I went with Maggie and Emily on a beautiful kayak trip on Waiheke Island. The scenery was amazing, I had never kayaked, but it was easy and fun! Our guide was awesome and he took us through and arch and we played on a beach. It was so peaceful and a great arm work out!! I love kayaking now!! I also watched the group bungy jump and that was mind blowing! This New Zealand trip has taught me so much about literature and New Zealand life!! The best 3 weeks of my life!

BUNGY JUMPING!

Half of our class jumped from the Auckland Harbour Bridge 40 metres...

It was amazing. Auckland looks so beautiful upside-down.

We're almost done. I can't believe it. I've hardly "blogged" at all. It's hard to find a spare moment here. Everyone is going constantly. Maybe it's because there's so much to do; with such a wide range of options, why would anyone stay still for more than a moment? Or maybe it's because everyone feels just as lost as I do most of the time, and they're just trying to fill the minutes and hours with something in this crowded and solitary city. Maybe it's a little of both.

For an individual interested in becoming exposed to a great deal of art, New York City is an environment suited for the task. It is a city of theatre, a city of music, of painting, sculpture, and dance. Artists seem to flock here to perform, create, and seek inspiration. I have been trying to find out why. It is a densly populated amalgamation of races, cultures and beliefs; a place where you are never alone and are constantly confronted with the juxtaposition of the very rich and the very poor. There is life, clipping at a very quick pace, streaming down an endless number of streets.

Today Chris and I had the ultimate tourist experience and took a trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We only had a small time period of free time, so it was a bit rushed, but a very enjoyable and neat experience. I never thought I would have the chance to visit this symbol of our country, so it was a special experience. There were people speaking many languages on the islands, people from multiple countries seeking to experience this tribute of not only our country, but also the world.

From Auckland to Rotorua and back to Auckland, this final week in New Zealand has been filled to the brim with new explorations and activities. We have explored NZ history and culture at the Auckland Museum, experienced an incredible evening with the Maori family at Mitai, gone zorbing, bungy jumping, kayaking, felt the heat of the thermal pools and the scent of the mudpools in Rotorua, and enjoyed a glimpse of the agriculture life at the Agrodome.

Well it’s almost coming to a close. I feel like I haven’t stopped moving for weeks. My body and mind are starting to go into sleepy mode. My time in New York has been phenomenal. I’ve seen pretty much everything I wanted to see. The perfect mix of touristy stuff and non-touristy stuff. Since my last post I’ve seen Wicked, Blue Man Group, lots more museums, and Evil Dead the musical. All of which were amazing. We also saw a few plays in a small theater during the Under the Radar festival.

So this is my last blog, on the last day, after walking in the back streets one last time to get to the internet cafe. As I thought of which of the four questions I was going to answer I realized how much I am going to miss China. I have never wanted to leave, but the situation hit me as I walked by the Forbidden City at midnight last night with one of my classmates. While we were both in pain due to the freezing temperatures, I realized that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Today is our last day in China. I can't believe that our journey is coming to an end. As I look back on our experience here I have learned to appreciate Chinese and Tibetan Culture. Before leaving I had little knowledge about what to expect here, except for thousands of years of history. I had found the language frustrating and couldn't even use chopsticks (I can now say that I have mastered the art and prefer them over a fork!). The few weeks that we have been here have opened my eyes to the struggle of keeping old traditions and trying to become modern.

Our group found a quote that fits the beautiful land of New Zealand when we were having a class session in Auckland.

" New Zealand is a country looking energetically inward, defining and redefining its own indentity, yet simultaneously longing to be recognized by the wider world"