Kerri Malone, 2012 New Zealand Adventure Tourism student blogger, writes:

Hello, my name is Kerri Malone, and I a student studying Urban Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am very interested in arts programming and have a natural fascination with culture. Usually the term “culture” can be an ambiguous concept. How do we define it or even begin to experience it?

During my time in New Zealand, I am more than excited to delve into the culture that makes the destination internationally unique. The most exciting aspects of any trip in my experiences have been those that involve experimentation with food, and the events, history and the overall tone of a place, are all encompassing aspects of my definition of “culture when I travel.”

New Zealand blogger Kerri Malone

As soon as I discovered textual and digital travel guide books, such as “GoGo Paris” and “IWannaGoThere,” my ultimate goal in any place when I travel is to attempt to gain some insight into what the locals are doing. Getting to know local residents, engaging in practical and enriching discussions with strangers and walking into unfamiliar situations are in my opinion one of the richest methods of enjoying a new landscape.

In New Zealand, I plan on doing just that. Having little knowledge of New Zealand other than films, photographs and documentaries, hopefully locals, magazines/newspapers and extensive exploration will provide me with a taste of culture I am seeking. As individuals, we all have various strategies for experiencing foreign locations. What types of things do you enjoy?