Kiwis can fly!

This is now the morning after my first day in New Zealand! Yesterday was a day of firsts: First time flying out of the country, first flight that was longer than 6 hours, first alcoholic beverage on a flight! Apparently, when flying, as soon as the plane leaves the ground, anyone who is 18+ can drink! I had a free tall Steinlager, it wasn't that great - still finding a beer that I really like. It was loads of fun! Tiring, but loads of fun! The plane ride went very smoothly – thank you God! Just before takeoff from Atlanta, it started to flurry so I got my taste of GA snow for the year! Several of my classmates were concerned about the snow delaying our flight, but I gave it to God, and as I’ve told you, everything went very smoothly! 5 hours to LAX, 13 hours to Aukland, 1 hour to Wellington – it was … long. On the 13 hr flight I sat b/w two British, no, English people – a girl age 18 and a guy in his 30s. We talked for hours, and hours – it was rather enjoyable! The girl is staying in Welllington for week so we might meet up sometime soon, which would be pretty cool. I was assigned the emergency exit row, so when the plane crashed I had to help everyone out! (Kidding) No, actually it was really nice b/c I had 3x as much leg room as everyone else! And, I could get out my seat easily to walk around. It was perfect.

I arrived in New Zealand at sunrise 2 days later. Whether Friday, Jan 8 disappeared or I did, I do not know. New Zealand is beautiful, rugged cliffs, untampered countryside, clear air, and an ocean breeze. The temperature was 62 degrees with a slight breeze – perfect in the sunshine! Once in Wellington, we took a bus to our housing at Weir house. It’s on a big hill overlooking the city, so going to the city is a workout. Whether that’s good or bad depends on the time of day ;) My dorm is wonderful, and includes a sink. And the showers are great too! There’s a trolley that goes straight up the hill and costs a dollar. I spent yesterday moving in, and then exploring the city with some friends (Katherine, Aerin, Charity, Allison, and Drew). They’re a fun crowd. On the bay, you can pay to roll around in a human sized hamster ball! It looked pretty fun, but we decided against it for now. Also, at the edge of the wharf, there’s an 8ft plank that you can jump off into the bay from. We’ll make each other walk the plank sometime while here :) All in all, yesterday was wonderful. I got lots of sleep last night, and am now well rested and ready to party and explore some more! The adventures begin . . .

P.S. Random fact: New Zealanders are called ‘Kiwis’ so when they fly on a plane, you have a flying kiwi! :)