Kia ora and Hello!
For the first half of this year I am spending my time studying in New Zealand, or Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. More specifically, I am currently located in the windiest city in the world!
I came from a suburban town in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I went to university in San Diego, California. My favorite activities include reading, painting and exploring. Since I was little, I always wanted to travel to see the world. From the books I read, I loved learning about how people lived in different cultures. I also loved reading stories with global origins--anything from Chinese ghost stories to quests in ancient Greek mythology. My art focused on watercolor landscapes. For example, I would paint mountains, the ocean, and forests. I used to daydream about waterfalls and seeing a family of dolphins. My exploring is not only limited to natural landscapes: I also enjoy walking through bustling city streets and wandering to see cafes and bookstores on street corners.
My mother always taught me about viewing the world through many perspectives to become a "global citizen". Traveling helps me learn about people and their way of life. All these factors pushed me towards studying abroad.
