Kia Ora

HI EVERYONE!

I have finally arrived in Auckland, New Zealand. After two long flights and three days, I am here and ready to experience all that "down under" has to offer. To avoid jetlag, we hit the ground running. We got to take a walking tour of campus, which is massive. From my apartment, it is about a 20 minute walk to campus. Most view this as negative but we have the most beautiful walk throught a park they call the Domain. The view from my room is also incredible. I have a little balcony that over looks greenery and a tiny glimpse of the city.

After touring campus we walked around the city. I cannot stress how hilly it is. We spotted out cute boutiques and nice restuarants. The last stop of the day was to attend a lecture on Maori culture. Maori are the native people of New Zealand. Many places are named in Maori. In fact, this posts title "Kia Ora" is a typical Maori greeting menaing hello, goodbye, and even thank you. I've learned a lot in my sole day of being here, but now I am off to Bay of Islands (a bit north of Auckland).

I'll write soon,

xoxo Marina