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 got my work schedule for the next few weeks, and the great news is that I have a couple of days off during Chris’ university’s mid-semester break. Soooooo… I decided to plan a mini-vacation! It’s time we did a bit more exploring in our new country, don’t you think? I do! So, where are… Read More Mini Vacation to Waiheke Island
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
Things are more expensive over here. I think I told you about finding a cute North Face raincoat, only to discover that it cost $450. I remember the saleswoman starting to say, “It costs four…” and I thought, “Oh sheesh – she’s going to say it costs $400+” and Chris was thinking, “Wow –… Read More It’s the Shipping that Kills Ya
I subscribe to a free NZ shopping site {somewhat similar to One King’s Lane or Gilt Groupe in the US}. Every now and again they have great deals. I’m not an impulse buyer, and one thing I like about this group is that it’s not the typical 24 HOURS ONLY! kind of sale. Many last… Read More Envirosax!
Three views from our windows… Mid-morning sunshine that warms up the living room (L – R: Vero Centre, Lumley Centre, and the park) A view of the park across the road Our “view” of the Sky Tower – tallest structure in NZ & the Southern Hemisphere Okay, so that last “view” isn’t all that great,… Read More Sunny Saturday Photos
We’ve learned some unique terminology, slang, and colloquialisms during our short time in New Zealand. I know that you’re just dying to know some of them, so I’m going to share! Doesn’t that make your day?! No? Well, maybe it’ll make your next 5 minutes 😉 There’s one word that has a bit of a… Read More Plungers: They’re Not Just for Toilets!
Hello, my lovely readers! Hope y’all are having a great week thus far. Ours has been busy, but that’s a post for another day. We had some friends over for dinner this week. The apartment is still pretty barren, but in this case it was a good thing. Our friends have a little one who… Read More New York Pizza in New Zealand
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
**Don’t forget to read my June book review and enter the giveaway! Entries close this weekend** One of the good things about living in the city is that you don’t necessarily need a car. It’s nice to have and can make things more convenient, but it’s not required. We’ll get a car eventually {walking to/from… Read More Bag Lady
While we’ve had to give up some of our old favorites, we’ve definitely found some new, yummy foods here in New Zealand. Here’s a sampling! McVities Dark Chocolate Digestives These cookies are so, so good. Chris isn’t as crazy about them as I am, but that’s because he has a much sweeter sweet-tooth than me. … Read More Yum-Wonderful Food Finds
We’ve been having fun in our new home, but have also been getting stuff done. We’ve opened a bank account, found a church, been out with friends, gone on a real estate/relocation tour with a relocation agent set up through the university, gone to 2 farmers’ markets, shopped, been through the Auckland Domain {best way… Read More Out and About Auckland
(1) I heard back from one of the DHBs {side note: a DHB is a District Health Board. Auckland has 3 DHBs, and each one oversees at least 1 hospital}. Things sound promising, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed! (2) The advertisements in NZ are hilarious. Case in point? Exhibit A – Seen while walking… Read More Two Things
Air New Zealand and America’s Next Top Model have partnered together to give away 50 round-trip ticket packages from LAX to New Zealand! The package includes airfare for two, but you must travelfrom June 26th – July 11th, 2010. Soooo, if you’re feeling lucky {and you have some vacation time coming!}, head here and enter… Read More Win Roundtrip Airfare to New Zealand!
Hello, my lovely readers 🙂 Well, day #2 is drawing to a close here in Auckland. Today was fairly relaxed. I slept for almost 12 hours last night after having been up for basically 24 hours in a row. I slept for about 4 hours on the flight over but didn’t nap once we arrived. … Read More Things Done Today: Called Hospitals + More Shopping!
Hello, my lovely readers! We made it to New Zealand, and so far, so good. The flights weren’t bad. Honestly, the worst parts of the trip in terms of service and overall comfort were on the domestic side of things. Once we were on our Air New Zealand flight, things were great. There were plenty… Read More Video + Pictures in New Zealand!
We had a fabulous time on our vacation in St. Thomas. It was wonderful, sunny, relaxing… everything that a vacation should be. We are now spending the next week with my side of the family before we make the big move. My father is a family practice physician. As a registered nurse, there are times… Read More Who Doesn’t Like Pearls?
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!
I’ve found another reason why I can’t wait till we arrive in New Zealand: Kagi Jewelry. “Tie the Knot” Necklace – Ribbons & Pearls Kagi Jewelry was started by New Zealander Kat Gee. She has such a great story – she loved to design jewelry as a child and continued making it her spare time… Read More Be Still, My Shopping Heart
Guess what I’ve just finished? There it is – my New Zealand nurse license application! We received our FBI reports yesterday and I’m sending the whole packet off via registered priority mail later today. It was a lot of paperwork… …and that’s not including all of the forms that I mailed to other agencies to… Read More Yay! All Done!
