Final Blog Assignment

Addison Reid

As I look back on my time in New Zealand, I realize just how much I have taken away from this trip. I started this journey looking to experience a new culture and to see all the wildlife that New Zealand had to offer but I gained so much more. Not only have I learned about the culture of New Zealanders, I feel that I have embraced the lifestyle. I have returned to the States with more of a "live in the moment" attitude and a better understanding of how Americans are portrayed abroad. I walk away from this experience with a new approach to beaches and the species that live in the surrounding habitats. It will be hard for me to see a beach and not classify the sediment size and breaker type and no longer will I see a shell and not think of what used to live in it.
If I could have given advice to myself before going on this incredible journey, I would have told myself to take advantage of every opportunity given to me, no matter what the obstacle or adventure awaits me. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and these adventures such as zorbing and cliff hanging may never be available to me again. This trip has opened my eyes to all the amazing things that this world has to offer and it has encouraged me to take advantage of opportunities to travel the world.

Final Blog Assignment
-Rob Gardiner

This trip to New Zealand has undoubtedly been one of the best five weeks of my life. I made memories everyday that will remain with me forever. Over the course of the month I learned so much more than just the geology and biology of New Zealand. I learned about a culture I had no idea even existed (the Maori) and am now fascinated by their history and proudly wear one of their beautiful carvings around my neck. I also learned a lot more about myself than I had ever imagined I would while studying abroad.
I've been stuck on this next sentence for a long time now because I really can't put into words how special and truly life changing this trip was. This blog and my photos can't capture how amazing a time I had. If I could go back and re-do the entire trip there is really not one moment I would change. The people who I got to experience everything with made the time spent in New Zealand that much better. I fell in love with New Zealand and the only thing helping me get through this snow storm is the possibility of going back someday. In fact, at one of the last hostels we stayed in I picked up some papers about seasonal work in the summer after graduation. However, it came to mind that as many times as I do go back to Aotearoa and no matter how many amazing things I see while there, it will in no way compare to our trip simply because I will not have the same group of people to experience it with. Since I've been home I've been seriously affected by jet lag which has l!
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eft me with nothing else to do but go through the 700 photos I took and relive every moment. A large number of these photos were taken during the Tongariro Crossing. The crossing was probably the most challenging walk I have ever done and will ever do. After hiking for 5 and a half hours up steep inclines with lose rock, everything else seems easy. The sense of accomplishment I felt after the crossing was second only to how I felt when I landed after skydiving. I'll end it here before I begin to start rambling off stories about the trip which could take forever.
Thank you to everybody who was involved in this trip (including those people back in New Zealand) for being part of one of the best times of my life.

Final Blog- Mike Kelly

Michael Kelly                                                                                                            2/8/10

                                                         Final Blog Assignment

            Overall, I would have to say that the trip to New Zealand was an amazing endeavor that taught me a great deal about the different places, people, and myself. Having been thrown into totally new surroundings with people I have never met before was to say the least, an interesting experience. My initial goals entering the trip were to learn about the geology and biology of New Zealand's coasts, but the learning went far beyond what was taught by professors. I would have to say that I learned far more than I had hoped, especially about the cultures and people of New Zealand. It was really eye opening to learn from the Maori and native Kiwis that gave me a fresh perspective on life. The most challenging aspect of the trip was accommodating the needs of other people and attempting to understand their points of view in context of their diverse backgrounds and social/cultural past. I found this to be applicable to not just the people of New Zealand, but with my fellow students. Over the course of the trip I felt that I really learned a lot about myself, who I am and perhaps more importantly who I am not. I found that in my opinion I am much more tolerant and understanding of new people, ideas, and situations than most others. Being able to cope with new situations and take care of myself was also something that really became apparent to me. I was proud of my ability to learn about new places, how they function, and how to take care of my needs.

My perceptions of New Zealand were only strengthened and improved from my trip there. The great cultural heritage and history was to me quite amazing and the pride and importance New Zealanders have in their cultural history reinforced my respect for their great nation. Coming back to the states, I have found that things seem to be must faster paced and oriented around more superficial things. The trip also has really made me aware of how few people appreciate and utilize the outdoors here at home. Yes, people at home love the beach and beautiful landscapes, but fail to understand the importance of these places in a manner that transcends the obvious physical attributes.

            If I were able to talk to myself being going to New Zealand there are many things I would like to say. First off, be careful jumping fences or try to avoid them all together (since I sprained my ankle pretty bad). On a more serious note, I would advise myself to be more outgoing, utilize my free time to take the path less traveled and take advantage of the amazing, unique things New Zealand has to offer. Anyone can be a tourist, but to really experience a place you have to make the effort to do so. In my future travels I hope to be more outgoing, willing to take risks and be outside my 'comfort zone' to really experience a new place and learn the most that I can. 

Final Blog- Christine MacDonald

Christine MacDonald

This trip surpassed all my expectations and I am still in shock that it is over. For
starters this experience challenged me in many ways. First, I was challenged
intellectually because I have no experience with geology and was thrown into
the field with all these unfamiliar rocks and processes. I had to rise to the
occasion. Secondly, I was challenged socially because I knew absolutely no one
before the trip and I came back with great friends. This study aboard also
challenged me culturally because spending a month in another country opened
my eyes to a different way of life and a different way of living. This trip was
physically challenging with all the hikes and especially the Tangaura Crossing. I
would never think of myself climbing hundreds of feet up steep mountains for
10 miles! Lastly this trip made me face my fears. Consider bungee jumping.
Never would I ever have voluntarily jumped off a ledge face first heading to the
ground, but I did and I'm proud of it.
This trip also changed my perception of the world. Never could I have imagined
in my wildest dreams that a place could be so beautiful and diverse, and I have
always thought I had a pretty good imagination! New Zealand showed me there
is a wider world out there that can be explored and can open my eyes to things I
never thought possible. For example, crawling through black caves with glow
worms was surreal. It makes me eager to see other parts of the world because I
know there is so much I still don't know but could yet discover.
If I could have talked to myself before I left, I would have told myself three
things. One is to take about half of what I packed in my suitcase because I
wouldn't need it. Second, I would remind myself to take advantage of every
opportunity presented because I wouldn't know when if ever I might have the
chance to do any of this again. Also I would tell myself to remember to soak it
all in and appreciate what I was doing while I was doing it. For example, stop
and really look at Cathedral Cove and take in all its beauty to make sure I will
never, never forget.
The thing that surprised me most were the locals. They were the nicest people.
They were always helpful and never had an attitude or seemed bothered by our
perhaps silly questions. However, when it came to night life, the Kiwi guys were
creepy which really threw me off. We had a joke that they were like flies, always
hovering and impossible to get to go away. Another interesting thing about New
Zealand that surprised me was the lack of wildlife. They really only have
possums (which they try to kill all time), sheep, cats, and dogs. It is really the
land of the birds.
Overall, I think I reached my goals for this trip. I was outgoing and put myself
out there to make friends. Also, I didn't shy away from opportunities. I swam at
every beach, did black cave water rafting, went bungee jumping, ate scallop
reproductive organs and much more. It is crazy to think that in one month I
have done more than some people achieve in a lifetime! I experienced many
cultural activities native to New Zealand, such as dancing and singing at the
Mauri. I also learned more about geology and marine biology than I expected. I
am excited now to go back to work this summer and be able to tell the rest of
my lifeguard patrol about coastal features and processes and why the beach
looks the way it does.
All in all this experience changed me as a person. I have grown as a student, a
friend, and a person as a whole. After this trip I have so many more goals in life,
more places I want to travel to and learn about. This experience really showed
me that I have only experienced a limited amount of life and the world. I want to
travel to places off the beaten path and learn about different cultures because
overall it would make me a better person in the end—more understanding,
more accepting. The only regret I have is that I didn't take motion sickness
medicine on the whale watch. Other than that, I wouldn't have changed the trip
or the people for anything or anybody. It was the best month of my life. I just
hope the rest of my life can live up to it. Thanks Art and Doug!!

Christine MacDonald
University of Delaware

Final Blog Entry

Bobby Winters        

 The trip to New Zealand was easily one of my favorite experiences of all time.  I spent the entire 2 hour car ride homeward bound trying to tell my parents about all of the awesome things that we got to do while we were in New Zealand.  One of the things that made the trip so cool was the fact that we travelled together with a nicely sized group of new faces which quickly turned into good friends as we were able to experience together all the amazing things that can be found only in New Zealand.

                I would like to say that I met my objectives from before the trip started.  I experienced the unique culture of New Zealand through both the Marae stay and by just being out and about in the cities and towns that we visited.  I think that my views have also changed a little bit too.  I’ve gotten so used to living in the U.S. and seeing the same people all the time around UD and my hometown.  It was really amazing to get to see how much more is really out there in the world all though we were only in one country.  I have been to Europe a few times before, but what makes this trip so much different was the amount of time that we spent in New Zealand.  It really allowed me to experience and see so much more of the culture and environments that can be found which definitely gave me better insight.

                Arriving in PHL on Jan 2, I really did not know what we were about to go through.  The thing I knew for certain was that we would be spending some time looking at the geology and biology found on the shores of New Zealand.  And of course the trip included that along with so much more.  In the first day alone, we had travelled in a boat from Auckland to Rangitoto (after driving up to the top of Mt. Eden) where we were able to look into a huge crater of a shield volcano which was pretty crazy.  Then we broke off to explore a little bit of Auckland which was a brand new city for everybody.  And we spent our first night in a hostel which I’m sure was new for a lot of us.  Basically the whole first day was spent exploring, which would turn out to be the mold for the rest of the trip.  We spent a night with some Maori people, which turned out to be one of my favorite activities.  We made our way to the Bay of Islands where we got to take a boat all the way through the “Hole in the Rock.”  We had a pretty cool experience at Hot Water Beach and then spent a lot of time exploring Cathedral Cove all in one day.  We even sailed out to White Island where we stepped into an active volcano expected to erupt every ten years (it was year 10, of course).

           I’m going to stop there because you know the rest, but just about everywhere else that we went offered a new place to explore, a new place to learn, and a new place to strengthen friendships.  And it’s for these reasons that I was able to get the most out of our trip to New Zealand.  It was really tough to say good bye to New Zealand for the time being, but I look forward to staying in touch with everybody in Newark and I know that I would absolutely take an opportunity to go back. 

 

Emily Olson - Final Blog Assignment

I spent a month in Middle Earth. No, make that Narnia. Or maybe it was a place made for Heavenly Creatures, or perhaps it was the territory of a pair of Concords. Or maybe, just maybe, I spent one of the best months of my life in one of the best places on planet Earth – New Zealand. I've traveled to many places in the world, and one or two of them have made me question my desire to return home. New Zealand didn't offer me that question; it grabbed me by the wrist and demanded that I stay there for as long as it could keep its hold on me. Because of that, walking onto the plane to LA was one of the hardest decisions I made. Not only because I love the country so much, but because being disconnected from my normal life for a month made me question what I was really doing. If I had stayed, let go of what I'd been told was the right path for me to take, the accepted course of action, would I have become a spiritually richer and more complete person? Or would I have crashed and burned and come crawling back to my family and friends in the United States? I stepped on that plane and returned as I should have, though, so I don't know the answer – at least I won't until I return as a backpacker, which I am determined to do. It seems like this trip was a dream – I left dead trees and snow behind, and then I came back to the same thing, making the month inbetween feel like it never happened. I've left New Zealand for now, but New Zealand will never leave me – Aeotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud, its people, its nature, its heart and soul will be with me forever, and will keep pulling me back for the rest of my life.

But enough with the philosophical stuff. I had a great time, I met great people, and learned a lot about similar and different cultures all on one tiny landmass. The feeling of walking into Cathedral Cove was one thing I will never forget, as is pushing myself to do the 18.5km of the Tongariro Crossing, which in the end was worth more to me than I could have ever dreamed – from the times I was left speechless by the scenery to the moments I thought I was going to die! Every second of every minute of every day was spectacular, even the times when I was tired, stressed out, or frustrated. I learned in class, out of class, about myself, and about other people. It was a strange feeling waking up the Friday after we landed and not being in a room with 7 other people and all of their luggage, but I guess I'll get used to it soon enough. I'll always have the pictures, the memories, the friends I made, the knowledge I gained, and the desire and will to return. One of the most important things I learned was to let myself have fun, and that I can do anything as long as I have the willpower to see it through. I've taken those lessons home with me, and I will take them back to New Zealand the next time I step on those fair shores, however soon or distant that may be. I'm just grateful that this trip was made possible, so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who had a hand in creating it and everyone who shared it with me.

Amanda DePasquale - Final Blog

Amanda DePasquale – Final Blog
This trip has left me speechless. I can't even begin to explain to people how awesome it was. I never imagined that I would do all of the different things that I did in one month. This trip has meant so much to me. The opportunities that it has given me were unlike any other opportunities I have ever had, and I'm so happy to have taken them.
Before I came, I was interested in learning about the Maori culture and learning the haka. I learned the woman's version of the haka, and watched the men perform their version. I also learned a lot about them from just talking to the people that lived in the marae. The other goal I had was to learn about the geology and biology of New Zealand. I can say that I successfully did that. I feel confident in identifying beach states, shells, wave types, sediments, and plants in coastal environments. I saw sea stars, crabs, and even penguins in their natural habitats. I saw a beach made of very fine grain black magnetic sand. I even took some home.
My goals increased as the trip progressed. I wanted to see more, experience more, do more. I made sure to take advantage of any opportunity that we were given, like the black water rafting in the glow worm caves and zorbing. Although they cost money, I am so happy that I did them. I took every opportunity I had to see things also. I went hiking up Mt. Maunganui at night with some students, which was incredible. The views were just breathtaking.
As for challenges, there really weren't any huge ones on the trip for me. I have studied abroad before, so I was not homesick. Physically, my body was quite sore after the Tongariro crossing, but no pain no gain right? Emotionally, my grandpa passed away during the last week of our stay in New Zealand, and it was so hard for me to be away from my family at that tough time.
But on a lighter note, my perception of New Zealand is natural. It is so overgrown and untouched that it is amazing. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park because the ferns were HUGE. Not only that, the amount of different environments in New Zealand are incredible. There were beaches, forests, rain forests, sand dunes, volcanoes, pastures, mountains... you name it New Zealand probably has it. The islands are so natural and clean, full of biology and geology.
If I could talk to myself before the trip, I would tell myself to get ready for the experience of a lifetime. Be prepared to see the most beautiful place in the world, in which pictures cannot capture the awesomeness of it. My experience in New Zealand has been like no other experience I had before. The places I visited and the things that I did will stay with me forever, and I will continue to tell everyone who asks me about how great it was. I am so happy to have had such a fantastic experience here, and to make some great friends. This trip has opened my eyes, and I am even considering spending more time in New Zealand after I graduate from UD.