International Exchange Programs at MBA: Ryan Barrick: New Zealand Exchange 2014

After close to thirty hours of travel, Trice McCullar and I stepped onto the tarmac of the fairly tiny airport in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. The airport was only a mile or so from the coast, and the brief flight from Auckland had us taking pictures out the window the whole time.

The view from the small New Zealand Air jet’s window

After hosting James Weeks for a month when he came to MBA on exchange, we had become good friends. He introduced me to his family who were all welcoming. A few days after my arrival, Titouan Alliod arrived from France. James’ younger brother, George, was hosting him as a French student learning English. Dinner was homemade by Mrs. Weeks almost every night, which was always a great time due to Titouan’s heavy accent. He learned words all the time and seemed to find everything American hilarious. The other great household events were rugby games, during which the whole family was required to sit on the couches adjacent to the wood burning stove (constantly watched over by George). Everybody takes rugby very seriously in New Zealand, and they are always deeply taken aback by the notion that American Football is an equally revered game. Its seemed like many of my new mates frowned upon our “wearing pads.” The whole family would stand up and scream at the TV for the New Zealand All Blacks as well as for England, since the whole family moved from England to grow grapes for wine and take on a hundred or so sheep.

The Weeks’ vineyard.

Attending Lindisfarne was always a blast. Quick thanks to Charlie, Craig, Willy, Dougal, Geordie, Jamie and Danyon for making us feel so welcome. The first major difference from MBA was the uniform. Depending on the day of the week, you either wore a red blazer or a blue sweater over the white shirt and tie. Gray wool slacks and black dress shoes were also mandatory.

Our classes included Spanish, Media Studies, Classics, and Art/Design. The block schedule confused me the whole time but seemed to work very well for everyone else. For me, the most enjoyable parts of attending Lindisfarne were meeting new people every day and learning to play rugby after class.

The final week was a school holiday, and I spent it fishing in and around Lake Taupo, which was formed by a massive volcanic eruption. It is the largest lake in the country, and helped me to understand how pristine the environment of New Zealand really is. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom at a depth of nearly 30 feet. The streams that feed into the lake are equally clear, and hold some of the largest trout in the world.

Thank you so much to Mr. Gioia, the Warner Family, and Lindisfarne College for making my exchange possible. Also would like to thank the Weeks family and the McCleay family for their hospitality. This trip was an invaluable experience for me, and the program’s ability to send so many students around the world really is one of a kind.