Jin Young Chang, Massey UniversityFall 2013
I knew I wanted to study abroad before I even came to Cornell. What I didn’t know was how much I would need it. Travelling has always been a part of my life and I enjoy seeing how different places are. So if it is going to be for as long as a semester, I might as well go really far right? Far was Australia for a long time, but when I heard more about New Zealand I changed my mind and started applying on the spot.
I left the day before Independence Day and completely missed the celebrations as I changed time zones. Once arriving in the future I didn’t even care I missed some day. It was winter… with sunshine and ferns everywhere. I walked around in a long sleeve shirt passing by people with jackets shuffling away. I immediately realized this is nothing like Cornell. That’s fantastic. I had this thought so many times walking around Massey and Wellington. People walking around in bizarre outfits in the middle of the day, students dropping out of school to pursue their dreams, and places to go outside of the campus. All this was great, but the most important thing was that there was nearly no judgment. You go where you want, when you want, with whoever, in whatever, to do what you want. Maybe I just thought this because I was literally on the other side of the world, but nothing I did mattered.
How I was wrong. Everything I did had a huge impact. I study interior design at Cornell and wanted to branch out so I studied industrial design and animation at Massey. Going there I was really excited to try out these new subjects not offered at Cornell. After a while I found out, wow…this is really not for me. Animation was so tedious and industrial design was a tad too derivative there. However, I was really glad I took the classes I did. I now knew animation wasn’t for me and after talking to my industrial design professor I realized that it still had potential. My somewhat negative experience with industrial design was due to the groups that I was placed in. One of my group members quit school and the other two only showed up half the time, but that’s just how it was. I could’ve taken more initiative, especially since the professors are all very helpful. Instead, I decided that I’m going to just enjoy my time in New Zealand.
Man, did I. For some time it was enjoying what was in Wellington. I went to an Andy Warhol exhibit at Te Papa museum, Swan Lake at St. James Theatre, the Red Rocks to see the seals, Oktoberfest for some delicious beers and quality times with kiwis, the Sunday and Friday markets to eat all sorts of food, and a winter festival with rainbows. Then, it was the rest of the country. New Zealand is truly a collage of ecosystems. One day we’re on a glacier and the next we’re in the middle of a jungle climbing up snowcapped mountains. On the way to snowboard at Mr. Ruapehu on a trip organized by Massey we drove from farm lands into a forest. When we got out of the bushes, we were driving next to black rocks. The same ones Sam and Frodo climbed in The Lord of the Rings. Upon getting on the slopes, you could look out while going down the hill and see green all around. Then a few moments later you wouldn’t be able to see anything as clouds came around the mountaintop and enveloped everything around you.
That wasn’t even the experience that stood out to me the most. Yet while being there I kept thinking, I can’t wait to get back to start my life again. It could be because my classes didn’t turn out to be like the idealized ones I had in mind or maybe I am truly a Cornellian. However, the whole experience seemed like one big vacation and as amazing as it was, I still wanted to get back to school. Now that I’m back, my motivation is even higher than when I first got to Cornell. A complete change from when I left. It’s not because now that I had a bunch of fun, I’m making it up for it by working really hard. I just realized what I do is pretty cool and I like it. Also, I still try to do fun things here and enjoy the Ithaca scenery, which can be amazing at times. Lastly, whenever the Cornell culture becomes too much, realize that there’s so much more than this and you can’t really define the “right” way. Neither can anyone else.