It's hard to believe that my time in New Zealand has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday I was stepping off of the plane excited to meet my students, get to know the Swanson whanau (family), and travel across the country. My last week at Swanson was amazing. I was able to celebrate the end of the term with my students and even take part in the end of year assembly with our other student teachers at Swanson. To show our gratitude to the Swanson whanau we sang the song "Country Roads." We explained that even though we were on our way back home to Wisconsin that Swanson would always be another home to us! All of the teachers celebrated the end of the term on Friday with a lunch at the local RSA. We enjoyed a couple of drinks and lunch together while swapping stories about the craziness of term four. It was a nice opportunity to see everyone again before we left. I spent the rest of the night packing and spending time with my host family. Spending the night chatting and enjoying each others company was a great way to relax before heading for the airport the next day. Saturday morning my family dropped me off at the airport and I navigated my way through customs and security. After security I sat down to grab some lunch and met up with Jessica who was on the same flight as me! We both got to the airport pretty early and it was funny to see the status of our flight listed as "relax." In the food court area we grabbed lunch we also found a Whittaker’s stand. Since we had time to kill (and a newfound love for Whittaker’s chocolate) Jessica and I both bought heaps of chocolate to bring back home. On the flight we were treated to some New Zealand favorites like hokey pokey ice cream! It was definitely a sweet way to say goodbye to New Zealand. After a long day of traveling it felt good to be back home with my family. After unpacking a bit, I made my way back up to SNC to teach again on Monday! It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but I'm glad I was able to jump back in and get used to the routine of 8th grade while sharing a bit about my travels.
This experience was one that I will never forget. I'm so excited that I have this blog, hundreds of pictures, and six other amazing student teachers to help me reminisce on this experience of a lifetime. Haere Ra (goodbye), New Zealand; until next time!
0 Comments
For my last weekend trip (how did THAT happen??) I traveled down to Matamata and Rotorua with Heather and her host mom Julie. We began our drive at 7am on Saturday due to the Swanson Holiday Party happening the night before. The holiday party was an absolutely perfect way to celebrate the time I've been here at Swanson school. The other student teachers at Swanson were unable to come so it was also a great chance for me to bond with teachers and staff whom I hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk with yet! Munching on cuban food and enjoying yummy drinks led to a great night with some amazing people. I feel like I've really become part of the community here at Swanson and I'm sad to be leaving it so soon! So, after a bit of a later night than I expected to have we were off early the next morning to make the most of our weekend! We started Saturday with a tour of the Hobbiton movie set in Matamata. It was really cool to be able to see the hobbit holes in real life and I enjoyed all the fun "behind the scenes" facts we learned about the process of filming from our tour guide. I'm not a huge fan of the LOTR, but I have seen a couple of the movies (due to my friend Abby's convincing nature). Regardless, I really enjoyed the experience and of course the delicious drink from the Green Dragon at the end! Our next stop required us to travel to Rotorua. We booked a soak in the famous Rotorua mud and sulfur spa and it was so relaxing. Rotorua is famous for its smell due to remnants of volcanic activity. The whole city is on part of the earth's crust that is a bit thinner than normal and geothermal heat escapes through the crust in the form of sulfuric gas. The mud and sulfur spas are known for their detoxifying and cleansing properties. We enjoyed our time in the mud and spa and even got a chance to walk through the thermal park and learn a bit more about the geothermal activity in the area. After our relaxing time in the spa pools, we had some time to kill before heading to the Redwood tree walk. We decided to walk around the Government Gardens. The Government Gardens is a public park that is laid out to look like a garden. On the property there was a building originally built to be a bath house, but later was converted into a museum. Now its primary purpose is to be a beautiful piece of historical architecture. There were also beautiful flowers and more areas with sulfuric steam. After our relaxing time in the spa pools, we decided to head over to the Redwood tree walk. This tree walk gave lots of information about the decision to plant Redwood trees in New Zealand and the industry that sprouted from that decision. While we were learning about the trees, we were walking across bridges that were suspended between 9 and 12 meters into the air. The trees were beautiful, especially with the lights that came on later at night! When we finished the Redwood walk, we decided to head back to the bach and get some rest. We had planned to get up for sunrise the next morning so we had to make sure we got some sleep! The sun was supposed to start rising around 5;45am so we set our alarms then were off to bed. Once 5:45am rolled around we threw on shoes, grabbed a blanket, and headed to the beach. The sunrise was beautiful! Surrounded by the sand and calm waves was the perfect way to start the day. Still a bit sleepy from the day before, we decided to head back to bed for a few hours before getting on our way. After waking up for the second time we grabbed some marmite on toast for breakfast and were on our way to Mt. Maunganui. Coming to Mt. Maunganui this weekend was a bit different than the first time I went. The weather was beautiful and perfect for a visit to the beach. We were able to get great views of the mountain and even take a walk out onto a small peninsula from the beach. We ended our time in Mt Maunganui with enjoying ice cream in the sun. After leaving Mt. Maunganui we headed back to Auckland so we'd have some time to prepare for school the next day. With the last week of term approaching it was important to get all of my students' gifts ready along with the lesson plans. This weekend had the most gorgeous weather of my time here in New Zealand. Now that summer is approaching I can only imagine how beautiful it is all summer (winter?) long. It's crazy to think this was the last weekend trip I am taking in new Zealand. Pretty soon I'll be on a plane home back to winter!
This past weekend myself, two other student teachers, a student teacher's fiance, and a german tourist went on a trip to Mt. Maunganui. (This sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it's actually the start of a relaxing weekend trip!) Our mixed up group of people formed together during the week once three of us student teachers decided to journey to Mt. Maunganui, just outside of Tauranga. Along for the ride came one student teacher's fiance and a german friend of her host family who was visiting the area. All of us looking for adventure decided to pool together and book an amazing Air Bnb (shoutout to Jo!), rent a car, and drive up for the weekend. Before leaving we noticed the weather seemed bleak, but we figured we could make the best of it and drove up straight after school on Friday. After arriving later Friday night we decided to go out and explore the local bar scene. It was mostly locals at the bars, but they were still decently populated with people. We opted to check out a place that had a "ladies night" drink special. When we got there the bar was pretty empty, but the drinks were on special for ladies night so we stayed. After enjoying the dance floor to ourselves for a while we headed to a couple other bars before calling it a night! The next morning we woke up to rain. Choosing to enjoy the beautiful Air Bnb I spent most of the morning curled up in the cozy sunroom reading my book. It was the perfect way to start the day! Later in the afternoon the rain still wasn't letting up so we decided to go check out the geothermal hot pools at the base of the mount. Unlike the thermal pools of Hot Water Beach, these pools didn't require us to bring our own spade! The pools looked just like an in ground swimming pool, but all of the water was salt water pumped in from the ocean and heated up by geothermal energy 600 meters below the ground. The information I found at the pools said the geothermal energy was residual from a volcanic eruption in Rotorua (over an hour drive away from Mt Maunganui!) Since the rain wasn't letting up we spent most of the afternoon soaking up all of the stress relieving and muscle relaxing benefits of the hot pools. Later that evening we returned to the Air Bnb to make dinner and spend time relaxing. The rain was still hammering away, so we stayed in for a movie night. Shrek 2 was on a local TV channel so we pulled out the snacks and had a good laugh before going to bed. The next morning the rain was starting to clear up. We decided this would be the perfect opportunity to head to the beach and try to catch some rays. However, about 15 minutes after arriving at the beach the gray clouds started to roll in again. As rain started to fall I headed back to the Air Bnb to change and make some lunch. Since we weren't at the beach very long I didn't get any pictures. However, this is an aerial view of Mt. Maunganui (obviously not taken by me!). After lunch the rain subsided again so Gretchen and I chose to explore downtown. We popped into a few tourist shops and were able to find a couple of Christmas gifts for our return (Side Note: It's strange to be thinking about Christmas when the weather is so nice). Downtown we also walked past a restaurant called Burger Wisconsin! Apparently this is a burger chain in New Zealand that boasts not only a Wisconsin Burger, but a variety of yummy looking burgers. We enjoyed the red and white decor, but still full from lunch we decided to skip tasting a burger. At the end of our time exploring the shops Gretchen and I stopped at a cute cafe near the mount. It was at this cafe I found my first iced coffee in New Zealand. It tasted AMAZING (mostly because I've been missing iced coffee)! The sun stayed out for the rest of our walk back to the Air Bnb where we finished cleaning and packing up our stuff to head back.
Although this weekend wasn't too eventful (and although I didn't even hike the mount) we still had a great time just enjoying the hot pools and downtown atmosphere Mt Maunganui had to offer! Next weekend is my last trip here in New Zealand. Stay tuned as I head down to Rotorua and visit some Hobbit Homes!! Last weekend a group of us decided to visit the Coromandel Peninsula. More specifically, we ended up visiting a small beach town called Hahei in order to travel to the beautiful (but touristy!) Cathedral Cove. As we waited in the staff room for the students from the other school to pick us up on Friday I couldn't help but reflect on the amazing teaching experience I am having at Swanson. Gaining full control of the classroom at the hustle and bustle of the end of the school year hasn't been easy, but I have definitely been learning a lot. I have to give a lot of credit to my cooperating teacher for being there for me every step of the way. She has helped me to become more confident in my own teaching practices and has challenged me to continually try new things in the classroom. Before I get too sentimental about my time here at Swanson, let's get back to that trip! After waiting for a bit in the staff room Friday afternoon the other SNC student teachers pulled up in the rental car (read: rental minivan) and we were off! We did get stuck in about an hour of Auckland City traffic, but it was nothing a few throwback jams couldn't fix. The drive through the Coromandel was simply beautiful. The windy, mountain road offered amazing views, especially since the sun was setting. With the new Mumford and Sons album as our soundtrack we all stared in awe at the beauty around us unsure of how we are ever going to leave this country. For this trip one of the deputy principals, our liaison between SNC and Swanson, and all around cool dude Chris let us stay in his family bach (aka holiday home). When we arrived at the bach we started cooking (late) dinner and celebrating Thanksgiving together. Celebrating with the other SNC student teachers made us all feel a little closer to home. The next day it was raining, and it was supposed to continue all day. Deciding to make the most of it we traveled to the famous Hot Water Beach. This beach isn't known for it's gorgeous views or luscious sands, but rather it's known for the geothermal activity underground. Spades in tow, we attempted multiple times to dig a pool that was warm. We faced a bit of a Goldilocks situation initially: the first pool we dug was ice cold, the next pool was boiling hot, but the last pool was just right! We ended up spending most of the afternoon there soaking in the geothermal heat and enjoying each others company. Later that night it continued to rain so we opted to stay in, play games, and cook a proper meal together. Needless to say the Thanksgiving celebrations continued into Saturday night as well. It may not have been turkey dinner and sweater weather, but we still enjoyed our little feast on the deck! On Sunday there was finally a break in the rain so we chose to hike to Cathedral Cove. Although it was humid, the hike was nice! After reaching the end of the hike we were rewarded with the cove itself, a beautiful beach, and even a tiny waterfall. Our timing also couldn't have been better; the minute we got back into the minivan it started pouring again! After our hike we made the decision to drive all the way to the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. We had heard the views were amazing so into the minivan we went, cameras at the ready. The drive to the tip was definitely full of views and a couple of adventures. The further north we got, the smaller and scarier the roads looked; at one point we even had to drive through a small creek! (Shout out to our fearless driver, Jess!) Along the way we stopped to see a small family of ducks, a potential penguin (spoiler alert: it was actually a pelican), and even some sheep. We had been trying to get close to the famous New Zealand sheep since our arrival and it just so happened that we passed a sheep farmer out in his fields. After pulling over and talking to him we were allowed to come up to the house and pet some of the lambs they kept as pets for the kids. It was such a cool experience! After reaching the tip of the peninsula it was time to head home. Although we didn't get home until later in the evening, the adventure was worth any tiredness we had on Monday! It's hard to believe we only have a couple weeks left here in New Zealand. Stay tuned to see what our final weeks have in store!
This past weekend most of us decided to stay in the Auckland area and take some time to rest. While it's been amazing to be traveling each weekend, it has also been exhausting! It was the past week after Queenstown when I started to feel a bit run down, and I wanted to make sure I had a full battery for this week when I assumed "full control" of the classroom. Something I'm realizing as a student teacher with full control is that the day moves by fast. With all of the exciting events and students with "ants in their pants" that come along with term four it's easy to get through the day without completing most of what I had planned! However, this week my focus is on behavior management rather than pushing through content just so the kids can adjust to having me as their go-to teacher. So far the students are responding well, but these coming weeks will definitely be a test of my management skills as we get closer to the end of the school year! To still make the most of our time here in New Zealand a couple of us decided to explore some local adventures. On Saturday we started with the Auckland Zoo. This zoo was especially amazing because it provided a central place for us to see and learn about all of New Zealand's native animals. This zoo is a bit different from the zoos I've experienced in America, and it's mostly due to the way the animals are kept. At the Auckland zoo the animals are typically behind glass, or in enclosed areas where patrons can go in and share the space with the animals. This setup was especially cool for viewing the native animals because we hadn't seen them up close yet! Some of my favorites were seeing the Kiwi Birds, Kea Birds, the Tuatara (a living dinosaur!!!) and of course penguins! The following day a couple of us decided to explore a nearby volcanic island called Rangitoto. On the island I opted to take a structured tour while another SNC student decided to explore on their own. The tour was awesome and it was a nice way to see quite a bit of the island in a relaxing way (read: I was pretty interested in having a lazy Sunday). On the tour we saw tons of lava rock that had cooled from the most recent eruption about 600 years ago. It was so cool to see the untouched landscape as it was speckled with native plants between patches of lava rock. I was even able to see the famous silver fern plants! On the tour we were able to hike to the top of the summit. At the top were beautiful 360 degree views of the surrounding islands and Auckland City. While climbing to the top of the summit I also stopped to see the original crater where lava once flowed out. It's hard to capture in a photo since most of the land is covered now in plants, but it's still cool to think that 600 years ago the whole area was covered in molten rock! Overall it was an awesome day on the island! After exploring a bit I met back up with two other SNC students to grab lunch in the city. I then decided to head back for the night and get ready for school the next morning. It was nice to see a bit more of the Auckland area and I enjoyed having a low key weekend. Next weekend we are headed to the Coromandel Peninsula for some more amazing views and laid back time on the beach. It's hard to believe we have already been here for one month. The time is flying by!
Last weekend we decided to head down to the South Island and visit the popular tourist destination of Queenstown! We had three days to travel and enjoy this area of the country due to a teacher strike. Teachers here in New Zealand are striking for higher wages and better conditions from the Education Ministry. Unlike in the states, wages for teachers are set pretty much across the country by the national ministry. This means that any changes teachers or administrators feel should be made have to be done through a conversation with the ministry. Typically, the teacher unions lead strikes and negotiations. The strike day was voted upon by the teachers, so the school was closed to allow them to strike. This gave us an extra day to explore and enjoy Queenstown. We flew out of Auckland on Friday night. Upon arriving in Queenstown we hopped on a bus and checked into our hostel. This was my first experience staying in a hostel and it was quite an adventure. Our hostel was set up quite similar to how a typical freshman dorm is set up; communal bathrooms, shared living space, multiple beds per room, and overall not much privacy. It wasn't the best accomodation, but it served its purpose of a place for us to sleep and shower (even though you had to pay extra to use a towel) and it was relatively cheap! I definitely think I would choose to stay in a hostel again to save some money, but if I ever become a millionaire it wouldn't be my first choice. The best part about our hostel was definitely the location! We were just a block away from the beach, and right in the middle of downtown! On our first day in Queenstown we decided to take a day trip to Milford Sound. After arriving in darkness the night before we woke up to beautiful mountain views all around us. It was extremely peaceful to be waking up with the sun peaking through the mountains and walking to our stop. Our bus was scheduled to leave at 7am so after grabbing some last minute coffee (Starbucks, Yay!) we hopped on the bus for the long drive to Milford Sound. After hopping on our bus we were then treated to amazing views all the way to Milford Sound. Our bus driver gave commentary on the beautiful mountains, farmlands, and greenery that accompanied our drive. We even got to stop at a few locations to get out, stretch our legs, and snap some amazing views. Upon arriving at Milford Sound we boarded our boat tour with about five minutes to spare! A few of us opted to enjoy an international buffet lunch on the boat and it was delicious. However, the best part of the cruise was by far the beautiful views. They say that pictures speak 1,000 words so enjoy the thousands of words that I captured during our cruise. One of the most amazing parts of this cruise was when we were able to stand underneath a waterfall. The waterfall was said to have the power to make you look 10 years younger, so naturally we had to stand on the front of the boat to enjoy a quick shower from the waterfall! It felt awesome! After the breathtaking views of Milford Sound we were on our way back to Queenstown for the night. We got a bit of rest on the way back and a couple more amazing views. After returning to Queenstown we decided to pick up a few bottles of wine and some snacks to start the evening. Since most of us got some sleep on the bus we had a second wind that carried us out into the nightlife of Queenstown! We visited a few bars downtown (including a western/cowboy themed one!) and then ended the night at the famous Fergburger. The next morning we got up early again to start a day of hiking. Queenstown is surrounded by breathtaking mountains and therefore amazing hiking tracks. A couple of us chose to hike up Queenstown Hill, a proclaimed "easy" hike by the NZ parks and recreation website. This hike was definitely one of the easier tracks in town, but it was still very steep! However, the views were worth the hassle of climbing (and the soreness of my legs for the next week!). Take a look for yourself to see the views! (and yes we were those people taking pictures with the NZ flag at the top of the summit) After hiking up and down the hill, we headed back to the hostel for a much needed rest, refuel, and refresh break before dinner. Our hostel gave us a coupon for a dinner deal that we chose to use that night. The deal gave us a free entree with the purchase of a drink. After hiking all day an ice cold Tui (New Zealand Beer) was exactly what we all needed! We then headed to a local park to sit and enjoy the sunset and each others company (and the open container laws!). We then headed back to the hostel for an early night! The next morning we started with a bit of rain as we checked out of the hostel. Regardless, we were determined to make the most of our day, and luckily the rain agreed and cleared up in just a few hours! We started by walking to the Skyline Gondola tour. The Skyline Gondola was a cable car ride up to the top of on of the mountains surrounding Queenstown. At the top of the ride was a viewing deck to see the amazing view along with a gift shop, a connection to the Ben Lomond trail (that would take you up high to another mountain), and opportunities for more adventures like bungee jumping and luge racing! As we were enjoying the views we got to see someone bungee jump. This ultimately led to Heather deciding to bungee! It was an amazing way to enjoy the morning. For the afternoon we enjoyed a beachside lunch and spent some time exploring downtown Queenstown. Before heading towards the airport we even got some final hours to soak up the beautiful beach views! On the flight back to Auckland we were given the "happy hour" treatment from Air New Zealand! This meant that rather than a complimentary coffee and cookie we were treated to some wine or cider options and cheese and crackers. It was the perfect way to end our beautiful weekend in Queenstown.
Week two here in New Zealand has continued to surprise me and leave me in awe. This week I was able to take on more responsibilities in the classroom by taking over writing, and taking charge of two small groups in both reading and maths (aka math). My writing lessons were a hit with the kids! They enjoyed not only my applesauce recipe, but creating their own sandwich recipe and testing it out on Friday! My cooperating teacher is awesome and volunteered to bring in ingredients for the kids to get their hands on (quite literally) procedural writing. I'm discovering that while it's great to work in small groups that sometimes the day goes by too fast to get to everything and everyone! Although, I'm sure that's something I'll get better at figuring out as time goes on. After this week of teaching a group of us SNC students decided to travel up north for some warmer weather. On Friday night we left school and caught a late bus up to the town of Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The bus took just under four hours, but was accompanied by some awesome views! Once we arrived in Paihia we checked into our motel room and enjoyed some wine together before heading to bed. The next morning we decided to walk to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The walk to the treaty grounds was about 2.5km so we first stopped downtown to pick up breakfast. After grabbing breakfast we began our walk along the beach towards the treaty grounds. It was a beautiful walk even though the sun didn't want to come out. At the treaty grounds we participated in a Porfidi or a Maori welcoming ceremony. This was actually the second Porfidi that we had participated in since our school also hosted one during the school day to welcome us and other new students. It was an amazing experience to see and be immersed in the Maori culture while being welcomed to the community. We were also treated to traditional Maori songs and performances and even got a picture with the performers. We then got to see the exact point where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 that included New Zealand as part of the British Empire. This treaty was signed between the British and the Maori people living on the island. The treaty was meant to ensure that the Maori people wouldn't lose their land to the incoming French explorers and that New Zealand would be recognised by other European nations. After spending a bit more time exploring the Treaty grounds, we decided to walk back for some lunch. We picked up some takeaway and headed back to the hotel to relax and book our tickets for next weekend's adventure to Queenstown. After having some lunch, we caught a ferry across the bay to the town of Russell. In Russell we saw some beautiful waves, got blown over by gusts of wind, and enjoyed a drink at the local bar and grill where two live musicians were playing. The musicians played a special American song for us (that song being "Wagon Wheel"). We had a good laugh sipping our drinks and singing along. Upon our return to Paihia we got some takeaway pizza to enjoy at the motel. After dinner we decided to visit the beach and enjoy the waves for a bit before it got dark. Later that night a few of us visited the local bar next door and wound up running into the musicians we saw earlier that day in Russell. After chatting for a while and playing a game of darts we headed back for bed. Sunday morning we started with an awesome brunch. In addition to my food I enjoyed a flat white and the beautiful sunshine. After brunch a few of us visited the local shops while the others went for a hike. I was able to get a bit of Christmas shopping done with all sorts of New Zealand souvenirs. After shopping a while we met back up at the beach to soak up a bit more sun before heading back to Auckland. It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day in Paihia which inspired us to go for a swim on the beach as well. The water was freezing! You could definitely tell we were tourists because everyone else was keeping their distance from the water. Regardless, we all swam out to a dock that was just a bit out from the beach. It was an awesome way to end our weekend! Before getting on the bus to return home we treated ourselves to ice cream and a little bit more sunshine at the top of a lookout point. The bus ride was nice and a few of us ended up dozing off after a busy weekend. Once we stepped off the bus we knew we were further south because the temperature had dropped. Luckily we were picked up by one of the host families so we didn't have to be out long in the cooler temperature. It was a great, relaxing weekend getaway! This upcoming weekend is a three day weekend so we all decided to head down to the South Island and experience Queenstown. Stay tuned to see what things we discover in the southern part of the country!
This first week in New Zealand has been amazing. Besides experiencing the amazing views and laid back culture I've also become more familiar with the way schools are structured and operate here in New Zealand. The school day itself is structured to support play, health, and kids being kids. With two 40 minute breaks everyday for morning tea and lunch students get a decent amount of time to enjoy playing and spending time outside. It also gives the teachers a chance to prepare materials, eat some lunch, have a meeting, or even just take a break! These built in breaks give everyone at school a chance to reset and be ready for the next block of learning. After our first week at school, I got together with other students teaching here over the weekend. On Friday night we all headed into the city to grab some dinner and explore downtown. Armed with my AT Hop card I caught the train into the city with another student. The public transportation system here in Auckland isn't always the most convenient, but it is extraordinarily clean and will get you where you need to go eventually! Once in the city we did a bit of shopping to try out some New Zealand treats like Whittaker's Chocolate and Hokey Pokey Clusters (bits of honeycomb covered in chocolate). We then met up with the other students for a dinner on the Viaduct. It was nice to catch up with everyone and hear how their week had gone since seeing them at the airport. Saturday we visited Waiheke Island for the day. This island is just a short ferry ride from Auckland so after taking the train into the city, we arrived on the ferry deck to get to Waiheke. Before getting on the ferry I was sure to grab a Flat White and some bakery for breakfast. After we arrived on the island we decided to first visit one of the many beautiful beaches. We chose to visit Palm Beach. The beach wasn't very busy since it still is a bit too chilly to swim here in New Zealand. However, the cold water didn't stop us Wisconsin girls from dipping our toes in! The views here were breathtaking as well which didn't hurt. From Palm Beach we hopped on the bus to find somewhere to eat lunch. After a struggle with figuring out the bus schedule and a quick stop for snacks at the local Countdown we were finally visiting our first vineyard for lunch and wine! The first vineyard was a combination of a vineyard and adventure/activity place for adults. In one part of the vineyard you could order lunch and enjoy a sampling of wine from the island, but on another part were archery targets, a giant chess board, and bean bags to toss. Here we enjoyed a delicious lunch, sampling of wine, and the gorgeous sunshine. Next stop for the day was Te Motu Winery. On the way to the winery we snuck in to another beautiful vineyard. Unfortunately we couldn't try their wine because they were closing for a private party. However, the views were spectacular! Te Motu was set on top of a hill which provided with great views of the vineyard below. We enjoyed tasting five different wines, sitting in the sun, and talking travel with our tasting host. We decided to head back to the city after visiting Te Motu since the rain was starting to come in. After catching dinner in the city we headed home. On Sunday I ventured to the Auckland War Memorial Museum with another student. There we were able to see and learn about the many populations and wildlife indigenous to the pacific islands. We also learned a bit about New Zealand's involvement in wars and celebrated the 125 year anniversary of New Zealand women earning the right to vote. It was an awesome day of learning about New Zealand and its history! I even got learn about bit about the Tuatara, a lizard previously described to me only by a John Green book. I'm hoping that while I'm here I can visit the Auckland Zoo and see one in real life too! Today was our first Monday here at school and I got to start it with my own lessons on writing! We are working on procedural writing so I brought in a recipe for applesauce to discuss. Upon presenting the recipe I noticed that not many of my students had even had applesauce (while they noticed I said "sauce" weird)! My teacher and I decided that this means we must make the recipe to try later this week along with our other writing lessons. Stay tuned to see how they like it!
For now, that's pretty much it. I've truly enjoyed my first full week here and I'm excited to see what the following weeks have in store. These first couple days in Auckland have been awesome! In order to battle my jet lag, my host family has been trying to keep me busy. Upon my arrival we first had an espresso and then started the day at Piha Beach. This beach is famous for Lion Rock which is one of the draws of this beach (aside from being known for good surf!). It was a gorgeous day for a walk! We even got to meet up with another student's host family as they live near the beach. The views at this beach were breathtaking and it was a great way to stretch my legs after the long plane journey. After spending some time at Piha beach we returned home for a short rest as I was getting pretty tired. Later that evening we took my host family's dog Jack out for a walk near downtown Auckland. It was so cool to see the bridge and the Sky Tower lit up at night! My second day in Auckland consisted of more resting, but also a bit more adventuring! On my second day we visited Muriwai Beach where there is a large colony of Gannet birds that are native to New Zealand. The lookout points at Muriwai were again accompanied by breathtaking views of the natural landscape and of the birds. Unfortunately it was a bit to early to see any Gannet babies, but nests were already being built by diligent mates! For the rest of the day we relaxed and again walked Jack later that evening. Since today is the last day of the holiday weekend (it's currently Labour Day!) we decided to take a break from adventuring and relax. The jet lag has been catching up to me and I want to make sure I'm well rested for school to start again tomorrow.
As for the rest of this week I'm excited to meet my cooperating teacher and my students while getting a feel for the school. Also, this weekend some of the other students and I have planned to go to Waiheke Island just outside of Auckland for a day trip. For now, I'm going to enjoy the down time we have and catch up on some rest! Tonight is the night.
It's the night before I travel 8,000+ miles away from everything I've grown up with and grown accustomed to. It's the night before I have to navigate new relationships, new curriculum, new cultural experiences, and, of course, airports. It's the night before I embark on my greatest adventure yet: Student Teaching in New Zealand. It's kind of funny, as the days started to count down and one month until departure became one week before departure I began to feel more calm. In fact, I've never felt more calm about such a huge change in my life, but whether that's the coping skills or the excitement (or a mixture of both) I'm not entirely sure. Replacing that feeling of nervousness instead is excitement. I am so excited to begin these new escapades and to have a fresh start. This adventure is definitely the longest and most grand that I have taken, but I think right now it's exactly what I need. The thing about these life changing moments is that they offer an amazing opportunity for growth. I feel that although I've grown a lot in just the past few weeks I'm only going to continue to grow as a person and an educator during my time abroad. To those of you in my support network, whether it is at school, home, or anywhere else in between, thank you. Because of you and your support I'm feeling confident in myself and my ability to thrive on this journey. (And also, for the millionth time, nine weeks isn't really THAT long!) As for this blog, I will try to post regularly not only to keep my amazing family and friends updated on my adventures, but also to provide myself a reflective space to look back on my trip. Stay tuned to see some beautiful pictures and hear about all of my adventures. For now, this will be e noho ra (goodbye). See you on the other side of the world! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2018
Categories |