Kaikoura- my new home

NOTE: we are 17 hours ahead in NZ so i arrived in NZ on Wed US time and Thurs NZ time
I'm here!! In New Zealand! It still seems really surreal that I'm here, but I'm already super comfortable with all of the people here and my new home. The Old Convent is where we are staying, it's an absolutely beautiful facility, it was an old convent for nuns and then owned as a home and then a bed and breakfast and now my new home :) It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and the grounds around it are quant and nostalgic. It is fillleeddd with flowers and lots of different trees and all these little spots to just get away and enjoy what's around you, a lot of benches, swings and hammocks :)
But I guess before I got here the flights was pretty rough. I got to Baltimore and met up with Kelsey, my traveling buddy and it was a relief to have here there :) And then we flew to Texas and I did Sudoku for about an hour and discovered I am terrible at it because I filled it all out..butit was wrong..so i think really i just created an alternative way to do that one haha. But it kept me entertained for at least an hour and a half! We met up with 4 other Messiah students and we all clicked right away and it was a lot of fun and lots of laughing and the time went by fast. Then a 4 hours flight to LA. When we got to LA we found a spot to chill and then intensly watched everyone to see if they looked like a college student who as potentially part of our group lol. We would read random names fromt he list outloud just to see if anyone would answer lol. Out of Messiah students it is Alyssa, Morgan, Scott, Kelsey and Me. Then we found Sarah from Wheaton cuz we were taking picture and looking like college students lol. Then we found Lance but we were mislead because Alyssa said he was blonde...nope lol. And then last but not least we found Alex from Cali. The plane ride was fun, we all sat close to each other but everyone fell asleep cept Alex, Angelica ish, Lance ish. Maybe like 2 hours...ish maybe. Soo yea...lol.
We got to Auckland, New Zealand and had to take an additional flight to Christchurch. In the airport we met Jody and Caleb the last two of the group and drove 2 hours to Christchurch. I was told from the east coast we left home and we traveling airplane and out of airplane for abour 36 hours. So no sleep and all that traveling i was pretty pooped.
When we got the old convent it was just breathtaking as described in the first paragraph.
We have done so much already since I've been here. When we got here we were shown our rooms and Alyssa and I are roommates and we were squealing like little girls we were so excited! We were shown around the Old Convent and then we went to the beach for dinner to have fish and chips, which is like fried fish and french fries but we were told that you do not call them french fries, you call them chips.
Then we had a dedication and it was cool, we wrote down what our fears were and stuff and then we burned them and then hugged everyone lol.
AND this was all on the 26th. Oh and cuz of the time zone the 27th was kinda skipped but all of the above took place from the 26th-27th(28th NZ time).

FRIDAY
We got up and did a tour and were shown the ropes around here. I learned how to change a bike tire for real and remove it and all and i would have never learned that otherwise. Then we did a picture scavenger hunt into town to become familar with it and that was really fun. I was with Angelica, Alex and Lance. Then we came back and ate an amazing dinner of like rice, vegetables and this amaaazing homemade mushroom sauce stuff to go on top. It was soo good. Jess the cook is definitly good!
Later on we were shown the southern cross in the sky, it's cool to see different stars here. The moon was SOO bright that we went outside and walked down the street and i could even see the settings on my camera. It was awesome with the mountain behind and the moon shining. Then we all sat downstairs and got on our computers and talked and stayed up til 12:30.

TODAY!
We got up and went to a farm, it was quite fun, it was a sheep farm where we watched Kevin the owner sheer the sheep and then got a tour of the grounds. It was breathtaking, it was between two mountains and had 3000 sheep, two wild pigs (boars), dogs, PUPPIES!!!! omg the lab puppies mad me want a chocolate lab...sooo much!! Soo cute :) So many pictures there too, lots of random thigs to take pictures of and it was bautiful. The owners wifes name was Sandy :) We both wore green today lol. I had fun walking around today.
After the farm we went into town, Alyssa, Morgan, Lance, Alex, Scott and I. we just shopped around and went to the beach. On the way to the beach we got lost, us girls, lol. We took an altnerative root to the swimming beach, we ended up having to carry our bikes and cross some water and go up a steep hill and then finally found the boys. the view was amaaazing :) i'll show pictures later, we can't really upload then here cuz it takes up too much on the network.
But eventually you guys will see them.
Dinner was chili, and usually i dislike chili but today it was yummy :) Then we did part two to big red chair which is where someone sits in the red chair and are asked questions for 5 minutes and have to answer them all. Its quite fun, lots of laughs :)
I've laughed so much so far while I've been here it's been refreshing and rejuviating :)
This week is basically orientation but it's just fun and getting to know the program and the people and I'm just super excited to get close to God and even the program mission and stuff is just to grow close to God and view education differently. It still sounds like it'll be intense but fun! So much adventure, I'm ready to just be completely out of my comfort zone and out of the box and rugged and fun and yea.
If you couldn't tell I'm super tired, and I really had to force myself to make the blog, but i wanted to let everyone know i was safe and sound and having fun. Maybe the next blog I'll be more coherent lol.
We're going to church tomorrow :) So excited, then we had a bbq :)
I'm not sure how to make this sound exciting but I'm tired and I miss you guys and love you :)

I leave on Tuesday!!

It seems very surreal that I'm leaving on Tuesday, where has the time gone?!?
I'm getting really nervous just thinking about it and I have about a billion butterflies, frogs and other soft creature running around in my stomach and nerves :P lol
Today church was awesome, it was like the entire message was for me, and worship was for me and then well my dad prayed for my travels in front of the congregation and that part was for me purposefully lol. But it was really good today :) Everything was right on and I'm ready to go to New Zealand renewed, refreshed, and excited for God and to come back so different, but different in how strong I am in Him.
My flesh and my heart will fail but God is the strength for my flesh and my heart, he is the remedy to my heart's desires, pains, weaknesses. It's going to be me and God in New Zealand, no one familiar, no family, familiar friends. i know I will make friends, but sitll, it's me and God..it's me and God and I think I'm ready for that part!
One more day to make sure I have everything and to clean my room and all that before i leave. I have to run to the store to get some snacks and a converter i forgot to buy and i forgot to pack socks, lol so i gotta do that too! Which means I have to get up at a decent hour :P Man one more day, my insides are like AHHHHH! lol.
Pray for my nerves!
It's raining pretty hard, it'll probably be relaxing going to bed tonight:) I better get used to it tho, i'm expecting a lot of rain in New Zealand and Somoa, hence the hardcore rain coats and pants we had to buy :P

This weeks goal: to be packed by tomorrow nite!

sooo I am stillll packing! I am expecting my new battery for my laptop and my new shoes in the mail either tomorrow or monday! they better be here monday :P lol
My goal is to be completely packed by tomorrow night! That way I can rest and enjoy my family before i leave instead of packing Monday night. So I am volunteering my dad to help me figure it out tomorrow ;)
Tomorrow I'm hanging out with ma sis all day:) That'll be fun, i miss her :)
So yeaa you guys can pray for me because I am stressin and need to be done so i can enjoy my last few days! :)

AHH the countdown begins! So much to do!

SO today I found out that one of my fellow future NZ students is taking 2 suitcases so tha made me quite excited! I'm not sure if i'll take two but i think i'll take my parents and one small one that straps on top of it so i can still handle those two bags and my back pack :) Sooo that was a bit of a stress reliever cuz my suitcase isn't very big and i was wondering how often I'd have to do laundry :P
Tomorrow lunch with my grandma :) Haircut! :) and a visit with a friend :) :)
Lotsss to still do. lots and lots lol.
Packing and repacking, stressing and destressing. lol. I don't know how many times now I have put all my clothes on my bed, sorted through the piles, moved them off, did it again lol. Now i'm adding some clohes...lol and still not done shopping. A couple last minute things. And I'm hoping i don't forget anything!!!
You can pray for me cuz i'm getting nervous!
Praying for my girls!

i'm actually packing! and getting nervous!!

I read through what we are supposed to do when traveling, where to recheck our luggage, where to walk, what to do if this or this or this. I'm totally nervous for traveling!
I have all my clothes laid out on my bed and I've gotten some very good advice and I'm excited to pack now :) and i am excited that we get to pick where we go to church and i get to pack my sun dresses! :) yey! So i found out less tank tops, lots of t-shirts and lots of layers and lots of lounge clothes! yey :) sounds good to me!
LOTS of shopping to do tomorrow for a rain coat, rain pants, sports sandals, meds, essential toiletries, flashlight and SNACKS :)
STILL not very happy about the whole not having internet thing....i will have to write my blogs ahead of time and hurry up and post them on the internet...:( sadness i'm trying to find a way around it..but there proly isn't :P

exciting news :) and bad news....

Well today i realized that:
#1 we are going to Samoa for two weeks not one
#2 there are outhouses in Samoa, i misread and thought there were NO bathrooms! haha
so that was a relief :)

I will be in Samoa February 27 til March 12th! :) I'm excited :) It looks like it rains a lot there, at least what i saw from Survivor :P

Today i also realized that it's only like two weeks away!!! Craziness!
I should probably go pack my clothes...i've said that in alll other posts...but i think i might tonight haha

Also realized that half my fav girls are out of the country! Kendall was the last one to leave the states and Laura goes to Philly on the 16th! I will be praying for you girls continually and you will always be in my thoughts! I will be praying for my amigos in Grantham a lot too!!!

Bad News:
found out we won't have a lot of internet....:'( sad....actually for real that is depressing. no cell phone service and sparse email...stink

online shopping!

Welp I am shopping online for my trip and tomorrow my mom and i will do the physical shoppin lol.
I have a "storm jacket" thing for my camera for when it rains (which i guess seems like a lot), a silicone case for my ipod, screen protectors for my ipod and camera (both like $1 lol), water proof notebook, I think i might buy a case for my camera so i can take it close in the water, i'll have to buy a cheap one tho cuz the good ones are like $130 lol...well the really good ones are abour $300 to $1200. oh yea i also bought camera armour for my camera :) it'll look beastly and protected haha. (notice this is all for my CAMERA) lol My camera is my baby i gotta protect him while I'm gone! There is no way i'd leave him home...yes i said he. i think he looks more masculine than feminine. don't make fun :P
Stuff i still gotta buy: rain coat, sandals, random toiletries, some clothes...um...yea..random things.
I think i might excercise today...we'll see haha...
i haven't really started packing clothes...still procrastinating that :P