Lindisfarne Exchange New Zealand, Trice McCullar

I took this photo outside the airplane on my arrival into New Zealand.  The view from the plane was spectacular and really got me excited for the adventure I was about to embark on.

This picture was taken in Archie's hometown at the neighborhood surf spot.  Archie's dad took us out on my first day there and was great way to start off the trip.

Me, Archie, and Ryan before school one morning in our school uniforms.  Lindisfarne's uniform was extremely different and a great tradition to the school.

I took this photo outside the window of car as we were traveling to the countryside to go visit one of Archie's friends.

Jack's dog was a cute little pup that followed us around everywhere on the farm.  He enjoyed most of his day chasing sheep with us on the dirtbikes.

I took this picture riding dirtbikes at Jack's with Archie.  This was one of the best parts of the trip for me because the views were spectacular and the scenery was amazing.

The photo above is probably the best picture that I got on the whole entire trip.  It resembles the New Zealand countryside perfectly filled with sheep and clear blue skies.  It was also taken at Jack's farm while we were riding dirt-bikes.

During my trip I drove all the way down to the South Island with my family on their holiday vacation.  We stopped on the side of the road and I took this photo of a seal from a few feet away.

One of my favorite moments on the trip was spent here at a family friends house where we enjoyed the spectacular view off the coast.  Archie's little brother Xander is on my shoulders in this picture.

After school many days I would go mountain biking with Archie's dad on the close by Te'Mata peak.  It was sometimes really scary to be honest but it never disappointed with the view and the rush of adrenaline.

On my trip I often enjoyed lamb chops with an assortment of other fresh sides for dinner.  The chops never disappointed and were always on the menu due to the 48 million sheep that lived in New Zealand.

Archie and I stopped and relaxed at the the top of a chairlift to enjoy a spectacular view during a awesome day of snow skiing in Queenstown. There was not a lot of snow but it was still one of the most unique places to ski.

The town of Napier is where I did most of my shopping with Archie's mom and sister.  The city was very entertaining and had a very cool variety of shops that served as great places to get gifts for friends back home.

Probably the best place to skip rocks in the whole entire world.  The lake was complete glass from end to end and was crystal clear.  A beautiful place that is etched in my memory. 

A usual day at Lindisfarne as the boys move from one class to another.  All the classrooms were in buildings similar to the the one on the right

The sheep pictured in this photo were outside our motel on the way to the South Island and were being pretty noisy in the morning.  This was the closest I ever got to a sheep because they usually ran away madly at the sight of a human approaching them.  

New Zealand is a place that gives me comfort and made me realize how lucky I am to go to a school like MBA.  The trip as whole taught me a lot about how to adjust to new situations.  The change from going to my large American home with only three people living in it to a way smaller New Zealand home with six people was a great experience, because I have never done anything like that before.   The opportunity to have such a unique experience in a country many do not know much about was life changing.  Living with a much larger family gave me the opportunity to have a brother and a sister for the first time and it was something I really enjoyed. I created relationships that will last a lifetime and expanded my passion for the outdoors.  Before the trip I was close-minded and was used to being in my comfortable environment for so long that I did not understand that new experiences make you stronger as an individual.  It is so awesome knowing that you can go all the way across the world and get the same feeling that you do back home.  Thank you so much to the Warner Family for making all of this possible it is people like you that make MBA the special place that it is.  It is hard to put into words how thankful I am for your gift.

Forever Thanks, Trice McCullar