Abroad with Megan

This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Christchurch and Akaroa, and I recorded memorable moments from the trip. On Friday, we stopped by Orana Wildlife Park, and I got the chance to get up close to the lions which was incredible. We then spent our Saturday in the city of Christchurch and went to the local farmers market. Before we left to go back to Dunedin, we drove down to Akaroa where we went on a boat tour and encountered penguins, fur seals, and dolphins. Overall, this weekend was filled with good food, friends, and cute animals!

    The most striking part of New Zealand that stood out to me was mesmerizing colors of the water. From the plane ride as we approached the South Island, I was amazed at how beautiful the ocean water was and could not wait to explore. I grew up around water for as long as I can remember. Ever since elementary school, I participated in the neighborhood swim team and even took lessons for a few years. I have also spent all of my summers at Lake Oconee, which are some of my favorite memories. My family and friends would tube, wakeboard, jump off rocks, and explore new parts of the lake. One of the defining features of Lake Oconee is how clean the water is, and this stood out to me with all of the water sources here in New Zealand.     However, my perspective on what I had considered being “clean” water completely changed after our trip to the ecosanctuary. During our tour, we stopped by a little pond and the tour guide asked us whether or not we thought the water was clean. The pond w

           Welcome to New Zealand and welcome to the University of Otago! While my trek getting here was certainly not easy due to the twenty-hour flight in a middle seat, it was most definitely worth the pain. I am constantly blown away by the breathtaking views everywhere I look. Even when I sent my mom pictures from my phone she could not help but second guess if the pictures were real and actually taken by me. I am by no means a photographer of any kind and my mere iPhone pictures certainly do not give this place enough justice. The University of Otago has a true campus feel with beautiful architecture and greenery surrounding the area. One of my favorite buildings is the Clocktower which was built in 1879. The historic building makes me think of the New Zealand version of the Tech Tower which is visible from virtually every point on campus. It reminds me of a slither of home and is a site to see every morning on my walk to class.

      Where do I come from? The most direct answer to this question is Roswell, Georgia, but I come from so much more. I come from a loving family whose quirks have rubbed off on me, from a town that prides itself with a sense of community, and friends who have supported me from the beginning of time. This familiarity has been with me for as long as I can remember. The most recent change in my life was attending Georgia Tech, but even then I had friends from high school and was a short 30 minutes from home. It was not until now that I have truly been on my own with my world turned upside down; pun intended.     Before this, my longest trip was with my high school choir where I got the opportunity to travel to Venice to Vienna. It was a week and a half long trip away from home, but studying abroad halfway across the globe for twelve weeks pails in comparison. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and welcome new and thrilling changes in my life