Pre-Departure

I started writing this introduction from the end and worked my way backwards, which is pretty indicative of how my preparation for this trip has been going.

Picking the destination was the easy part. I've been intrigued by the idea of going to New Zealand for several years, and my decision was driven by an acute realization that if I didn't go there for study abroad, I might never make it there at all. So, while the end has been firmly in sight for many months, filling in the details to get me there has been an interesting challenge.

There are a lot of puzzle pieces to complete and assemble for study abroad. Pages and pages of applications: study abroad applications, visa applications, passport applications, housing applications, admissions applications. Two trips to the New Zealand Embassy in DC--during one of which I almost rang the doorbell of the Ambassador's private residence. A walk to the Friendship post office and back in the pouring rain for a Priority Mail envelope that I never actually needed. Running around campus completing the devilish Course Equivalency Form--a hellish document that needed the signatures of no fewer than four professors (one of whom I still haven't met), an advisor, and the academic dean of CAS. Not to mention the emails...dozens of emails to and from AU offices, UoA offices, banks, embassies, and a man named Jonathan Beaglehole.

With the documents completed, postmarked, and notarized, I started to think about the details of getting settled in NZ. I would need a cell phone, of course, so I researched the best prepaid mobile plan and the closest electronics store to my residence hall in Auckland. Flights were booked--and I'm still amazed at the deal I got on my LAX-AKL/AKL-SYD-LAX round trip. Questions abounded: how do I connect from Southwest to Qantas in LAX? Where can I get my hands on a bagel in Auckland? (Ironically, I'm going to be closer to a Dunkin' Donuts in NZ than I am in DC). What can I pack in my carry-on to keep it under 7kg?

As my date of departure has drawn closer, my questions have changed from the specific to the holistic. I'm starting to wonder how different life in NZ is going to be from life at home or at AU, and if this trip is just a stepping stone to other destinations more exotic than New Zealand that are yet to come. In the next few months, the answers to these questions will surely come to light.

So, why this blog? In part, it's to follow up on promises I made--to allow you, my family and friends, to read about my study abroad experience on your own time and at your own schedule. I hope to post at somewhat regular intervals about adapting to life overseas, what I've been up to at UoA, and the travel that I plan to take. And, of course, I'll attach plenty of pictures.

Yet my primary reason for writing here is a more personal one. These blog posts will be remnants of my thoughts and feelings before, during, and after my trip. I've never been the sort of person to keep a journal or a diary, but I think that this blog will serve that purpose in a way--as a way to solidify my thoughts and provide context to my journey. My motivation to keep posting will hopefully come with that goal in mind.

Thank you all for your support and for your desire to follow along with my adventures electronically. I hope to talk to you all on Skype, Facebook, email, blog comments, or otherwise in the coming months.