{"id":6739,"date":"2025-06-12T14:02:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T02:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/?p=6739"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:04:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T02:04:26","slug":"student-perspective-day-in-the-life-new-zealand-allie-thompson-baylor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/student-perspective-day-in-the-life-new-zealand-allie-thompson-baylor\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Perspective: A Day in the Life – Studying Film and Literature in New Zealand by Allie Thompson, Baylor University"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Allie <\/span><\/span>takes us along for a day on her study abroad program in New Zealand, <\/span>s<\/span>he writes:<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

In the summer of 2024, I traded Texas heat for New Zealand\u2019s crisp coastal air, joining a group of Baylor University students for the adventure of a lifetime. Here\u2019s a snapshot of one day that sums up the magic of studying abroad in Aotearoa.<\/p>\n

7:30 AM \u2013 Waking Up to the City of Rotorua<\/strong>
The day starts with the soft sound of birds chirping and the quiet hum of traffic nearby. Rotorua has a distinct, earthy scent from the hot springs, but you get used to it quickly. After a quick breakfast (usually muesli and fresh fruit!), I throw on my backpack and grab a light jacket – even though it\u2019s warm back home, it\u2019s winter here!<\/p>\n

9:00 AM <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Class <\/strong>Time<\/strong>
Our morning lectures are held in a small classroom at our current hotel. Today\u2019s topic: M\u0101ori and New Zealand authors, literary works, and culture. It\u2019s one thing to read about indigenous heritage in a textbook, but it\u2019s another to get to read these stories and even hear stories from local guest speakers who carry these traditions. I wasn\u2019t familiar at all with M\u0101ori culture before traveling here, and it\u2019s been incredibly interesting to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12:30 PM \u2013 Journey to Hobbiton<\/strong>
After class, we pile into a shuttle van and head out to one of the most iconic places in New Zealand: Hobbiton. The drive through the green rolling hills feels straight out of a movie\u2026 because it is. As we pull into Matamata, the excitement builds!!!<\/p>\n

We walk down the winding paths of the Shire. Every detail is there, clotheslines, garden tools, even fresh-baked smells from the Green Dragon Inn. Walking past the colorful round doors and peeking inside hobbit holes, I feel like I\u2019ve stepped into an entirely different world! (I think we probably took about 1,000 pictures).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2:30 PM \u2013 Lunch at The Party Marquee
<\/strong>After exploring the set, we\u2019re treated to a themed lunch at The Party Marquee, a large tent inspired by Bilbo\u2019s birthday celebration! Long wooden tables, lanterns, and a FEAST. There\u2019s roasted chicken, fresh bread, seasonal veggies, and a sweet apple crumble for dessert. It honestly feels like we\u2019re extras in a movie scene \ud83c\udfac<\/p>\n

After that, we take even more photos, sip ginger beer at the inn, and just soak in the peacefulness of the place. It looks JUST like the movie to the point that I almost can\u2019t tell its a set. It\u2019s not just a tourist spot anymore\u2026 it\u2019s like the movie has been made real.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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6:30 PM \u2013 Dinner Back in Rotorua<\/strong>
We return to Rotorua just as the sun sets, casting a golden glow over the whole city… After a long day, we\u2019re all ready for food. A group of us heads to a cozy local spot downtown. Rotorua has great options, from classic New Zealand lamb dishes to hearty pies and M\u0101ori-inspired cuisine. Tonight I try h\u0101ng\u012b, a M\u0101ori traditional meal. Warm, smoky, and very comforting. We talk about our favorite Hobbiton moments and scroll through our photos, already planning what we\u2019ll post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9:30 PM \u2013 Reflecting Under the Stars<\/strong>
Back at the hotel, I step outside for a just moment before bed. The air is cool and still, with steam rising softly from nearby vents and stars scattered across the clear sky. It\u2019s hard to believe I walked through the Shire today AND learned about M\u0101ori storytelling this morning.<\/p>\n

Studying abroad in New Zealand isn\u2019t just about academics, it\u2019s about experiencing the culture, the land, and the stories woven into both. I jot a few notes in my phone, already knowing this will be a day I\u2019ll remember for a long time.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s lights out. Another adventure awaits tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Allie takes us along for a day on her study abroad program in New Zealand, she writes: In the summer of 2024, I traded Texas heat for New Zealand\u2019s crisp coastal air, joining a group of Baylor University students for the adventure of a lifetime. Here\u2019s a snapshot of one day that sums up the magic of studying abroad in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250,19,260,273,7,16,25,261,34,262],"tags":[108,128,288,292,107,291,100,287,48,59],"class_list":["post-6739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customized-program","category-field-notes","category-inspiration","category-marketing-interns","category-new-zealand","category-postcard","category-snapshot","category-stories","category-student-perspective","category-travel","tag-baylor-university","tag-ecotourism","tag-education","tag-hobbiton","tag-international-education","tag-maori-culture","tag-new-zealand","tag-rotorua","tag-study-abroad","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6739"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6753,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6739\/revisions\/6753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}