christchurch is a beautiful city on the south island of new zealand. in 2011, the city was devastated by a 6.3 earthquake. even two years later, parts of the city are still vacant and in ruins and look straight out of the video game call of duty (yes, i am a nerd). driving through town was a bit eerie and it may be one of the saddest places i have ever visited. you can almost feel the devastation in the air. one area that escapes this feeling is castel street. the street is made up mostly of buildings made of shipping containers and the bright colors make it a really cheery place. the great coffee and restaurants aren’t too shabby either. another great experience was visiting the memorial for the 185 people who died in the quake. the memorial consists of 185 chairs of all different kinds painted white and lined up in rows. there are highchairs, wheel chairs, arm chairs, etc. it was really powerful and i’m so glad i got a chance to visit