Cue the stage lights. Let those cameras start rolling. The scene has been set and I have been placed smack bang in the middle of it all. University here I am, what a mixture of emotions. Although I have only been in Auckland a couple of weeks, it feels like it has been a lifetime. Having to settle into this new lifestyle and this new city has been at times overwhelming but you just keep swimming (thank you Dory my idol for your wise words), you kind of have to or else you get left behind. I like to think of Auckland as not just the city of sails but the city that is always on the move. Quite different to little old Upper Hutt or even Wellington where there is such a chill vibe about them. Everyone here seems to be in such a rush, it is easy to find yourself falling into that same rhythm and forget to stop and take a moment to chill out. The idea of moving here seemed scary leading up to it but once you get past the first few awkward stages, meeting new people and getting a hold of your surroundings everything becomes all too familiar. For me it feels strange whenever I think of home, my humble abode in Upper Hutt that I left behind but don’t know if I really am dying to go back to (apologies to my mother who is probably reading this). I would love to go for a visit but being here just reaffirms that I was meant to establish myself somewhere new. That much I am grateful for, as I feel like there would be nothing worse than leaving the nest and realising that you weren’t quite ready to fly on your own.

I can definitely say becoming a UH Hound was the best decision of my life. I am just so happy with the hall and the people in it. The one thing I think I was most worried about was not liking the people who would end up being my neighbours and just generally everyone who I was going to pass in the dining hall everyday but I was wrong! Thank goodness. I feel like my floor was set out so perfectly with my neighbours and everyone just being so cool, I can definitely feel a family vibe already. My little neighbourhood of the people around me are like my closest friends, we often leave our doors open and just sit in the hallway for an hour just out of the blue chatting away. Going back to see the people is what I look forward to when I leave Uni to return home at UH. Definitely makes life easier when you have a cool bunch of people (Over 500 in total in fact) that you are surrounded with on a daily basis.

Okay so I have a few tips for surviving in the big city:

DON’T and I repeat DO NOT think that a rain jacket will suffice the horror of Auckland storms… Coming from the Wellington region I have an understanding on how Umbrellas and Mother nature don’t mix well. In fact there is no point in even considering owning an umbrella in Wellington without selling an organ or mortgaging your house in order to afford one with the strength to withstand the infamous Wellington wind. When in Auckland one must put all pride aside and just purchase an umbrella or else you end up like me, soaking wet after walking from Uni back to the hall. Believe it or not it can get windy in Auckland, enough to the break a cheap Umbrella so be prepared to fork out money for a decent one that will last the elements.

Another thing that I didn’t think would be a major thing was a fan. Now I did end up buying a small desk fan that works well with my room aesthetic (priorities people). What I later learnt was that when they say bigger is better, it is true. My room got so hot during the day and the little desk fan in all its might, tried to cool my room down but it just couldn’t manage it alone. Don’t have the mentality of “it’s not that hot today I don’t need to worry about it”. If you’re like me and worry about how loud the fan will be just remember you will suffer at night when you are sleeping in the Sahara desert everynight to the sound of a small desk fan doing nothing to help. I think I can get used to the sound or even wear earplugs if it meant a cool room to sleep in.

My last tip is about the dreaded but inevitable disease that stikes us all, Fresher Flu. I found myself in the middle of O-Week feeling like absolute death. I would say moving to Auckland from Wellington which has a very different climate didn’t help as I had to get used to the heat and living in a building with a few hundred people in such close proximity to each other. Vitamin C, even though it was a big blow to the bank account, became my best friend. With the amount of people beginning to get sick I felt like I could almost sell them off… I’m a student. I’m poor okay, I have needs. Anyway don’t take this tip as a means of making a quick buck but really one to remind you to always be taking care of yourself. O-Week has a lot to offer and I know you’ll probably have that FOMO going on (Fear Of Missing Out for all you over 35yr olds) but trust me when I say even saying no to just one event and taking some time for yourself just to rest and take it easy is very wise!

Thank you guys for reading I will endeavour to keep my content honest and interesting, just need my life to stay blog worthy and we’ll be sweet. You’ll be hearing from me every two weeks (lucky you?) So that’s me for this week. Bless you guys heaps. Hakuna Matata.