It’s unbelievable that it’s already been a whole 3 weeks since I moved into Carlaw Student Park Village, a dorm similar to the West Villages at Northeastern. I have my own single within a four-bedroom apartment. My three roommates and I have a shared living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. The bathrooms here are different in that we have two separate rooms, one for the toilet and another for the shower and sink. My building is just a 5-minute walk from campus over a hill,which gives me a good workout on my way to class. The “village” is made up of multiple buildings all housing university students. Carlaw does a really great job of hosting events for other residents to meet. Each day during orientation week there were bonding events from movie nights to barbeques. There are also unofficial ways to meet others through my housing. Almost everyday a resident posts asking others to get burgers or study.
A lot of my close friends live with me in Carlaw but classes have also been a great way to meet others. The class I took a field trip with became very close. The most valuable relationships that I have formed are with kiwis since they know all the cool places to visit and how to get there. Being around New Zealanders also gives me a better sense of being in this culture and they love to watch me try new “New Zealand” things (like Pineapple Lumps, a candy which does not actually contain any pineapple).
Meeting new people has had a snowball effect. This weekend I took a trip to Whangarei for a friend’s 21 st birthday where I met a ton of new kiwis. I have felt so welcomed by everyone I’ve met; they are always inviting me into their homes and for weekend getaways. Because of this, I have traveled all around the Auckland area and it hasn’t even been a month. Friends have opened up so many more opportunities to travel and adventure. This weekend I’ll be visiting Waiheke Island for another friend’s 21 st to see one of the many islands off the coast of Auckland. A few other friends from my building and I are planning a trip to the South Island and Australia for our mid-semester break.
There are so many beautiful places to see and I’m excited that I’ll be visiting them all.
