4AM ON A SUNDAY
Get back home from a friend’s 21st birthday celebration. The magic of studying abroad is knowing how to balance social, academic, and night life, am I right?
6AM
Wake up.
…
Accidentally fall back asleep.
6:45AM
Wake up, in a hurry, and start getting ready. Take the hiking shoes, a backpack, water bottle, and some bananas.
7:15AM
Meet with friends in town (or the half that made it on time).
8AM
Hit the road towards the Waitakere Ranges. Fun, laugh, and excitement all the way!
9:30AM
Arrives at one of the most beautiful hiking places I have ever been to. So green, so calm and peaceful, and so adventurous.
11AM
Group picture, snack time, enjoy the breath-taking view.
12PM
Hit the road. The adventure never stops. Next: Lion Rock!
1PM
Literally in paradise.
2PM
Soaking wet, muddy, tiny tired, but on top of the Lion Rock – worth it!
3PM
Sit by the beach and just reflect on what that day, that past month, and all those experiences and adventures lived in New Zealand so far have meant to me.
3:01PM
Exchange Program Lesson of the day: sometimes it's tough being away from home. Sometimes you are scared, and all you want is to be surrounded by those who ground you, because that's when you feel safe the most. But a big part of the journey of being abroad is this: taking challenges and adventures as they come, learning to see everyday as an opportunity to find nothing but happiness.
Renato Dornelas
<p>Kia Ora! My name is Renato Dornelas, and I am an international student from Brazil at Skidmore College, studying abroad at the University of Auckland, in New Zealand. At Skidmore I am an International Affairs major and a Media & Film minor. Some of my interests and passions are cinema and hollywood, social media, photography and Thai food. Follow my blog if you like adventures, exciting videos, and first-hand information from a unique study abroad program!</p>
