It’s already 2011 in New Zealand, and I can tell you that it’s shaping up to be a great year.  Current weather: 72 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, sunny, sunny!

Up until April/May 2010, there wasn’t really a whole lot of exciting things going on with us.  I was working 12 hour nights in a trauma center/ER, sometimes 6 nights a week, and my life was a bit of a bleary-eyed blur.  There was a lot of filing of paperwork and filling out forms and medical exams to procure visas and get my NZ nurse’s license {what a nightmare that was}, but otherwise it was fairly unremarkable.  I quit my job in May and we took a week and a half to spend in St. Thomas before making “the move”… and that’s when 2010 really seemed to start for us:

1. May 2010 – Moved to New Zealand for Chris’ job.  That’s right – moved 8,000+ miles away to a country that I’d never before visited.  Talk about a leap of faith.  I was a bit worried that we’d get over here and Chris would discover that, despite a fabulous interview, he really hated the job and that we were now stuck.  I’m happy to report that this hasn’t happened.  Whew!
2. June 2010 – Moved into our new apartment.  Went on 2 job interviews at 2 different ERs in Auckland.  Had 2 different ERs offer me positions and settled on one in particular.
3. July 2010 – Finally got my nurse’s license and started working in my new ER.  Realized that there are a lot of differences between US healthcare and everywhere else in the entire world and that in some countries, people patiently wait in the ER without throwing temper tantrums and cussing out the nurses.  I’m still amazed that no one has tried to kick me, bite me, or spit on me yet, and that any swear words that I’ve heard haven’t been directed at me personally but more of an “Oh s***, that hurts!”  Kiwis are pretty polite, even when in pain.
4. August 2010 – I don’t think anything remarkable happened during this month.  Just more settling.
5. September 2010 – Went on a day-trip to Waiheke Island and found out that I was pregnant.  There is no correlation between those 2 events.
6. October 2010 – Passed the month in a haze of nausea, which turned into…
7. November 2010 – Also passed during a haze of nausea.  Chris finished teaching classes at the university and started his summer break.  I do recall being sad that there was no Thanksgiving.  Boo.
8. December 2010 – Enjoyed a 2 week visit from my sister Valerie and spent some time seeing more of New Zealand: climbed Mt. Rangitoto, visited Waiheke Island again, went to Muriwai Beach and waded in the Tasman Sea, visited Hobbiton, spent some time in Rotorua {unable to go zorbing – no pregnant women allowed}, and did an all-day ocean charter and dolphin swim in Tauranga.  Lovely 🙂  Oh, and I turned 29 years old on the 23rd and we celebrated 6 years of marriage on the 18th.  A busy month, for sure.

2011 has a lot of things set up for it – a new baby, a visit from my mom post-baby, setting up a nursery {before the baby arrives, hopefully!}, going on maternity leave, and planning a trip back to the States in November.  Chris will be making a solo journey back to the US for a family wedding – I won’t be able to tag along because of the pregnancy 🙁  It’s hard to believe that by the time I actually make it back to the States, it will be 1 year and 7 months since we left the US.  Over a year and half without seeing anyone from my family save my younger sister and mom {who’s visits are much appreciated!}.  It’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to.