Life beyond traveling

Although I've mainly just written about my experiences while traveling, I've been having lots of fun in Dunedin as well! Here's some highlights:

• Robin, Rach, Eric and I drove to the Caitlins, 1 1/2 hours south of Dunedin for a day trip, where we stopped intermittently and checked out different viewpoints and did some short tracks. The highlights were Nugget Point, Jack's Blowhole, Cathedral Caves, Purio Bay and Purakaunui Falls. The Caitlins are wayyyy underrated; we were quite surprised how pretty some of the areas were.

• This past week I went on a 2-hour horse trek through the Otago hills and down to Blackhead beach. I trotted on Crocket for part of the time, and I feel a lot more secure on horses now after my lesson. I signed up through the rec and they drove me (and a Canadian girl, Carla) to Bums & Saddles, where we rode with our instructor Karen, who looked like Bonnie Raitt, haha. Between meeting Karen, and also the kiwi man who drove us, I realized just how friendly and personable the kiwi-nature is. So many kiwis I have met throughout my time here instantly have opened up to me and talked to me like I've known them all my life, and I think its an admirable quality.

• A few weeks ago, Alexis, David and I took a wine-tasting class. We stuck to NZ and OZ wines, and Geoffrey Weston who owns a winery close-by lead the show. This was our lineup, although I'm leaving out a few: (the ones with an asterisk indicate my favs!)
  

1. Boundary Kings Rd Pinot Noir
2. Selaks Premium Pinot Noir
3. Mission Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon*
5. C.J. Pask Roys Hill Merlot
6. Dashwood Merlot*
7. Mirrool Creek Shiraz*
8. Red Knot Shiraz
9. Brown Brothers Shiraz
10. Tyrrell Aged Tawny Port

• 'Alexis's Belgium Product Tasting'- We all dressed up in red, yellow or black and went to Waff's flat where we spent the night eating Belgium chocolate and drinking Belgian beer
• Speight's brewery tour with 'The Fellowship' (David, Alexis and I) in Dunedin.
  
• This week I officially have stopped taking pictures for the Critic because the past two weeks they didn't credit my photos, even though last week I reminded them to, so I've retired, haha.
  
• Jim Rorimer from Arcadia had a wine-tasting party at his house last Thursday and Rachy won the contest, so her prize is to name Jim's lamb back on his farm at home in Shaker Hts, OH. The unveiling of the name Rachy picked is tonight, at another wine-tasting party!
• I've also spent a lot of time on nice days in the botanic gardens behind my street, walking/running around the paths, and reading.

Other than all of this, I spend the rest of my time going to classes and writing essays. Even though I've been having an amazing time here, I still miss my family, Chief Wiggum, friends and Joe! Other aspects I miss about the US are country music, the diversity of the people (there are no black people or hispanics here!?!), and bagels. (haha, their bagels aren't the same!) I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in July!!!