I have survived 10000 miles of travel, 120 days of my cooking, and 4.5 months in unknown territory amongst strangers now friends. I have survived earthquakes, driving left-handed, and many days of rain. I have survived falling ice, poor rock quality, bad gear, and crap anchors; I have survived a whiteout in the Misty Mountains for six hours; travel in buses and cars on narrow roads; skiing unknown, narrow lines; walking along fields full of dead sheep bodies and poo. I have survived times of dread, loneliness, sadness, good laughs, fear, spiritual lows and spiritual highs, anger and joy, discomfort and peace. I have had times of great insight and reflection and times of complete boredom. I have survived sickness. I have survived the highball boulders of Castlehill, the schist at Wanaka, the loose rock in Queenstown, the exposed routes of Mihiwaka, thin, precarious ice 1800 meters up on the West Face of the Remarkables, the melting ice at Wye Creek, the bad gear at Long Beach, and the weather all in between. From the southern most end of Nugget Point, with beaches of lounging sea lions, to the epic southern alps on the Routeburn; the waterfalls of the Catlins to the Lord-of-the-Ring-esque Rock and Pillar Range, I still haven't seen most of NZ. I have spent every night in a sleeping bag! I survived the onslaught of 4000 lambs, unwilling to be pushed into a 7x1 channel filled with anti-blowfly chemical. I went to a Brooke Fraser concert in Dunedin! Board games, fishing, and good times with many friends, I will miss. Sleeping in a snow cave, head poking out looking at the awesome southern stars, listening to the Kea (an alpine parrot); and swimming in cold, springs and mountain lakes -- these are some of my favorite memories. God has been so good to me, letting me explore his creation and meeting awesome people, while keeping distant relationships secure. I know that I have grown since my time in New Zealand. I have learned many things including that it is really really hard to say goodbye to people you know you may never see again (this side of eternity). I never knew that I would fall in love with New Zealand and its people!
Now, as I write these final words from my room in North Carolina after 38 hours of traveling, I am currently dealing with switching back to life in America. Things are different/ difficult and I think some things will never be the same. Life seems so strange to me now. What a great opportunity and experience! Thank you to you all who have read these entries, prayed for me, and allowed me to go (even if I didn't seem to want to at first). This study abroad experiences is definitely going to be a milestone in my life. Farewell New Zealand.
