2011 New Zealand Fulbrighter
Jessica Hinojosa
When speaking with my advisor before arriving in New Zealand he told me not to be surprised if I felt a stronger culture shock than normal when I arrived...
He explained that sometimes, when the language is the same it’s easy to expect a new place to be just like home when that’s not the case. I was nervous to hear this; was I going to misread New Zealand social cues? Would I be in a constant state of cultural confusion?
Luckily for me, I found a common language beyond English with the Kiwis, and that made the transition both easy and exciting. That common language is an unbridled love for the outdoors and an interest in understanding and protecting our natural environment. As a geologist, I’m fortunate enough to spend a lot of my “work” hours outdoors. I thought as a geologist in California, I was living the high life with amazing geological locations just a stone’s throw away (pun intended). Now that I’ve started my Master’s in geology here in New Zealand, the unique and remarkable things that are packed into this country continuously humble me. And with a square mileage similar to that of Colorado, it’s unbelievably easy to seek out these geologically thrilling locations. My first on-the-job adventure was a quick drive up the coast from the University of Otago in Dunedin, where I’m studying. I helped another geologist install sensors in an uncharted sea cave network – one of the largest in the world. We swam in wetsuits through narrow passages and hiked through placid chambers, making sure we knew how far the network extended and how pristine it is. After that day, I quickly realized that if this is what a day’s work entails, I’m right at home.
