-I know I won't be in both countries for a very long time, so I want to get as much experience as I can. I know I will be in the field most of the day with my other classmates, so we will have a lot of bonding time. If we aren't in class, we have time to eat and relax together. The campus is located in the rain forest and not near any big cities. So we get to go into a small town once a week. There I want to go around and look at the shops and visit all the cool places I can. I want to meet locals and feel what it would be like if I did live there. Another thing about the campus is we can't go anywhere alone. It is dangerous walking alone with different animals and complete darkness surrounding the buildings. But I honestly cannot wait. I know we will be deep into the field majority of the time, but I have some ideas of how I want to immerse in the culture. We have free days where we can go into town. There we can shop, eat at different places, interact with locals to get data, and have fun just being in another culture. We also get a day where we can go to the Great Barrier Reef to snorkel with locals. Along with going to the Great Barrier Reef, we can pay money for locals and indigenous cultures to make instruments for us. We are scheduled to visit town each weekend. In New Zealand, we get to go to different locations each week to stay and interact with people about environmental issues. We have an opportunity to take a cab to bigger cities if we want to on free days. Since the school is far away from cities, we have to pay some money to get there. This will be a great and amazing opportunity to talk to locals about why we are here, ask questions about the area, and just have an open mind to all the new ideas and concepts. Talking to people on campus might be difficult. So on campus I think just having a positive attitude about the hours we have to be out in the field, the homework, lack of sleep, sharing a room with a bunch of other girls, and everything in between will help. We can also help each other when interacting in towns and cities. If you are close minded and negative, you won't be able to interact with others. In order to live and interact with locals you must completely let yourself learn how other people live. To forget your ways for a little bit and experience what is like to live another way. To learn and grow as a person, and learn how to expand your mind and relationships. Living like a local also means trying new foods, activities, and spending time getting to know them personally. I think it is important because this is not like a vacation. You are coming into this country to study how other people live. It makes you a well rounded person. It is important to not only go to study your material, but take something out of the program that will help you throughout life. It is a great opportunity to grow. Not only do I want to interact with locals, I want to make some friendships and memories. I know I have little time, but by having a conversations with them is a great place to start. Asking about their cultures, learning about their personalities, finding common ground and going with it. Being myself and always having an adventurous attitude where I don't care to try new food or listen to new music. I want to meet and make friendships that I will remember. I know I will make friends at school because we will be spending every moment together. Most of the day I will be in class or on the field. Then we eat, study, and have time to relax at the end of the day. On the weekends we have one or two days free where we can go anywhere near the area. So I will be sweating, struggling to collect data in the rain, exhausted, but perfectly happy and enjoying my time I have in Australia and New Zealand. It will be awesome being out in the field with other people who share my passion in the environment. Overall I know this trip will let me grow as a person. I will learn how to be flexible, open minded, personable, and not use stereotypes. If I let myself be open minded, it will allow my experience to be more rewarding. I am coming to these countries not only to study, but to explore a new world.
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