In terms of self-care, it is de rigueur. It is de rigueur to pamper yourself with independent movies on an “Anri’s Last Summer Whisper” type of night, specifically the ones like Lilya 4-Ever (2002), Benny’s Video (1992), Eros-Massacre (1969), and Goodbye Dragon Inn (2003). It is de rigueur to eat a loaf of French bread while contemplating a show to watch. But most importantly, it is de rigueur to examine every pocket of this outfit branded “Life” and learn from it. Through this process comes introspection and the development of self-authenticity.
Traveling for me is de rigueur. If there is a learning component attached to it, my intrigue furthers into rumination. From there, it sometimes develops into an application process, writing an essay, and eventually, booking a ticket. This is exactly what happened for the “New Zealand (NZ): Exploring Environmental Restoration in Aotearoa” study abroad program. It was advertised as being open to anyone, so I took my chances. As someone currently polishing off my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Health Studies, and MTV (Mathematical Thinking & Visualization, UWB’s past data visualization degree), with a minor in Geographic Information Systems, the program piqued my interest. It focused on limnology—the study of freshwater ecosystems—and how invasive species promote or demote the various aspects of native habitat. With little to no knowledge of this topic, I was excited to learn more.
Due to Dr. Avery Cook Shinneman and Dr. Jim Gawel’s expertise, I felt a sense of privilege throughout the trip. We got situated in Auckland (Maori: Tāmaki Makaurau) for about two days where we had some free time and a fruitful discussion with Heather Patterson-Shallard, a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland. Heather talked about land and water governance in New Zealand—basically, the policies that go into the management processes of biological entities such as these. I was attracted to this particular part of the program because it touched on sociology and how relationships determine the viability of community projects. For example, water governance is invigorated through regional councils. In these regional councils, you can propose a water management project aimed at eradicating an invasive species. Once you do, it goes through a complicated process of “yes’s” and “no’s.” The project can span from months to many aggravating years filled with decisions, court dates, and appeals (by anyone). Ultimately, though, it comes down to the relationship one has with the regional council, as well as the council members’ relationship with each other. Heather emphasized that some regional council members have unfortunate bonds with each other, often limiting community involvement. This alone made me realize that making connections with anyone in any setting can either conceal or reveal the “elephant in the room.”
I only covered a small portion of Heather’s lecture. She taught us a large amount in, what felt like, little time. Utterly, I am privileged to have been in the same room as her (and I cannot believe that we were at the University of Auckland). Also, not to brag or anything, but, at the beginning of our discussion, Heather showered us with a plethora of New Zealand snacks. She probably knew we were hungry.
After Auckland, we made our way to Hamilton (Maori: Kirikiriroa) and learned about Maori culture. Les Tuteao, a humorous and friendly human being, showed us around the North Island inland city. We were introduced to murals, sculptures, and landmarks that painted vivid pictures of pre-colonial Aotearoa. Admittedly, it took me a hard time to digest everything because I was a bit under the weather that day. Still, Les kept us on our feet and immersed us in the beauty of New Zealand’s culture.
After Hamilton, we stayed in Rotorua for several days.
A quick food for thought before I forget: Roto means “lake” and rua translates to “two.” If you combine the Maori terms, you get “Second Lake.” The reason it is called this is because Rotorua houses the second-largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand.
Continuing: after settling down, we learned about eDNA sampling, also known as “environmental DNA.” eDNA is genetic material shed by organisms. This could be feces, tissue particles, mucus, and other types of genetic expulsions. eDNA is useful in determining the types of species that inhabit an environment. It can help us determine the spread of invasive species as well as an estimate of native species present. Additionally, it can allow us to make theoretical predictions about patterns observed. This was an important lecture because we collected eDNA samples throughout the places we visited—especially Taupō.
I feel like I’m turning this into a report, so I’m going to be a bit more casual from here on out.
Taupō was fun. It reminded me of Vancouver, Washington. I think it’s because it has that small-town feel, you know? Except, Taupo has, like, 40,000 to 50,000 people living in it, whereas Vancouver has close to 200,000. Regardless, the town gave me a chance to cool down. On the days we had free time, I read a book I bought from a thrift store at a nearby park. The benches were facing juvenile roses organized in cute rectangular planter boxes. Adjacent to the garden was a Rotary Club and the town’s museum. Apart from reading, I observed the Rotary Club’s fun community. They were having a barbecue the first day I went, and if I’m being completely honest, I so wanted to join. The garden was filled with this sweet and savory aroma that had no problem making me salivate.
It smelt that good (at least to me… and what looked like the 80 people that were there).
After we drove from Taupō to Wellington the next day, we visited the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. It was pulchritudinous (I love this word). I learned about the species of New Zealand, the anatomy of earthquakes and volcanoes, and made some pricey decisions at the gift shop. Nevertheless, Wellington was the literal highlight of my trip, considering that we only spent two days there. The next morning, after the museum, we woke up at 8:30 in the morning and caught a ferry to our final destination: Nelson (Maori: Whakatū).
Nelson gave us time to synthesize the concepts we learned. After some leisure days, we had our final event. I was excused for personal reasons, but my classmates and our professors went to the Cawthorne Lab, which provides flexible, reliable, and personalized testing services to the food and natural products sectors in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The itinerary was filled with lectures on iwi (Indigenous tribes), a trip to local gardens and ponds to collect DNA samples, and then having them analyzed in Cawthorne’s molecular laboratory. My classmates filled me in on what they did while flaunting some pictures at me. I was jealous.
I don’t really know how to end this blog post. It’s currently 3… almost 4 in the morning because I procrastinated on writing this, and I think I want another cup of tea. Nonetheless, what made this trip phenomenally memorable were the people. Besides the New Zealanders we met, the cohort that I studied with was a different breed of humans—let’s start there. Of course, you can’t always get along with everyone, but I genuinely made some good memories with my classmates—life-long memories, at that.
I’m speaking for myself here, but I miss studying with them. They made everyday fun. Words can’t describe how much they mean to me and how infinitely privileged I am to have met each of them. As for our professors, their commitment to providing a safe and comfortable environment for us, no matter what they were going through, spoke volumes about their dedication and professionalism. I am beyond grateful for them.
And as for anyone reading this—if you’re thinking about applying for a program, start your application for the ambassador’s scholarship first. I paid for my ticket with it. And if you think you’re “too dumb” to get accepted into a study abroad program, stop with the negativity and stand firm. Don’t rely on others to spoon-feed you. Take the initiative and do things for yourself now (including practicing self-belief), because there will be a time when your only support system will be you.
Adulting is very hard, but if you can acknowledge the discomfort associated with it without expressing negative emotions toward it, you’ll quickly learn that you have full control of your life, and that fear can be tamed. You are a strong and capable human being. You are worthy of growth, love, confidence, and anything else that posits a strong human being.
