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RIDING THE WAVES: Eighth graders Mia Repenning, Sofia Cano, and Emilia Ramos take a motor boat to explore the South island of New Zealand on Nov. 28. They were on route to a family farm to see their lifestyle. “For me, the farm represented something that I love,” said Andrea Fresco, one of the chaperones on the trip. “It is quiet and peaceful. Their way of life is not rushed or hurried. You are outside most of the time working with the animals or maybe picking fresh fruit from one of the many trees. I feel like you have time to be in and enjoy nature.” Courtesy Palmer Trinity School

After a three-hour flight to Texas and a 17-hour flight to New Zealand, eighth graders Sofia Cano, Chelsea Keenan, Emilia Ramos, Emma Craspe, Mia Repenning and I landed in the South Island of New Zealand on Nov. 25. We were delegates to the Round Square conference that would take place that following week.

According to their website, Round Square is an international network of 250+ like minded schools in 50 countries that connect and collaborate to offer world-class programming and experiences that develop global competence, character and confidence in our students.

Upon arriving halfway across the globe, we spent a whole living and traveling in a boat around the south island exploring the flora and fauna of the area. 

“My favorite part of the trip was when we were on the boat and we went on these long hikes that were really fun,” Repenning said. “I liked the boat the best because the crew was really nice and the view was really pretty.”

After spending a week on the Heritage Explorer yacht, we got to get to know the Kiwi crew well.

“I learned that the way people are socially is dependent on where they’re from,” said Andrea Fresco, one of the chaperones and the school’s director of student affairs. “A lot of our social norms aren’t the same in Australia or India, or China. It really kind of affects the interactions you’ll have with people.”

In the second week of our trip, we traveled to the north island of New Zealand to stay at the Wanganui Collegiate Boarding School at which the Round Square conference took place. There, we learned more about New Zealander culture and traditions and got to explore the city and meet people from all around the world attending the conference. We attended sessions where we learned Maori songs, practiced yoga, and played teambuilding games. Later in the week, we participated in helped clean and landscape the Castle Cliff Coastal Reserve beach as part of a community service project. We also learned about the geology of the beach areas of the country.

“I thought it was a really good learning opportunity to go to another country and see their culture,” Cano said. “It’s important to step outside of your comfort zone.”