We’ve been in New Zealand for over 3 months.  A lot has changed since then, and I’m not just talking about the weather.

I’ve realized that I can live and make a home in a foreign country.  That some things will always be the same.  That there are friends who keep in touch with you no matter where you live.  That Skype and scheduled video calls are a blessing.

I’ve been reminded that there are always ways to push your boundaries.  That there is always more growing-up to do.  That calling your grandparents from the opposite side of the globe will make their month and cause them to call up all of their friends and family to tell them that their granddaughter called them from New Zealand.  And then I’ll get phone calls and emails from people telling me about it.  Always take the time to call your grandparents!

I still haven’t traveled a whole lot.  The furthest south I’ve been is Sylvia Park Mall {a mere 7.5 miles from here}, and the furthest north is Takapuna {not much further at 7.6 miles away}.  The furthest east was St. Heliers {again, around 7 miles}, and the furthest west has been Waitakere {about 8 miles}.  All of those places are considered part of Auckland.  It’s kind of pathetic, really.  To think that in the 3 months that we’ve been in New Zealand, I’ve not ventured much beyond a 16 mile radius of our apartment.  Not having a car at your disposal can really limit your travel options, and it makes short distances seem much farther away.

I’ve started carrying an umbrella with me just about everywhere I go.  Or if I don’t have my umbrella, I’m wearing a raincoat.  I’ve grocery shopped online.  Never did I imagine myself sitting at a table, picking out my fruits and veggies with the click of a mouse.  I love it!  I’ve started doing 2 week meal plans, and we’ve done surprisingly well at staying on track.

I’ve realized that iTunes is country specific.  I’ve started a free trial subscription with Fatso.co.nz.  No, it’s not a weight-loss service.  It’s the closest thing that NZ has to Netflix.  I was skeptical, but finally caved after the only remaining video rental store within walking distance moved across the bridge.  We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve worked as an ER {or ED, as they say over here} nurse, and am slowly coming to enjoy it.  It’s different from what I’m used to, but I’m finding my feet.  I’ve been able to work on projects again.  I have a {relatively} clean house.  My work-life balance is much more… balanced.  I love that I’m able to do this.  I can’t imagine working at my last ER, much as I loved it, and still having the free time that I do now.  I’m not taking it for granted.

By the way, not that anyone should read anything into this, but did you know that in New Zealand, women get 3 months paid maternity leave?  That doesn’t include any PTO that you’ve earned and want to use – this is built in for each employee.  And while you’re on ML, you’re still accruing time off at your regular rate.  I don’t know if this is the case with every employer, but I was told that this is the policy at my place of work.  Amazing.

I still miss Bear.  We saw him on Skype the other day, and while he looks fantastic, I miss my little friend.  I’ve had some comments and emails about how it was selfish of us to not bring our dog, how “dogs are a part of the family, and {the commenter} could never give one away just for a career opportunity.”  First off, I say good riddance to bad rubbish and press “delete”.  Then, I remember that Bear is very, very happy where he is right now.  He has another play-puppy to goof around with.  He has owners who are family and absolutely love him {despite the fact that one night he threw up all over their floor}.  He gets to go swimming on a regular basis.  And he didn’t have to fly for 25 hours in cargo and spend a month in a small, quarantine cell.  I don’t judge people who choose to bring their pets.  Some animals are better suited for that kind of thing.  Bear would have been miserable.

I’ve started getting emails from people all over the world, asking questions about our move.  I love it.  I’m excited that some of my experience can be used to help other people, if only to say, “You can do it!  I did it!  You’ll survive – I promise.”  I’ve found other bloggers who gave me the same support and encouragement before our move and during those first few weeks.  It made things much easier 🙂

So there you have it – 3 months.  Some days, it seems like America is much, much farther away than it is.  And sometimes I forget that I’m living in another country.  I’ll be reminded when I find I recipe that I want to try, only to discover that they don’t have graham crackers in New Zealand, or other stuff like that.  It’s strange and can be a little disorienting at times, but I’m learning every day!

I can’t wait to see what the next 3 months will bring 🙂