WARNING: Homesick Confession #1. Proceed with caution.

The time for mid-semester break is upon us. Some part of me figures this is the perfect time to feel the first real pangs of homesickness. Why, you may ask? Well, right now, on the other side of the world, many of my closest friends are having their first day back on campus in the form of marching band camp. I cannot help but nostalgically recall the alternately pouring rain and sweltering sunshine on the field, but those days of extreme humidity and wet muddy feet have been replaced by what is here: 40-ish degree, breezy weather with indecisive sunshine and skittish rain. It's not really a comparison (okay, it is), but I think the difference is the atmosphere of a fresh year isn't in New Zealand, it's back home. My fellow classmates are going through the second semester phase, where all they want is spring break and summer, but for some reason I don't feel that. All I want is one day where I can stand in humid Iowa August heat, sweating in shorts and a t-shirt, and know that a huge buffet-style dinner waits just on the other side of campus. This may sound like complaining, but it's really just a shout-out to home. 

...I just called college home. {pause}

Moving right along: Hey, home. Being apart from you has made me appreciate and value you so much more than before. This adventure is going great, and I'm learning a lot of new things and making a ton of memories that will stick with me forever, but right at this moment, all I'm thinking about is you. 

All right, scratching the mushy pseudo-confession. I'm calling college home?! What is this? What I'm really trying to say is that I can't wait to see the friends I left back in the U.S.  

Some of you may be thinking at this point, "Dude, she's got her boyfriend down there, right? What's to miss?" Well, you're right. I don't have to miss my boyfriend because he's right here. But that doesn't mean that I don't miss all the wonderful people who are moving back into dorms, or moving into apartments for the first time, or even going to college for the first time (my brother included)! I'm a great fan of adventure, and I'm excited to see this through. I'm hoping my friends back home are having a good time, and are making lots of fresh memories. However, I also hope that when I come back, we'll be able to continue where we left off. :) 

A Bit About Tramping

Tramp: in which travelers to New Zealand go hiking to a hut in the Kiwi wilderness.



What to bring: 
-pack
-pack liner
-clothes (warm, easily dried)
-raincoat
-food (snacks, lunch, dinner, breakfast)
-dishes for food
-camera
-sleeping bag
-hut ticket*


What to wear: 
-layers, to take off or put on as needed
-leggings with shorts on top
-wool socks
-hiking shoes


*hut ticket: in essence, your room and board fare once you arrive at the hut. Hut tickets are purchased in town, and inserted into box in hut upon arrival. Essentially a way to fund the upkeep of the huts.


Hut: A building in which trampers stay overnight. Facilities available vary, but most include tap rainwater (filtered, but extra sterilization is highly recommended) and designated sleeping/eating areas.


How to Tramp in the New Zealand Wilderness:
1) Pack non-food items (sleeping bag, extra plastic bags, clothes, etc)
2) Pack food items (snacks, lunch, dinner, breakfast...in that order)
3) Pack water
4) Go to bed.
5) Wake up early and energized
6) Double check everything
7) Arrive to designated meeting place slightly late
8) Drive to carpark near trail entrance.
9) Assemble gear and head off!
10) Find lots of trees and rocks.
11) Tramp
12) Take pictures
13) Tramp
14) Drink water
14) Tramp
15) Eat lunch
16) Tramp
17) Arrive at hut!*
18) Take pictures
19) Make dinner
20) Bond with fellow trampers
21) Sleep
22) Wake up and head out!


*Note: May take 2-6 hours, depending on trail difficulty and terrain. 

Day What?

After exceeding my bandwidth for the month, I've been less than motivated to continue backtracking. That, and assignments are due this week! Nevertheless, I don't want to become more than two weeks behind. Here are a few days in brief. 

What I Learned on Wednesday, 14 July

4:10pm NZ Time

• If you buy a lot of food for dinner on Sunday with a bunch of friends, doubts of your cooking ability will begin to creep into your head.
• The All Blacks are playing in Wellington on Saturday.
• Steven is obsessed with wine. Insatiably curious, moreof.
• Kiwis aren't too keen to take advantage of the tvs in the common rooms unless the game's on.
• There's only one game, and that's rugby.
• Assignment = essay. Our grades are based on 2-3 'assignments' and a final exam. Still not sure how much to over-achieve on these. 
• People aren’t afraid of bare feet, even in the dining center. 
• Birds live in the dining center. And the library. And Pak’n’Save. 

What I Learned on Thursday, 15 July

11:30am NZ Time

• Weight training room requires a $70 membership.
• Most people are going to Wellington for the rugby game.

What I Learned on Saturday, 17 July

1:25pm NZ Time

• No matter how much I didn't plan for it, I'm going to Wellington.
• People with cars quickly become your best mates.
• The hills in some spots remind me of an old man who got a bad haircut—huge patches of forest have been cleared. 
• Only in NZ can you find pine trees and palm trees within the same 3-km radius.

What I Learned in Wellington

How to Stay at a Hostel

1)      Go to downtown Wellington.

2)      Find the sign that says “Accommodation” in janky painted letters on the side of a building.

3)      Check in.

4)      Go to room.

5)      Realize how much you are not in America.

6)      Lament not bringing a blanket or proper pajamas.

7)      Go to the bathroom. Discover it a floor above you.

8)      Lament not bringing a towel, or washcloth, or jandals.

9)       Realize that it’s just one night.

10)   Enjoy the nightlife!

How to Explore a City

1)      Ask the hostel desk where the good bars/food places are.

2)      Walk around.

3)      Get a little lost.

4)      Find the ocean.

5)      Walk up to a lookout point.

6)      Experience awe. Smile.

7)   Make a special note to take your camera with you next time.

What I Learned on Sunday, 18 July

11:00pm NZ Time

• Plastic pans melt in the oven.
• It takes more than two hours to make dinner for 10 people.
• Everyone's more flexible after they--and you--realize you're a good cook.