Closing Time

Well it has certainly been a hectic last few weeks. Between assignments, Rugby World Cup, and traveling, I've been very busy. A 3000+ word linguistics essay consumed all my time in the last week of classes, which officially ended two Fridays ago on the 21st, wooh! That night we had an IES farewell session and group dinner, which is when it hit me that I'll be leaving NZ in a month, which I'm sure will go by VERY quickly. I'm so not ready to go! But I'll dwell on that later...

Sunday, October 23rd was the Rugby World Cup final. It was France vs NZ, which was HUGE game because France knocked out the All Blacks in the quarterfinals last world cup. My friends and I ended up watching the game on the street where a giant screen was set up. It was a very close, low scoring, and intense game, and with every big play the crowd reacted with tons of energy. The final 15 minutes of the match might have been the most anxious I've ever felt watching a sporting event. The All Blacks were up by just 1 point, and it looked like we could lose the lead at any moment. I couldn't handle the tension. But neither team ended up scoring in those final minutes, so the All Blacks won the cup! The crowd went completely berserk, and a huge procession commenced down Queen Street. It was much like the mayhem of the Opening Ceremonies, though thankfully this time the street was actually closed to cars. There were WAY too many people to go out after the game--all the bars and clubs had covers and massive lines--so after seeing a nice fireworks display we called it a night.

For good reason, too, because the very next day we had planned a trip to go to Taupo and Tongariro National Park. On Tuesday we hiked the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which was absolutely amazing. The scenery was spectacular. And right after that trip, I explored the Coromandel Peninsula for three days, which was also a grand time.

Now I'm back in Auckland, and as much as I hate to say it, it's finals time. I have two back-to-back exams on the 4th and the 5th, which I really should be studying for. So, that is why I don't have any super long posts detailing my adventures in Taupo/Tongariro/Coromandel. I haven't even finished going through my pictures!

***Teaser for Tongariro***

Mt. Ngauruhoe, aka Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings, before summitting later that day

On the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe, with Mt. Ruapehu in the background

After finals are over, though, I'll try and post something, so be sure to check back. Then it's time to say my goodbyes (nooo!), and then it's off to explore the South Island for two weeks with Ben and Lily. And finally, I'll be back in New York on Nov 29th, which I feel like I can't even wrap my head around. 

Just like the last few weeks, I have a pretty crazy month ahead of me. I don't think I'll have internet access on South Island, so I'll definitely make a few wrap-up posts when I'm back home. I'll be sure to include plenty of pictures and stories from South Island. So until my next post, which could be a while depending on how studying and packing goes, so long!