WOW

Have been so busy, it's been hard to find the spare time to write! I'm really loving this town. We've got a heavy workload so that's been taking up lots of time, but we've gotten to see some pretty amazing places. The water here tastes AMAZING. The weather is most interesting. It can go from hot and humid to rainy and windy in minutes. Since the ozone here is really thin, you can really feel the sunlight, regardless of clouds. Overall, it's just really energizing to be here.

Went to Riccarton House and Bush yesterday: http://www.riccartonhouse.co.nz
It's one of few remaining untouched bush areas in NZ. They're also working on raising the Kiwi population within the bush, as many non-native species have become predators to the little guys.

Went to the botanical Gardens today and had dinner on the grass. Wonderful.

Have been having our anthropology lectures every day this week, our first final exam is on Friday so I have a lot of work to do! We depart on Sunday morning for Mt. Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Will update as often as possible.

Cheers.

I'm finally here!!!

Kia ora!!! That's the traditional Maori greeting here. I'm just sitting in the hotel lobby taking a break from all the running around and exploring.

After over 30 hours of being awake and in the airport and/or plane, we finally made it to Hotel So in the early evening yesterday (which was the 23rd here). This place is awesome. All the walls are white, and it's very futuristic. To use any lights you have to insert your room key ( and leave it there) into a little slot, making it very difficult to EVER accidentally leave any lights on. I had the best sleep of my life last night, after being awake for almost 2 days ( I have a really hard time sleeping sitting up on a plane.) Everyone in the group seems really awesome. There's 8 girls and 7 guys so it's a good dynamic.

While still delirious, but after a good meal and program orientation we went to the Pack n save ( pretty much a local Wal-mart where you pack your own groceries and save lots of money) for a few essential items. I have just been taking in all of the sights and little nuances of the town today. We had a scavenger hunt this morning just to orient ourselves with New Zealand customs and culture. Had to take pics with our difgital camera of things like 3 different types of kiwis, an instant kiwi which is a lottery ticket ( I didn't win:( ), and about 18 other items/sights

The buskers festival is going on right now, so there is a TON to do and see. Check it out: http://www.worldbuskersfestival.com

We had our first lecture today on the bio-geographical history of New Zealand, pretty interesting stuff! Afterwards, went to an awesome vegetarian place for lunch called Soulfood. mmmm.... it hasn't been hard at all to find good veggie food which is a plus. Today has been a free day so I think a bunch of us are going to head down to Sumner beach before dinner. I'll post pics soon. I love this country!!

The O.C.

First of all if you're reading this and you helped make this trip happen for me, THANK YOU! It seemed impossible at first that I would even get to go, so my dreams really have come true in this regard.

I flew into the John Wayne airport on Sunday and have been spending the past few days visiting my mom's sister's family. It was long overdue as I haven't seen them since my cousin Jane's wedding 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, my cousin Mary Katherine has married and Jane had a precious baby boy (Liam) who is now 2!

The picture above is my favorite shot I took as I was flying into Cali. I'll also be posting some picture albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/Jenny.K.Woodward. Pretty exited about using the first digital camera I've ever bought!

Trying my best to pack a 44lb bag (harder than it seems) and prepare myself for a flight that lasts an entire day. I've got every homeopathic remedy I could need, so

I'm hoping my jet lag will be pretty much non-existent. We leave at 11:30 p.m. tomorrow the 21st, and arrive in Christchurch around 1:30 p.m. on the 23rd. We'l be staying at Hotel So, which is apple inspired and really eco-friendly.

Well I'm off to enjoy my last night with the fam. The next time I write, I'll probably be in New Zealand!!

Aotearoa - in Maori, It means the land of the long white cloud.

Hello everyone. 6 days here until I depart for California, and on the 21st...to NEW ZEALAND!!! I have been busy as ever packing up, moving out, moving in etc. There is still much to be done.

I'll be keeping everyone updated here on what I'm doing, posting pics and so forth. Hope everyone's new year is off to a great start.