Since that time, I spent countless hours looking at different countries and different programs that each country offered. I mostly looked into the following countries: Ireland, United Kingdom, and Scotland, but there were times that I considered the countries down under: Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Originally, I was planning to go to London and it had seemed like a tough decision had been easily made. Due to some unusual life events, I decided to do some more research and I looked into New Zealand more than I previously had. It was love at first sight so to speak and by January 2011 I had made my decision to study abroad in New Zealand. Next I had to decide on when I was going to make it happen: Fall 2011 or Spring 2012. As you probably already guessed, I decided on Spring 2012 because of some family events going on in the fall and some classes I wanted to get out of the way.
People often ask me why I chose New Zealand. First, I wanted to go to an English speaking country. Since this was going to be my first time going abroad (besides Canada and Mexico), I wanted to minimize my culture shock by communicating with the locals rather than becoming frustrated with them. Second, I wanted to go to a country full of adventure and things to do. Some may argue that you can do that anywhere, but New Zealand is considered that "adrenaline capitol of the world." That being said, I new I would do things that would push me outside of my comfort zone quite regularly. Lastly, I chose New Zealand because I figured it would be a country I would never be able to afford to go to otherwise.
Once I decided on New Zealand, I had to pick a program. It was easy for me to pick AustraLearn (which is now known as GlobaLinks Learning Abroad). The program offered things that I new would minimize my planning stress: accommodation, group flights, a Bridging Cultures Program (BCP), and a personal coordinator assisting me with things such as registering for classes and completing my visa. These may seem like small things, but they were big things to me and made my planning for my time abroad a breeze.
GlobaLinks Learning Abroad had partnerships with approximately 12 universities in New Zealand. Most of them had my major which didn't exactly help me narrow down my selection. I ultimately decided that I wanted to be at the south of the North Island or the north of South Island to lighten my travel expenses throughout the semester slightly. Wellington is New Zealand's capitol city so the decision was easy once I considered some important factors.
Of all the the planning and all of the waiting, I am so happy with where I chose to study abroad as well as the program I went through. I left for New Zealand on February 19th and lived there until July 5th, 2012. It's hard to believe the experience is already over, but it's a chapter in my life that I will never forget and it forever shaped me.
Here was my New Zealand Bucket List. I am pretty satisfied with what I did and I guess I'll have to go back one day to complete it 100%.
3. Ride a horse.
13. Visit the Bay of Islands.
15. Take the Ferry from Wellington to Picton.
16. Go on a wine tour.
25. Drive a motorcycle.
30. Go bungy jumping. Maybe.
