Adventures in the Pacific

Given I’ve been meaning to post a study-abroad update for months now (I know, I’ve been procrastinating pretty badly), this summer update will be more of a life update of everything that’s happened since February, so buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a bit of a whirlwind of a post.

I left the US for Dunedin just halfway through the carnival season last winter feeling extremely unsure of whether I had made the right decision, and feeling sad to leave my teammates and the beautiful snowy conditions we had finally gotten on the east coast. Though springing into the beautiful NZ summer was a wonderful start to what would be a fantastic semester.

A side note: If any of you have an interest in mining, learning how to mine, getting rich from mining, or finding mineable economically-viable resources, I’m your girl. This semester has been a somewhat-hilarious at times dabble in some pretty hard-core geology. A truly fascinating experience in a country that’s so proud of its mines and resources. As the townies describe it, “a very practical field of study” - an interesting change from the liberal arts.

However, talking more about my classes would misrepresent how a I spent my time this semester. When I didn’t have class (or even sometimes when I did (shhhh…)), I often found myself driving west towards the beautiful NZ southern alps. The weekends in the mountains meant I probably slept in a tent or hut equally as much as in my own bed on Friday nights. During the week, I spent lots of time rediscovering reading for fun, learning how to cook, and exploring the wonderful running trails around Dunedin and along the ocean.

mt. Cook, mt. Earnslaw, mt. Ben Lomond, Queen Charlotte sound

Queenstown hike, the Kepler track, Jakin and I at mt. Cook, chefing it up in the tent, Arthurs pass and a kea parrot, and a beautiful campsite.

After a tearful farewell to Dunedin, I left New Zealand to spend the next three weeks in Japan. I would be remiss to not mention the generosity of the Interess family. I have been completing my project “An Exploration of Southern Japan Volcanism and its Impact on Culture” under the Lauren Interess Fellowship over the last few weeks. Instead of boring you with the details, I’ll share some photos of the beautiful hiking I did and you can imagine the rest.

Unzen Volcano, hiking around an old volcanic crater, Kaimondake Volcano, demonstrating proper tea drinking technique, Takachiho gorge, and the spectacular rainy-season views.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to unpacking all my suitcases in the comfort of my Currier dorm room this week as I move back to campus and start my thesis in the Geoscience department. And I’m even more excited to reconnect with my friends and teammates this summer/fall who I have missed dearly over the past six months.