Blog 1 - Getting Started.

          My name is Kaitlyn and I am a sophomore at GNHS. I simply love life and for the most part try to keep a positive attitude in all that I do. I love to dance and am a member of the varsity poms squad. We always say that "poms is life" because it really does take over our time, but in the end the many hours pay off. When I do get time off, I spend it with my friends and family, both of which mean the world to me. This summer I had my first experience traveling outside of the country and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I spent three weeks in Italy with my grandfather and cousin and the sights we saw, the things we did, and the people we met were absolutely incredible. It was a bonding experience that I will never forget, as I hope the Australia/New Zealand trip will be as well.

I don't see how anyone could NOT want to go here.

          I signed up for this course because of my new-found love for traveling. In the past year I have learned that it's not the places you go, but the adventures you have along the way, and I cannot wait to share these adventures with some of my closest friends in countries I never once imagined that I would get the opportunity to visit. Through these experiences I hope to become educated in new cultures, try new foods, and attempt things that I never thought I could, because this truly is the trip of a lifetime.
          Traveling abroad will teach me about the culture and the people of both Australia and New Zealand, and I will gain a new respect for the way that they live as well as for my own culture. Seeing not only the similarities but also the differences between the two will help me to grow as a person and to learn not to judge people until I've seen life from their own eyes. I hope to come out of this course with a new world view, since every step is a learning experience.
          Visiting places such as Australia or New Zealand is something I never believed I'd get the chance to do. Now that this has become a reality, I cannot wait to view the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, and am especially excited for the tribal dinner in New Zealand. I really don't know much about the culture of either country so I am also interested in just going there and learning as much as I can about the people there and their way of life.
          I think that it is important to learn about any place you are going before traveling there because you get the best out of your trip when you have some insight to the culture, the food, the accents, and even the climate. You have to be educated about the country you are visiting so that you are not blindsighted when you get there and oblivious to how things work in the world around you. By avoiding culture shock, you are able to get passed the little things and really see the country on a larger scale, getting the most of your experience and really appreciating the places that you visit. When you know the significance behind certain places, foods, and rituals, rather than being clueless about what is going on, it is easier to connect to the culture as well as the country that you are in.


Zoe got us matching koala t-shirts for Christmas. We're embarrassing.