Blog 6: Travel Adventures

●     Share your travel adventures and explorations within the host country or nearby destinations.

●     Include tips for fellow travelers in the area.

Even though I have been here for about a month now, I don't have many travel adventures to share, especially after mentioning what I have done in last week's blog. I have planned some for the school's Easter Break when my brother and sister-in-law will be here. I am incredibly thankful they will be joining me for my last week here because I know I will at least get to travel and see the country with them. This past week I have connected with one of the teachers more and have started setting up plans to go out with him and his kids on the weekends to ensure I get to the major landmarks while I am here in my last few weekends.

This past weekend the couple I am with had their own things to do so I didn't do anything until Sunday when Andy, the teacher from the school offered to pick me up. We ended up going to an American store called Martha's Backyard. It was so packed with people buying various items. They had cleaning items, a section of things that had the American flag on them, and a section dedicated to Bath and Body Works, but the majority of the store was food. I bought some Chips Ahoy cookies, goldfish, and Lindor candies. Some of the items that Andy pointed out that seemed bizarre to them were sunflower seeds, cream soda, various hot sauces, canned pumpkin, and bounce dryer sheets. Afterward, we went to Taco Bell, which I was excited about as I was frequently told that fast food over here would be so much better. The food definitely tasted better, but I do like how quick the service is back home and would be willing to sacrifice the quality for it to remain "fast" food. We ordered and were given a buzzer to take to our table so we would know when the food was ready. They have a few different items like a chocodilla that looks like chocolate sauce on a tortilla and their sides are nacho fries and nacho chips that are there year-round. Although this wasn't a day that we went and did landmark activities. I was thankful for the day out of the house. It was also very cool to see what items from America would be considered cool enough to import and sell.

My future travel plans will be more activities that I was looking forward to back home. The student's easter break is Good Friday and the week afterward. I have a flight booked to Queenstown on March 30 and will stay down there through April 2nd. So far, I have only booked my hostel and a Milford Sound tour. I have a few other recommendations, but I will have to see what I end up being comfortable doing since I am traveling alone. I've gotten a few recommendations and the other one that I think I am prioritizing is a steamship tour that pairs up with a lunch on a farm. I had a few ideas of people who would come with me, I am doubtful, but still have some hope that I won't have to go alone.

My brother and sister-in-law will arrive on April 3rd, the day after I return from Queenstown. I am getting very excited and looking forward to having someone here I know and understand how I am. My sister-in-law has planned our week together and I know it will be great. Her plan includes quite a few of the recommendations I have received.

asked for recommendations and then planned our last week together. They arrive early in the morning on the 3rd and will spend some of this day around Auckland before traveling down to Waitomo Caves to see glowworms. We have activities planned for the drive down such as Hamilton Gardens and an old Hotel/Pub with rooms dating back to 1851. Next, we will go down to Rotorua. Here, I am most excited about the Polynesian spas and the redwood forest. The last part of our week will be traveling back up toward Auckland and going to Waiheke Island. This will be a quick week, that I am packing a lot into, but hopefully, it will make up for the lack of places I have been able to go so far.

My tips for fellow travelers include taking any advice you can get on where you should go and being more open to going somewhere with new people or on your own. Students, teachers, and anyone I have been around have been very willing to share ideas of places I should visit. I've made a list that has every recommendation I've received and have been hoping to get through the majority of the list in my time here. Luckily, a lot of the ideas fall into my Easter break week plans. I have spent a lot of time just at the house while the couple I am with goes out. In these last few weeks before Eater Break, I hope to find somewhere to buy a bus card so I can go out some more without relying on the kindness of the teachers I am with. However, be open to asking if you can join people in their activities as many people are more open to helping out than I am used to. My last tip, which I am struggling to follow myself would be to make sure you are getting what you want out of the trip, not just what others think you should do.