Hello! We are sadly reaching the end of our time together, but I am so glad that I got the opportunity to chat with you about life in New Zealand. I’ve really loved answering your thoughtful questions and sharing my experience with you.
If you had told me a few years ago, let alone when I was in 6th grade, that I would spend a year living in New Zealand, I would have been shocked! I would have been excited at the idea of potentially moving abroad, but I also would have wondered how that would even be possible. When I was younger, it was hard to imagine the kinds of opportunities or programs that I now know are available because I didn’t know anyone who had done them. Through this experience, I have learned that opportunities like this don’t always come from having everything figured out early and then following a plan. They often come from following your interests, taking smaller steps and then finding programs or people who can support you along the way. One really cool part of attending a university is being introduced to many people and programs you wouldn’t otherwise know existed. Also, a cool thing about research in particular is that you can work in different places and travel while still learning about something you are interested in.
