Timberlock’s voyageurs has taught me a bit about hiking in difficult conditions, but this was a whole new world. The mountain was steep, really steep, and each step we made was met with three backwards as we were climbing up what could only be compared to a giant sand pile, covered in sharp volcanic rocks. The climb took us a couple of hours, and once reaching the top we encountered freezing winds and an absolutely stunning view.

The way down was extra adventures as we would take one step forward, and slip several feet down the mountain. At one point I fell and rolled down the rocks until I crashed into the rest of the group, safe but rather scraped up. Our dinner that night never tasted so good, and I have rarely ever felt so accomplished.

Wellington, in the words of my 15-year-old home stay brother, is “completely awesome”. We did another city scramble and spent our days exploring, asking a lot of questions, and shopping, shopping, shopping. I don’t typically care that much about clothing…but after four week wearing the same frequently washed three shirts? Well it gets a little old. We were so excited to be surrounded by lots of new people and exciting things to distract us.

Speaking of new people, our home stay in Eastbourne has been wonderful. It was fantastic to be in a real home again, and taking a break from the routine of travelling and hostels. Exploring the town and hanging out with the locals is wonderful, and I was really sad to leave.

We left early on Monday morning, to meet the ferry that will take us to the South Island, and the second half of our trip. Five hours and a lot of homework catch up later, we set foot on Te Wai Pounamu.

If I don’t blog or contact in the next few weeks, it is because we are attempting to officially disconnect from NMH and the world outside of our group. We have a little over two weeks left, and are currently in the midst of the Southern Alps, surrounded by sea, jungle and mountains. I promise to fill everyone in on the rest of my adventures once I return.

Time to set the standards higher. Today begins the next-biggest-thing I’ve ever done. In three hours, a bus will take me away from the NMH campus that has become my home, and into the first waves of an incredible adventure.

How is it ever possible to be ready for this sort of thing? You can think you’re ready, you can pack six times, make a thousand lists (you should see all the post it notes around my desk right now), say goodbye, leave your words and promises and memories, and think that you know what to expect.

If I’ve learned anything from my two years at school, it’s that often, things don’t go exactly how you pictured them. Sometimes they’re worse, sometimes things challenge you past the point you thought you could handle, and you wake up on the other side shocked and proud of what you managed to accomplish.

Sometimes, they’re better. Sometimes you lose things to find something better, you change your vision of yourself to become closer to the person you want to be, people change so that you can let them go, places change so that they can make room for new people, and you discover that, no matter what, everything has a way of working out in the end.

I am so excited, so nervous, so sad to leave the people I love, so happy to travel with my new ‘family’, so ready, and completely unprepared at the same time. So here goes nothing, here starts the newest adventure, the next chapter. I hope I’ll get a chance to update you all along the way, and I wish everyone the best of luck on whatever adventure they’re about to set off on.

E Noha Ra, goodbye to those staying,
Caroline

Last spring, when I first found out I was accepted to the New Zealand study abroad program, I entered the date of departure into an app on my phone that counts down days, and was amazed at how many days stretched between that wet spring day, and the moment when my trip was to begin. Every time an event is within ten days of occurring, a little flag pops up when you turn on the phone, a constant reminder of the closing in of days and the much anticipated arrival of the birthday/holiday/weekend. It seemed to me that the little red flag of triumph would take a couple of years to appear, instead of a few months. And now… only five days?

Today was a celebration of family, of new beginnings and reunions and hope. I spent the day with those closest to me, my last Sunday at NMH for months, begining to say goodbye while saying hello and welcoming home.

I will miss these people so much

My plan is to just write. To write and photograph and live, and if anyone wants to follow this modern-online-journal thing that’s completely up to you. I’m not going to advise you to tune in, ’cause honestly I have no idea if it’s going to be interesting. I hope it is, for my sake and yours, but there’s no telling right now. We’ll just have to see what happens…