For my study abroad experience I was able to go to Hamilton, New Zealand, a town near the west coast on Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island. I have always wanted to visit New Zealand, and since I am studying Environmental Science, I thought it would be a great opportunity to see how another country with a lot of biodiversity and many different natural ecosystems approaches that subject. Additionally, I took an introductory class on Māori world view and ways of living, the Indigenous people who originally came to Aotearoa. This knowledge really changed the way I looked at the community around me and taught me unforgettable knowledge. The region I was living and studying in (the Waikato) contains a large proportion of the Māori population in New Zealand, so having a bit more knowledge of their customs and beliefs was very important to me. Some of the friends I made were also Māori, and they taught my other friend and I things that we would never have learned otherwise: raranga (weaving with the harakeke plant), waiata (songs) and introduced us to their culture in a much less academic way. 

A surprising discovery to me was that much of New Zealand’s native forest has been cleared away over time, for agriculture, for grazing, housing, etc. While it was still a beautiful place and had accessible protected land nearby, I expected a much more sustainable approach to have been taken, or at least more progress in resolving the harmful choices made to both the land and Māori people. There were many things that were very different than I expected, as with most traveling I now know. There was also a lot that I learned and loved about the country. For instance, there are no native mammals except the endangered bat species on the north island. Every ecological role was filled previously by birds; instead of having typical vegetation grazers like deer, they had huge flightless birds called moa. They also had giant eagles, called Haast’s eagles, weighing up to 33 lbs that filled a predator role. Because of its unique situation as an island New Zealand was full of incredibly interesting plant life as well. One of my favorites were the giant fern trees that made you feel like you were in Jurassic Park. 

I met some of the most amazing people who came from all over the world and had the opportunity to take a road trip with some of them down from Hamilton to Queenstown in the South Island. The locals I made friends with were all so kind, welcoming, and generally loving people, some of whom I would easily move back for. After traveling around the country a bit, I managed to visit and travel through Indonesia with a friend, which was the first time I’ve done any kind of unplanned, unprompted traveling. It wasn’t all a perfect experience, but looking back I can see clearly how much I’ve changed in such a little time and am so grateful to have gone to this wonderful place, had the experiences I did and meet people that I love and still talk to now.