Wow, what a trip. I have so much to reflect on I don’t even know where to start. Even though I joined late, I feel like I have been on this trip for the whole time. As we wrap up on the last day or so, I want to say thanks to everyone in the group. I felt so welcomed immediately on my first day. It wasn’t hard at all to get to know y’all at all, and exploring New Zealand with such a solid group has been a blast.
As we get ready to leave, I have a lot of parting thoughts about the country. It isn’t until this last week that I’ve felt it, but I am really starting to appreciate New Zealand as a whole. I knew I’d be blown away by the nature and scenery. I joined this trip for the hikes, but everything I’ve done here has exceeded expectations. I know I won’t even feel the weight of what I’m taking home with me till I’m back (though I’ll pay for it heavily in checked baggage fees). So many memories. I didn’t expect to have as many interactions with the natives as I did. Several conversations stick out to me, especially those with university students our age. It was mind-blowing to see the perspectives of people here about the U.S. and different political ideas. Through many discussions, I got to refine my arguments, but also get to hear some good points from the New Zealand perspective.
I know I’ll be back here. Of all the cities we traveled to, Queenstown stuck out the most to me. I think I made the most memories there, mostly through the skydiving and the people I met through that. Looking back, I’m really grateful I got to have a couple days to live life with the adventurous kiwi spirit, and see the country through that lense.
One other thing that marked this trip was the adventure through The Hobbit with the Hero’s Journey perspective. I took so much from that and saw a lot of similarities between the developments of Bilbo and myself just in growing up and experiencing challenges and discomforts, but also victories and new developments. Digging through this book made the trip stick, and I think I’ll have lifelong memories as I re-read The Hobbit and flip through the many pictures I took. So it’s goodbye to New Zealand for now, and on to the next adventure!
