Kia Ora!
Greetings from Aotearoa!
That’s
the Maori name for New Zealand, and translates as “Land of the Long White
Cloud”.
What
made me decide to come to this place of all places in the world? Well, let me
start out by confessing that I really knew nothing about New Zealand when I
filled out my Study Abroad paperwork. “That’s the island somewhere near
Australia or something, right?” (It’s actually divided into the North Island
and South Island!) Perhaps if I was a bigger fan of the Fantasy film genre, I
would have known a bit more about the country, which filmmakers love to make
use of for its breathtaking scenery and widely diverse landscapes. My
Lord-of-the-Rings-fanatic roommate probably had a much clearer reason for
choosing to study here. But me, well, I’m fairly certain that I didn’t actually
choose New Zealand at all – I believe it chose me. It just felt like the “Elena
thing to do”. And since I typically like to follow my heart when making big decisions,
that’s exactly what I did.
 |
| Flying over the South Island |
It
wasn’t until right before my trip that I found out that my very own godmother
had travelled to New Zealand herself when she was just around my age, a few
decades ago. She fell completely in love with Aotearoa but hasn’t been back in
many years, simply because it breaks her heart too badly every time she has to return
home. Perhaps that gives you somewhat of an indication of just how enchanting
New Zealand is!
After
just a little over three months here, I can certainly say I understand now what
my godmother was talking about. With a population of only 4 million people -
but 30 million sheep - there is plenty of room for Morry Fitzroy to roam around
and take flight over the sandy beaches, rugged volcanoes, and luscious island
forests, not to mention the icy glaciers, splendid mountains, and rolling green
hills. He’s been having a lot of adventures here in the beautiful south
Pacific, and even made it across the Tasman Sea to Australia for a week! Morry
Fitzroy delighted in finding koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies and emus in
their natural habitats while hitchhiking along the Great Ocean Road. He also
liked to get lost at the Queen Victoria market among all the fresh produce, relish
the Melbourne coffee culture, and explore National Park wonders.
 |
| If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. |
 |
| In the midst of the jungle |
 |
| Wilson's Prom National Park, Australia |
 |
| Morry Fitzroy at the Queen Victoria Market |
Morry
Fitzroy has been a great travel companion all around New Zealand as well, with
a wicked sense of adventure. We snorkeled over coral and cruised around the Bay
of Islands together, climbed the great Tongariro Crossing in 7 hours 42
minutes, road-tripped through the South Island, and experienced the Maori
culture with a traditional, earth-cooked Hangi dinner. Morry Fitzroy enjoyed this special treat so
much I couldn’t get him to sit still anymore after learning the Haka dance! Although
that was really nothing compared to the task of dragging him out of Hobbiton! Who
would have thought it would be so hard to convince a dragon that he is not in
fact a Hobbit? Though I had to admit, the little houses were conveniently just the
perfect size for him…
 |
| Bay of Islands |
 |
| Tongariro Crossing |
 |
| South Island roadtrippin' |
 |
| Maori carvings |
 |
| Hobbiton! |
Throughout
all these journeys, there has been plenty of sunshine and rain, and more often
than not both in the same day (if you thought Greensboro weather was
unpredictable you should see the 10-minute-changes in Auckland!). In that time
there was also hiking, and rafting, and lots and lots of tea. So much tea, in
fact, that our apartment is now known as “Tea Club”J. Fortunately for me, I was placed into a flat with
three lovely girls who happen to be equally avid tea drinkers as myself. One
from back home (Jamie Moore from UNCG!), one from Canada, and one original
Kiwi, to make quite an interesting bunch with quite peculiar eating habits, but
I couldn’t possibly imagine my life without these quirky, once-in-a-blue-moon, wonderful
souls anymore! We’ve become a real family here, and though I was never a
homesick child, I can already foresee that happening for the home we’ve created
here together. We’ve shared hours of laughter and buckets of tears, and oh yes,
not to forget, countless pots of tea!
 |
| Jamie and Elena learning the Haka Warrior Dance |
I’ll
tell you one thing though, when you study abroad, your problems from back home
won’t all just vanish into thin air. For the first half of my journey, I
carried around a broken heart from the past, as well as the anxiety from a
family breaking apart in the near future.
While I won’t go into more details, I will warn you that it can
sometimes be hard to “enjoy everything to the fullest” when your mind is abuzz
and your heart is distraught. But what I learned through this time and distance
is that a) it really is useless worrying about things you cannot change, so you
might as well give your mind a rest and appreciate the present surroundings, the
people, and the memories-in-the-making; and b) sometimes growth isn’t about
adding on, it’s about letting go.
And so
that is my great discovery and my wisdom I want to pass along for all those who
are seeking inner peace on this grand, ever-changing earth. No matter where you
are in the world, you have to trust that everything is exactly as it needs to
be – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is all an equally important part of
your big, lifelong journey. Everything that happens to you, every decision you
make, creates a new layer in your existence, some of which you may want to keep
and others you may decide to shed. And while you are out there, exploring new
places, experiencing new things, don’t forget that in order to truly find
yourself, sometimes you have to just let yourself go. Coming from halfway
around the globe, and time zones ahead of the rest of the world, Morry and I
learned a lesson or two about the meaning of love, courage, and following your
heart. That’s what got us here in the first place, and that’s what will guide
us up and down and all throughout the rest of this great big journey called
life.
We hope
you enjoyed our story, our photos, and our fire-spitting wisdom.
Peace
and Love,
Elena
(and Morry Fitzroy)
Elena Slominski
Unitec Institute of Technology
Auckland, New Zealand
No comments:
Post a Comment