The past three weeks have been packed full of incredible adventures, but the time has absolutely flown by. It all feels like a blur of hikes, cities, restaurants, presentations, and traveling. However, I truly do feel like to made the most of every moment and it was absolutely worth the time and money spent to get there. The worst part of the trip was definitely the travel days. They weren’t miserable, but I wasn’t able to sleep very well which wasn’t the greatest. My favorite part of the trip was hiking, and in particular the Ben Lomond Summit in Queenstown. Mount Cook, Lyttleton, and Waiheke were all also amazing. Another time I really enjoyed was when we were all making and sharing food at Algies Bay.
I do feel like I also learned quite a bit in the country. In general, it is always cool and interesting to see the practices other societies have. One area I think I learned the most about is environmentalism and sustainability. It was awesome to see all the talk about environmental consciousness encountered in the US actually put into action through recycling, energy and water conservation, and a lack of plastic disposable products. Seeing how sensible and easy alot of these practices are has inspired me to try to be more sustainable back home.
In summary, this was an incredible experience that I am extremely grateful to have been able to have. It was very cool to be able to see such beautiful places, get to be on my own for a little bit, and learn more about my role in the world.