Bye New Zealand...Hello Austria...I am here...I am actually hereeee.

Some of my cousins in NZ the day I flew out.

 Ahhhhhhh after a total of 23 hours in two planes, I have finally made it to Austria. My host parents are super kind, they remind me a lot of my Nanny Libby and Papa Ray back home in Hamilton, NZ.  So I think I am going to like it here, its so beautiful and the scenery is like magical.  I have so much to catch up on but first lets start with the basics.  I basically have my own living quarters, along with a tv with Austrian channels haha go me (by the time I go home i will undestand Austrian German). But before I go on about things I am going to talk about my whole traveling experience.


I left Paeroa on Thursday night with mum and nan, we travelled to Auckland stayed with my aunty Jenna and cousins.  My aunty cooked up a feed for me with all my fave island food Lu/Palusami and Ufi.  Which i also ate at the airport before I left.  My cousins were leaving Friday morning on their own adventure so I spent Thursday night playing with them and we recorded TikTok videos.  Mum and I went to the airport to weigh my bag and i was sitting on 32 kilos.  I tried to repack my bag but we ended up buying more chocolates and all my fave biscuits.

On Friday we went to the airport to check in welllll like mum says I dont know how to pack light so my bag was 5kilos over so I had to pay lol.  Lucky for me my cousins gave me some junk food money so I managed to pay for the excess myself.  My godmum came to say bye as well and she was nice enough to give me some funds.  I exchanged about $30nzd at the airport and managed to get $50 United Arab Dirham money as back up for Dubai when I arrive.  Mum said buy Maccas but will see how we go.

Saying bye to mum, aunty Jenna and nan.

I said bye to Nan, Mum and Aunty and made my way through security I was the last of the team to go in so I moved quickly to find my other mates inside.  at 9.30pm nz time I flew from Auckland, New Zealand to Dubai on a 17 hour flight to Dubai, and let me tell you it was LONNNGGGG. I was begining to think the man next to me was getting annoyed with me because I kept getting up to stretch, lmao.  When I arrived in Dubai I was so shocked, It was so big and beautiful, it was nothing compared to what there is in New Zealand, thats how amazing this airport was. I landed in ONE of the MANY terminals that was in Dubai and man it was HUUUGE. Going through customs was pretty hectic and scary not gonna lie. I went through the scanners and I got beeped so the man was like "mam remove your shoes" I have never been so embarrased in my life LOLLL (wishing and praying my feet didnt stink).

So after customs I was freeeeee, I went and found my gate so I knew where to go when it was time to board. Man, I feel like wonderwoman, I did all that by myself. Because of that I decided to treat myself so bought myself a milkshake 🤣.  I really liked Dubai it was pretty and they had big massive planes.  As I sat to wait for my next flight I reflected on the past 20 hours.  Looked around and decided I actually want to go to Toronto next, I miss home but I really had fun in Dubai.  I had to catch a bus to hop on my next plane so I was in a mini coach with 70 or so other people.  That was an adventure on its own.  Watching the big planes as we passed.  Onwards to VIENNA AUSTRIA I went. A six hour flight with 2 hours of sleep.

I arrived in Austria and dang, I got all emotional because who knew, this little brown girl from a small town in NZ would travel halfway across the world on my own without my mum.  I got so emotional I acheived a goal mum and I set out twelve months ago.  My feet were on the ground I have arrived I literally travelled close to 24 hours to get here.

I collected my bags and made my way out to meet my host parents, at first I was confused on where to go because even the Austrian airport is big 😆😆😆 but I found my way and now here I am. My host mum and dad along with the area rep met me outside.  We drove for two hours to get home going through Styria.  I am based in Hitzendorf for the next three months and attend school in Graz.  I slept a majority of the way so I hardly got any photos.

Except, on the way when I was awake, we had to pass through six underground tunnels. By now we were in Styria. where it is called "the country of tunnels" and as we got to the end of the tunnels, I began to see SNOWW AHHHH it was so fascinating to see the snow on the sides of the roads.  I got so excited I love the snow.

All in all im here, im still in tact, and I'm here. lol. Its been one heck of a journey but I made it.  I have to get a simcard for my phone and an adapter we forgot to buy.  My host mum said we would go and get adapter so hopefully I can get a simcard too.  Mum put global roaming on my phone and sorry mum but I've used all my texts and for some reason data wont work.  I am using my host mum Brigitte's computer to blog.  The hope is to get my own set up in my room so I can keep everyone at home updated.

Tommorow I start school which I am kinda nervous for, but I have two new buddies who will help me and show me around the school. Their names are Charlotte and Katja, at least now that I know ill have a few friends, I think I will be fine.

So today, (ts sunday in austria) I will be meeting some of my host family one of the daughter's Ingrid and her children, I am super excited but also pretty nervous haha.

Next week is the last week of school for the year we are back January 7th (christmas holidays) so for school I will be taking the 710am bus into Graz, where I will then take the Number 7 Tram, I get of and walk to school. On Wednesdays I finish later so I take the same tram and bus but at different times.  It gets dark fast here so I am keeping an open mind about things.

The schooling here is different by far, I am in an arts class so that means I dont have the usual science classes and all that like I do at Hauraki Plains. In the arts class, I will be taking one language course which will be French(yes I have changed my mind), there will be a German class, P.E (which is completly different to p.e in NZ) Music, Geography, Maths and there is a Choir Class that my host mum has signed me up for.  So I am excited about school, mum did send me all this way to learn so I am scared but excited.

I am super ready and keen on this expirence. I know I am here to develop new skills so a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped to get me here.  Another maaasive thank you to my mamas, Evo and Cee for getting me here. It's been a bit of an emotional trip as well as a crazy journey to get here but I am here and I am so pumped for the experience.  I miss mum but to be very honest I am really have fun.

Tonight after meeting Ingrids beautiful family and hearing them sing beautiful christmas songs, my host mum took me into Graz this afternoon to check out my route and omg it is sooooo confusing, but besides that we did mini sight seeing and I wish I could show you how beautiful Graz is alone.  My pictures are on my phone which has no internet lol, and I am writing this from a desktop that belongs to my mum (host mum).

There were so many people, heaps of lights, and the architechtures were constructed differently to any buildings back home. Graz is literally a city on its own, theres honestly no other place I can describe Graz too.

I am going to end it here for now because guess what I am going to have some shcnitzel (traditional food of this country) for dinner so until next time everyone!

Danke xox (Thank you in german)