January 9, 2006 - page 3

Though the free day was a blast, my highlight of the week actually came in the form of class. Monday morning we packed our PB&J sandwiches, a regular for many of us here in New Zealand, headed toward White Island and embarked on a guided tour through one of the most active volcanoes in the country.  We loaded the class onto a giant yacht and spent the next two hours being served hot tea and the biggest cookies you will ever see! Once on the island, it was quite an experience having to wear construction hats and gas masks as we explored the island getting up close to many fumaroles, craters, and boiling mud pots, all signs of high volcanic activity. After the tour, we returned to the boat where we were given the opportunity to jump off the sides into the water as the crew served us a lunch (so much for those PB&Js). 
The best part of the day was the return ride back to the main island as I had the opportunity to talk with two of the crew members, Luke and Crystal. They shared many of their favorite New Zealand things – food, music, and school – as I told them about life back in the States. As Crystal wrote down the names of some of the New Zealand bands she enjoyed, I caught Jason Roedig in the distance giving me the old smile and nod of approval.

The smile and nod ended shortly after I yelled to him that I was getting new artist’s names and not a phone number—my game’s not that good.