In a month, I will be getting on a plane headed for New Zealand. Actually, it will be three planes. One from Phoenix to Los Angeles, one from Los Angeles to Auckland, and one from Auckland to Wellington. As if that weren't fun enough, with the time change, I will essentially be losing a day of my life. I leave on Saturday night, June 2, and arrive in Wellington on Monday morning, July 4. And I will never get that day back because when I fly back to the States, I will leave New Zealand and get home on the same day. But hopefully the five months spent there will be worth losing a day of my life.
When my friends and family heard that I was going to Maine for college, they all asked me the same thing: why are you going to school in snowcountry? I told them it was because I grew up in Arizona, and while I thoroughly enjoy the scorching and arid summers, I was ready for a change in climate. I've wanted to live where it snows for a while, and what better time to try it out than in college? I get to run out and play in the snow whenever I want, and I don't have to worry about shoveling any paths or digging my car out (though some students have to do that). And, now that I've survived two Maine winters, the second one longer than the first, it's time for another climate change.
Because I grew up in Arizona, I know how to deal with extreme heat. Because I go to college in Maine, I know how to deal with extreme cold. But I've never lived an extended period outside of those two climates. In Arizona, I get excited if I see so much as a cloud in the sky, and the rainfall always provokes an exclamation and a few jumps in the air. And while I much prefer snow to rain, few things can top lying in bed or looking out the window and listening to the rain fall. Of course, there is the wind; Wellington isn't referred to as "Windy Welly" ironically. And in my opinion, sideways rain can get annoying pretty quickly. There were a few days of sideways rain in Maine last year, the wind always blowing the rain into my face, because that's how it works, right? Anyway, I'm not thrilled at the idea of multiple days of that kind of weather, but I can handle it. According to Wikipedia (which is as extensive research as I am inclined to do at this moment), Wellington gets 2000+ hours of sunshine a year; hopefully, some of those days will come while I'm there.
With my departure date fast approaching, I have been trying to get my ducks in a row. So far, I've made good progress. I have my student visa, paid my tuition to the school, put my deposit down on my dorm room, bought an international student ID card, and bought my plane ticket(s). The next big challenge: packing. I semi-started packing when I left Maine because I had to decide what warm clothing I was going to bring home to Arizona and then take with me abroad. One thing I am good on as of today are shoes. Right now, I'm planning on taking my Bean Boots for rain, and I got hiking shoes and waterproof sandals. Since I will be purchasing some things once I'm in New Zealand (like sheets, shampoo, alarm clock), most of what I'll be packing will be clothes, shoes, toiletries, and pictures/decorations from home. But I still have lots to decisions to make before I'm ready to go.
While I've only started packing to go to New Zealand, I'm already concerned about how to get everything back to Arizona. Because when a person goes to a foreign country, he/she has to bring back souvenirs. Right now, I'm hoping to take some things to New Zealand that I can either donate or throw out when I'm finished with my semester. That way, I'll have more room to pack things I buy in the country. Because I will not just be buying souvenirs for myself and my parents. I have grandparents, three sets of aunts and uncles, 15 cousins, and at least 10 friends, probably more. So, there will probably be future postings about my plan of how to fit everything into two checked bags and make them weigh less than 50 pounds each.
