Getting Touristy in Wellington

So I have been in Wellington for the past five days and I pretty much love this place. I'm not really a city person but Wellington is just the perfect size to feel like a city but at the same time small enough to feel "home-y". Also the people here are absolutely some of the friendliest that I have ever met and I have had such a great time diving into the world of couch surfing. Two days before my flight, saying good bye to some amazing people and friends had me torn up and wanting to just go home rather than to a city where I knew absolutely no one but this has been one of the most epic experiences of my life. My first couch surfing stay was with an amazing man named Brian. It was nice that Delphine was also surfing at his place when I arrived there and so she helped me find my way to his place in Brooklyn. Also met an awesome guy in the bus who helped me at the bus exchange. (People are so nice here!) Once I reached Brian's place I was greeted with an actual room and bed that I was to share with Delphine, and Brian even served us an amazing dinner! I was blown away. There were also about six or seven other surfers at his place at the same time (all from Germany-they are everywhere!!!) who were really fun and had some sweet travelling stories. The next day we all went to town together to discover the city of Wellington together :)

On top of the Te Papa Museum 

By civic center.

Welly!!

All of us at Brian's home :)

Almost a month later, I finally have free time to finish this blog post. The remainder of my time in Wellington proved to be just as fun and exciting as my first couple days. I switched to a different couch surfing host for my last two days and I'm so glad that I did. I came into a flat of four awesome kiwi guys and a German girl. It was great to finally seriously not be surrounded by a single study abroad student and to just be able to hang out and party with some actual local students. I had a great time getting to know the guys and ending the weekend with some epic zip lining and dancing :)

North Island Here I come....

So the past four months have been breath taking, mind blowing, life changing and in the past couple days absolutely heart breaking. I am thankful for all the experiences that have happened and for all the people with whom I crossed paths and that changed my life. Blah blah blah, I am sure all people that study abroad preach how amazing their time was and how it changed them but New Zealand has had such an insurmountable impact on the person that I am and how I view myself that I can't even believe or begin to understand.... But this blog is a cheers to the up coming adventures I am about to have on the North Island on my own until I eventually meet up with Hayley and her mom. I hope the next few weeks include many good people, good conversation, and many more discoveries :) Cheers!

Wellington!

It's not goodbye, it's see you later...

This blog is dedicated to the fact that although I am now only one final away from being done with this semester I am totally and completely depressed about how quickly my study abroad is coming to an end. Even though I still have until December 21^st here in New Zealand, I will be saying good bye to all my friends except Hayley this week. I wish I could express fully to each of them how much I am going to miss them all. I am trying to remember every little piece of this amazing experience as I can. From conversations that I have had, music that I have discovered, crazy things that I have done, even just the view out of my bedroom window. I talked to a good friend today, who I am going to miss more than he knows-about how not only have we gone on amazing trips here and met awesome people while seeing sights unlike anything we’ve seen before, but our mindset towards life itself has been changed. We both agreed that we’ve had the most fun here than (we fear) we will have for the rest of our lives… And part of this bases itself on the mindset that you are in just while studying abroad but another part of it is the kind of lifestyle that New Zealanders lead. This country may be small but the people and their hearts are absolutely enormous. I don’t want to lose this vigor and excitement for life, and every brand new day. I want to bring it back to Indiana, and carry it with me everywhere I go. Granted, I will never have as many, (if any) epic travels or see such beautiful things in Indiana as I have seen here but I want to always maintain my “New Zealand” out-look on life. We have often said to one another throughout the last five months when trying to convince each other of doing something, “Hey! You’re in New Zealand, you only live once, just do it!” Now I hope that I always say to myself, “Hey! You only live once Dahlia, just do it.” No matter where I go from now on, no matter who I may meet, or who I become, I will always carry Christchurch, New Zealand and everyone from this semester with me in my heart. I love and will miss you all more than words can express. I can’t believe that it is already over…

After only our first few days in Christchurch :)

Some epic tramping :)

One of our last nights together... I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!