I absolutely cannot believe it’s been 2 weeks since I embarked on my study abroad journey. On June 24th, I was sitting in the airport, anxiously awaiting a trip to Fiji that I had no idea would impact me the way that it has.
Where do I even begin… Fiji was hands down the most amazing place I’ve ever been to. When we got there, we took a ferry to an island called Naviti which was about 3 hours out from the mainland that we flew into, Nadi. Once at the “Botaira Resort,” we got led to our rooms – no lie, little bungalows on the beach. On the island, everyone is encouraged to rely on “Fiji Time” – in other words, do what you want to do, when you want to do it. There are no schedules and no plans, even breakfast/lunch/dinner were announced with the sound of drums! Although I was instantly mesmerized by the sheer beauty that Naviti Island had to offer, it wasn’t until the next day that I really got to appreciate everything that was in front of me. The people in the resort were local Fijians, they taught us everything from basket weaving and coconut husking, to traditional dances of their culture. They not only welcomed us with open arms, they embraced us and cared for us as more than just clients. I have never met such kind, sincere, people.
While in Fiji, I was able to snorkel in a coral reef for the first time in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever known color until I saw the fish and coral that there were in Fiji – all different shades of the rainbow in such tiny organisms! It was so easy to lose track of time as you cruised through the reef, letting the current take you to where you needed to go and following colorful fish. I even saw an octopus!
Now, I’m usually not a morning person, but I woke up at 5 AM to hike up the mountain and see the sunrise and it was incredible. Sitting down and watching the sun peak over the horizon was an indescribable feeling.
Unfortunately, our 4 days on the resort were over far too quickly and we had to go back to the mainland to catch our flight the next day. Vinaka for everything Fiji!
Once we were in New Zealand, we got to sightsee Auckland (on the North Island) for a couple of days. While we were there, we got to go to a museum, explore a nearby forest, walk on the skywalk, and eat some great food. We headed to Rotorua – about 3 hours away from Auckland for some more thrill seeking- white water rafting. I got to white water raft over the tallest commercially rafted waterfall in the world – 21 feet! Not only did I get to do this, but my boat flipped while going down. It was scary and freezing (it’s winter!) but it’ll make for a great story. After surviving what was one of the scariest moments of my life, we headed to dinner and then decompressed in natural geothermal hot springs.
I am writing this from my flat in Dunedin after finally getting settled in and meeting some of my flat mates. If in this short time I have experienced so much, I cannot wait to see what the rest of this semester brings!
Cheers to 4 more months!