Adjusting to life in NZ was easier for one simple fact: Auckland is very similar to Boston. It’s really just Boston with fun kiwi accents and beautiful beaches. The structure is similar, with mostly bus transportation but the city center is within walking distance. I didn’t have much of an adjustment time period because I was excited to jump into a new place. It was a much easier transition when Boston is dark and cold and Auckland is coming out of a beautiful, warm summer. New Zealand really isn’t that different from the U.S.; I was surprised by how much of pop culture here is American (mainly TV shows and music). My trick to fighting off culture shock was to be really open to being in a new place. A big sign of culture shock that I saw with other exchange students was the tendency to compare everything with how it was back home. I would find myself making comparisons with culture in the States as well but it’s a lot harder to enjoy a new place when you’re always stuck back home in your head. The biggest culture difference is having the Maori history in New Zealand. It was a little easier to adjust to this (1) because I am absolutely fascinated by Maori and Pacific Islander traditions, they are so unique and beautiful and (2) it’s only integrated into the culture at events rather than being a day-to-day part of my New Zealand experience.
The Honeymoon Stage
This is the first stage of culture shock and I am not sure that I’m not still in it. I absolutely love it here; I’m still very infatuated with the culture, the city and all the people I have met. It was definitely more prominent when I first arrived – especially with the warm weather and all the summer weekend vacations.
Frustration
I haven’t experienced this to a large degree yet. I think a big part of this was the similarities to Boston – there isn’t anything that home has that Auckland doesn’t in terms of infrastructure. The first month or so I started to get frustrated with the language differences. It sounds odd but it started to just feel like so many things were different in terms of slang. When you really want to fit in, it’s hard to keep track of it all and the differences in my speech would often remind the room that I was international.
Adjustment
This stage really started to evolve when I became a member of Fossil Free (the Divestment group on campus). We all became really close and it felt more like I had a support system in New Zealand. It really made it feel like home and I got used to being around campus and being involved in events.
Acceptance
I’m not really sure if I’m in the Honeymoon or acceptance phase but I really love it here and have fully accepted that this is my home for the semester. I’m having a really hard time accepting the fact that I’m leaving in a few weeks. I have heard from other exchange students that the biggest culture shock will be going back home. I haven’t missed my friends and family too much since we talk online every day and I know that I’ll see them again. It’s harder leaving here because I most likely will never see the amazing friends I made here again.
The hardest part of being in New Zealand culture was definitely the sentiments that others have towards Americans. All kiwis I talked to knew a lot about American politics (a startling amount i.e. how the electoral college works) and the decisions currently coming out of the US are generally looked down upon. Americans are stereotyped to be very arrogant and loud. Sometimes comments would come up about how much others in my residence didn’t like Americans. This was really hard to be lumped into a person’s image of me because of my nationality. But it was also a reminder that as an exchange student I am a representative of the United States, and my actions can have positive or negative ramifications for others.
This was also not the viewpoint of all kiwis by any means. Most New Zealanders I talked to love Americans and find the exchange students to be the more adventurous and fun people they interact with. Every kiwi I have met has treated me with an extreme amount of kindness. I was invited on trips and invited into people’s homes in just the first few weeks of knowing them. In my experience, New Zealanders are the most welcoming people I’ve met. It’s hard when the reputation of an entire country is rooted in the actions of a few but it’s also a good thing, when one person does great things, those reflect positively on our community as well!
