Posts

All Good Things Come to an End

Image
Endings can be a source of sadness, but I find my ending here on Pacific Program to be a new beginning. In just a few days I will be on a plane back to the United States and I feel as though I’m a very different person from when I left. I feel that I have more capability to be relaxed and try new things which is a strong departure from the routine oriented woman I left as. I worked hard to make these changes; it most assuredly wasn’t coincidental. Instead I worked towards a personal goal to try things outside my comfort zone. I’ve become, I believe, a more well rounded person because this goal and returning home will be a new beginning because the growth I have accomplished. Even with my excitement towards a new beginning, I expected to meet the ending of this Program with sadness. I believe what changed that for me was the observance of sunsets. Sunsets are not an unusual phenomenon; in fact, they occur every day in every place across the world. However, before coming on the Pa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Natural Wonders of the Pacific

Image
I was raised to appreciate and love the outdoors. My parents took my brother and I hiking as children and taught us to appreciate the natural beauty that we would observe. Part of the reason I was so intent on coming on the Pacific Program was to visit New Zealand's natural beauty. I had seen plenty of pictures of New Zealand in my research, but I knew that none would be able to do nature justice and that I had to see it for myself. Even with all of my research and high expectations, I was blown away by the natural wonders that I found in New Zealand. Early on in the trip, the first weekend actually, I found myself in awe of the beauty of this country for the first time. I took a road trip to the Putangirua Pinnacles which is featured in The Lord of the Rings movie as a filming location. On a cloudless day, we made our way through the forest. The forest didn’t strike me as very different from what I had experienced in the mountain of the US. It was luscious and beautiful, bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Life in the Big City

Image
Part of what makes Pacific Program so intriguing as a study abroad option is the number of places that I get to visit as a study abroad student. What I didn’t realize was the interesting mixture of urban and rural areas these places would end up being. The rural areas gave me a calming perspective on life, isolation, and friendships, but the urban areas I’ve been to have been just as valuable to my learning experience. I’ve spent my entire life in either the metro Atlanta or Atlanta areas which are suburban and urban environments respectively. Both have made large city environments feel natural and like home to me. Many people describe feeling crushed or oppressed by city life, but I see city life as full of opportunities and culture. Wellington was the first big city that we visited as part of this program. Based on my personal experiences, I actually never would have considered Wellington that big of a city, but it’s the second largest city in New Zealand. The feel of Well...
Post a Comment
Read more