This was one of the best weekends I've had so far in NZ, and I certainly wasn't expecting it to be. We'd all been getting kind of bogged down - homesick, tired of the same group of people and a little bit of drama. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons a little this weekend, and I'm so glad I did.
On Friday I went to an Auckland Blues rugby game with my friends Hunter and Dean. Dean's a Kiwi, and Hunter's an American - I met them both through a friend who studied here last semester. They go to University of Auckland, the "other" uni here. I hung out with the boys all day, bar-hopping, and then we met up with a group of backpackers and took the train to the game. I can't say I understand much about rugby, but it was fun to watch everyone else get into it, and nice to see the stadium. We ended the night at what's probably the nicest Denny's in the world... not an incredibly competitive field, but it was nice to get pancakes and hashbrowns and feel like an American.
Saturday, my friend Kacey (a fellow Trojan) rented a van, and 9 of us piled in for the drive to Piha beach, about 40 minutes away from Auckland. It was a beautiful beach, and one of the best (but also most dangerous) for surfers. We rented a few boards and took turns fighting the waves. There was a huge rock formation, called Lion Rock, that we climbed up for great views, and the sunset was really amazing. 
The sky was so blue, even after the sun went down, and looked great against the pink clouds. It was a relaxing and refreshing day, and no one wanted to come back to the city.
Today has been less productive than expected... but I have a long week or two of schoolwork ahead of me, before the 2-week midsemester break. I got a lovely care package from ADPi that warmed my heart. Miss you all!!!
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