That turning point, all sails set for New Zealand... (long post)

"How are you with cannulation?" She asked.

 Does she really want to know how proficient I am with placing a nasal cannula? How hard can it be?

"Do you mean a nasal cannula?" I asked.

"No, no. Cannulation." Well that cleared it up.

"IV cannulation" she said.

"OH! Starting IVs! Haha! Got it. I'm pretty good. I don't really have trouble starting IVs!" I said. Close one.

"OK. Lovely."

And that's how my interview went with Louisa from the Pegasus Health 24-hour surgery clinic. It started off with a plan for her to call me at 9am NZ time on Tuesday (my Monday). All weekend I planned to talk to her at 1pm, the standard 4 hours time difference I'd gotten used to over the last several months. Thank goodness Scott reminded me of daylight savings time. The interview was now at noon. 12'oclock noon while I was on vacation with my husband. I wanted to be somewhere quiet, with good cell reception.

Unfortunately, my parent's house in Benicia has the worst cell reception of all time. Like, worse than in a deep-sea submarine off the coast of Iceland. So their place was out for an interview spot. Coffee shop? Too loud. Library? Not supposed to talk. So oddly, we settled on inside the car, on the top level of a 6-story parking garage in Emeryville. At $2/hr no less. It wasn't until after the decision was made and the interview was underway that I realized the bay area has about 15 flying vehicles in the air at any given time (noisy), you're never less than 5 miles from a freeway of some kind (noisy), and everyone honks at each other (noisy). And if you've ever been part of an overseas phone interview, on a cell phone no less, you know that the reception just isn't the same. And I was on speakerphone with a panel. And they have Kiwi accents. And they're asking me about cannulation. Oh man.

Other highlights of my interview with Louisa, who was truly delightful:

- My fumbling through scenarios at a snail's pace, sweating in the hot car on the HOT November day that it was, sweat dripping from heat stroke and my actual pending stress-induced stroke
- Forgetting the name for Nitroglycerin ("That sub-lingual med. You know the one! N.... Nii... uhh... Nitro! That's it!") Pressure at it's finest...

- Asking the other interviewer to repeat every single question she asked because I couldn't understand her beautiful whispering accent

- Rambling about the benefits of computerized order entry when they don't have it

- Louisa and my other interviewer laughing (at me, I think) quite a bit and saying "lovely" a lot

An hour and a half later ($3) with a nearly dead cell phone and a nearly starved husband, my call ended and I felt good. Confused, but good. And 30 minutes after that... I felt great!

Louisa called my recruiter, Kristin, and confirmed that she would be offering me a position at Pegasus Health's 24-Hour Surgery in Christchurch. Kristin called me immediately, and started gushing about her love for the city and the area (she lives in Christchurch herself) and encouraging me in regards to the state of the city after the earthquake. I also learned that I would be cross-trained in a few different specialties, all which are super interesting to me, AND I would be working four 8-hour shifts per week. And that's considered full time! Talk about a place that understands the work-life balance. I love New Zealand! I told her that Scott and I would take the evening to consider the offer while the official paperwork was being drawn up, but I already knew the answer.

Christchurch - The Garden City

Christchurch was our favorite city we visited while in New Zealand. Queenstown was of course, amazing, but very touristy, and also prone to major snow during the winter. We also loved a town named Alexandra, but both agreed it would be too small for our settling. Christchurch is on the coast, about 1/3 down the eastern edge of the south island. It is the largest city on the south island, and was the location of the famous 2011 earthquake. The city center suffered the most damage, but as a result, neighborhoods close to the city center have popped up with new restaurants, bars, and shopping. There are huge botanical gardens and parks everywhere, as well as phenomenal mountain biking, most of which we have barely even had a taste of.

Enjoying Christchurch Cathedral, days before it fell. Pegasus is in the square, almost right behind us to the right

Botanical gardens in the city center

Yes, this is a small fraction of our city park

Another small sample from Hagley Park in Christchurch

Tourists punting down the Avon River, in Christchurch city center!!

This is just a suburban green-way, a common "park" across the street from regular neighborhood houses.

What happened to Nelson and Wellington, you may ask? Nelson was always our first choice. It unarguably has the most fantastic mountain biking, and Abel Tasman Park is obviously beautiful. There aren't really drawbacks to Nelson other than it is so attractive to native New Zealanders that they really don't need to hire from outside the country (aka: me). Simple as that. And after our permanent residency is secured (8+ months from now), we could still move there. We will see.

As for Wellington, the more time we spent researching it, the more confounded we became. It is beautiful, on the water, with great mountain biking. But it is on the north island, and we just want to be on the south island- where we fell in love with the country. Of course Welly is a short plane/ferry ride from the south island, but that makes spur of the moment trips almost impossible, and pricey. It's also pretty secluded down there on the southern tip of the north island, so even if we did want to travel out of the region, there's not really anything but countryside for miles. Don't get me wrong, I have no evidence that Wellington isn't one of the greatest places to live, and I still can't wait to check it out. But as for fulfilling our dream of living on New Zealand's south island, we just felt it was important to keep things how we imagined them: Southern.

Some how Dunedin got cut off the bottom of the list, it's the southern most east (right side) heart

Christchurch is on the beach, just over an hour from the south island's premier ski-field (Mount Hutt), an hour from the rainforest, under 2 hours from the hot springs, 5 hours from Nelson, and 6 hours from Queenstown (both destined to be favorite long-weekend getaway destinations). It has a college, plenty of culture, and a median age of 34. The weather is actually quite a bit milder than Wellington- with there being less wind and rain. Christchurch is quite a bit cooler than our hometown of Chico though, with average summer highs in the 70s, and winter days in the 30s and 40s. There's far less rain in Christchurch than in most places in New Zealand (making bike riding particularly attractive) and there is an above average amount of sunshine per year compared to the rest of the country. Lastly, it has the major airport of the south island - so we expect lots of visitors!!!

Enjoying the beaches of Christchurch before flying away (and spending the next 2 years thinking about this place)

Hamner Springs : 1.75 hours north of the city

Mt Hutt (not me- I don't ski!): less than 90 minutes away

Scott riding in Christchurch- see the local spectator on the right?

The bike wife... biking. (aka: yours truly)

A little waterfall in the rainforest, est: 50 minute drive west out of Christchurch

Lake Tekapo: 3 hours (max) south of Christchurch

Mount Cook: 4 hours south of Christchurch

Somewhere on Hwy 73, about 2 hours west of Christchurch... after the rain!

Castle Hill, outside of Cragieburn Natn'l Forest - also about 2 hours west. That's me up there!

One of the many beautiful glacial rivers - this one in southwest NZ

We are super excited, but we have SO much to do. On tap for tomorrow: gathering as much information as possible together for our visas, including several letters verifying that my relationship with my husband is real and true (seriously). If anyone finds themselves with extra time on their hands... feel free to pen us an endorsement!! More on the extensive visa application process next time!

Roller Coaster Life

So much has happened in the last week, it's overwhelming. I am sitting here at my in-laws house, typing on my second brand new Macbook Pro computer of the week. We're supposed to be in wine country celebrating our belated anniversary, and hopefully will be there soon. It's been a whirlwind weekend of mostly ups, with a few downs... and right now we're halfway though a vacation, but here I am posting on my blog. Let me explain:

Up: We are in the bay area for a wedding, which was Sunday evening, and it was lovely. A high school friend of mine got hitched at the Chabot Space Center in Oakland, CA (super cool!). On Saturday, I had the privilege of spending the day with a family friend learning how to make real Mexican food. See, in New Zealand they lack two major components of a happy life: good beer and good Mexican food. I've got some good base knowledge on one now, and we're actually hoping to learn how to brew the other.

Up: Also on Saturday I bought a Macbook Pro, which will be our computer, our TV/movie screen, and our major form of communication while we're in NZ. I've been planning this purchase for about a year, but finally pulled the trigger since we're almost there.

Down: Yesterday, unfortunately, I found out that I wouldn't be considered for a job that I've been chasing in Nelson for the last several weeks. Although this came as a disappointment, I wasn't actually that shocked, since it took so long to get an answer. Regardless, it's not worth ruining a perfectly good week ahead of us.

Up: We spend the night last night in San Francisco, figuring it would be our last night enjoying the city for quite some time. We went to Bourbon and Branch, a super cool speakeasy in the city- the real deal. We registered online for our reservation, and were given a password which had to be spoken at the door to be let in. And this was no average bar- the entrance to B&B is on a busy street corner in SF, but it's just a sturdy looking door with no sign, no address, no markings. You knock, they open it a crack and ask the password. Don't forget yours! I highly recommend you check this place out, if your of the sort who enjoys good whiskey, and a bit of mystery.

We enjoyed a great place for dinner who's name escapes me (maybe from all the bourbon consumed prior to dinner...) and we actually turned in a tad early- I blame Daylight Savings.

Down: Fast forward to this AM and the reason I am typing this novel on my second Macbook Pro. Our beloved (bedraggled?) Subaru was broken into last night while we were out on the town. The thieves helped themselves to my computer, of course, as well as Scott's extremely high end road bike, one of my mountain bike wheels (but not our mountain bikes), and his gear bag full of bike clothes. After a mini-breakdown, I composed myself while Scott sorted things out with SF's finest. In the end, everything will be fixed and replaced with very little monetary cost to us- but we're losing a day of our anniversary celebration doing paperwork.

But, one last thing. One eensy-teensy last thing. Being on board this weekend roller-coaster of ups and downs, life threw us one last very high up (and more paperwork)...

I got a job offer.

And I took it.

The paperwork just got signed and sent. The immigration lawyers are already contacting me. We're moving to Christchurch, New Zealand sometime in December.
Buckle your seat belts, and stay tuned....!

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*note: ups and downs do not reflect a damn thing related to today's presidential election- I just noticed the coincidental color coordination. Good luck to both criminals candidates.

Listen up, Universe!

So this is my living room:

What have I done? See that bottle of wine? No, unfortunately we're not moving yet. But I have decided that since I've yet to land a job, I'm taking fate into my own hands. I'm getting the house packed and rental ready, maybe even rented out, and I'm proving to the universe that it's time for us to move! Give me the job! We. Are. Going.

The creepy, dusty, spidery basement

The basement is actually nearly packed. It may not look like it, but all the boxes on the left contain things that are staying behind. They just need to be taped up (ran out of packing tape already) and put into storage.  The un-boxed things on the right need to be properly boxed and labeled for shipping. All that camping/snowboarding gear is going to New Zealand!

A pile of stuff as tall as I am! This is a mountain of things I've kept, too valuable to throw out, but alas, was cast into the basement. A close friend of mine will make a major score on some things - excellent snowboard jacket, brand new inner tubes, cool Christmas train set for her son - and will also probably be visiting the thrift store herself with a donation on my behalf. Ha. But I so appreciate that she can use some of it!

If I had to guesstimate how much I've done vs. how much I have to do, just in the sense of packing, I'd say I'm about 1/20th the way there. But it feels good to have a start.

On another note, had an absolutely fantastic weekend with 5 other ladies this weekend up in Ashland, Oregon. We rode mountain bikes for 2 days, drank way too much tequila, had serious bonding moments over Pictionary, and I think had the general consensus that more frequent ladies' weekends are a must (or at least would be for me, if I were staying).

The ladies, right before dropping into epic single track

Weekends like the one I just had make moving so bittersweet. I'd be kidding myself it I ever thought this would be easy, or that I wouldn't get homesick. But we have to have dreams and goals, and we only have one life to live, right?

We're dead set on making the most of it. Did you hear that, Universe?

A Geography Lesson

So as I alluded to several weeks ago, I am actively job hunting. I've applied to probably 20 jobs so far, and I've had one successful (but not successful enough) interview. One of the most common questions that people ask us though, is where are you moving? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is, we have no idea. Yet.

There is actually a bit of a strict criteria for our ideal city. It has to be a city with a hospital (ie: no itty bitty rural towns), I want to be near the water, we both want decent nightlife, and above all, it has to have phenomenal mountain biking. We can't move to a country famous for it's outdoor recreation, and then end up in a spot that doesn't have it. Anyways, currently I am focusing my job applications on two places: Nelson and Wellington. For those of you unfamiliar, here's a closer look at New Zealand:

I'm an artist, am I not? New Zealand is comprised of two islands which cover about the same amount of land mass as Italy. Italy, however, has a population of over 15 million people, while NZ has barely 4 million. The population is increasing, but it's largely in part to people like us, so we wont dwell on that.

New Zealand is tucked down on the south east side of Australia, but contrary to popular belief, it's actually quite far from the continent- about 1,400 miles. Or from California to Kansas. People frequently compare Kiwis to Aussies as well, but don't get the two confused. New Zealand's southern most tip is also the closest land mass to Antarctica. Moving on...

And a quicker look at our two choices:

Nelson is one of the main cities on the northern point of the South Island. The population of the city of Nelson is around 41,500 people. The surrounding area is called the Nelson/Tasman district, and the total population is not even 46,000 people (including Nelson). This gives you a picture of how not populated our future country is, I love it. And here's the best part... The Abel Tasman National Park is mere minutes from Nelson. A snapshot:

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The climate is known for being one of the sunniest in NZ, with more average days of sunshine than anywhere else. (This doesn't mean it is warmer, the northern part of the north island is far warmer - remember, southern hemisphere. Everything is backward!) The temperature averages from 50 degrees average in the winter, to 74 degrees average in the summer. There is a large hospital, whose HR department has at least 8 of my resumes in their inbox. The city is - obviously - close to the ocean. Lastly, the area is considered to be the heart of mountain biking in New Zealand. An areal view of Nelson:

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The nightlife in Nelson is described as decent (via internet). The median age of the area is 39.something, so it's no retirement community. With a city of only 40,000ish people though, its no surprise that it's not the most exciting cocktail venue in the country. The upside to a smaller city though: pretty much everything will be within walking/bike riding distance.

Wellington is on the southern point of the north island. The city's tourism website calls itself "The Capital of Cool". More globally, it is known as "The Greatest Little Capital in the World". Both of these don't sound too shabby to me. It is the capital city of New Zealand (nope! It's not Auckland. Shocked me too...) Here's the comparable stats:

Wellington City has 180,000 people. The greater region's population is almost half a million. Wellingon's nickname is Windy Wellingon, and I've been told the climate is quite comparable to San Francisco. While this obviously doesn't sound quite as exciting as the warmer weather in Nelson, I honestly can't express enough how sick and tired I am of the many, many 100+ degree days we've had this summer in Chico. So frankly, a few cooler days is fine by me. And is it windier than a summer day in my hometown of Benicia, CA? I'll believe it when I see it.

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Beautiful as well, isn't it. Wellington also has a promising job market, with one very large teaching hospital, as well as another community hospital and a private surgical hospital. Could we commute as easily? No. Is there some traffic? (cringe) Yes. But there are several adorable neighborhoods that do appear close enough to the hospitals for bicycle commuting.

Here's where things are a tad different than Nelson. The average population age is a young 33 years old. The city is known for its culture, food, art, and nightlife. It ranks above pretty much everywhere else in the country, at the top with Auckland and Christchurch, which makes sense being that it's the capital. But in my research on the internet, it is also incredibly desirable. People love this place.

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 And the mountain biking? Also supposed to be fantastic. Although I haven't heard it referred to as the "heart of mountain biking", that may be because Wellington has already claimed the "heart of" title for so many other things...

So the choice will be made not so much by us, but by the job I get- which I will get. I'm thinking the universe just hasn't sent it my way yet because I haven't put in the time packing yet. You have to give a little to get a little, right?

Which spot appeals to you all?

An Update

Hello Readers!

An update on the lack of updates:

I had my first interview with the Wellington Hospital for a short stay unit position. I felt like it went really well, actually. My agent, Kristin, was also happy with the sound of it. Scott & I celebrated, all while considering that Wellington isn't exactly our first choice location to move to, and that maybe this was just a good practice interview.

I'm not sure if its karma or coincidence, but I did not get the job. Unfortunately, they decided to hire someone with more immediate availability. I told them I was available ASAP, but would prefer to start at the beginning of 2013, allowing us some adjustment time after the move. Lesson learned. They did, however, mention that they were very impressed by my interview, and encouraged me to apply again, closer to my preferred start date.

Sometimes when we think we had something, even though we didn't, it feels like we lost it. I feel like I lost a huge opportunity, even though realistically if I got a job right now we'd be ahead of schedule. Nonetheless, I have seven more applications in process right now, 2 in Christchurch, 2 in Wellington, and 3 (fingers crossed!!) in Nelson.

The bigger reason for the lack of updates: while my head has been wrapped around our New Zealand plans, my heart has been here. Let me explain:

I'm not even sure what the etiquette is related to writing about delicate family issues on one's blog, but then again I figure that this is my outlet, and I will do with it what I see fit. That being said, I must disclaim: I am looking for neither sympathy nor pity. But if you see me over the next few days or weeks and I look like a zombie, there is no other reason.

My fantastic 98-year-old grandfather is in the final chapter of his life. Over the last year he's had a lot of ups and downs related to the many, many medical conditions one collects after a century of life. As a result, the last few months have left him exhausted and quite ill, and although he has expressed his willingness to pass on, his body will not allow it. And although I feel like Im being dramatic when I say that, my heart hurts for him when I see how tired he is and when I realize what a huge front he puts up for us. Over the last year he has been a model patient, lovely to be around, witty and wise. But recently, after learning about a whole a new slough of diagnoses, he said "Its just time to give up".

I agree whole-heartedly with him, and I know his life has been full, his heart has been full, and that he leaves us, and this world, on the best of terms. He left his family home as a young teenager. He rode on boxcars, was a hobo, stood in soup lines, stowed away on a ship to Alaska, got work, made money, served in WWII, became a train conductor, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He traveled, frequently alone. Russia. China. Panama. He made a healthy living and smart investments with an 8th grade education. He is a survivor. He has inspired many family members, and he has inspired me throughout my whole life. It is his spirit in me that tells me to explore the world, and of course New Zealand. (He is quite possibly the strongest advocate of this plan.) He's not gone from us yet, but I would be kidding myself to think there is much time left, and no matter how much I try, he's pretty much all I think about. The ups and downs of the last few weeks, stateside and overseas, just pale in comparison to my grandfather, his journeys, and this place we are now. He is such a strong, compassionate, and inspirational man. I hope and pray to find his strength in the times ahead.