June 10

Day 5

What did we do today?

Today we woke up at 5:30… We went downstairs for breakfast. I love having kiwis for breakfast! The fruit here is wonderful. The best I’ve ever tasted! Today we braved ourselves for the vegemite. Yup… it was bad. We went out in the rain and took a public bus to get to the Redwood Forest. It was wet, very muddy, and rainy beyond belief. But, it was also a wondrous good time. Our group consisted of Maddie, Katie, Amanda, Steven, Bridget, Lexa, Reilly, Schags, Ewen, and Ms. Titus. We sang all the way through the trail. Mostly they were Disney songs… ‘Be a Man’ from Mulan was a popular one. We went back to our hotel and dried off as best we could. We got on the bus to Auckland and stopped to have lunch. I had a homemade burger and shared a weird chicken pie pastry with Katie and Steven. After we made it to Auckland we went to Rangitoto College!! I met Charlotte and she was so nice and adorable. We had so much in common! I really liked the Maori kids’ haka performance for us. They sang to us and we sang the national anthem to them. The barbeque they had for us was really good… I’ve found I really like sausage rolls. Katie, Amanda, and I stayed in a creepy hotel room that night…

Prompt: Talk about day 5.

Journal:

Today was so much fun! We went to the Redwood forest early this morning for a hike. I loved it! I t was one of the many examples of how people are getting to know each other and participate on the trip. I feel like we are stepping out of our comfort zones. In the forest, our excursion group was singing songs, laughing, and having a great time! We would never sing like that back home. I have also stepped out of my comfort zone while luging and zorbing. I love it!

I feel like everyone is beginning to be more open to change and excitement. We’re all starting to mingle and talk to people we normally wouldn’t. It’s wonderful! Out here we are all put on the same level. It’s out in the real world of travel that one’s true character shines above all else.

We got to meet the kids from the Rangitoto College today! The experience was amazing! I cannot even describe it… Even though our pen-pal buddies were a random pick, I feel like it was fate we had them. Me, Amanda, Katie, Maddie, and even some of the other kids from our school feel like they met their kiwi twin today. Charlotte, my buddy, is interested in all of the same things I am (including art, skiing, and travel!) and basically had my personality in a nut shell. She was so sweet; I can’t wait to talk and see her again!! J