The Little Things
I could put up 1000 pictures, but I'll spare you all of that! After some reflection, I have to say my favorite things about my trip were simply the little things. The little things are what end up making life awesome, right? One of my favorite nights on the trip was when we were visiting Mount Cook. It this the highest mountain in NZ and it's freaking BEAUTIFUL! We were out in the middle of nowhere staying at one of the more rustic accommodations; we had been hiking all day and were all pretty tired and cold. A few of us grabbed our sleeping bags and just went and laid in the middle of a field. It was the coldest I've ever been; also, as one of the first nights there, I was essentially laying with a bunch of strangers. No one really said much- not because we weren't comfortable, but because it was breathtaking. As a city girl that's never been camping, seeing literally thousands of stars light up the sky was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The little memories like this are the ones that added up to make my trip so unique. In addition to stargazing, were the cards my mom hid in my bag. Granted, most people don't get quite as homesick as I tend to, but if you're half way across the world for 4 weeks with a group of (awesome!) people you don't know...I PROMISE you will half a few moments of homesick pangs. That being said, my mom snuck 4 different cards in my luggage-- glorious! Each one had a sweet message and an encouraging bible verse, and ended up being one of my favorite things! Other little treasures included: 
-hot chocolate. Alright...let's be honest. IT WAS COLD! As all get out. I legitimately drank more hot chocolate in this 4 week period than I have throughout the entirety of my 20 years. -sheep. HA! They were everywhere. And precious. Sheep wayyyy out-number people in New Zealand, and they're seriously adorable. I don't know why...but I definitely took a strong liking towards them. I'm nowhere close to being a vegetarian, but I do refuse to eat lamb at this point.
-accents. I still can't imitate them. I sound like a mix between a British and Indian. It's pretty sad.
The Not-So-Little Things
There definitely were some major highlights of the trip. For those of you who don't know, I can kind of explain exactly what I was doing across the world. It was a study abroad trip through an organization known as AUIP. They plan different trips across the world, and did a program in NZ that took 15 NCSU students, 10 Florida students, and 2 NCSU faculty. Mr. & Mrs. Moore were the faculty leaders and they are INCREDIBLE! High school sweethearts. Adventurous. Always up for anything. They lead us around NZ on the trip AUIP had planned. So instead of being at one specific university location like most study abroad trips are, we were constantly traveling around (in a charter bus with our 80-year-old bus driver, Dick. He. Is. A. Legend.). Though I'm sure any study abroad experience is FABULOUS, I am thankful for the experience I had! I was able to see the whole south island of NZ and experience some crazy things that I never would have been able to plan myself. We would have different lecturers at various locations, and we did have multiple essays due each week. But the work seemed like such a minor part of the experience that I can't believe I got 6 credit hours for it!
Crazy adventure number one: (and my personal favorite) Swimming with wild dolphins in Kaikoura. The day we did this, a few of us were sort of under the weather with colds. I woke up and was excited to swim, but was dreading the cold weather and the even colder water. However, as soon as we saw some pictures at "Dolphin Encounter," I was more than ready to go! We wore thick wetsuits and snorkels and rode out on boats to where the company had tracked some dolphins. We all jumped into the water, lost our breath for a second because it was not much over 40 degrees, and then (wait for it) started singing and making dolphin noises. You did not read that wrong. Dolphins are really curious and fun animals, and are attracted and curious of different sounds and noises. I still am not convinced that the company didn't just tell us to make stupid noises solely for their entertainment. Regardless, the dolphins came. Dozens of them! They would swim right at you, beside you, and twist all around. I am not trying to sound corny, but I literally had tears in my eyes. It was so... magnificent. I've rarely seen a more beautiful and raw side of God's creation. 
Other great adventures included kayaking, hiking Fox Glacier, hiking Mt. Cook, and taking an Elm Wildlife tour where we were literally three feet away from seal pups, penguins, and sea lions. I also can't go without mentioning BUNGEE JUMPING! In our last week, we went to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. Coolest city ever. I am still in shock that I willingly signed myself up for bungying, but I am so happy that I did! I originally wanted to sky dive, but it was twice as much in Queenstown as it is in the USA, so most of us decided against it. Long story short, I signed up to bungee jump and that was that! One guy described it as committing suicide and failing at the last second; that's a little morbid for me, so I like to think of it as trying to fly and your wings giving out.... Regardless, it was a great experience and the scariest part is definitely the few seconds right before you jump. I would recommend it to all of you, and I'd totally do it again!The People
Myself
As more days go by since the trip has come to a close, I reflect more and more on what I learned as a person- what I learned about myself. I know it's a little cheesy and half-expected for me to say that this trip changed my life....but it's true. I'd be lying if I said it hadn't. I learned more about myself: my flaws (there are so many...), my talents, my beliefs, my passions...the list goes on and on. I learned never to underestimate anyone. I was reassured of my love for the Lord; no matter how beautiful and amazing everything was, He is the only consistent thing in my life. I said and did things I regret (nothing too crazy, promise!), which only reassured me of my mistakes and my desperate need for grace and forgiveness from others and from the Lord. I began to understand what I want for my life. I learned that I do (desperately) want to live near my family, but I also learned that I am strong enough to live where life leads me, wherever that may be. There is a song by Jason Mraz called "I Won't Give Up." It's one of my favorite songs ever, by the way. But there is a line that I just kept thinking about throughout the trip that says "...I had to learn what I got, what I'm not, and who I am." And I think that sums it up perfectly. I've learned to be thankful for my family and friends...my education, and opportunities. I had to learn who I'm not, and the things I don't like and won't settle for, which ultimately helped me to (begin to) figure out who I am.
I don't think there is a single point in life when we figure out "who we are." People always say that, you know? They say "I didn't know who I was then, but when I was __ (fill in) age, then I knew." But I totally disagree. I think the most beautiful thing about life is the journey to figure out who we are. We are always changing (to an extent); always facing new things that shape us. I know I left out so much in this blog, but there is no way a single post, or 10 posts, or 100 posts could do everything I saw, learned, and loved justice. This trip was...amazing. Life changing. Fun. Beautiful. Exciting. Hard. Monumental. And though I still am searching for who I am and where I am going, I can say that never has 4 weeks caused me to search for who I am and impacted me more than the 4 short weeks I spent in New Zealand.
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