student – Page 19

Visiting Auckland with some friends from home • 26 September 2024 – 30 September 2024

I had an incredible opportunity to meet some friends in Auckland (whom also attend the University of Denver) and are currently studying at the University of Newcastle in Australia. This had been the first time I had spent time in an actual city, meaning one that had buildings that required me to bend my entire neck to see the top of. We spent the weekend catching up, exploring random areas, and ensuring that coffee was included in the plan each day.

WINE TOUR

My general knowledge of wine, the creation, aging, and consumption is something that I have never had a proper understanding of and is an area that I was enthused to learn more about. After finding a local coffee shop that was renowned for its latte art- I got a seahorse- we caught the ferry to Waiheke Island which is known for its wine vineyards. The weather was drowsy but did not take away from the fascination of the wine tour.

We first stopped at the Cable Bay vineyard which turned out to be my favorite by the end of the day. It was unique being the youngest aged group on the tour but it made for an excitement that the other tour members didn’t quite have. The vineyard was beautiful. It boasted an impressive wine cellar and the actual vineyard was a new sight for me. I was already extremely impressed by the knowledge that goes into wine, especially the fact of it being possible to guess the year, brand, type of grape, and so much more solely based on smells and taste.

I was also so fascinated that aerating your wine in your own glass can change the smell and taste, apparently it is more commonly known, but it was news to me! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and two more vineyards to end the day. One of the best parts of the day was the gentleman that guided our tour. He was so full of life, rich with energy, and amplified the experience in ways we did not expect. 10/10 overall experience!

hobbiton & Small hike

I admittedly should have put more effort into watching the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies prior to this movie set tour, however disregarding my lack of basic understanding for these films it was still incredible. All of New Zealand’s landscape can best be described as majestic and unlike any other terrain I’ve ever experienced. There is no surprise that Peter Jackson decided to take his crew to this country to film what was described as Middle-earth in the original books. The naturally rolling, staunchly green hills truly made for the perfect movie set for Hobbiton.

Our tour guide was clearly a huge fan of the films, which made her knowledge admirable yet energy slightly over-the-top at times. I found so much joy in observing the thousands of details that went into the creation of the entire set. The degree of detail would require hundreds of tours to catch them all. The impressive nature of seeing such an iconic movie set in person is still a wee bit incomprehensible and only boosts my appreciation for the hundreds of hours that go into only several seconds of some movie scenes. 10/10 overall experience!

After touring the set we stopped for a quick hike to a waterfall lookout. A unique aspect to adventures like hikes that usually doesn’t go into the “planning” of said hike are the conversations that you have along the way. It creates for an environment that encourages conversation and it was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was great to catch up with friends on a deeper level and dissect some of the worlds tricky inner-workings. Thankful for hikes! 10/10 overall experience.

The cinema and hostelS

We went to a movie called “The Wild Robot” to end our weekend, a film that I had been eager to watch especially since reading the impressive reviews. Although meant for a younger audience, it was still a thought provoking journey that confronted several deep rooted societal issues and provided just as much benefit for a 21 year old as it would for a 12 year old. I have an appreciation for films that encourage you to think beyond the surface level and require your constant attention. 10/10 overall experience!

The Lylo Hostel! The culture that is created by hostels is something I would urge everyone to experience. We weren’t able to secure a shared room with many others in Auckland, but my experience with hostels in other areas has been very rewarding. Meeting people in hostels who have equal desire for life is unique. There is an immediate departure time placed on your time spent with them. You are forced to make the most of your time because it is inherently limited which has led to some fun nights out and fruitful conversations. Cooking in hostels is a fun environment that I hope to continue to be a part of until I’m considered “too old” to keep attending. 10/10 overall experience!

See photos below!

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Running the half marathon in New Zealand • 15 September 2024

Before arriving in Dunedin I knew that it was going to be a unique period of trying new things and pushing myself to new limits. The day I arrived I searched for “half marathons near me” and was immediately met with a link to one of Dunedin’s biggest events of the year, the Dunedin Emerson’s Marathon! I signed up on July 6 for the half marathon, something that didn’t seem too daunting considering it was over two months away…

the weeks PRECEDING the race

I will be candid when I say that I did not train nearly as much as I had hoped for this race. The combination of adapting to a new lifestyle, education, social life, weekend trips, being in the gym, and time for self meant my training was rather sporadic and did not stick to a proper regiment. I have never run a race in my life so as race day approached I started to accept the fact that it was going to be an extreme challenge and learning curve for the entirety of the race. I have never taken on a physical challenge like this before which also created a certain degree of nervousness given I haven’t met my physical limit in this manner before. I signed up for this race under the presumption that I’d be doing it alone, however the week of the race I was happy to find out other friends and acquaintances would also be racing. My friends and I put together a massive carb load dinner the night before and I ended the evening with a solid stretch.

Race day

The nerves weren’t as high as I thought they’d be, however it was quite a unique feeling waking up knowing I’d go to sleep having run a half marathon. I had a decently sized breakfast and my friends whom were also racing with me came to my flat before the race, (the starting point happened to be right in front of my flat).

Some last second stressing and before I knew it the race had begun! My thoughts were as follows:
Mile 1: THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE. I AM RUNNING TOO FAST. MY LEGS ARE ALREADY HURTING.
Mile 2: I am still running too fast and my legs hurt more than they should.
Mile 3: I am almost to the first water station, after that I will magically be healed. I am sneakily following these two girls, I like their pace.
Mile 4: Maybe I should eat my first snack.
Mile 5: I am still running too fast but I seem to be doing fine. I think I’m ready to pass these girls.
Mile 6: I passed the girls, time to find somebody else to follow. Wow, I’m almost halfway done. I’m definitely drinking gatorade at the next station instead of water.
Mile 7: I’m over the halfway point! I found somebody new to follow.
Mile 8: This feels too good! I don’t know how I’d be able to do this without music. Time to eat my gel.
Mile 9: Almost to the water station again, should I even stop?
Mile 10: I stopped for water.
Mile 11: I am getting so close. I feel great, I think I’m really going to pick up the pace now.
Mile 12: Some of my favorite songs are playing and I’m starting to get the chills.
Mile 13.1: I’m gonna do it! I cross the finish line as Paradise by Coldplay is blasting in my ears.

The last three miles I was filled with energy, profound thoughts of proudness and accomplishment, and most importantly I was having the time of my life. Gliding through the streets of Dunedin as people cheered me on, some fans holding signs that said “Hit me for turbo” and hitting them maybe a little too hard. Listening to some of my most influential songs whilst accomplishing a new physical feat. Life was at such a high! I truly had a phenomenal time and completing a race is one of those things you have to do in order to feel the energy in that way.

I ended with a 1:43:45 time at 7:55 per mile. I was super proud of this time! The runner’s high is so real! I felt like I was on another planet for the last portion of the race and at different parts for the remainder of the day.

to be human!

Humans can do such amazing things! The amount of energy, ambition, desire, and appreciation for accomplishing an adventure like this is something I will truly cherish to have been a part of. One aspect that running the half marathon has taught me is that pushing myself to new limits isn’t something that I hope to do a couple more times throughout my life, but so many more. Here’s to a life full of redefining the limit!

Find photos below, they aren’t too flattering!