Prepare for a Summer in Korea

Hi Sharks, my name is Tiffany and I studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea this past summer! My International Summer program was one-month-long with Konkuk University. Here are my experiences and tips for preparing and packing for a month in Korea.

Entry requirements: I did not have to apply for a Visa or a K-ETA since it was only a month-long program; staying longer than 90 days required those mentioned. Things change and sometimes requirements are lifted but please do your due diligence and research any entry requirements. 

Important things to pack: First, I brought my passport and an additional form of government-issued identification such as my driver’s license. My passport was on me everywhere I went since certain places were tax-free. Next, I had physical copies of important documents such as my health insurance and official documents from my host university to show proof I was a part of the program. Although these documents can be accessed electronically, I printed out paper copies just in case. Also, it is required to get international health insurance if your current plan does not cover international. Especially at the airport, I kept these documents readily accessible just in case I ran into any trouble (I had no problems at the airport). Honestly, I think having your passport and one more form of ID is all you really need, the extra documents I brought were because of anxiety. Lastly, payment options. I had credit cards and both US cash and Korean won on me. Exchange rates are better there so I recommend doing it over there. There are even better rates in Seoul so try to find places besides the airport but even the airport is not that bad. Korea is card-friendly but some places only take won like your T-Money card. Also, from what I remember Visa, Mastercard, and Discover are accepted, just remember there might be foreign transaction fees. If you go to Costco, it is only Visa or won. 

Other things to pack: The month was July and it was during their monsoon season; therefore, it was hot, humid, and rainy. So pack according to that 🙂.

Phone Data/Calling: There are plenty of options when it comes to your phone. Your phone carrier will have international plans but it will likely cost a lot. Other options include phone rentals, eSIM/SIM cards, and pocket wifi, and fortunately, these all can be purchased at the airport. If you search around, some websites offer discounts and pick-up at the airport for convenience. I think eSIMs are most convenient but your phone has to be unlocked for it to work. There will be certain conditions depending on your plan; for examples, a plan may or may not give you a Korean phone number, another may allow free incoming calls but charge for outgoing calls, or a certain amount of messages per month will be permitted and any extra will be charged, so check and carefully pick your plan according to what you think you need. If you want to call home back in the US, I suggest third-party apps such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, or even Instagram for contact because those are free. *Having a Korean phone number depends on you. It was not necessary for my situation but I assume for a full semester stay, having one would be helpful.* Korea usually has wifi everywhere like in shops, restaurants, and bus/train stations, but it is not strong so I would not chance it and rely on public wifi. 

Transportation: Plan on getting a T-Money card, their version of our Holo card. You will be walking and using public transportation a lot so prepare with cushioned shoes and Korean won. A T-Money card can be purchased in most convenient stores and you refill them with won only, there or at the stations.

Study Abroad Vietnam: Holistic Medicine Course, Educational Review

   

     Studying abroad is an opportunity everyone should take if they can. My course was six weeks long, long enough to get used to life in Vietnam. This country has an interesting history, culture, and tradition. The focus of my study was Traditional Holistic Vietnamese Medicine, a field that views health through a spiritual and accessible lens. We also had language classes to help us acclimate, although I will admit I was really bad at them. 

       We started in Ho Chi Minh, also known as Saigon. I personally had been to Vietnam 4 times before and was happy to be back in the bustling environment. I met my group at the hotel where we were all staying. We stayed there together for a few days before moving in with host families. Everyone had randomly assigned host families, but one of my old bosses applied to a part of the host family program, and I stayed with her. My classmate's host families were all ridiculously wealthy, and many of them had housepets, indoor swimming pools, and rec centers!

    We went to classes at the Univerisity of Medicine and Pharmacology. Our coursework included theoretical lectures, practical workshops, and field visits, providing a comprehensive understanding of this holistic approach. This is where I will admit my greatest disappointment with the course. Our translator and chaperone assigned to us were very bad at translating. She was also very argumentative with the lecturers and with students regarding the kinds of questions we were asking. She would often bypass the information being told to her by lecturers and tell her own stories (she has never been a medical professional). Those who spoke Vietnamese in the group confirmed what she was saying was not at all accurate and would try to help translate it correctly. Because of this, I don't think I got very much out of the lectures and Q&As. Aside from this, though, it was awesome!!

                                     

    I learned the most through observation and through the visits we made to medical sites. We went to a wide range of medical businesses, not just holistic ones. We went to pagodas, western-style hospitals, traditional medicine hospitals, and the medicine street. The streets are often organized by trade, so all medicine is on one street, clothes are on another, food is on another, etc. We were also required to interview with locals and NGOs. I learned more from host families than I did at the university. We got to practice doing acupuncture, massage, meditation, and making herbal pills. We also got to observe procedures being done on patients, mostly acupuncture and consultations. This was another source of culture shock for our group, as Vietnam does not have privacy laws or HIPPA. We were all shocked that we could observe without the patient's permission. Most of them did not seem to mind. Privacy is viewed differently in Vietnamese culture, especially in the city, where there are so many people. Often, families live several to a room. 

    We explored historical sites, enjoyed traditional music and dance performances, and participated in local festivals. Ho Chi Minh has a traditional medicine museum, as well as several war museums. We also traveled around the country quite a bit. We took a vist to Vung Tau, which is a beach town. This was just a fun excursion with no educational intentions. We also went to the Can Gio mangrove forest, where they grow a variety of food and medicine. This forest was destroyed during the Vietnam war and is now mostly grown back. We got our drinks stolen by monkeys, paddled out to see bats, and fed alligators. We also visited Dalat, which is in central Vietnam, and Ben Tre, which is in the Mekong Delta. In these towns, we visited more hospitals. 

    I enjoyed being able to go as a student and not to work. I was able to immerse myself more in the culture. By the time I had to go home, I really didn't want to leave. Hopefully, I will be back soon!

Study Abroad Vietnam: Holistic Medicine Course, Lifestyle Review

  This is part 2 of my last blog. Now, I'm going to talk about all the fun stuff. If I am being honest, this was mostly a fun stuff experience. Even though America is the "Land of the Free", many of my generation find being alive a series of endless compromises. In Vietnam, I never had to compromise on anything. I enjoyed freedom, which I thought was just an intangible and broken promise. I had mental freedom, physical freedom to go anywhere I wanted, academic freedom to explore topics that I found interesting, and, most enlightening, financial freedom. A poor student in America is a very rich one in Vietnam. Remember that this is because of the dollar exchange rate and economic freedom, which only you, as a foreigner, experience and is not necessarily the experience of locals. 

    Not worrying about money means you can afford things that may be a luxury back home. I could buy a coffee every morning and evening for just 50 cents. I could purchase bubble tea and eat steak and fish. I could order a drink with dinner at restaurants. If you ever go to Vietnam, don't get stuck thinking frugally if you already do back home. Go get your nails done, sit in cafes for hours, and go to fancy clubs and bars, which there are many of. Food is cheap and fresh. I lost 10 pounds without changing how much I eat; the food is so clean, and nutrition is based on the five elements. Food is often clean, simple, and rich in vitamins and protein. All fast food joints have virtually the same menu, so I recommend eating at local joints. Saigon has a very large array of cuisines. Thai and Indian food was the best I've had (shoutout to Haveli Restaurant). I also had a waffle and duck leg dish, which I have thought about every day since. 

    Another form of freedom I now had was physical freedom. I could go wherever I wanted. Mornings in Vietnam begin early. I was often awake by 6 am, and my host family was up even earlier. This left me a lot of time to explore the city. Joining the locals, I developed a routine of starting my day with a cup of Vietnamese coffee, often enjoyed at a small street-side café. Banh Mi is a really common and easy food if you are on the go. You can download Grab on your phone and go anywhere in the city for a few dollars. Also, as a female-presenting person, I will note that I felt safe everywhere. People who talk to you on the street are genuine and not creepy. I could walk around with both headphones in without fearing someone creeping up behind me. If you look lost, people will help you. Grab drivers won't drop you off in random locations or try to steal you. Roofing is the only problem when it comes to safety as a woman, so still watch people make your drinks and don't go in unlabeled cabs. Cab scams are also big. 

             

     Activities in Vietnam are also cheap. We can go to the zoo, cat and dog cafes, karaoke, hiking, billiards, museums, and parks for cheap or even free. My favorite bar we went to was acoustic. They had free drinks for ladies' night and live music. They even had some metal artists on the setlist! Several in my group also left with new tattoos and piercings, myself included. It is generally very safe and clean to get tattoos done, and also stupidly cheap. I myself have two tattoos and a piercing. One girl found a place that would do her belly button for about 7 US dollars. I recommend Morgan Ink Studios if you are going. I got to put a pin on a map of where I am from on the wall. 

            

    If you are going to study abroad and find yourself with some free time, do everything you can. Say yes to everything. Our group size was small enough that we could invite everyone to everything. It was really lucky that all of us ended up liking each other. Almost everyone was from Yale, so I could compare my university life with theirs. I made many good friends, and leaving them was hard.  

                                         

    Bring a disposable or digital camera. Also, leave your makeup at home or get tinted sunscreen. Your foundation will be dripping as soon as you step outside. It doesn't matter how good you think it is. Even if you don't care for the course, I highly recommend it for the lifestyle!

My Growth in Spain

        As a Bio major with a concentration in Health and Human Sciences, my degree plan includes an internship component in the health field. And ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to study abroad. I don’t think it was even a month after coming to HPU that I was talking with our wonderful Study Abroad director about my academic prospects. I was focused on finding a program that wouldn’t derail my graduation plan and eventually, I caught wind of a program that would satisfy my internship abroad in Sevilla, Spain. 

        Despite dreams of traveling around the world, I had never left the United States before this program. I found myself 12hours away from my life on Oahu in a place whose culture and language I knew little of. Was it terrifying? Absolutely not. I was completely out of my element, sure, but I had nothing but excitement and wanderlust for the next month of my life. Okay. I talked a big game, but the truth is that I was feeling a tiny bit of uncertainty. While I knew what I had signed up for, there was no telling how everything would play out. From my PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support) training and hospital rotations to simply acclimating to life in Spain, I had no idea what to really expect. I also knew that the language barrier would be a slight obstacle, despite my best efforts to learn as much as I could in a short time. 

        It’s actually kind of funny, my first night in Sevilla, about three hours after I landed, I met the other students in my program. We were a whopping group of three (and eventually just two). I tried striking up a conversation with one of the others, Morgan, asking what her name was, only to be met with a “dos semanas”. She’d misheard me, thinking I was asking how long she’d been in Spain, but my stomach DROPPED when I heard her response in Spanish. After all, with a group this small, I needed people I could communicate with. It ended up being a silly miscommunication and she does in fact speak English. Some people who don’t speak English, though, were my host family.

        I opted to live in a homestay to better immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle here, and boy did I get what I wished for. When I first met Alfredo, he asked me a simple question: “Hablas espanol?”. While I understood that much, I definitely wasn’t anywhere proficient enough to claim that I was good at it. I remember having the stupidest expression of shock on my face as he just smiled and led me up the stairs. In a fun twist of luck, I didn’t speak much Spanish and they didn’t speak much English. Of course, I fully accept that this was on me, since I was the one in their country. But we made it work! Through my limited Spanish, a bit of Google Translate, and a LOT of charades, we were able to communicate.

        It’s easy to play it safe and stick to what feels familiar. For me, that would’ve been holing up in my homestay. But I didn’t travel halfway across the world to play it safe. I thrusted myself into a situation that would push and challenge me because I knew I would be better for it afterwards. So every day, I would leave and explore the city, with or without my newfound friends. My program had a bunch of activities planned, but what I found to be the most gratifying was to just put one step in front of the other and get lost. You notice so much more around you when you aren’t focused on getting somewhere. I found that Sevilla is just another place on Earth. A beautiful city rich with culture, mind you, but it was nothing to be scared of. The people live and laugh, the dogs bark and beg, and the sun rises and sets.

        That being said, there are definitely noticeable differences here in Spain compared to what I knew in Hawaii and other places in the States. For one thing, the days are a lot longer than what I’m used to. The sun doesn’t set until at least 10pm, and the city is still up much later than that. Many places are open quite late and it’s not uncommon to see people, including small children, walking about in the late hours of the night. Nightlife doesn’t even begin until around 1 am to 2 am and it may not end until the early hours of the morning. Even stranger to me is the general atmosphere of safety. Neither me nor the two female students I came here with felt unsafe walking home late at night. I’ve heard the same sentiments from many others, as well.

        Now that I’ve finished my time in Spain, it’s fun to look back on my journey. It’s been humbling, eye-opening, and incredibly empowering. A month is either a short time or a long time, depending on who you ask, but to me, it’s incredible how acclimated I felt to life in Sevilla now. Everything that was strange to me now feels muted, like a simple fact of life. Even outside of my program/internship, I can feel that I’ve grown a bit more. In a way that I can only describe as “stepping into the world”, I feel like I understand life a little bit better. No one way of life is right, people are fascinating, and the key to learning more about both is living it and asking. Thanks for sticking along with my rambles here, I hope it was at least entertaining!

3 Weeks in Spain

Landing in Sevilla, I was greeted by warm, golden sunlight and a welcoming atmosphere. The drive to my housing was picturesque, with narrow streets lined with orange trees and historical buildings that told stories of the past. My host mother was a sweet older woman who became like family. During these three weeks that I lived with her, I felt safe, happy, and at peace. I was extremely appreciative of the delicious food, the heartfelt conversations, and her kindness, patience, and humor. Señora genuinely brought a smile to my face every day!

Weekend excursions were a highlight of my trip. Throughout my time abroad, I was able to travel to Barcelona and Lisbon, Portugal as well to truly maximize my experience. I loved Sevilla, but getting the experience to travel to other places was the experience of a lifetime. Classes were held at a local university, a short bus or train ride from my homestay. They were challenging but engaging, taught by passionate professors who encouraged us to immerse ourselves in the culture. Each day in Sevilla was a new adventure. Mornings started with a stroll to a local café for café con leche. Classes took up a significant part of my day but were balanced with exploration. Afternoons were spent visiting the Parque de María Luisa adjacent to the Plaza de España, getting gelato or relaxing by the Guadalquivir River.

I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had in Sevilla. It was a transformative experience, and I do believe it will DEFINITELY stand out on my résumé and in future applications. Returning to the States after my time in Europe has been an eye-opening experience. I never fully realized how much growing and changing happened until I got home. I grew a newfound sense of confidence, independence, and self-assurance in Europe. I learned to navigate unfamiliar environments, adapt to new cultural norms, and communicate more effectively in Spanish. These experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop a stronger sense of self and resilience. I also gained lifelong friendships with the other girls in the program! 

Since returning, I've felt a strong longing to go back. Life here doesn't feel the same, and I miss the excitement and growth I experienced in Seville. This has motivated me to explore opportunities for employment and graduate school abroad. I'm particularly interested in finding a way to return to Spain when I graduate in May 2025, as the experience with GlobalEd has profoundly shaped my aspirations and worldview.

Suggestions/Advice to Future Study Abroad Students

1. Embrace the Culture: Dive into local customs and traditions. It will enhance your experience and help you feel more connected.
2. Learn the Language: Even basic Spanish will go a long way in making daily interactions smoother.
3. Be Open-Minded: Expect and embrace differences. They are what make the experience unique and enriching.
   

Interning in Sevilla (and other things I've done while here!)

Hey! My name is Kyle and I’m doing the GlobalEd Abroad 2+2 Medical Internship program in Sevilla, Spain. I’m here for a month doing a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course followed by two weeks of interning at a hospital. I didn’t know what to really expect or look forward to when I signed up for this program, but it’s been incredibly exciting and I want to share all about it what I've done for anyone interested in this kind of thing. I'll begin with my program/s day to day.

PHTLS

I started my first two weeks with my PHTLS training. Every day we’d start by discussing EMT theory and then do practice scenarios, either with a training dummy or one of us playing a victim. In a group of three, one person would be the “leader” and direct the situations, ranging from cardiac arrest to car accidents to even a multi-step earthquake extraction. We’d arrive on scene, do our multi-step assessments, and provide the on-site emergency care. At times, it proved to be stressful and I was definitely pushed in ways I couldn’t have even fathomed before. Still, this was the kind of training and preparedness I’ve wanted for years and I believe I’ve come out more confident and better for it. This training would run from about 9am to 5pm Mondays through Thursdays, leaving the remainder of the days and the long weekends open for whatever we wanted.

Hospital

Part two of my program here in Spain includes two weeks of hospital rotations, which I'm currently in the process of. I’ve finished one week so far and I’m thoroughly enjoying it! I’m interning at Vithas Hospital, a private hospital with a lot of different departments. My shifts go from 9am to around 1:30pm, depending on the doctor I’m with and the caseload of the day. So far, I’ve done two days in pediatrics, one in the ICU and one in the ER, as well as one day in the adult ER, so I’ve seen a wide range in my small snapshot of hospital life. It’s incredible seeing patients come in and get assessed by these doctors with years of experience, then to hear the thought processes behind everything discussed. I also got to visit the NICU ward twice, which I really enjoyed. I came into this experience primarily interested in cardiology, but now I’ve found a budding interest in pediatrics. I’m unsure what to expect for my remaining few days, but I know that I’ll learn and see a lot. I may even have the opportunity to watch a heart surgery, which is exciting as that’s one of the things that struck up my interest in healthcare in the first place. Unfortunately I don't have pictures out of respect to privacy.

Extracurricular Activities

My newfound friends and I would spend our nights trying different tapas bars around Sevilla. And with or without them, I was going out for ice cream pretty much every single night. So if anyone needs recommendations, I have an amazing list and I am more than willing to share. I also took full advantage of my weekends off to travel to a couple of the other beautiful cities in Spain. 

Italica

Our first excursion was to Italica, the ruins of an ancient Roman city. To backtrack, I found out something incredible on my first night with the other students: all three of us were Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon fans. Luckily for us, Spain is home to many of the filming sites used in the two shows. Italica was home to the Anfiteatro de Italica, the spot where the big families met in season 7 of GoT, so naturally we had to go!

STARSTRUCK

Our other classmate managed to book us a private, guided tour of the city where we learned a lot of its Roman history, culture, and beautiful architecture. We ended the tour with the Amphitheater in all of its glory, where I unfortunately nerded out and took many pictures. 

Comparison

Granada

That same weekend, a day later actually, we took a train to the city of Granada. One of the others had studied there before so we got our own sort of guided tour, hiking up to the Alhambra, an Islamic palace, walking around the city, and trying some of the best churros I’ve ever had in my life. I will say, if you end up going to the Alhambra, which I do very much recommend, wear shoes with good traction, as some of the steps were kind of slippery. We also went to an Irish pub later than night and watched one of the Eurocopa games, Netherlands vs Turkey. Let’s just say “rowdy” was a complete understatement. 

Ronda

I went on two solo trips in the weeks after. One was a two-day trip to Ronda, a city with the most incredible bridge I’ve ever seen before. The Puente Nuevo is a gigantic bridge made of stone over 200 years ago, which is absolutely insane to me. There’s a canyon hike you can descend to get an amazing view of the gorge and bridge (I’ll attach a picture, but it’s something I think you need to see for yourself). Other places I explored were the Mondragon Palace, the Arab Baths, and the Museo Lara S.L. The palace and baths were cool to see, but they were ultimately a little small and over with soon. Not to discourage anyone from going to see them, of course, admission was very cheap, but I think that the real prize was the museum. There were centuries of Spanish history on display, as well as a basement full of witchcraft and terrifying medieval torture exhibits. Skin crawling stuff, but fascinating in its own right. 

Cadiz

The other self trip I went on was a simple day trip to Cadiz yesterday. I’ll be honest, as a student living in Hawaii, going to a beach town was not high on my list of travel priorities. However, one of my friends studied here in Spain before me and said that I absolutely had to visit. In all honesty, I saw where he was coming from. Cadiz has a HUGE stretch of beach that you could spend an hour or two walking down and the water is so incredibly clear. I didn’t even make it all the way down before I realized I had to turn back to make my return train (but that’s a result of train delays and planning a short trip). Would I say it’s a must-see in Spain? No, but it wouldn’t be a waste of your time, either. 

Program Provided

I’ve talked a lot about my travels outside of Sevilla, but I should also mention that my program has had a lot of activities for us to do within the city. We started the entire trip off with a horse and carriage ride through the city followed by a tapas dinner to try a couple of Spanish foods. There was also a boat tour, a flamenco show, and a visit to the top of Las Setas, a giant wooden structure that I learnt was actually the largest one in the world! But that’s not all. We also had an ice cream social, another night doing a tapas crawl, and coming up, a paella cooking class that I’m very much looking forward to.

View of Sevilla from Las Setas

Long story short, there’s no shortage of things to do here in or around Sevilla. A lot of activities and travel are actually on the cheaper end if you know where to look/book, and I say if you can do it, open yourself up to the experiences. You'll thank yourself for it in the years to come.

Destinations While Abroad in Australia

Hey everyone, 

I'm excited to share my incredible travel experiences from my time studying abroad in Australia. During this unforgettable journey, I had the opportunity to explore not only Australia but also nearby countries. I worked to save up for these adventures and it was absolutely worth it. I highly encourage anyone studying abroad to prioritize travel because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Rather than writing a separate blog post for each destination, I've decided to compile my favorite places along with some insider recommendations and cost-saving tips. Let's dive in!

Sydney

Located in NSW, Australia, I had the opportunity to explore Sydney through a tour my housing program set us up with. As part of the Semester in Australia experience, all participants were offered professionally organized trips with a knowledgeable guide and we were given the itinerary beforehand. During the Sydney trip, I met over half the students attending Griffith for the semester in SIA, making it an unforgettable experience. The cost was surprisingly affordable given the amount of activities we enjoyed. It was honestly a relief not having to plan these trips myself in an entirely new country.

On our first day, we walked from our hostel to the Sydney Opera House, soaking in the city's vibrant atmosphere. The next adventure took us on a ferry ride to Manly Island, where we spent time relaxing on the beach and walking around. Our itinerary also included a visit to the breathtaking Blue Mountains National Park, where we were treated to spectacular views. On that very day, we had the chance to explore Featherdale Wildlife Sanctuary, encountering a diverse array of native Australian animals and even feeding kangaroos.

Cairns 

This excursion was also organized through SIA housing, and I opted to go before the university term began to minimize missed classes. Joining me on this adventure were my friends from Hawaii and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. One of the highlights was a full day spent diving at the Great Barrier Reef, immersing ourselves in its stunning underwater world. On another day, we explored the rainforest with a guide showing us picturesque waterfalls and scenic spots, reminding me a little bit of  Hawaii. This was only about a two-hour flight from Gold Coast and very cheap considering everything we got to do. 

Brisbane 

Me and my roommates planned this trip because it was only an hour train ride from Gold Coast making it super easy to do a weekend trip. We ended up renting a car so we could drive just outside of Brisbane to Sunshine Coast, where the Australia Zoo is located. This was the best zoo I have ever been to because all the animals had large areas to explore and you could just tell they were happy. 

Ended up renting scooters to ride around the city of Brisbane which I highly recommend and it wasn't too expensive. Also if you have time make sure you watch an AFL game or Rugby match while you are in the city.

Bali

Out of all the trips I went on I think Bali was my favorite. It's unlike any other country I've visited, offering incredible sights and experiences. Some of the girls I met through SIA housing and I planned this week-long adventure ourselves, and it exceeded all expectations. Every day was packed with activities that I thoroughly enjoyed, from visiting the Monkey Temple and exploring rice terraces to chasing waterfalls and venturing to Nusa Penida Island. It was a journey filled with unforgettable moments and new discoveries at every turn.

What's particularly great about Bali is how affordable everything is. The food is delicious, and accommodations are incredibly budget-friendly when shared among a group. While flights to Bali were among the pricier ones I've taken, the destination more than makes up for it once you arrive. Getting around using the Grab app was convenient and cost-effective, eliminating the need to rent a car. The flight from Brisbane was about six hours, but time flies when you're looking forward to such an amazing destination!

New Zealand (South Island) 

This trip was truly an adventure of a lifetime. My friends and I made an itinerary that involved navigating a camper van across New Zealand over six days. Initially nerve-wracking, especially since we were driving on the left side of the road and handling such a large vehicle for the first time, but we managed without a scratch. Focusing mainly on the South Island, we opted to skip Auckland, flying into Christchurch from Brisbane instead making a quick three-hour flight.

This was definitely our most expensive trip because even though a van seemed like the cheaper option it still ended up being pretty pricy. Well worth it though because of the breathtaking hikes in untouched landscapes, enhancing New Zealand's natural beauty. As we worked our way south to Queenstown from Christchurch we stayed at amazing campsites where the stars were incredible. Once we reached Queenstown we explored the cool town and did nearby hikes. We also drove the furthest point south so we could do the Milford sound tour, which we ended up seeing dolphins so definitely worth the drive.