Day Eleven: June 16th, 2011

          Today we went to the Kuranda rainforest for a day of exploration. We took a scenic train up to the town, which was on top of a mountain. It was a gorgeous view the entire ride. Afterwards, we took a sky gondola back down, and we stopped halfway for a quick rainforest walk. Then, we continued our way back down the mountain, and ended up stopping to see an Aborigine show, watch didgeridoos get played, have a weapons demonstration, and learn how to throw spears and boomerangs.

Prompt: TOP TEN.
1. Sydney Harbor Bridge: The bridge was probably my favorite experience because it was something I never expected to be able to do. I completely got over my fear of heights while I was up there and just took time to take it all in. At the summit of the bridge was when it hit me that this was all real, not just some dream. I was in Sydney, and I felt on top of the world. It was the most self-fulfilling experience that I have ever had.
2. Rangitoto College: The hospitality of the Kiwis puts them at number two. I absolutely adored the students and all of the people there. They were so sweet and knew how to make us feel welcome. I loved watching the Maori students dance the haka and it was such a true cultural experience to see and try that. I loved that school.
3. Great Barrier Reef: The GBR was incredible. I loved seeing the gorgeous fish and coral. The colors were amazing as well as were the many arrangements of underwater communities. The entire experience was beautiful and I wish I could have stayed and explored for days.
4. Ogo: Although there is zorbing some places in the states, the ogo here was awesome. I had the time of my life in the machine, just flopping around in the water with friends. Loving the whole hamster-in-a-ball feeling.
5. Whaka Village: The Whaka village, despite its snell, was gorgeous. I loved seeing the hot springs, colorful sulfur deposits, and the public baths. It was such a different way of life and I loved that they cook food in wooden boxes over hot springs and call them microwaves.
6. Cairns: I love the weather of Cairns, the freedom, and the water. I love exploring for hours each night, finding some delicious dinner, getting gelato, and going in the hot tub. Here, it just feels like I'm on a relaxing vacation with friends.
7. Sydney: I love Sydney. The boardwalk overlooking the harbor. Shopping at the Rocks markets. Hearing amazing street musicians and just stopping dead in my tracks. Sydney was gorgeous from all angles, whether it be from a boat in the harbor, on top of the bridge, or in the Sydney Tower.
8. Luge: I love the Rotorua luge. On top of a beautiful mountain overlooking Lake Rotorua, trying something that I had never done before. Go-karting fown a scenic mountain? Yeah, I'd do that again.
9: Burger Fuel: This restaurant is on my list because it was hands down the biggest and best burger I have ever had.
10. Sticky: Sticky makes hard candy, in front of the public. Located in the Rocks, I love how friendly and generous they were, giving out free samples and even lollipops. That place was so stinking cute.

Day Ten: June 15th, 2011

Prompt: Write about your Great Barrier Reef experience (summary included in prompt).
          In one word, the Great Barrier Reef was incredible. That was exactly what I kept describing it as. The hour and a half boat ride was perfect for anticipation to build up, and the sunny eighty degree day was a nice touch as well. We were able to soak up some rays without it feeling like an "are we there yet?" ride. Once we arrived at the reef and docked on the pontoon, it was so easy and quick to grab snorkel equipment and just jump on in the water. It was just the right amount of cold mixed into the warm sea, and I was ready to go. The last and only other time that I have ever snorkeled was in Disney World, and I was utterly terrified. Today, nothing could stop me; all I wanted to do was explore. I was running on pure adrenaline and just wanted to see as much of the GBR as I could. I saw coral in blues, oranges, yellows, and neutrals, and they were all mesmerizing. The shapes they formed were so abstract, ranging from what looked like branches to what looked like pasta or Tostito's scoops chips.
The fish, which typically tend to freak me out, were gorgeous. My favorites were what I called the rainbow fish. Never did I see two that looked exactly alike. Every fish had different colors, mostly consisting of greens, blues, purples, pinks, and sometimes even oranges. They were seriously beautiful. But I saw tons of other fish as well, and Mr. Schagrin and Mr. Ewen even got video footage of a small shark swimming through the reef (they were absolutely elated, by the way). I got to touch a sea cucumber and even held a small starfish that only spanned across about three fingers wide at most.
The sea cucumber felt like a slimy blob, which is exactly what it looked like, too. I got the chance to ride in a glass-bottom boat, which was really cool. It probably would have been even better had it not been low tide, with coral peeking out of the water, which prevented us from driving over it, obviously. But it was still awesome anyways. Underneath the boat, I could see entire communities of fish and coral cooperating together. It reminded me a lot of "Finding Nemo," when the schools of fish stop for one another at underwater intersections. The fish relied on the coral just as much as the coral needed the fish, for things like shelter, food, and protection. While on the boat, I also caught a glimpse of a sea turtle; that was awesome. I immediately wished that I would have been able to snorkel with one, because one of the GBR guides said that if you were friendly to the turtles, they would most likely follow you for the rest of the day. Still, I had an absolutely terrific time in one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It was an utterly gorgeous day in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and an experience that I will never forget.

Day Nine: June 14th, 2011

          Today we flew to Cairns and had a lazy day at the beach! Well, technically we spent the day at a pool, which Alec kept calling a "man-made lagoon". We had a good time swimming in the freezing cold water, laying out in the sun, and getting some ice cream. Later on, we got three hours of free time to explore Cairns and find a nice place for dinner. We spent some time playing at a park, then went out to eat, where Arnaud decided to take "the challenge" and ended up consuming two kilograms of food. That's four and a half pounds. Yikes.

Day Eight: June 13th, 2011

         The weather turned out too be too poor and the water too choppy for my group to go on our whale watching excursion this morning, so instead we visited Paddy's, an indoor market. It was fairly large and covered in vendors, from produce to fake designer handbags (this turned out to be pretty handy considering the zipper had just broken off of my duffel bag a few days prior, and we were about to fly again the next day!). I had a good time perusing around with my friends, but I would have liked to whale watch all the same. After Paddy's, we walked around and explored the Rocks again, where we got free samples from a candy store called Sticky. They make hard candy right in front of you, it was so cool! Next, we headed over to the Sydney Harbor Bridge for the bridge climb, something I had been anxious about since signing up, because I was afraid of heights. Did you catch that? WAS. Not anymore! The bridge climb was incredible. Like I said before, I hate wasting time being scared when I could be treasuring these experiences because I doubt that they will ever happen again.

Prompt: Am I a good traveler?
           If there were no teachers here, I actually do think I'd somewhat be able to get by. I am constantly worrying about people on this trip, so I have become a lot more alert. At the same time, I have often stopped to just have fun and soak this all in. My friends and I have a system, all helping each other out with laundry, food, and other packed items that we will share with one another. The group system works very well for us because we are having a great time exploring the cities together. Personally, I feel that even though I am a teenager, I am responsible enough to travel and get where I need to be. I don't know if I could do it entirely alone, but if I were to travel with a group of about seven or eight, I truly do think we could thrive. We might possibly get lost going from place to place, but I think that is all part of the adventure. We are all cognizant teens and this trip has really helped to get us to that point. As an individual, I believe that I could travel on my own, but I might not enjoy it, simply because I have so much fun with other people and we all help each other out. However, once I am older, I think that an alone trip, or one with just one other person, would be beneficial in the sense that I would have to stop relying on others and take time just for me to have my own adventure; who knows where it will lead me?

Day Seven: June 12th, 2011

          Today, Alec took us on a tour to see even more of Sydney. First, we took the coach to a beautiful, rocky area along the coast for a picture-perfect view of the Sydney Harbor. Of course, we had a photo opp here, and then we moved on to see Mrs. McQuarie's chair, where she would wait and watch for ships carrying the latest fashions from other countries.
Alec then took us around town and over to the place where whale watching typically takes place. I would call it a beach, but it was actually a cliff. We got time to explore and play on the rocks as well as to take in the view of the perfectly blue water beneath us. A few of us even spotted what looked to be a seal, although we still aren't quite sure whether or not it was living or dead. From there, we moved on to Bondi beach, which was gorgeous; too bad it was fifty degrees and rainy! After stopping for a snack at Bondi, we visited the Opera House, but unfortunately did not have tickets to go inside. We got time to explore the harbor area before meeting up for a harbor cruise. We got to see the place from every angle, and it was a lot of fun and a beautiful view! The cruise dropped us off right by Sydney Wildlife World, and the group went inside for a chance to see all that Australia has to offer. We saw kangaroos, koalas, wallabys, and more! It was an awesome opportunity.

Prompt: Feelings about travel this far (Have I grown? How do I know this?).
          I think that simply staying together has been my biggest difficulty while traveling. It's not that I go off on my own, it's just the fact that I have made friends with the majority of the class, so I may start off walking with some people, talk to others, and get distracted. However, my group typically waits up or starts talking to the other group, too, so it has all worked out fine. I think my biggest problem is just that I've never traveled with this big of a group of friends before, so I feel the need to keep track of them because that's just how I am. I always want to make sure everyone is where they need to be and is feeling okay.
          I have surprised myself with my ability to keep up with the time zone differences and I really do think that I am simply tired from having these long days of go, go, go. I have branched out and gone out of my comfort zone. Every day I try new things and grow closer to another person on this trip. I love the feeling that I am being able to accomplish so many things at once. My days have gone to good use! I've grown in the sense that I feel so much more cultured in every sense of the word. Not only have I learned so much about the culture down under, I feel as though I have experienced it. I have also had to take on more responsibilities, as I have seen that I really am being treated as an adult on this trip. I feel as though I have so much more respect for so many different types of people, both foreign and in our group, after learning so much more about their personal journeys.

Day Six: June 11th, 2011

Prompt: Reflection of Day One in Sydney and compare to other cities, such as Chicago (summary of the day included in reflection).
         Today was one of the longest days of this trip without feeling like it. We got a chance to explore Sydney, catching glimpses of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. Going up to the top of the Sydney tower was beautiful, and I realized just how absolutely huge the city is. I was surprised that I could look out the window at the city around and underneath me, and in that moment not be afraid of heights. I think I just get that way when I know I'm in a place I probably won't ever return to; I don't have time to be scared because that would be taking where I am for granted.

          We got a chance to visit the Rocks on a Saturday, meaning that the weekend street market was going on. There were tons of vendors, ranging from jewelry to clothing to wood carvings and corn on the cob. Even though it was raining, it was an experience that was definitely worth while, and it was a plus that part of the market was covered by a large tent. After the Rocks, some people opted to take the subway back to the hotel, while I chose to walk in the rain with a few others. Nobody had anything more than a cardigan or sweatshirt, and we soon made friends with acquaintances who gave up their hoodies for us girls. It was nice to see how we all worry about one another, constantly yelling that the other was going to get sick. The walk may have ended up taking an hour rather than the expected fifteen minutes, but it definitely helped us to bond. Some people sang in the rain while the rest of us just talked to people whom we had rarely ever held full conversations with in the past. Traveling hafway across the world will do that to a person.
          The walk also helped me to see more of Sydney than I previously had. And I am thankful for this, because a little part of me fell in love with Sydney; if I was going to live in a city someday, it would be here. Nonetheless, Sydney is still a city. I was able to see that it is just like Chicago in a sense: big and beautiful, but with its dirty parts. I do love that Sydney is right on the water though, and I don't mean a lake. I love the harbor and that Sydney is right on the coast of Australia. Every view is fantastic and I'm sure that there are great beachfront festivals throughout the year. The harbor gives Sydney a sense of proximity as if everything is centered around it. However, closer inspection reveals that the city is so much larger than most people typically imagine and is so much more than meets the eye, complete with beautiful parks and bustling streets.

Day Five: June 10th, 2011

          We started the day early, catching the public bus to take us to the Redwood forest for a hike. Unfortunately, the weather did not agree with us, and the rain just kept coming down. However, it was a cool experience to take public transportation in a foreign country, and to talk to the local school kids who were just trying to get to class on time. The forest was gorgeous, and when we were finished hiking we went looking for the other group, and ended up standing in the rain for close to a half hour until we spied them walking down the road, singing as always. A little rain never hurt anyone!
Once the bus reached the stop, we set off on our way back to the hotel to put on some dry clothes and head back to Auckland for the night. After another three hour drive, we made it to Rangitoto College in Auckland for a party with the students there. Although it is called a college, Rangi is really a high school. I met so many incredible people, including my pen pal, Rebecca. I loved chatting with them, comparing and contrasting our everyday lives. It was a great night, filled with singing, dancing, and tons of food! Meeting kids from another country and realizing how much we have in common was definitely an eye opener for me, showing that it doesn't matter where you live, teens will be teens!

Prompt: Reflection of morning and night, include any thoughts running through your head.
          Hiking through the Redwoods today, I had very mixed emotions. On the one hand, the autumn-like colors of the trees as well as their great height and numbers were absolutely breathtaking. On the other, it was rainy and we had to wait a long time for the public bus as well as the other group to catch up with us. I can't complain though, because the beauty of New Zealand makes up for just about anything and everything in my book.
          Meeting the Rangitoto students tonight was also fantastic and more than outweighed the wet hike of this morning. Everybody at Rangitoto College in Auckland was so sweet. Seriously. They were all so welcoming and hospitable. I loved the carefully planned decorations, the food which the students helped grill themselves, and the music, some of which was American and some which was not. Mostly I loved the people. The Maori kids did a welcome, in which you touch noses with the other person, and they also did a song and dance just for us. They also taught us how to dance the haka, and it was hysterical doing it against each other, half the room versus the other half. Rebecca, my pen pal, proved to be a lot like myself, and it was really hard to say goodbye, even though we had only known each other for three hours. I really do hope we stay in touch, and she vowed to email me as soon as she got home. I checked my inbox; she kept her promise. Talking to everyone was just so easy and it was so much fun to see what we all had in common. I also loved when they tried to immitate our accents. All in all, I had a fantastic night. I loved those Kiwi kids! It was incredible to see how much they cared and how excited they were to have us visit; we were treated like celebrities, us small town average Joes. The New Zealanders are some of the nicest people I have ever met, whether they were in Rotorua or Auckland. I will definitely never forget this experience, and I will have to return here some day (or at least I'd hope to). Today was fantastic. One of my favorite nights by far.

Day Four: June 9th, 2011

         Today was a day for getting to know the New Zealand culture, especially that of the Maori people. First we went on a duck tour of Rotorua, but the steam from the springs covered the water and we unfortunately didn't get the chance to see much. Next, we visited Whakarewarewa, a geothermal village that houses only about twenty families. We saw how the Maori people living there fully utilize the land, using it for cooking as well as bathing. They have communal baths, which we got to put our hands in. The minerals in the water made my hand feel so dense, but when it dried I felt as though I had lost all of my dead skin. Bathing in that would be just like going to a spa. After the Whaka village tour, we visited Mountain Jade, a New Zealand jade factory. It was fun to learn about how they shape and carve jade for jewelry, and how the carvers are inspired by Maori symbols, such as a swirl symbolizing new beginnings.

We then moved on to the Agrodome, where we got to play with baby goats and lambs, and then we saw a sheep show. Different breeds of sheep were showcased, one was sheered, and a cow was milked. It was a nice taste of typical Kiwi life. After that, we went to do the Ogo, which is like a Zorb or a giant hamster ball. While I didn't do it down hill, Zoe, Morgan, and I went in the stationary machine one, and I had the time of my life! It was filled with warm water, and it was so fun to get tossed around and soaked, falling all over each other. I absolutely loved it. We finished off the day by going to a hangi feast at our hotel, in which we tried traditional Maori dinner and desserts. I really liked getting to taste Maori food, even if it wasn't exactly up my alley. I also had a great time trying the poi, which is explained below, and watching the boys dance the haka. My only complaint was that the performers were not very authentic and took away from my experience.

Prompt: Describe the culture of this morning and afternoon, then compare to the USA and Native Americans.

                This morning’s tour of the Whaka village was not at all what I expected. We were given the background history of the Maori people and Whaka guides. I did not expect the actual village to just have these beautifully colored sulfur and mineral deposits and “clear as” pools sitting in between everyday homes. I thought it was incredible how they tied bags to a string and left food (like corn) to cook in the hot, boiling pools. The “microwaves”, or boxes made of wood that were heated by the ground they were placed on, were another resourceful idea that shocked me.
We don’t have anything like that in Grayslake; the closest thing is probably an actual microwave. Seeing a demonstration of the poi, balls attached to string that are used for song and dance, by our guide gave me some insight of what the hangi dinner would be like later that night. Although the performance at dinner seemed much more artificial than that of our guide, mostly due to gossiping performers and the use of black lights, I did take away a taste of Maori culture from it all. The food was cooked in the thermal area and tasted great, yet interesting because it really was so different. Learning a poi dance was great fun and also a very unique experience; I am very glad that I tried it because I got to attempt something that the Maori women have mastered and perform at their ceremonies. The boys really seemed to enjoy learning to dance the haka, and the entire day’s experience taught me so much about the Maori culture. I saw how rich in tradition they are and how they continue to live fairly simply. They utilize their surroundings and resources to the fullest, just like the Native Americans did with buffalo, using every part they could to its full potential. The Maori keep their ceremonies alive as a way to keep their culture alive as well. This reminds me very much of the Native Americans because both people are this way. However, the Maori culture is so much better preserved in New Zealand than the Native Americans because they are not confined to preservations if they want to practice their culture. I believe that the Native Americans should be allowed to spread their traditions freely, and not have to live on preservations if they want to live around other people like them who share their beliefs and culture. Sure, many do participate freely in society, but they could easily flourish if their culture’s spread was being aided, and their preservations were being well taken care of.

Day Three: June 8th, 2011

          After a long plane ride, we met our tour guide, Alec, and bus driver, the awesome Lionel. We got straight into the coach and headed for Rotorua, about three hours outside of Auckland. Driving through the New Zealand countryside, I was wonderstruck by its beauty. The scenery out my window was too pretty to be caught on camera; it was amazing there. We stopped about halfway in Matamata, AKA Hobbiton. You guessed it, it's where the Lord of the Rings was filmed. After a lunch break and about another hour in the bus, we arrived in Rotoura. The town smelled of rotton eggs thanks to all of the sulfur in the geothermal area. Nonetheless, it was beautiful, with a layer of steam covering the mountains. Again, it was picture-perfect. We took a sky gondola up to a mountain overlooking Lake Rotorua, and had a blast trying out the scenic luge, which is like a go-kart down a cement path. It literally went halfway down the mountain, and I had the time of my life exploring with my friends.

Prompt: List your initial impressions of New Zealand, as well as three culture shocks and what else you are looking forward to.

                My initial impressions of the last 48 hours were absolutely scattered. Upon entering the school before departing, I could tell that this would be a great group of kids to travel with, seeing that we all fed off of each others’ excitement. Once we arrived at the airport and the computers started crashing, I felt like the trip could easily fall apart at any moment; I didn’t even have an actual seat on the plane! Once we got travel arrangements figured out and arrived in New Zealand, however, I felt as though I had arrived in an entirely new world. Driving on the left side of the street, gas prices at $205.9 per liter, and scenery that was straight out of Narnia cemented my thoughts. The beauty of the New Zealand countryside cannot be captured by a camera; everything here is just so spectacularly, magically different.

                The fact that the passenger’s side and driver’s side of cars are flip-flopped in New Zealand definitely shocked me. I caught a glimpse of a three year old sitting in what I instinctively thought to be the driver’s seat and I almost freaked out. My second shock would have to be the countryside. Like I said before, it is indescribable. No pictures do it justice, and the everglades found in between Auckland and Rotorua look almost artificial, as if they came straight out of a movie. I had no idea what to expect when we arrived in NZ, and the scenery definitely blew me away. My third shock is simply the kind nature of New Zealanders. Kiwis stopped us both on the streets and in stores to ask where we were from, what our trip entailed, how we got chosen to come; the list goes on. Bottom line is, if you walked into a café back home with no intention of buying anything, I doubt anyone would offer you water, a restroom, and a place to relax.

                For me, this trip is all about pushing my limits, so I can’t wait to do just that. Today I tried the luge, and later on I will attempt to conquer my fear of heights by climbing the Sydney Bridge. I will snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, and I will make friends with both people from Grayslake as well as Down Under. So far, so good!

Days One and Two: June 6-7th, 2011

Anxious to set out on our adventure, all thirty six students, five teachers, and our families met at North on Monday to get a head count, say our goodbyes, and board the bus to O'Hare! The computers crashed at the airport when they started to hand out our boarding passes, and there was an air of tension throughout the group. Some people even said this was the first sign of the trip to come; not good. Once we all got our passes, we rushed through security and hurried to our gate. By the time we boarded our flight to LAX, tensions were beginning to ease. We ran into some more trouble in Los Angeles, however, with a few students who were having ticket troubles (myself included). Once that was settled, and we had boarded the plane, and we had sat for fifteen hours, we arrived in New Zealand to a beautiful rainbow, which told us to forget previous bad omens and look forward to a great trip! Aside from minor difficulties, traveling in such a large group proved to be fairly simple, and we were all excited to get started.

Blog 1 - Food & Cuisine: US vs. NZ

1. Cultural influences play a major role in both New Zealand's cuisines as well as those of the United States. Both countries' diets are largely influenced by the local ingredients, as well as imported produce. One example of a local ingredient would be using cattle for food in the United States. Another similarity between the cultural influences in the two countries is that both are constituted of people from many different ethnic background. Immigrants bring with them their native dishes and spread these across the countries, making them both very diverse in the foods that they eat. As time wears on, ingredients for these dishes are becoming more widespread and easier to obtain. Ethnic restaurants also give others a chance to experience this food for themselves. In both countries, Chinese and Italian restaurants are very prominent. However, in New Zealand, cuisine is also influenced mainly by the Maori, Pakeha, and British peoples. This is one reason that Kiwis refer to French Fries as "chips"; just like the typical British meal, fish and chips! In America, we are influenced by too many cultures to count. German, Polish, Japanese, Mongolian, and Mexican are just a few of the cultures that have brought their food to the United States and that have become very popular throughout the years.

2. I am probably most excited to try foods I have never tried before, and those that you can't find anywhere else--mainly kangaroo soup! At the same time, I am incredibly hesistant to try these foods, the soup especially, because part of me feels like it is wrong to eat those animals, even though Australians eat them just like we eat cows. To me it just doesn't seem right. However, I still really want to try the soup in order to experience new things and broaden my horizons. I will most likely need some encouragement, but this trip is all about stepping outside of my comfort zone, and that is what I will have to do!