Getting adjusted // living in New Zealand

Hello world,

Getting adjusted has been a bit more hectic than i anticipated. First off, jet lag hit me like a train my first week here: fever, nausea, the whole bit. DON’T WORRY I’M OKAY NOW!

Lectures have started this week and I am finding it a lot easier to get more of a routine down. I am finally picking up on a few things, while also still clueless on others.

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1. Dunedin is actually a city, not just a city-like town, but an actual city.

I have never lived in a city before. I’ve never had to wait endlessly to cross busy streets and had been able to walk to a large list of things in center city. To say the least, at first, it was out of my comfort zone. My first night in Dunedin I felt so out of place roaming George Street (one of the main streets), and deciding where to eat dinner. Over time I’ve left my denial behind that Dunedin IS A CITY! I guess in the states I am so used to areas calling themselves a city, when in reality they are far from it. Dunedin is a city, got it.

2. New Zealand is 120x more Eco-friendly than the US.

That could be an exaggeration, or possibly not. When first arriving in the Auckland airport, there were switches everywhere. Every single outlet has these switches and of course the first ones I managed to play with didn’t work no matter what I did with the switch. Slowly I am realizing that they make a lot of sense, and aren’t only a safety thing but an environmental thing (I have been ranting about this and other things on my twitter he he).

Every coffee I have purchased has either been in a biodegradable lid and cup, or compostable. It is also more common to see coffee shops to give discounts for bringing your own coffee cup or mug.

Reusable bags are more of a trend. Its not only better for the environment, but here they are a lot more common and people are accustomed to going out of their way to bring them places (maybe the states will get it eventually?).

3. Sheep run the country more than you think

Sheep are in charge more than I expected. Yes, sheep are common here no doubt. BUT a daily laugh I get from living in Dunedin is the massive trucks that drive through city filled with sheep. One of the main roads through the city is used as a highway for transporting sheep. HOW COMICAL IS THAT!!!!! My favorite is when a few stick their heads out to see what’s going on.

Yep, those are my three main surprises/shocks/fun adjustments I have made in the past week. Maybe one day I will catch on to Celsius, or the way the English I learned growing up is “American English” & not “English English”.

Nonetheless, New Zealand is continuing to excite me every day.

I am looking forward to documenting my journey. All of the support so far has been amazing, so thank you.

Lots of love,