, it's fake. Our guide Danny gave us all leaves from that very tree!
RSS Feed
