Capturing the Everyday Beauty of New Zealand

Mathew Cowlin, who had his first international experience as a Sister Cities exchange participant, knew that he wanted to study abroad when he matriculated at Kenyon College in Ohio. "I relished the idea of spending six months in a new environment," he says.

Mathew wanted to study in an environment that could accommodate his mobility needs. Specifically, he sought a city with developed infrastructure, flat ground, and an advanced public transit system. After careful deliberation with his study abroad advisor, Mathew decided on The IFSA Butler program in Christchurch, New Zealand. Due to this careful consideration, he was able to travel across New Zealand with ease.

Inspired by friends who blogged about their time spent abroad, Mathew created his own blog, “Momentary Adulthood,” as a space in which "to reflect, process, and ponder" his experiences in New Zealand. Since he found it challenging to capture the beauty of the country in words, he relied on his camera when words failed. Instead he focused his writing on the aspects of everyday life that held meaning for him, such as learning to cook eggplant and a variety of other food for himself, traveling alone, and budgeting for the first time. Through this experience, Mathew felt he became much more independent and confident in his ability to face academic and personal challenges after graduation.

Mathew's blog posts aren't disability-related, which he attributes to the smooth transition into the highly accessible site as well as the open attitude of the program staff and advisors.

"The university's staff was wonderful, and the IFSA-Butler staff in New Zealand was both professional and personal. Our student services coordinator, the graduate student who took care of our day-to-day needs, took the time to get to know us each personally."

Read Mathew's blog and view his photos of the breathtaking New Zealand scenery.