Hi! My name is Abby Tober and I am a Fulbright College student who is studying Psychology. I am blogging as I study abroad in the South Island of New Zealand during the May 2019 session with the Adventure Therapy and Leadership program.
To prepare for my abroad experience, I researched all necessary information for traveling to a foreign country. The seasons in New Zealand are opposite of the United States. They were transitioning into winter so I packed warm clothes and many base layers. I also made copies of all personal information to leave back home for emergency contacts in the US. The University of Arkansas Study Abroad Office was very helpful in relaying important information regarding the host country as well as ways to prepare for departure.
The group stayed in a variety of living accommodations such as homestays, dormitories, and apartments. My personal favorite living accommodation was getting the opportunity to stay with a host family. I stayed with my host family for the first portion of the trip. This was incredibly helpful because I was able to get accustomed to the culture by a very welcoming family. They allowed me to experience about a week in the life of a New Zealand family. They gave me the opportunity to try traditional New Zealand foods and partake in their family leisure activities.
While abroad, I had the opportunity to experience the Maori culture and even stay two nights at a Marae. The Maori people taught us about their history and their relationship with the New Zealand land. This experience was fascinating and enriching. The indigenous people had such passion about their heritage and really emphasized the land and the people. I am so thankful for this opportunity to learn about their culture.
The academic side of this program was hands-on. Although there was pre-departure and reflection work upon arrival back to the US, most of the learning occurred while participating in the program abroad. I had the opportunity to learn about various therapeutic styles (counseling, adventure therapy, and occupational therapy) that are utilized in New Zealand. I also learned about sustainability techniques used in New Zealand and ways that they are promoting ecotourism in their country.
The people of New Zealand were kind and hospitable towards us. I believe that the people of New Zealand are a major reason as to why I loved this program. This program has many amazing connections in the host country such as professors from Otago Polytechnic and leaders from Adventure Development Ltd. They worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to figure out linguistics to make our experience the best possible as well as making smooth transitions from each location.
With this being said, we had some unbelievable opportunities while studying abroad. A few of my favorites include sightseeing at Tunnel Beach in Dunedin, rock climbing on Long Beach, mountain biking and hiking in the majestic mountains of Fiordland, sea kayaking in Milford Sound, caving and seeing glow worms, and zip lining and bungee jumping in Queenstown. This trip was an unforgettable experience with some of the most inspiring peers and professors.
Senior Psychology major Abby Tober spent the May Intersession 2019 with our U of A Faculty-Led: Adventure Therapy and Leadership in New Zealand with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
