My first blog post will be dedicated to sharing the reason I chose New Zealand as my study abroad destination. It all started first semester freshman year at Penn State. I decided to join the University’s Outing Club on a whim. PSOC, as we call it, is a club devoted to outdoor rec with the goal of getting student’s outdoors to camp, hike, backpack, paddle, you name it. Never having gone backpacking before in my life, I decided it was a great idea to dive in head-first, and sign up for a weekend-long backpacking trip to Dolly Sods Wilderness Area (a couple of my favorite pictures below).

While on that trip, I fell in love with backpacking and with the outdoors. I found myself at peace, and formed amazing relationships with everyone on the trip. One of them, a now-graduated student named Austin, had just returned from a semester abroad at University of Auckland. He raved about it, about the country’s beauty, geographic diversity, and kind people. I was enthralled, and gobbled up every last detail of his stories. In that moment, even though I didn’t realize it, I decided that I too would be studying abroad in New Zealand some day.

For a long time, I thought the idea of going abroad was a pipe dream. Too much money, too little time, too many excuses! Over time, I began to break down those barriers, and formulate a plan to get myself abroad. I’m sitting here today with just under 3 months until my flight abroad, and I couldn’t be happier!

I chose New Zealand because of a lucky decision. But I fell in love with my choice of New Zealand all on my own. I fell in love with the incredible scenery, the amazing hiking opportunities, and the rich cultural history. I fell in love with the idea of flying half-way around the world to truly find out who I am, to immerse myself in a culture I’m not yet familiar with, and to broaden my horizons to become a more well-rounded individual.

I’m excited expand my travels to the rest of the world, and to use my experiences abroad to help encourage others in my life to take the leap. I think I would be an excellent choice for a Kiwi Ambassador because I plan to make the most of my time abroad, and to soak in the local culture around me. At university, I will be taking courses focused on the history of the Maori people, their cultural expression through music and the arts, and an environmental science course about local ecological concerns. I am so excited that I will be able to use my academic pursuits to learn more about New Zealand and its history. I cannot wait to get out to New Zealand, to share my experiences with my friends and family back home, and to have a truly life-changing experience!