I wish it were possible for me to upload some photos to share, but the laptop wireless router/modem/thingamajig is not working and our temporary accomodations are wireless only, so I’m left using the tablet and there aren’t any photos on there. So I’ll just have to paint you a few pictures with words! Williamsburg is… Read More Settling into Williamsburg
There’s less than a week remaining on our time in New Zealand. I’m a big mix of emotions right now. There are some times during the day when I feel OK but, if I’m being truthful, there are equally large parts of the time when I feel overwhelmed, sad, and some other emotion that I… Read More Moving Back and Wrapping Things Up
I’m beginning to like this once-a-week blog posting. There’s so much stuff going on these days that I just don’t have the time or energy to write more often than that! It’s less than 4 weeks till we leave for the UK. I’m ready to be done with all of the prep work – the… Read More Weekly Update
One of the main reasons (that I hear) people offering up for moving to New Zealand is that they’re looking for a simpler lifestyle with a better work-life balance. New Zealand does a great job at providing employees with vacation time and encouraging them to take it (I believe that employees here are entitled to… Read More Living in New Zealand: Work-Life Balance
Apparently, writing a post at the end of the day after a glass of wine and a busy couple of hours in the Emergency Room isn’t always the best idea. Or maybe it is. I don’t know, but I feel the need to clarify, and that’s probably my fault. When I said that I didn’t… Read More A Clarification
I’ve decided to start doing a weekly “Living in New Zealand” post. I’m hoping that it’ll give a bit more structure to my blogging while also providing useful information for potential expats. This week, I’m going to write about – what else – the cost of living in New Zealand! One of the things that… Read More Living in New Zealand: Post #1
My February post for ExpatFocus.com is up! Click on over to read my suggestions for avoiding isolation and making friends when moving to a new country. If you’d like to read my other articles, then click on my columnist page. I was shocked to see that my last article had over 800 reads – whoa!
One of the most popular questions that I get regarding life in New Zealand is “How much does X cost?”, where “X” can be any number of things – gas, groceries, rent, etc. I thought that it might be helpful to have a post that gave a sampling of what one might expect to pay… Read More Prices
Hello, my lovely readers! Just wanted to let you know that I’m currently featured on Expat Focus. Please check it out and let me know what you think 🙂 PS – thank you to Diane for acquainting me with this website!
One year ago today, Chris and I arrived in New Zealand. I’d never been here and didn’t know what to expect. Chris had only been here for ~5 days when his {now} employer flew him out for an interview. I was nervous and worried – what if we got here and Chris realized that the… Read More One Year Ago Today
Hey everyone. It’s been 5 months in New Zealand – time for another post-move analysis! Job: Chris loves his, and I’m settling into mine. I’ve gotten to know my co-workers a bit more and have formed some new friendships 🙂 Nurses in New Zealand travel a lot more than those in the States. Many of… Read More 5 Months
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… Read More A 3 Month Retrospective
I miss Target And while we’re at it, I miss Walmart, Meijer, Sam’s Club, and Costco I miss being able to buy a new-release paperback book off the shelf for less than $40.00 {thank goodness for my Kindle!} I miss Trader Joe’s and Penzeys Spices I miss my SUV I miss cheap gasoline I miss… Read More A mild, utterly unserious, and completely non-contagious case of homesickness blues
I’ve decided that for however long we’re in New Zealand – whether that is 5 years or 50 years – we are staying put. No more moving, no more packing, no more unpacking – this is it. The thing about moving to another country is that you can’t just unpack and throw away the boxes. … Read More Moving Day Carnage
I went back and forth about posting photos of our new furniture before the rest of our gear had arrived. I wanted to show you the “finished” look, but I decided to go ahead and share them. I’ll do an “after” post once the rest of our belongings get here from the States, and it’ll… Read More Furniture Photos
Hello, my lovely readers! All of our things have been boxed up and are on their way to California, where they’ll be loaded into a shipping container and sent across the big, blue ocean. We should see them again in about, oh, 8 – 10 weeks! In the midst of packing, I’ve found that organization… Read More Conversations Between Me + Chris
Our New Zealand visas have arrived! Praise God! This means that the university is now able to schedule the movers, purchase our plane tickets, arrange our rental housing, and set up the rental car. Saying that I’m ecstatic might be an understatement!
**Update: Good News – they finally charged us for our FBI clearance reports, which means they should be sending them to us soon. Once we have this, we can send off our Visa applications and my NZ RN license application! Bad News – Chris was misdirected about which Visa application I needed to fill out. … Read More The Beginning of the Good-Byes
There are 97 days left till we move to New Zealand. 97 DAYS. Does anyone have a paper bag that I can breathe into?! You know the sensation you get right before careening down a roller-coaster hill? That’s what I just felt. I may get whiplash watching the pages of my day planner as they… Read More Down to Double-Digits
Hello my lovely readers 🙂 I’ve missed you! I was shocked when I finally got onto Google Reader and saw that I had 500 posts to read. Gulp. Talk about intimidating! I’ve made it through 104 of them already today, and I haven’t decided yet whether that’s productive or pathetic, but I’m leaning towards pathetic.… Read More From Massachusetts to Indiana
