Val and I had just boarded the taxi shuttle and were on our way to the city of Dunedin. The drive was about half an hour. It was after 8, but it was still light out. A bit gray and dreary, but the sites were still visible. Fields and fields and hills filled with sheep (lots and lots) of sheep, cows, and horses. The Dunedin airport is pretty much in the wop wops (the middle of nowhere).
We drove through the main road of Dunedin and saw the Cadbury Chocolate Factory as well as a lot of shops and cafes and bars (a lot of all three of those here).
We stopped at the Proctor's Office to pick up our flat keys. Mine was the closest so I was dropped off first. My flat is located right across the street from uni. It's a really great location. It's well quick to walk anywhere cool (I noticed kiwis say 'cool' quite a bit).
I arrived to a dark and empty flat; none of my flatmates were home. I lugged my suitcases into my bedroom and was wonderfully surprised by how homey and spacious it iss (the flat is completely furnished and well-stocked). And we have full size bids (definitely a nice change from Concordia's tiny twin-sized beds!). I unpacked a few things, but quickly took a shower. I felt gross and really needed to. Afterall, what was supposed to be a 12-13 hour trip had turned into a 24 hour trip. I was completely exhausted and just needed to feel clean. I am so grateful that I had ValaRee as a companion on the trip. Despite how stressful, frustrating, and hectic everything was, we were able to cheer each other up and keep a really positive attitude. The trip was difficult, but we still managed to laugh and have a good time. If she hadn't been with me, I probably would have cried (especially when I realized I missed my connecting flight and would have had to wait in Auckland by myself for hours).
I stepped into the bathroom and was surprised to see we have a glass stand-in shower, a toilet, a sink, and a washer and dryer all in the same area!
I eventually roamed around the house and took a peak of the living room and the dining room/kitchen area. It's very nice. I'm also really impressed with how well the uni stocks the flats. We have eating utensils, pots, pans, plates, cups, a microwave, and a toaster, and all the other important essentials like a stove, oven, and refrigerator.
My flatmates arrived after a bit and it was really nice to finally get to meet all of them since I had been communicating with all three of them over Facebook. We didn't chat very long. I was anxious to unpack and settle a little. Honestly, I crashed soon after I put everything from my suitcases away. It was a well-deserved sleep (even though I was rather cold).
This is our flat! It's very cute.
Living room area.
Roommate's piano.
Sink area.
Dining area.
Bathroom.
A part of my bedroom.
Another part of my bedroom.
I finally believe that I'm here. When I first arrived in the country, it felt surreal, and honestly, it didn't seem different from home at all. I felt like I was still in America. But reality has been slowly settling in waves. At first it was the little things - like the different spellings of words. Then it was noticing the way people talk and becoming very conscious of my American accent. Then it was on to bigger things like traffic moving in opposite directions and the metric system. And then finally, it was coming to the conclusion that I am the furthest away from home that I have ever been, in a completely different hemisphere, in a completly different time zone, in a country I am not as familiar with as I wish I were.
It's almost overwhelming. No, actually, it is overwhelming. I haven't really had much time to rest as Monday was the beginning of orientation and there have been so many things I needed to get done for school and places I've explored.
The good news is I'm officially course approved (as of yesterday) and it was such a tedious and complicated process. But it's done! I also rented bedding from uni. I signed my lease agreement. I checked in with the International Students Office. I went grocery shopping (which turned out to be a truly interesting experience) and I've discovered my surroundings a bit.
Anyway, I've got to wake up early tomorrow morning for and International Students Information Session so I'll update later with a picture blog of all the sites I've seen so far.
I haven't had much time to relax. Ahhhh. I hope relaxation comes soon.
I'm glad you are all settled in. I think it's awesome that your washer and dryer are in your bathroom.
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