Long-awaited SB 2K9 Post!

Hey everyone!
I am SORRY that it's been so long since I updated this... Nothing exciting happened before I left for break, and then I was in the South Island for two weeks, to come back to some major assignments -- needless to say, I haven't had a lot of spare time!
But I will try my best to recap all the best parts of my mid-semester break, which was VERY fun. Luika, one of my best friends at USC, is studying abroad in Melbourne, so she flew down to NZ to spend break here. She came in the night before Easter, so we got to enjoy a service Sunday morning at one of the churches I really like in Auckland. We then did our own Easter egg hunt in my apartment... but I missed the hunts my Grandmother still puts on for her 20+ aged grandchildren!
On Monday, my mom and Gayle Mckool (one of our longtime friends, and the mother of my lifelong best friend Raney) arrived in Auckland and we began our tour. I took them to One Tree Hill, one of my favorite places in Auckland - it's a huge park with walking paths, great views, and fields of sheep! My mom tried to help me herd the sheep, but shockingly they are even faster than we are. The next day I took the moms and Luika to Piha Beach, another place I love. It was a little chilly for swimming, but we hiked a little, and I took them to my favorite hidden spot at the beach, where there is a bunch of sea life (clams, giant starfish, and anemones) and a great view of the ocean from a cove. I did feel confident enough in my swimming abilities to skip the hike over the rocks and swim through the waves back... my mom doubted me though, and sent Luika in to "rescue" me. We both made it JUST FINE! We also got to check out the Auckland Zoo before we left, but as Gayle learned, having NO native mammals, NZ doesn't have a lot of unique wildlife to offer.




Wednesday we began our tour of the South Island - we flew into Christchurch for the night, where we had dinner and then met up with one of Luika's friends from Melbourne who also goes to USC. The next morning we took the train across the Southern Alps, where there were some great views even though it was raining. The fall colors were blooming like crazy, unlike Auckland, and it was picturesque pretty much everywhere we went. We had some roadblocks (literally) trying to get down the west coast to Fox and Frans Joseph Glaciers. After driving all day long through pouring rain and literal RIVERS running over the road, we learned that the rest of the road had washed out and we weren't going to make it to the glaciers. I'm sad I missed them, but I don't feel like many road conditions will ever intimidate me again! We backtracked and spent the night in Hokitika - to get up the next morning and drive about 9 hours to get back on track in Queenstown. That was definitely my favorite place we visited. The town is precious and quaint and reminded me a lot of Breckenridge - I wished it was winter, because the mountains around Queenstown were BEAUTIFUL, and I would have loved to see them snow-capped. There's also a huge lake that the town looks over. I could not get enough of the views there. Luika and I hiked up a mountain everyone else was wise enough to take the gondola up, but once we were up there it was worth it for the fabulous views. Barb and Gayle decided to make the most of the "adrenaline capital of the world" and took tandem parasails off the mountain! I was really proud of this adventurous spirit they both had, and they said they loved it. I didn't take a lot of pictures, but my mom has plenty too, so ask to see hers!

We went from Queenstown to Te Anau, then on to Milford Sound for our overnight cruise. This was another great part, as the boat was fun and relaxing and the views were beautiful.
We took kayaks out, watched the sky change colors as the sun set and rose, and saw a whole school of dolphins - as well as some massive waterfalls. We also met up there with three of my good girlfriends from Auckland, and it was fun to compare trip stories halfway through.
The moms left the next day, so Luika, Kendall (her friend from Melbourne), and I headed back to Queenstown for a couple of days, where the two of them did the Nevis bungy jump - I chickened out, but check this picture of the view down. I convinced myself no sane person would voluntarily jump into that... and the bungy workers refused to give me my free t-shirt!

Luika and I did go skydiving the next day, and I loved my second time way more. No near-heart attack or wondering what might happen, I could just take in the great views of Lake Wanaka and enjoy the freefall!
We all flew out of Christchurch the next day. When I got back, after trying to catch up on sleep, I left for a volunteer weekend I'd signed up for back in January before I got here. About 10 other Australearners and I took a ferry out to Motiuhe Island, just a half hour from Auckland. The whole island is part of a conservation project, attempting to restore it to its pre-human conditions. We planted trees, pulled weeds, and collected seeds on an island where only TWO other people live full-time! The volunteer program did provide us with food for the weekend, and I think we ate better then than we have the rest of the semester! We all got together to make a great dinner, and then just sat around for literally hours playing card games and laughing until our abs were sore. It was a really sweet time to spend with friends, some I know well and some not so well, and get in a good place before starting school back again. This is a picture of the house (no bathroom- that required a trek to an outhouse) where we bunked while we were there - all solar-powered!

Now, SCHOOL. I think I'd been in denial, but the past week has definitely reminded me that I am a student here. I had one project due right before break for my computer science class - still my favorite class by far. I got the paper done, creating criteria and evaluating two e-commerce websites. When I got back, I had a paper for my International Business class, where I proposed investing in Singapore businesses to a hypothetical New Zealand businessperson.... and then finished up the week with a Nutrition project. I actually am liking all of my classes when I feel that they expect something from me and I"m able to apply my learning. I have a little bit of time to relax before end of the semester assignments and finals, but I think I've learned that waiting til the last minute is not working as well as it always has!!! I need to spread the rest of my work out a little better :)

This was a quiet weekend of catching up with friends and getting organized. We're all running out of money so we tend to eat at home and watch DVDs a lot more -which is good. I do have two trips coming up... I'm going to see my love Luika in Melbourne near the end of May, and am going to FIJI in June! (To all the Moms out there: despite the "coup" in Fiji, everyone who went over break had a great time and said they felt completely safe). We're hoping for a trip to Wellington to see an All Blacks' rugby game as one last hurrah before we all leave. I will be home at the end of June - it sounds far away, knowing that all my friends at USC are done with classes already, but I have less than 2 months left here!!! Sorry for the long post - love you all! xox, M