I can see suitcases under your eyes!

Yes. It's true according to New Zealanders. I have suitcases (bags) under my eye from all the travel, stress, and efforts of my trip here, but it's worth it! The 5.5 hours of driving from Eau Claire to Chicago, 4 hour flight to Los Angeles, 2 hour lay-over, 14 hour flight to Auckland, 3 hour lay over, 1 hour flight to Napier, 30 min drive home. Whew!

The flights were decent with few issues. Air New Zealand was actually a really nice flight on a brand new plane with very good food, service, and entertainment if you ever need to fly to New Zealand :). In the middle of the night I was able to look out the window above the ocean and the stars were beautiful with nothing but clouds below and a sliver of a moon around. I also was able to watch the sunrise and shortly after land on a small landing strip surrounded on both sides by water in Auckland. Like everyone has told me, it's beautiful.

The house I am living in is very nice and is surrounded by an orchard. The glass doors are from the floor to the ceiling and always open to the fresh breeze coming into the living room. The large windows are also always open with no screens on either. Because of this there are flies in the house but they aren't too annoying and its very pretty having the house so open. My host family is very nice and accommodating to me.

This morning I headed to my school for the first day. It was just a staff in-service day which was good for me to meet the principal, my cooperating teacher, and the other staff. I absolutely love the teacher I am working with! Her name is Katie and she is in her late 20's. She was so welcoming to me and we get along very well. I'm really looking forward to working with her. The school is also gorgeous. Instead of hallways, each classroom leads to an outside center that the students use to get from one room to the next. The rooms, like my house, have large windows and the rest is similar to classrooms in the United States.

The schedule is what is different. Every morning at 10:50am is morning break where all the teachers go to the teachers lounge (which has a beautiful outdoor porch overlooking very tall, pretty trees) and have tea, coffee, and biscuits. This lasts about 20 minutes before starting to teach again. Also, the school has a "brain break" at some point in the morning where the whole school stops for 5-10 minutes to eat fruit, drink water, and do something active. I think it's a good idea to make classrooms include this so the kids can focus again. Lunch is an all-school deal where all the kids eat outside under the trees (unless it is raining and they eat in the classroom). This is an hour long before afternoon starts.

Other things that are different include having swimming class at least once a week, mandatory uniforms in a public school, and the general teachers teaching specials like physical education and art. Overall I am very excited to be working in this school and feel lucky to be able to add this experience.

After school Heidi (who I am living with) and I went to lunch, the bank to finally get money from my bank back in the USA, and shoe shopping :). Then I went running around the orchard. I went for 50 minutes and did not cross the same path twice...it is a huge orchard and the views around it are gorgeous. Everywhere I look there is something beautiful to see! So much so that I kept stepping wrong on my foot because i would step in a pothole or on a rock when I wasnt watching what was below me.

It is currently 8:24pm, it is still light out, and the temperature is 76 degrees. I think I might like my life here...

Getting Ready

My trip to student teach in New Zealand is now only 12 days away. I have been planning on this adventure for 3 years now and it seems so unreal that is is happening so soon. Finishing up my last semester of classes, the holidays, working a lot, and going on a family vacation to Costa Rica have all been very distracting to me so I feel like this trip has snuck up on me a little bit. There is still so much I need to do to get ready to go! Right now I am in Eau Claire working 4 small jobs and hanging out with my friends up here. I have a very busy schedule between now and January 28!

I leave on a Friday evening from Chicago and don't arrive in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand until Sunday early afternoon. It is going to be a long trip! Once I get there I will be able to meet my host family, Blair and Heidi. They seem like a very nice couple who just recently got married and were nice enough to let me live with them while I student teach. Heidi works at the school that I will be teaching at so it works out nice. My placement is in an all girls classroom that would be similar to USA grade 4. I am very excited to work with them and I am told there is even a one week camping trip at the beginning of March with bush walks, swimming, and kayaking.

I am only there for a total of 10 weeks arriving back on April 8, but I am still eager for the adventure. Wisconsin is cold and boring so I am ready to leave for a little bit to escape winter! Overall I am excited but anxious. I know nobody there and teaching for the first time in a completely new country is very intimidating. I know everything will work out and it will be a great expereince for me, but for now all I can do is wait!