Well the day has finally come for my first blog while in New Zealand. If I had to explain all of NZ in one word it would truly be... AMAZING. The landscape is beautiful, and the people are very down to earth and friendly.
After getting off the plane at the Auckland airport the first thing I did was take a deep breath of the fresh NZ air! After meeting my family and hopping in the car I noticed the steering wheel was on the right side of the car, and the cars drive on the left side of the road. I found myself tensing up every time my host mom turned on what I thought was the wrong side of the road. There are many other things that are different in NZ then in America such as; The speed limit signs are in kilometers and looks similar to a bulls eye. The traffic lights are smaller. The showers are not enclosed, but rather just a shower head and a drain in the floor in the corner of the bathroom. One thing I find very different is that air conditioning is not very common; most kiwis will just open their windows in the morning and the afternoon to cool the house. There are a plethora of other differences between the two countries that are neither good or bad. Just different.
The first weekend I arrived my family and I traveled from our home in Auckland to their bach (or beach house as we would say in the US) which is about a three hour drive away. We spent the weekend getting to know each other and spending time in Lake Taupo wakeboarding and waterskiing. An interesting fact about Lake Taupo is that it was created from a volcanic eruption many years ago and the lake is now the inside of a volcano.
This is just a quick little update on what I have been doing since I have arrived in New Zealand. I am already falling in love with this country and the people who live here. My host family is amazing and I am having a blast becoming a part of their family. I miss everyone back home and hope all is well!!
I will be updating my blog soon to talk about my first week of school and my weekend at my host dad's mom's house at the beach!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog this week! Till next time!
Sky
