Submitted by Kelsey Lona on the 2018 winter session program in Australia and New Zealand sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
I woke up on the morning of January 1st and boarded a plane to the other side of the world. I was starting a new year off in a new country, with new people, full of new experiences. I was headed to the bustling city of Auckland, New Zealand. I hugged my parents good-bye and boarded a plane from Philadelphia to Houston and from Houston to Auckland. I expected the flight to be unbearable, but it was extremely relaxing and comfortable for a 16 hour flight. Finally, the plane landed and my heart raced with excitement and yearning to take on this new experience. I thought about how crazy it was that I was now all the way on the opposite side of the world, as far from home as I could possibly be, and that I would start 2018 off here. Once all of my peers got off the plane, we boarded a bus and immediately started exploring. The tour guide greeted us in his excited kiwi accent and told us all about the city of Auckland as we drove around. He took us to the top of Mount Eden, an inactive volcano in the city. The climb was rough, but once we reached the peak of the volcano we could see what seemed like the entire city. It was breath taking. I could see all the colorful houses, smaller volcanoes, the lush trees and the clear blue water. This view showed me that New Zealand is a natural beauty, full of possibilities. Even with their large population, the land still seemed so pristine, almost as if it was untouched by humans. The clean, fresh, air filled my lungs and an effortless freedom filled my heart. At the top of Mount Eden, I felt like I had a fresh start.
