Back when I was a junior in high school, I managed to convince my parents to send me to a foreign country (either New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, or Denmark) for eight months. This was actually quite a feat since my dad is one of those annoying people convinced that the United States is the best country in the world, etc. Although I was accepted to the foreign exchange program, I ended up not going as I didn’t win the scholarship. I’m guessing New Zealand will be pretty far down the line in my life, which is unfortunate. Recently, I found a note I taped to the bathroom mirror for my parents to read while I was still in the persuasion process, and I wanted to share it. New Zealand has been on my mind lately because it’s one of those “crazy things I managed to talk my parents into letting me do” and I’m currently in the process of talking them into another. I plan on using the same tactics, only in a much cleaner and well-thought out process.

Reasons why New Zealand is awesome:
According to ABC News, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported earlier this year that New Zealand is the world’s 8th happiest place to live. Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands rated 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively. The United States did not make the top ten. Denmark and New Zealand tied for first when the well-being of their citizens were assessed. The United States was tied at fourth with three other countries, one being Ireland. Additionally the Global Peace Index found New Zealand to be the most peaceful country in the world with Denmark in second. New Zealand has also been evaluated to have the least corrupt government in the world with Denmark once more trailing behind at second (they lost by a tenth of a point.)
The US Department of State recognizes New Zealand as being “a highly developed, stable parliamentary government, which recognizes the British monarch as sovereign.” The US Department of State also reports that the most prevalent crime in New Zealand is theft.

Random info that may come in handy: The equivalent of 911 in New Zealand is 111.