Before my journey, I thought living in New Zealand would be very similar to living in the U.S. I had to do a lot of research before studying abroad, so I think I was fairly prepared to live in New Zealand. However, I definitely underestimated the difficulty of moving across the world. My first real-life exposure to the Kiwi lifestyle was at the airport, where I learned how serious the people in New Zealand about their natural lands and native species. There are signs all over the airport about the prevention of transporting invasive species. I also had to get my shoes and camping gear inspected by a special team to make sure that I was not unknowingly transporting invasive animal species. Once I got to Hamilton, my first day was not at all how I expected it to be. My debit cards were not working, so I got kicked out of a grocery store because of that and felt extremely embarrassed. On my way home I learned that pedestrians do not have the right-of-way after I almost got hit by a car! I ended up getting a free coffee from a local shop because of the rough day I was having. So, I had no groceries and was very hungry, lonely, and excited all at the same time. I ended up ordering McDonald's. This may sound silly, but the familiarity of it was comforting.
