Welcome to my Blog. I've never had one before, but considering I'm half way around the world, this is the best way to keep everyone informed. I want to start out by mentioning my purpose of traveling so far away for a full year, and what I want to get out of this experience. And then I'll roll into what is currently happening in my life. So, I believe I wanted to escape life for a little bit, not reality, but everything I had dealt with last year. I was so tired, so weak, for most of last spring, trying to get through school without dropping out (which was suggested by many doctors and my family) or failing classes. I was stubborn, and couldn't give up. I knew I had the opportunity to graduate a semester early if I got everything together, took some summer classes, and a full load in the fall. This was all very possible, so the idea of living abroad never left my mind. Easter weekend I dropped the bomb on parents, I wanted to move to New Zealand after I graduated. I planted the seed that weekend. I knew it was going to be something that everyone was going to work up to. Later, during the summer, they whole heartedly denied ever having the conversation. It took a few months of constant reminders that I really wanted to do this. In August I applied for a working holiday visa to get a ball rolling. So everyone knows, I applied and was accepted in two days, and was very skeptical of its legitamacy for months, I had no idea if it was real, but it was, I just showed my printed version of an E-Visa to the customs officer, and she stamped my passport. I needed something that told me this could happen. The deal was sealed when I bought my plane ticket over Thanksgiving break. I wanted a big change after college, something that I could learn about life, outside of the bubble a University creates. I want to see how Christians live here, if they are put up to the same pressures of hypocricy here. I know temptation and sin will always be present, but Americans have a funny way of defending their faith. I just want to witness a Christian community outside of the U.S., I think it will help my perspective, thoughts, and views. So I'm exploring the Anglican Communion here. Which actually still serves under the Queen, which I've never thought about because I'm Episcopalian. I don't even think I knew that when I went to an Anglican Church the summer I was in LONDON. Good things to know. I also want to learn how to live a healthy, happy life. So this year is all about perspective, and knowledge. Eating right, staying active, enjoying hobbies, and doing something that means something with your life. This week I learned how to make homemade sushi. That brings me to the key ingredient into the success of my adventure. In August I learned that an old friend from Camp Monterey, one whom I co-counseled with, was engaged to a kiwi and living in Christchurch. Christine Van Alsburg, now Christine Anderson, return to the US in October to wed Tim Anderson in New Orleans. She was my go to during the fall semester. I am now renting a room from these newly weds. They fo
und a great place in the center of the city. We all moved in the same day, upon my arrival I helped them move their belongings. I will now begin the tour. This is my bedroom. That is an old window above my bed, I think it makes the room shabby chic. I have a few pictures on the wall to personalize the room.
This is the view from my window. (Not the small one above the bed but there is a window the length of the wall, you can sort of see the window ledge in the bottom right corner.) We're right across the
street fro
m the Avon River tha
t winds through the city. Then my closets and vanity area. I think its relatively orga
nized. The rack in the closets pull out, pretty nifty. Next, an exterior shot, the big green building, although pale enough to look white. The window, second floor to the far right is mine. All the windows on the second floors from this view are ours. This is what we c
all our front yard, and the best part is that the city grooms it every week for us! Let's see, a few more pictures before I call this entry quits. I got a beautful green bike, to match my beautiful green
apartment building, and my beautiful green eyes. If you look for it you can see my basket. A few days after picking the bike up I went back to the store because they forgot the support piece under the basket (because they don't usually get the request, they didn't really know how to attach it.) And the rep
air guy asked me how I like my bike. I told him it was great and actually my first bike as an adult, hence the basket. He laughed. The background is Hagley Park, I take bike rides around the perimeter of the park so I thought this would be a good setting. That's a glimpse of what my life looks like. I'll post soon, telling you how I've entertained myself the past two weeks. Thanks for reading. I miss you.
und a great place in the center of the city. We all moved in the same day, upon my arrival I helped them move their belongings. I will now begin the tour. This is my bedroom. That is an old window above my bed, I think it makes the room shabby chic. I have a few pictures on the wall to personalize the room. 
This is the view from my window. (Not the small one above the bed but there is a window the length of the wall, you can sort of see the window ledge in the bottom right corner.) We're right across the street from the Avon River tha
t winds through the city. Then my closets and vanity area. I think its relatively orga
nized. The rack in the closets pull out, pretty nifty. Next, an exterior shot, the big green building, although pale enough to look white. The window, second floor to the far right is mine. All the windows on the second floors from this view are ours. This is what we c
all our front yard, and the best part is that the city grooms it every week for us! Let's see, a few more pictures before I call this entry quits. I got a beautful green bike, to match my beautiful green 
apartment building, and my beautiful green eyes. If you look for it you can see my basket. A few days after picking the bike up I went back to the store because they forgot the support piece under the basket (because they don't usually get the request, they didn't really know how to attach it.) And the rep
air guy asked me how I like my bike. I told him it was great and actually my first bike as an adult, hence the basket. He laughed. The background is Hagley Park, I take bike rides around the perimeter of the park so I thought this would be a good setting. That's a glimpse of what my life looks like. I'll post soon, telling you how I've entertained myself the past two weeks. Thanks for reading. I miss you.
