When I took this photo, I was completely in awe of the beauty around me. So much so that this scene took my breath away completely. This photograph does not begin to do the beauty of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the surrounding areas justice. Before this trip to Queenstown, I had been so preoccupied with classes and finding friends and settling in that I had yet to truly see the beauty of New Zealand. But when I went to Queenstown, my eyes were opened to just how beautiful the world around me really is. My breath was completely taken away in that instant and it changed my perspective dramatically. And now that I'm back home, I look around me and see that beauty, sometimes in places I pass by daily but never notice. The day I took that photograph was the day I was reminded of how beautiful our world really is.

Tunnel Beach

New Zealand was everything I expected it to be. It was beautiful, laid-back, and full of endless things to do. I chose to go to New Zealand for two reasons; as an anthropology major it was to gain insight into a country with a unique relationship with their indigenous population and as an adventure-seeker it was to explore the beautiful landscape that New Zealand has to offer. I achieved both of these goals and left feeling satisfied and content. I did not have a difficult time adjusting to being back, or even to adjusting being there. This is most likely due to the fact that New Zealand is an English speaking country and although their culture is different, it is still Westernized and therefor not entirely different than my own. After going to Ecuador last year and having a difficult time adjusting and speaking a different language, going to New Zealand was exactly what I wanted. I will look back on my time abroad fondly and look forward to returning.

I’ve learned that sometimes a wrong turn is a good thing.

I’ve always wanted to have a plan.  I get places early,I get stressed when things don’t go according to plan and I don’t wing it.  I know where I’m going and what I’m doing ahead of time.  Or at least I used to know, and I used to not wing it.

Sometimes not having a plan and not knowing where you’re going can lead to beautiful things.  If we hadn’t turned down the wrong road to get where we were going I never would have seen quite possibly the most breath-taking sight I may ever witness.  New Zealand is full of beautiful scenery.  Pretty much wherever you go you are surrounded by gorgeous and incredible things. So many places there took my breath away, and made me feel so at peace with everything around me.  But nothing was quite like this.  In my last week out of five months in New Zealand, a wrong turn landed me in a place that made my mind and soul quiet themselves in awe.  And trust me, my mind is rarely ever quiet.

Now this was not the only wrong turn I made while down in the southern hemisphere.  And I’m talking emotional and mental turns, not just “shoot, were we suppose to go left there?” turns.  Each wrong turn gave me chance to learn about myself and to grow, and for some reason this turn put it all into perspective.

In my last couple of years at Willamette, and especially while abroad, I have learned to let things go.  I have learned that rarely, do things really fall to complete pieces if every little detail is not right, and truly plans are overrated.  No one can really plan their life.  Or even their vacation.  Structure and a general idea of what the heck you’re doing are a good idea, but spontaneity can lead you to places and experiences that can change your life.

Stormy point was the most amazing view I had ever seen, and we hit it at the exact right time of day, just as the sun was setting.  It all came together.  I’m not sure I can even describe what it was about the place that made me feel the way I did, it’s not like it was the first time New Zealand had taken my breath away.  But something about when we found it, why we found it, and the person I was on this specific road trip made me stop and reflect on the five months I had spent abroad and all that it had done for me.

No one ever quite understands just how gorgeous it was up there, staring out at rolling hills for miles.  And how could they? Pictures and stories never actually describe the way things are.  But every time I look at the pictures from this place I’m back there.  My mind and soul quiet and no matter what’s going on I remember how much I’ve grown and how lucky I am to have had the exact experience that I did.  And how thankful I am.

This image encompasses many of the aspects of my international experience which I am most grateful for, such as the outstanding people I will never forget and the amazing friendships I forged, my numerous travels across the entire country of New Zealand and the beautiful scenery there and the wonderful memories from my spring break road trip around the south island. When this photo was taken, I insisted that we get a group picture of the five of us before we left for our 4 day road trip because we will want to remember this moment later in life. Now, I’m very glad we took it because it is the only picture of the five of us from the entire trip and I absolutely want to remember everything this picture stands for down the road. Every time I see it pop up on the background of my computer I’m reminded of all the fun times we shared on this road trip, the mishaps that brought us closer together and how great of an experience my entire time in New Zealand was.

Near the Muriwai Gannet Colony, Auckland, New Zealand

This photograph was taken a couple days after the February 22nd earthquake that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand. I was studying in Christchurch when the earthquake happened. In the aftermath, everyone seemed to be fleeing the city. Some people that I hardly knew rented a car and invited me to leave with them. We spent the next few days driving up the coast and ferrying to the North Island. I eventually ended up in Auckland, New Zealand where I met up with some family friends. One of them took me to this gannet colony. While walking around the trails, I came across this view. It seemed important at the time so I took a picture of it. In a lot of ways, this picture reflects my Study Abroad experience. The trail winds and turns, leading to unknown places and things that I had never seen. I don’t always know what lies ahead. The spontaneity of the ‘trip’ that I took in escaping Christchurch for about a week was unforeseen. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to return to the city, or if I would be forced to return to the USA, or even if all my friends made it out of the city safely. Despite the tragic events that happened on Feb. 22nd, my flight from the city, not knowing where I was going to sleep for the night, was an incredible experience. Not good, not bad, just amazing and unbelievable. I felt this invigorating sense of awareness and aliveness. When I look at this picture, behind the bushes in the distance, I can see the shoreline constantly bombarded by waves. It makes me think that even though we don’t know what is just around the corner on life’s path, the ocean still ebbs and flows in an endless succession of tides and the world keeps revolving. Bad things happen and we are reminded about how little control we have over what happens around us, but, despite this, life goes on. That is what I was thinking about while I was taking this picture. I know that because, that is what I have been constantly thinking about since February 22nd, 2011.

My heart pounds as I take the plunge on the Nevis in New Zealand, over 134 meters above a little creek at the bottom of a canyon. This was one of the most exhilarating moments of my trip.

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.