Submitted by Victoria Dortenzio on the 2018 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences…
As we flew over New Zealand, I looked out the airplane window and it finally hit me that I was going to be living on this island for the next month. Me. A regular person. Living in the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. After getting off the last plane, we finally had reached Christchurch, located on the beautiful South Island of New Zealand. It only took 3 flights, 26 hours, and being crunched up in my seat for 15 hours straight to make it here. All of it was so worth it. The South Island of New Zealand is unbelievable. Even the bus ride to the university where we are staying, was filled with breathtaking scenery. It’s hard to believe that this is my life for the next month.
Coming into this program, I was a little nervous about not knowing many people and feeling homesick, but everyone has been so friendly and welcoming that I don’t even remember to miss home. At the airport, I immediately became friends with so many people on the program, and the flights were really a bonding experience. I’ve already made great friends with people that I would have never met without coming here with UD. I thought I would be more scaredof flying for the first time by myself and joining a group of people that I didn’t really know, but so far everything has just been an exciting adventure. I can’t wait to see what else New Zealand has to offer.