As of yesterday, I have been in New Zealand for a whole month. One more day and it will be the absolute longest time I've ever been away from home. It's so incredibly crazy to think it's already been that long, because at times it feels like it's been forever since I've been home, and at other times it feels like I just got here. I've met so many new amazing people here that I really hope to stay friends with in the long run. I can tell that I am growing as a person and becoming much more independent and self-sufficient. I've been working out almost every day since I got here! At home I felt like a trapped sloth; lazy with nothing to do and no way to escape. This trip as been such a great escape. I feel so free here. I feel like I can conquer the world if I want to. I feel like I can do ANYTHING I want to do if I really set my mind to it. It's an extremely liberating feeling. I want things to be different when I get home. I knew before I left that I would change as a person, but I didn't know how much or even just how. I realize now that things will never be the same for me after this. This experience is truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing and I don't want things to revert back to how they were. I don't want to lead such a simple life. I want to be adventurous and daring and travel everywhere I want to go. There is so much more to the world than your hometown. I know lots of people at my school at home that have never even considered traveling/studying abroad. I feel bad for them, because those people are missing out on the world. There is so much to see and do and so many people to meet and things to learn; it's a travesty to stay at home. I just feel so much better as a person here. I'm so happy all the time. I have really loved being totally in charge of myself. Sure, I'm used to making my own decisions at this point in my life, but living by myself in a totally new country is a completely different level of independence and decision-making. I've gotten to go out and explore Auckland and the area around it a few times by this point, and I've been on a weekend trip to the town of Rotorua as well, and it's so thrilling to meander through a city that you've never been to before. The feeling of going out by myself and just going where ever I want to whenever I want to is awesome. I will make my life the way I want it to be. I realize now that I have the power to do that and I am excited to see how I will continue to grow while I'm here. This post is super unorganized and incoherent, but, oh well.
