Saying Goodbye to Wellington

This is my city: Wellington

Unfortunately, 3 of my final 4 full days in Wellington involved exams.  Perhaps it was an underlying blessing because it did not give me time to dwell on the fact that I was leaving.  Saying goodbye to Wellington was bittersweet.  Bitter because I did not want to say goodbye; sweet because I was anxious about returning to the land I love: Wisconsin.  It was strange to walk out of my flat and see it exactly how it looked just 5 months earlier when I walked through the doors with my mobile home.  As I took one last look of my incredible view, I simply just wondered where the time had gone.  I am not sure if I will ever be able to wrap my head around the fact that my time abroad—something I had been looking forward to for as long as I could remember—was already coming to a close.  It was something that I never thought would happen, and there I stood, taking in my last view as this particular chapter of my life was coming to a close.  We do not always get to pick when certain chapters end in our life—they come to a close when we are least expecting it.  It was nice to have a chapter end with a smile and a few tears.

I wish that I could come up with the words to describe the emotions I was feeling in the moment I gazed over Wellington one last time.  I was in disbelief that the time had gone by so quickly; I was sad because I didn’t know when I’d see my friends that I made in Wellington again; I was proud because I set a goal and accomplished it; I was excited because I was going to be vacationing in Fiji for 10 whole days; I was ecstatic about the idea of going home and seeing everyone; I was satisfied knowing that I made the experience everything I wanted it to be; I was happy because I made my dream a reality; I was confident because I did so many things I never expected.  I think that sums up the moment pretty well.  Thinking back to it, I cannot help but smile.  When my flight out of Wellington officially took off, it was rewarding to know that I knew what things were as I flew over the harbor and bays for the final time.  I got to know Wellington pretty damn well.  That feeling is only comparable to when I fly over Wisconsin.

Studying abroad, living in a different country, traveling with friends, traveling alone, being away from my family/friends/horses/dog, and creating a new life were all incredible opportunities that I’d recommend to anyone, seeing that they apply to you, of course.  Times were not always “rainbows and butterflies” while I was in New Zealand.  Now that I am home, all the tough times seem so insignificant and they are not the first things to come to mind when I look back at the last 5 amazing months I was able to call Wellington, New Zealand, my home away from home.  I am thankful that my foreign home will always be Wellington.  It’s a great place and I don’t think there will be a day in my life where I do not think about it.  My mind often wonders to my mornings of climbing 8 flights of stairs to campus, my afternoons wondering around Cuba Street, and my evenings walking along the gorgeous waterfront.  It is an experience I will never forget and will feel forever thankful to have had.