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.
