by Karl Sörstedt

Aloha, 

I have now arrived in beautiful Honolulu on the island of Oahu, where I was met with 29°C weather and picturesque scenery.  I can’t lie I was nervous before travelling over to Hawaii as I was moving to a completely new area and attending a new university where I did not know where anything would be. When I landed and exited the airport my first thoughts were, ‘wow… what a paradise‘ it helped relieve the nerves. The time difference in Hawaii is hardly noticeable as Hawaii is only 2 hours ahead. However, they are a day behind so it was very manageable and was not jet lagged at all. Getting used to the heat was the hardest to adjust to. Even walking short distances was of some difficulty as my body was not used to it, luckily a beach is not far to find a cool off. 

I was excited to leave New Zealand as I had not been out of the country since the pandemic so I was very eager to do some travelling and put myself out of my comfort zone. This was my first time travelling solo which will be great for myself to gain confidence and gain skills that will be beneficial for the rest of my life. The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s campus truly is the biggest I have seen. The campus holds over 20,000 students and has great facilities and athletics venues. It lives up to “everything’s bigger in America” saying. The campus is older which gives it character and the lecturers are all so welcoming and students are friendly and willing to help with directions. The sport side of American Universities is something I really wanted to experience, which I can already tell by visiting the football stadium is going to be amazing to see. Overall, my first 2 weeks here have been really enjoyable and I am really enjoying seeing what Oahu has to offer. I look forward to the months to come and do exciting things and meet new people.