Category: Jessica in Dunedin

Spring break was one of the highlights of my time not only in New Zealand but in my life as a whole. It probably sounds like an exaggeration, but it was a pivotal moment for me because of how much I learned about myself and what I’m capable of. I was pushed far outside of my comfort zone, which led to a new level of peace, contentment, and overall gratitude for life. It was one of those trips that was so good to the point of being hard to explain in words. I’ll try my best to paint the picture of what went down on this trip.

In full transparency, I was struggling to keep up with school while also balancing traveling. The thing is, I want to do well in my classes while also not letting it consume me to the level that it may at home. It’s been difficult for me to find that balance while abroad- forcing me to work on time management if I want to be able to do anything fun.

I was really looking forward to utilizing the week to just get out and not worry about schoolwork. I took small weekend trips which were fun but not enough time to hit multiple spots and fully be in exploring mode. I just had to get through the stress of the week in terms of midterms and preparing for the trip. There was so much to plan in terms of making sure I had gear essentials because we would be camping and backpacking different areas of the South Island. Even though I love the outdoors, I do have my limits with nature. My comfort zone is laying at the beach and being able to surf and get tan, or snowboarding. Especially since being in Colorado, I’ve always wanted to do more in terms of hiking and backpacking and this was my opportunity.

The plan was to camp and also do some backpacking and then a couple Airbnb’s to spread it out. While I’ve camped, I’ve never backpacked. I’ve always wanted to, but it was never the right situation and I had no idea what I needed to bring. Luckily, my friend Eva, who I live with and was also going on the trip was very helpful. She made me a list of what I needed and made sure I felt prepared for the long journey we were embarking on. While I didn’t have the experience and knew it would probably be comical, I could control having the right gear at the very least.

Although out of my comfort zone, this is the type of thing I came to New Zealand for. This is what I wanted. I will be forever grateful for a friend like her who turned my dreams into a reality. Things ended up falling into place- another friend even offered all of her backpacking gear because she was going to be in beach mode in Australia and did not need it. I graciously accepted and in exchange gave all the bathing suits I could offer for her trip, and we swapped lives for a week.

Sooner than I knew, midterms were done, and it was the most relieving feeling. I was so mentally exhausted that I went home, took a nap, and procrastinated packing. I had everything I needed but hadn’t officially put it in a bag and thought through the details. I ended up waking up early and scrambling to get my stuff together- which was way more than I actually ended up needing. Finally, our car was packed to the brim, we got gas and left Dunedin. I finally could breathe and get excited for what was to come. I popped on my shades and made sure that everyone was on the same page with music. I was with my friends Timo- from Germany, Holly- from England, Vasco- from Portugal, and Eva who is also from the US. Deciding on music was the first bump in the road but slowly the Europeans came to love Noah Kahan and the Lumineers as I introduced them to what a road trip is all about.

We were set up for success because Eva is an awesome planner. She took the time to research the best backpacking spots at the right skill level for most of us being beginners and also cool towns/beaches. On top of this, the group was just awesome, and we traveled really well together despite the mix of various cultures. Two of them, specifically, are some of my closest friends that I’ve made here, and I got to witness a romance develop between them. Spoiler it’s now weeks later and they are dating. It was just wholesome, and I felt so lucky to be with people with whom I have genuine love even though we’ve all just met. It didn’t matter who was the fastest hiker (well there was friendly competition going on), but everyone took breaks and was encouraging. Even if we were tired someone was cracking a joke at all times. Eva went into mom mode- she put on all of our pack covers when it started pouring and cheffed up even in the wilderness. I was just soaking in all the knowledge and trying to make myself as useful. This ranged from filtering water, doing dishes, cooking, etc. while purely outdoors. I had the realization of how much nature does provide as we were more than taken care of.

While so much happened, I’ll share some highlights that stand out to me. There are specific moments from the trip that just thinking about them takes me back to how I felt. The first one was when we finally made it to the hut at the top of Mount Fyffe, which is in Kaikoura. We had driven a few hours to get here from where we had spent the night in Christchurch. I was happy the drive was long because I started to feel the anticipation in the car driving to the trailhead. It was about 3 p.m. and the sun was going to start setting around 6:00, so we needed to hurry a bit when we got out of the car. We parked and put on all our gear and made sure that everything was packed. We had stopped at a grocery store for dinner/breakfast stuff because we were able to cook in the hut at the top. This was nice because we didn’t need to bring tents especially because there would be snow and the hut had a fireplace.

Once we were all ready it was time to actually walk up this mountain. I got so out of breath within the first 5-10 minutes. The track was three hours of a straight-up path including having the weight of a large backpack to carry. In the first hour or so I was definitely slowing everyone down and kept taking breaks. In my defense, I had been really sick so my lungs were already working at a slower pace than usual. I remember thinking to myself, “Why do people do this this is actually not enjoyable.” Eva, who I mentioned and who was the most experienced, brought gummy bears as an incentive to keep the pace. It was actually the best tactic because she would bride us all with getting one at the top of various steeper parts. She said her dad used to use the method on her when she was a kid but it sure did work on 4 of us most being in our 20s.

After the first hour or so, it did start to get easier as my body was adjusting. We played various category games to pass the time. Doing things like this makes you appreciate the simple things such as a snack and water break sitting down with the most beautiful view and the satisfaction of making it as far as we had. It was becoming more enjoyable as I was focused on what was around me rather than how my body felt. My pace became a bit steadier, and I was finding a better rhythm.

When we finally made it up, the view was insane. There was snow where the hut was, but it was also overlooking the ocean. I have never seen snow and ocean in the same view as that before, it was just wild. I remember sitting on a bench with my friend at the top and just taking it all in. One of my favorite views ever is a town’s lights while the sun is setting. It was just so beautiful, and I felt so grateful that I could be there looking at that view. Nothing else mattered besides that moment and I was just thinking about life and how much has changed for the good to lead me to where I was- on the top of a mountain in New Zealand (wow).

I was deep in my thoughts and then realized I was freezing and should probably head inside and set up my bed stuff/help with dinner. The hut situation is interesting because it is kind of a gamble whether people will be there or not. This was a smaller hut and there were a few people there on top of our group of five. Another couple showed up as well, and so it got really crammed. I shared a twin bed with my friend, Holly. There was just no space, so it was not the best sleep. However, we did share my book and read together before bed which was kind of cute for us despite how uncomfortable the sleeping situation was.

The next Location was camping a couple hours North on a beach called Robin Hood- located in Picton. This was one of my favorite spots because it was more up my alley and a nice break after the backpacking. I was shocked that we could find this good of a campsite for free and right on the beach with no one else there. There was a small stream in a little forest area close by that we used to filter water. Eva brought water filtering bags that we filled up with stream water to turn it into drinkable water. It is a time-consuming process but was good to learn in terms of not wasting water. After this was done, the sun was setting, and we decided to take a swim. The water was cold, but we hadn’t showered so it felt really nice to jump in the water. After I applied a million layers to stay warm while we cooked some chili for dinner. For some reason, food just tastes so much better when it’s cooked outside, and somehow, we ate really well on this trip. After dinner, I vividly remember us lying on the beach and staring at the stars for a couple hours. It was night but the moon lit everything up and it was so clear and easy to admire. We were having the best conversations about the Earth and just how the stars, planets, and everything operates. Any other topic of conversation would be unacceptable at that moment.

We ended up forcing ourselves to go to bed and wash dishes knowing that we had to be up decently early in the morning to drive to Marlborough Sounds (somewhere I was really excited for). Around this point of the trip, I was adapting to the lifestyle of living out of a car and sleeping in a tent. This morning was so serene when we woke up. We lay in the warm, morning sun for a bit while eating breakfast and drinking coffee. I was searching for the peace within myself to leave this place and go to the next location despite how much I was enjoying it.

From Picton, we headed to Marlborough Sounds. By this point, we were at the top right corner of the South Island and far from home. This was one of those places that looked exactly like the pictures if not better in person. Once we went in, the goal was to find a cool picnic spot to eat lunch and enjoy the view. The water was so blue and beautiful that when we pulled over at a beach all of us decided that it was necessary to jump in. The sounds are connected to the Pacific Ocean, but they are sunken river valleys. Because of this, the water is completely calm almost like a lake, so it is super relaxing. I could physically feel it getting warmer as we headed up the coast and closer to the North Island.

The next core memory was watching the sunrise on a dock at the campsite in Marlborough Sounds. Something about this spot reminded me of a summer camp that I went to growing up called Hume Lake. I felt a sense of familiarity in terms of the joy I had at that camp. In both circumstances, I was watching the sunrise reflect off the water while sitting on a dock with people which made me genuinely happy. I saw a bigger picture of life. It was a full circle moment that put things into perspective as I felt so insignificant to what was around me. Everything else around me went still and I almost felt the world pause.

The final key location was backpacking to Awapoto hut in Abel Tasman National Park, which is pretty much as far north as you can go on the South Island. One of my favorite parts of New Zealand is how diverse the vegetation is throughout the islands. I was in the snow, beach, forest, and now jungle. I loved this backpacking route even though it was a bit hard. It was more of an unpaved path with parts that we needed to climb up and then go back down, so it was not just straight up the whole time. The bummer for me was I started to get bad knee pain, especially when going downhill. All the hiking while carrying a heavy pack was getting hard on my body because it was new to me. Luckily, one of my friends ended up helping and taking my pack which was the only way I was able to get up. We lay in the grass on the side of the trail when we made it out of the jungle section and sat for lunch. It overlooked the ocean and it made me forget that all I was eating was bread and turkey.  

This hut was a lot nicer than before and we had it all to ourselves, which was luxurious at this point. We took some pictures of the view and hung out until sunset. Also, I might add, that we did not have service, so we were either reading, hanging all together, playing cards, etc. That part of the trip was nice- just being able to be unplugged from phones besides much-needed pictures. We got super lucky because this was the night of the blue moon, and we were up on this mountain in Abel Tasman with the whole sky lit up. Even after the sunset, everything was illuminated, and the moon was reflecting off the water. This is a sight that will forever be on repeat in my mind. It was so nice that we put one of the mattresses outside on the porch just so we could lay there for as long as we wanted and be comfortable.

We eventually went to sleep, and I was cozy in my sleeping bag thinking about how we were heading home the next day. I was ready to be back in my bed, but I was going to miss being able to travel while being so carefree. We made it back a day later in the evening after stopping at some hot springs and camping one more night. We all still talk about this trip almost every day and just how grateful we are to have experienced so many beautiful places together while making core memories that will remain with us always. We laughed when we got home as someone asked about how our spring break was and the only response I had was good because I didn’t know how to explain it. This was me trying.

The past couple of years have been filled with loads of change and excitement. From leaving California to move to Colorado and now being away in New Zealand, these changes have truly shaped who I am. I love to reflect on various phases of life, and I truly think it is the coolest thing to see what just simply saying yes to an opportunity can do. Through saying yes, I now have three places that I’ve referred to as “home,” each having their own unique charm.

The school that I am currently attending, University of Otago, is in a “small” beach town called Dunedin. Ah, Dunedin, where do I even start. I remember first getting here and having to take two flights in New Zealand itself to get here because of how far South and isolated it is. I knew nothing besides the few YouTube videos I’d watched (which are pretty inaccurate representations). I thought to myself on the final plane, “wow I really did choose the farthest possible place I could’ve gone.”

Since living here and exploring more of the South Island, I’ve realized how big of a city Dunedin is in retrospect to the rest of the island. With a student population of about 40,000 undergraduates, Dunedin is one of the main places kiwis attend University. I know I’m biased, but I do think it is a great place to study abroad because of the large student population. It’s awesome to be entrenched in a place that is so lively and inclusive where there is always something to do. I immediately felt the support from the University, and I was impressed by how organized they were in terms of making study abroad students feel comfortable. It is unique when studying abroad to live in a true “college town” and be surrounded with so many people of the same age and phase of life.

The game changer in terms of adjusting was coming a week early for orientation and meeting the other international students. This was the week that Dunedin was truly our own town to explore because kiwi students were not back from break yet. It was also the week that I tried out coffee shops and wandered around aimlessly with google maps. What does one do without a target? Apparently go to a hundred different stores when needing essentials such as towels, laundry basket, shampoo, and various items.

To me, the moment you first call a place home is quite surreal. My freshmen year at DU, I remember walking back to the dorms and hearing one of my friends say, “yay were almost home.” I laugh now because we lived in halls which was not the classiest living situation. However, during that phase of life, I loved it for what it was and it became a comfort spot. It wasnt just about halls, it was about Colorado as a whole and how much I did love this new place that was quite different from growing up on the beach.

In the same way, I will forever remember the moment where I called Dunedin home for the first time. I was coming back from mid-semester break and was absolutely exhausted from a week of road tripping and insanely cool adventures. That was the longest I’d been away from Dunedin and the time away in nature was very needed. However, by the end I was beyond ready to get back and not live out of a car or tent.

There is a sign when driving back into town that says “Dunedin” in the weirdest medieval font. For more context, there is a funny joke around Dunedin. While its the perfect place for a student, it is known as a party town and somewhat dirty compared to other areas because it is basically run by students. We had just had the week of a lifetime- exploring the nicest beach towns up the coast and backpacking through the most beautiful nature I’ve ever seen (not exaggerating). However, coming back and seeing the sign for Dunedin, I remember saying, “I am so happy we are home.” It sounds like a small thing, but it made me happy to say.

I was nervous coming here, anxious about starting fresh in terms of meeting people and learning to navigate a new city on my own. Now, Dunedin is somewhere that I call home- kinda cheesy but whatever. I know how to get to the grocery store and where to find the strawberries that I couldn’t find for the first month of being here. I know that the botanical gardens are the perfect spot to go on a walk to gather my thoughts and decompress. I know my way around the campus, and I smile at people I know as I walk to class. I get excited to come home to my flat mates to hear about everyone’s day and eat dinner together. I see the flowers blooming around campus and feel the weather getting warmer as we head into spring.

When I think of Dunedin, I think of all the memories made here and the opportunities this cute town has provided me with. I think of the lifelong friends that I’ve made and how they inspire me to be a better person and live true to who I am. I think of being 30 minutes away from the most perfect beaches and how the lights reflect on the water when driving back at night on the peninsula. I think of my favorite shops, specifically the vintage stores because I was pleasantly surprised by how good the fashion is here. I think of the easy access to loads of camping, hikes, and various landscapes. Dunedin has its own charm and personality and I feel very lucky to live here and call Dunedin home.