Last Days

So I’m writing this with 4 days left and I can’t even think of the fact that my exchange is over. There is no doubt that this has been the best year of my life and I’m so incredibly thank full that I got to have this opportunity. Being an exchange student teaches you so much. You make friends that will last for a lifetime but you also learn how to be with adults. How to create your own happiness and how to conquer difficulties. Being on my own has taught me so much and I feel like I’m becoming the person I’d like to be. More open, less shy and enjoying life. It is so good to be on your own for a while and I’m just warning you already that I don’t like being bossed around haha. If I managed to spend a year on my own I’m sure I’ll be able to take care of myself and make my own decisions when I’m back. So yes, I feel independent. That being said there are so many things that I’m going to miss:

1. The fact that there is always something more beautiful around the corner. You don’t have to go far to see something absolutely breath taking. I just went down to the lake here next to my house and I just stood there staring at the incredibly gorgeous landscape that is here, right in front of my house!
2. That people are so kick back. Everybody takes their time and doesn’t rush to do things. They simply enjoy life. People start random conversations, are always ready to help you and have seen and travelled so much!
3. That going to the supermarket in pajamas, jandals or bare foot isn’t a problem.
4. The fact that its winter and I can still walk around in my t-shirt
5. The kiwi slang!
6. Dairy’s that are open till the early hours of the morning to provide you a midnight snack
7. That people pack your groceries in the supermarket
8. Having a spa late at night staring at the city lights reflecting on the lake with a blue/pink/purple sky
9. Feeling like a real part of my host families and joking around with them like I’ve known them my whole life
10. Using “I’m an exchange student” as an excuse for not doing schoolwork
11. Being known to be a foreigner from a country somewhere in Europe
12. Driving in the car for hours and not see anything else but green hills and farms
13. The maori crafts, silver ferns and kiwi’s EVERWHERE
14. That everybody is so amazed when I tell them I can just drive to other countries within hours
15. Feeling so carefree and happy every day
16. Wearing my blazer with all my memories on it
17. Having breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, tea and dessert everyday :D

And soooooo many things! But of course I have things I wouldn’t mind living without like:
1. That whenever there’s a little storm the tv just gives up (and the power aswell)
2. That there’s no reception in 70% of the country. Honestly driving is a pain sometimes cause there’s nothing to do and you always have to resend a message 10 times haha
3. Seeing 70 year olds jogging and running up mountains like it’s nothing while you’re proud you took the stairs instead of the elevator that morning
4. The certain amount of internet you can use per household (some of my friends weren’t allowed to skype more than once per month because it used up too much data)
But nah this country is amazing man and I already planned to see my friends back in Europe in August! I found out I live 2 hours from Victor and only 1.30 hour from Louise waaaaw. Now that I’m going back to Europe I appreciate twice as much that I’m so close to all these countries I’ve never visited. I cant’ wait to travel to those countries and visit all my friends as well. Driving for 3 hours doesn’t seem much anymore, that’s just how I live here. If I took an 8 hour bus trip down to the capital city then I don’t see why I shouldn’t do the same in Europe to go visit a friend!

So this week I just chilled a bit. Monday I went to school and it felt weird because it was Victor’s last day of school. Typical, I didn’t find him last period so I didn’t even say goodbye that day! Later that night I had my usual rotary meeting. Tuesday there was football at 4 and at 8 in the morning again (Holland – Chile and Mexico – Croatia) so it wasn’t a good idea for me to go to school because I’d be sleeping haha! Instead I went a day to work with my h-dad. He’s a builder and had to repair a house down a lake called Rotoiti. Again a stunning view. While he was repairing the floor I was laying down on this bed with a view on the lake. And of course I played some music. It’s funny because my host parents told me that ever since I moved In they’ve never heard so much music or seen so many movies. They like it. “You’re welcome :D” I said. Whenever I’m in the car with them I just change the radio channel 20 times in 1 minute hoping to find some music, same when we’re watching tv. I guess it’s all a sign that I feel at home! Anyway after he finished building I went to Starbucks to meet Victor and another friend. I used to go there every Thursday with him and Maria so that was quite a while ago so it was good to catch up again there. After a few hours it was time to say goodbye and it was just so unreal. I had spent almost every day with him and he’s just one of my best friends! But we will catch up in August, we have to! Wednesday I didn’t really bother to go to school again. I decided to go road trippin with my h-dad again. We drove to a place called ‘Galitea’ (honestly in the middle of nowhere and it is nothing but farms) and we drove for hour and a half past this massive forrest, one of the biggest ones in the world. It’s crazy how much space and nature there is in this country. On our way we also got blocked by dozens of cows passing the road going to another farm. I ended up in this old Scottish mans house (there are a lot of British people here) waiting for Henry (hdad) to finish. I got a bit intimated by the amount of flower print furniture in that house oh my. After that we passed 1 pathetic cow on a leash and continued to have lunch, again in the middle of nowhere. It was a fish and chip shop where I had a toastie. We drove back and stopped on our way to get a permit to enter a part of the forestry. After we got the permit we drove for a good 30 minutes on a muddy road looking for the ‘Tarawera Falls’. I laughed a lot because Henry had just cleaned his white van the day before and now it was completely brown! It was fun driving and I connected my ipod to avoid commercials! When we finally got there we had to walk 10 minutes and oh my god! One of the most beautiful thing ever! A forest with a gorgeous clear stream going through it and at the end a biiiiiig but skinny waterfall. It’s actually the outlet of a lake in Rotorua called Tarawera. Weird to think that if that big stone ‘wall’ wasn’t there, there would be a massive flood. Funny thing is. I was supposed to go on a 3 day tramp a while ago with school but I was too lazy to walk the whole bit but in the end I go to see the same thing without doing any effort ahahahah. Love it. After that we drove home but we were freezing so we stopped at some Soda Hot Pools. So it was a natural little pool that was heated by geothermal heating. Bloody amazing, that’s what it was. I might go there tonight again.

Thursday and Friday was just a school day and I bought some souvenirs mehhhh. On Saturday I went to finally meet my h-mums family who live in a tiny tiny place 1.5 hours from here called Te Aroha which means Love in Maori. They all thought I was a myth or made up because I was never at their reunions because I always had something else going on! Funny to see them and see the resemblance in the family. After having lunch we went back again. I’m so used to just drive 3 hours a day now. At night we had our Rotary Change Over night. It was actually a really fun night! I wore my balldress again and had dinner in a fancy room with my, and another, rotary club. There were some speeches and there was a nice dinner. My h-dad Is becoming President of my club so he had to give a speech as well and it was really nice how he included me being part of the family in his speech! One of the things that he mentioned was about the football game Monday between Holland and Mexico! At the end of the night there was a singing performance of 2 men and a girl from America. We all stood up and danced!

Today I finished packing. I’m lucky because my host parents are going to Holland Wednesday so I could put some stuff in their suitcase. And by stuff I mean a few kg’s . It feels weird seeing my room clean and not bombed with clothes. Every morning my h-mum laughs because I make a mess out of my bed sheets. No idea how I do it but they always end up looking like a home made cave. Anyway, I was scared I would’ve needed an extra 20 bags but I am just under 30 kgs. How cool is that?! Brought back my fave chocolates and crackers and I might buy some extra clothes with my spare 30 dollars on my bank account. The fun continues because tomorrow morning, and by morning I mean 4AM, Holland – Mexico is playing. We have invited some other Dutch people over and guess what? We are going to make oliebollen!! Jammieeeeeeeee. So yes I’ll be waking up at 03.30 to fry them and then I’ll see what happens in the game! Might go to school, might not. But considering it will be one of my last days I probably will. And sleep. At night I have my last rotary meeting which will be a bit sad and then I’ll move back to the gimbletts until I leave! Wewwww not good. Not sure what I will do my last days but it has been great! And I can’t wait to take you all to my new home here and show you my kiwi life.

P.S sorry for the blog spam today but I like to procrastinate and found some inspiration today to write! So I’ll probably upload some more blogs these next few days!