This photo was taken in August 2009 on the South Island of New Zealand.  A group of international students and I headed west from Dunedin for a long weekend trip to hike and tour Fjordland National Park.  At the end of one of our hikes, we ended up on the shore of this lake, Manapouri, and took a rest. The reason I took this picture was because it was the 1st time in New Zealand that I really felt at peace and truly happy.  Traveling far from can be very difficult, but I knew that I needed to capture what I could about the country that satisfied my soul.  Since coming home from abroad, this picture has helped me remember what it was about my experiences that I value the highest.