This is me in front of the beautiful landscape of Lake Tekapo

I studied abroad in New Zealand mostly because it is an area of the world I’ve always wanted to visit for its unique mix of indigenous culture, picturesque landscape, and atmosphere for exploration. My program of study was the Faculty-Led Outdoor Adventure Therapy and Leadership with Dr. David Christian and Dr. Merry Moiseichik where we toured the South Island of New Zealand for three weeks. Although vastly different from my typical area of study, I was interested in this program for the diversity of skills and learnings it would offer me in an area I already enjoy as a hobby. The Data Science degree I am pursuing is very technical (and typically very much on a computer), so this trip offered me a unique opportunity to develop my softer communication and empathy skills via the counseling aspect of the trip in a fun, outdoor setting. As for the adventure piece, this was intriguing to me because this is something I already enjoy, so I saw this program as a way for me to develop some useful skills and thought processes to incorporate into things I already find joy in doing (like how to empower individuals through physical activity and outdoor recreation!).

My academic engagements for the program were Foundations of Outdoor Leadership and Leisure and Society which focus on examining and implementing the theories, principles, and practices of leading others and the impact of leisure on diverse societies. These areas were explored via lectures (from our professors and external leaders), hands-on engagements, and cultural immersion. For me, these ideas we were discussing in our coursework became obvious when I experienced the teachings firsthand.

This is our group at the peak of Little Mount Peel after a 4 hour trek up the mountain!

We spent our first week in Christchurch gaining understanding on the history of New Zealand and the indigenous Māori culture, as well as the foundations of counseling and mental health therapy. We then moved to a week in Peel Forest at an Eco-Lodge where we engaged in a variety of adventure activity sessions, counseling workflows, and community leisure time (without our phones!). The outline was essentially to wake up in the morning, set goals for the day, then head off to conquer an adventure ranging from a bush walk to white water rafting to mountain peaking. Each of these adventures required different skills, both mentally and physically. For me, the most eye-opening experience was peaking Little Mount Peel. I truly felt empowered and capable knowing I had just climbed a steep, rocky 4,300 feet up. The facilitation of this feeling is the whole point of adventure therapy: using the outdoor environment to spark change by utilizing experience and activity to promote healing and personal growth.

Looking out over the mountain range below is when I acknowledged the true power of the program and the philosophy we had been discussing prior. There truly is nothing like getting out there and experiencing what you’ve been learning firsthand! This pinpoint moment outlined the urgency in me to spread what I’ve learned and encourage others to engage with the outdoors as we had been doing the past few weeks in New Zealand. A good phrase for this was our motto for the week: Plus Est En Vous, which means there is more to you than you think! Did I think I could peak a mountain? Nope, but I did (and I’m confident I could do it again)! And that is the power of adventure therapy.

This is me at the Hooker Valley hiking trailhead at Mount Cook National Park, NZ

My advice for students studying abroad is to have an open mind. For me, it was really easy to have rigid expectations, but once I decided to let go a bit and be open/flexible I had a great time. The New Zealand program I went on did a different version of the trip (we went to different towns, activities, etc.) than previous trips, so there were some kinks and roadblocks along the way. It’s easy to get flustered and discouraged when these arise, but I’d encourage you to move forward with grace, patience, and an open mind because I found that with roadblocks come new, exciting directions! There is lots of fun to be had, you just have to be open to experiencing it.