Freshman Kati Christoffel                                       

Ok, so I didn’t actually end up getting to bungee jump, which I’m quite disappointed about, but the remainder of my Kiwi adventure was quite fun.  About halfway through my trip, I had a well-deserved day off, having been distance skiing twice a day, and I think I used it quite wisely. I slept in until 11, which I haven’t done in a while, then walked from the house where I was staying into downtown Wanaka, about a 10-minute scenic stroll. I explored the town and bought gifts for my family and friends, discovered that there are about 7 or 8 snowboard shops crammed into about 3 streets, and sampled a doughnut (which was quite good). Next time that I go on a trip anywhere, I’m not buying people stuff. If you want something from New Zealand, go there yourself. It’s worth the trip, anyways, and if you can find a sweatshirt you like for under $40, good for you. I would rather be able to chill and take in the culture than be in cheesy souvenir shops all the time.
 
The rest of my days consisted of skiing a lot. The weather started to warm up about a week in, so the snow got slushier and icier, and we had to turn to that nemesis of nordies everywhere: klister. However, once it was applied, the grip was pretty good, and I was able to get some really good classic technique work in. I can’t wait for normal winter so that I’ll have more than two weeks to train on snow!

 A few times, Pavel and I went running. There was a really nice path only 7 minutes from my house that went right along Lake Wanaka, offering some spectacular views of the lake and the mountains beyond. One of the numerous wonderful things about New Zealand is that the bike/ running paths are not paved- it’s just hard dirt and gravel, so it’s great for running!

 Running by the lake gave me an idea, which was that I wanted to go swimming. Yes, it’s winter there, and yes, the lake gets its water from the mountains, and yes, the water is even freezing cold in the summer, but it seemed like a fun thing to do. To me, at least, it is summer, and in the summer you go swimming in lakes. Even better if the lake is a 7-minute run from your house.

 Well, one day, I put on my bikini, threw sweats on over it, grabbed a bunch of towels, and went down to the lake. Right by town there is a dock that goes out into deep enough water do dive in. I had been told that the water was really cold, so I knew that if I was going to swim at all, I would need to jump right in. I shed my sweats, sprinted to the end of the dock, and dove off. Yeah, it was really really cold. Like, 16C, which is around 52F. I was in the water for less than a minute. Regardless, it was really fun, and now I know that I’ll never want to be a Polar Bear.

 That night, my host, Liz Conroy, taught me how to make a roast chicken, and helped me prepare an entire meal. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it was bloody delicious! The veggies may have been a bit over-steamed, but the chicken was perfect and the potatoes were incredible, despite not being Aroostook potatoes. I’ve never really cooked much besides grilled cheese and pancakes before, so this was pretty cool. It won’t happen often, though, because I prefer eating to cooking.

 Then, after two amazing weeks, it came time to leave. I got to ski one last time in the morning, as my plane didn’t leave until 5 PM, and it was one of the best days I was there. Perfectly blue skies, fresh-groomed powder, and not too cold or too warm. I skied for over two hours in a tie-die suit that someone there said “looks like someone vomited the ’70’s onto your lycra”. I like bright colors, ok? Even fluorescent orange...

 I’m definitely going to miss all the amazing people that I met, and the incredible skiing. Now, it’s time for the next adventure: college.