I just ate Vegemite.

Yuck :)

I'm in Paradise!

I'm outside laying on a bench in shorts loving life here in NZ. We walked to campus to download a few TV episodes that we're craving since we're living a TVless life out here, but the doors were locked since it's Sunday so we just sat outside and picked up the wireless from here.

Something I've noticed about Wellington, or maybe New Zealand in general, is that I feel a lot less judged here and a lot more relaxed. I probably wouldn't consider laying down in a patch of grass like this back home because I'd feel like people were watching me thinking I was weird. I just feel free and less watched, which is ironic since I'm living in a big city.

I bought new lacey shorts and loved my outfit last night, but smashed it up a bit too hard before going out and ended up staying in. Scrumpy hands will not be happening again.
Mirror pic time.

Beach Day

After a wild Wednesday night (Wednesday is THE night in Wellington), Sara and I spent the day at the beach. I swam in the south pacific with 360 degrees of beautiful views. I'm in paradise.

I bought these fish earrings today on the wharf. I love them.
and yes, that's my sun-burnt neck in the background. The rest of my body is just as toasted. I have invested in sun screen. It won't happen again. .. oh and on the walk home from getting gelato with some friends, I broke off a piece of an aloe plant that we passed and rubbed it all over myself. Natural New Zealand Aloe!

Address

FOR LETTERS:

Alex Kamyk
Apartment 48
Stafford House
PO Box 8050
WELLINGTON 6143


FOR PARCELS:

Alex Kamyk
Apartment 48
Stafford House
40 The Terrace
WELLINGTON 6011


Sending letters and packages is highly encouraged. Especially if my dog Winston is safely inside :)

Rosé Wednesday

Hello hello!
I'm loving life in New Zealand!

I was a bit worried when I left the States (and my iPhone) behind for a place where I didn't know a soul, that my new phone wouldn't ring for weeks, but the transition has been smooth and I already have a lot of friends here.

I've been out a few nights and Wellington is wild. Drinks are really expensive but my kiwi roommate just started as a bartender in town at the Big Kumara and I'm hoping eventually she'll hook me up ;)
Her club has the cheapest drinks regardless.

Here is me breaking it down:

Here is me wearing a sombrero:

My kiwi roommate Sophie is really cool. She hasn't been here much since it's her first week on the job and she works 8:00PM to some crazy hour of the morning and ends up sleeping at her friend Cloe's flat which is closer. She doesn't know if she's keeping the job however, since it takes up so much of her time.

Yesterday I went to the Zoo with a few friends. It was raining off and on so I didn't take too many pictures in fear of ruining my camera.. but it was a really well set up zoo with a lot of cool animals that you could get really close to! My favorite was the Lion. So majestic.
We were hoping to see a Kiwi bird (finally) but they're nocturnal and their display was weirdly dark and creepy. Also from the information we received from a sign, 1:00PM was the only time the kiwi was presented and we had missed it. We all still have our fingers crossed to see one, but apparently kiwi birds are VERY hard to catch a glimpse of. Even Andrew, a kiwi who has lived New Zealand all of his 19 years, has never seen one "in the flesh."

Today Alexis, my roommate Emily and I went to the Te Papa museum. I saw the colossal squid!! The only one presented to the public in the world! Wild. There was some good stuff it there but we kind of just browsed pretty quickly. I'll be back.


Tomorrow after I get my books and ID card in the morning I plan on stopping in a bookstore to get a copy of the Lonely Planet New Zealand book and start planning my spring break. I originally planned on going to Fiji, but after finding out the cost of traveling around the South Island, I figured I can't do both, and I definitely want to travel around NZ as much as I can, so I'm going to focus on that.

OH and I had my first New Zealand latte!! It's different ordering coffee here and I was intimidated for awhile but I mustered up the courage and it was worth it. It was delicious.

Update:

Total fail on the switching rooms idea.

At least I know I tried, so that makes me feel a lot better. Plus I found out my next roommate who is arriving on Sunday is a kiwi, so that's cool. I definitely appreciate the Stafford house a lot more now, since I could very well have ended up homeless.. and there still is a chance I could be homeless in the near future but I think it will be okay.

Now time for bed. I'm exhausted.

Te Kotahinga or Bust

It's hard to keep this updated!
I like to send Brendan and my parents each a message, and by that time I'm not too excited about writing the same thing for a third time. So let's see.. what has happened since my last update..

I am getting a work out each day just from walking my brains out all over the city. My calves are sore and I have blisters on my feet! Yesterday Alexis and I woke up early because we were mistakenly told we had orientation that morning, but we didn't. Since we were up and ready to go, we went for a walk down to the harbor, which was nice, but too sunny for me without any sunglasses (I bought some later on at the pharmacy across the street), then we took the cable car all the way up to the Botanic Gardens which were a beautiful jungle to walk through. Whatever bugs are living in the trees make a deafening buzz like a million cicadas. Conversation is limited. The walk through the gardens brought us out right near the Terrace (our street) which made it a perfect long morning walk.

After stopping in our rooms for a little break I ventured out into the city alone for the first time. I needed a new hair straightener and blow dryer, since mine were both ruined by voltage converter confusion. I went to the grocery store as well and "cooked" myself my first real meal in the apartment: penne with marinara and a glass of wine.

Later Alexis and I took the cable car again to meet up with Kris at her house on Salamanca Road. That's when things got a little complicated for me. You see, I was thrilled about being smack dab in the middle of Wellington in a high rise little apartment, but when I saw Kris's BEAUTIFUL, gigantic house, with unbelievable views and 10 awesome roommates, I was extraordinarily jealous. Although living in the city was something I was excited about, since I've never lived in a city before, I think the Te Kotahinga houses are more what I am looking for out of this experience. The social aspect is really important for me, and I really want to immerse myself in Kiwi culture as much as possible, the Stafford house isn't as cohesive to those goals as this house would be. Not to mention it is MUCH closer to campus (cuts out about a mile long walk up hill) and are right outside the city anyway.

So I went to the Accommodations Office today and asked if it would be possible for me to move there. They said they couldn't promise anything, and I have already signed a contract to live in the Stafford house, so it isn't looking too good... but I'm still going to try. I feel that senarios like this have happened to me a lot so far in life, and usually I just make the best of the situation I'm in, and take what I can get, but this is a once in a lifetime trip and I don't want to have any regrets, so I'm really gonna try to make a change.
Wish me luck!

Oh and also I went on a harbor cruise today which was fun. Met a lot of people and it was beautiful. I MET SOMEONE FROM EAST LONGMEADOW WHO KNOWS PEOPLE FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL. "It's a small world" doesn't even BEGIN to explain that.

Here is a picture from the harbor cruise. I can't believe I took this picture. I can't believe I'm here!!

Hello from Down Unda!!

After a 41 hour journey around the world I am finally here. Not only am I no longer a virgin to airplanes and travel, I'd go as far as to say I'm a pro after making pretty much the most gnarly trip imaginable.

I got here yesterday at around 4:00pm and immediately ran into a fellow New Paltz study abroader and we went to New World, the grocery store. I was too frazzled to actually know what I needed at the time, so I've been living off peanut butter and nutella sandwiches and "Crunchy Nut" cereal. Yes Mom, I ate a few peaches too.

Today we walked to The Warehouse, which is I guess the NZ equivalent of Walmart. The whole way there I just couldn't stop professing my love for Wellington and for New Zealand. I love it I love it I love it... and I've barely seen any of it yet! The weather is beautiful, the set up is amazing, the air is nice, everything is great. I've never been in such a big city that felt so relaxed. Even though there is a lot going on nothing seems to rushed or loud. I guess you could say it's my ideal city. I'm so lucky to have ended up here.

The walk home from the Warehouse was a lot less enjoyable since we were carrying heavy bags and awkward shaped objects that poked into my arms and body and cut off my circulation the whole way home. Plus the previously perfect weather seemed a bit too hot once I was carrying armfuls of items up huge hills. We made it back though and I set up my room more officially. Then skyped the boyfriend (which isn't too easy with the bad internet connection I have) and took a nap that could have ended in a full nights sleep until tomorrow morning if I didn't already have plans to eat and get drinks with a few of my friends.

It ended up just being Alexis and I, though. We went to Cuba street which seems to be where it's at here in Wellington. It's a street closed off to traffic, with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. It reminds me a lot of Burlington, VT. We went to a place called J.J. Murphy and Co. and had BLT sandwiches and pints of hard cider. The sandwiches came open faced without another piece of bread to close them with, and we thought maybe we were being played a joke on. We ate them with forks and knives and laughed it off.

Tomorrow is orientation for undergrads. I still haven't been to campus so I'm excited for that. Off to bed I go in my new bedding!

Just Arrived

blahhhh tired. update tomorrow.