Saturday Morning Run Through Hagley Park

I'm pleased to repot that New Zealand has had a reprieve from cyclones and Once in some-number-of-hundred Year Storms.  The days have been sunny and pleasant, and the nights clear, if not a bit freezing. I'll take it. We'll call it "summer".

Anyways, I was on a fantastic morning run through Hagley Park (my favorite place for baby duck sighting) on Saturday, and I was hoping to take lots of pictures of the fall colors. It seems that I was too late though as I found just evergreens and a lot of bare branches.

Pretty none the less.

 As I rounded the back of the botanical gardens I was surprised to find a new building by the river. It turns out that the new visitor's center opened a couple of weeks ago. Who knew?

This is what a mere $16 million looks like in building form. 

Well, apparently these two sorta famous people heard about it because it turns out they stopped by (literally for about 2 minutes) to officially open the new building.

Wills and Kate. OMG!
via

I took a stroll through the new building, which has a pleasant cafe and a pretty nice little gift shop. There is also a small museum which has been done beautifully, of course, and is free, of course. I love that about New Zealand.

The rest of the building is home to nursery rooms for cultivating native and rare plants. These rooms have automatic screens that raise and lower depending on the sun, so on a sunny day like this one, the whole building has a futuristic white look to it. On cloudy days (or on the non-sunny side of the building) it has a modern greenhouse look.

In other news I survived another round of night shifts (barely) and no, they haven't gotten an easier. Between shifts I managed to get out and enjoy the cooperative weather. 

An Incomplete (and somewhat incoherent) Guide to: Healthcare in New Zealand

When we first got to New Zealand, I kept getting sick. Just little colds and other afflictions, but back to back viruses can really get to you. I don't know if it's actually a fact or not, but I've decided I was sick a lot because I didn't have the antibodies to fight any of the germs on this side of the world. It makes sense that you develop antibodies over time and can eventually resist circulating strains of illness in your community. But being on the other, bottom left corner side of the world, I apparently have the immune system of a newborn.

So I should have a few immunities 16 months later, right?  Well, it seems I'm collecting ALL the antibodies. Like a game of Monopoly, I'm collecting them all. I've got full sets of antibodies and I'm looking into how to put a hotel on them and charge rent. For the record, Scott's got none. He never gets sick. He's losing at Viral Monopoly.

(Read between the lines- I'm sick again.)

Anyways, that's my segue into another discussion (er, monologue) about healthcare in New Zealand. As I've mentioned before, according to my page views and stats, all you mystery readers really care about is a) How to move to New Zealand and b) Nursing/Healthcare in New Zealand. (Oddly, it's not baby ducks.) So lets talk again about the latter. And if you haven't caught up on Nursing in New Zealand Part 1 and Part 2, go do that. Otherwise don't pass go, and don't even think about collecting $200.

The Role of the GP in NZ Healthcare

Wow. I don't really know where to start and I obviously don't know everything about this topic. But here's what I do know. As a nurse and solid member of middle class America, I did not have a GP. If I had a medical problem I either saw a specialist (dermatologist, gynecologist) or I went to Prompt Care. I don't think this is the ideal method of healthcare for young Americans, but I know its what everyone my age did. I don't think a generally healthy 20-something female with no major medical issues could even get a GP. In fact, if I remember right, a lot of GPs were leaving the practice because of the rising rates of malpractice insurance, increased MediCare denial, etc.

So, uh, here's a contrast… nearly every person has a GP here. (Ok, Scott technically doesn't have one, but see above- he's collected no viruses, illnesses, or other medical problems.) I've got one and I've seen her several times, although each time she kind of pretends she doesn't remember me even though we also work together…

Anyways. Just about everyone has a GP. Also, you can usually get a same or next day appointment with your GP or another doctor at the practice. There is a charge for each visit to your GP, which you can avoid by going to Emergency and waiting 2-6 hours. (Hello downside of socialized medicine.) They will see you for free, and then bark at you for not going to your GP for a measly sore throat. (And then they will talk about you being a time waster behind your back, I promise.) The charge for seeing a GP is lower for enrolled patients. The government kicks in some money each time the GP sees an enrolled patient- promotion of continuity of care. Non-residents like us, and tourists, can't enroll. But we can still see the GP for a slightly higher cost.

An interesting thing about GPs here (to me anyways) is that everybody and their mother seems to be one. I know several in my personal life (as opposed to a grand total of zero back home). Also, they're not exactly up on any proverbial doctor pedestal. Not to say they aren't respected- they are- but as both a nurse and as a client I find GPs extremely easy to talk to. I've never felt rushed or ignored. I haven't really met any that consider themselves God's Gift to whatever.

Older Person's Health

At 65 years old, a person can be assessed by Older Person's Health (this organization may have a different name outside of Canterbury). This assessment comes via a recommendation by the GP. Once this assessment has been done, the GP can organize (at no cost):

- Rest Home level care
- Respite Care for a few days or weeks (both for patients who feel like they need extra help, but also just for family members who need a loved one looked after because they need a break!!)
- Rehabilitation
- Palliative Care (Hospice)
- Psychiatric evaluation and care
- Walkers, commodes, shower/wall handles, ramps, wheelchairs, etc.
- "Never Alone" alarms (like the commercial, I've fallen and I can't get up!…) to summon an ambulance. I think there is a yearly fee for this, but many people qualify for this to be waived.
- Meals on Wheels
- In-home help for just about everything:

• Medication management: Forgetful elderly people living alone need not be forced into care because they can't remember when/what meds to take. Someone can come in 1-3 times every day and administer medications.
• House cleaning 1-2 hours per week.
• Grocery shopping, pharmacy trips, etc, 1-2 hours per week.
• Dressing, showering, teeth cleaning, etc. (ADLs)
• Wound care, dressing changes, etc.

There is even a free 8 week cooking course called Senior Chef for people over 65 who want to improve their cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen. They are taught easy and healthy recipes and cooking techniques for 1-2 people. 

The elderly population is a bit more of my specialty, both here and in personal interest, however let's not minimize what socialized healthcare can do for other populations:

What else does your tax payer dollar get you in regards to healthcare? (as in… what's free?)

Maternity:

• All costs of required tests (ultrasounds, glucose tests, etc.)
• A midwife who organizes all appointments, meets with you several times, and is available for questions 24/7.
• All emergency visits and treatments while pregnant (visits to ED or the 24 Hour Surgery for things like PV bleeding, hyperemesis, lack of fetal movement, etc.)
• Giving birth, unless you book in a fancy shmancy private hospital.
• Follow up appointments including those for any complications.

Children:

• After the birth of your child, you will visit or be visited multiple times by a Plunket nurse. They are available by phone for advice 24/7. They make sure you are getting on with things like development, breastfeeding, sleeping, early childhood nutrition, etc. They have endless resources. They have FREE parenting classes, play groups, and can find you things like car seats at very little cost. 
• All visits to the GP, ED, 24 Hour Surgery, etc. are FREE to all children (NZ or other) under 6 years of age 24/7/365.

ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation):

The ACC is funded by "people’s earnings, businesses’ payrolls, petrol and fees from vehicle licensing, as well as Government funding". The ACC covers the cost to any person, NZ or tourist, who is injured and requires medical care in New Zealand. If you seek care in a private institution, the ACC will pay for a percentage of your care. If you are treated at the public hospital, or if they are too full to take you and you are instructed to go to a private institution, your full hospital bill is covered.

Broke your leg in 4 places while snowboarding for the first time? And actually it happened while you were walking to the bathroom and you weren't even snowboarding? And actually, come to think of it, you were walking backwards, showing off, because you were drunk, and you fell down the stairs and it was definitely your own fault?

No worries, ACC's got your back. (Although they'd probably prefer you sober up and take some pride in yourself, mate.)

The cost of follow ups with your GP, prescriptions, etc. are at a reduced cost, with ACC subsidizing a percentage of these bills.

The Cost of Prescription Medications:

• The cost of all subsidized prescription medication is $5. The catch: the medication you need must be subsidized by the government. Some medications are partially subsidized, and some not at all. One of my colleagues recently told me about their patient who was visiting from Europe. They had forgotten a medication at home which was pretty vital. This particular med is not subsidized in New Zealand, and was going to cost the patient $140/month. This was in no way because they were a tourist. They were angry.
• All subsidized medications for children under 6 are free.
• Over the counter (OTC) medications such as aspirin, Claritin, etc. are a lot more expensive than in the States. Ibuprofen 60 tablets is going to cost you about $20. But, if you go see your GP, they can write you a script for OTC medications. Viola! $5.

Made it this far? I commend you! Here's a photo of a recent sunrise…

BTW: No portion of this incoherent "guide" is actually a guide to you or anyone else.
Remember what they say about free advice: you get what you pay for!
And, I'm human. So there's probably some mistakes in here. Feel free to correct me.

Other Bits and Pieces that I find interesting:

• Gum, lozenges, and patches for smoking cessation can be attained for only $5. A pack of cigarettes costs $17.20. And the percentage of smokers is going down - currently at 15%, down from 21% in 2006. I feel like people in NZ understand that they are expected to take responsibility for themselves, and many of them do.
• The prevalence of Type II Diabetes is 11.0% of the population, right on par with America (10.9%). NZ is ranked 3rd in the world for adult obesity (behind the recently dethroned America at #2, and Mexico #1).
• Despite having a socialized system, NZ spends much less on healthcare per person than the US.
• Because of the ACC, there is no litigation surrounding accidents (your trampoline broke my back, now pay me $200,000; that fender-bender gave me whiplash, now I have PTSD and am suing you for $2 million in "pain and suffering"). Because there is no litigation, my car insurance costs $26/month. 

I feel like this may have gotten a bit ramble-y. Let's blame it on my non-subsidized intake of Benadryl and generic cough medicine. I think it's time for me to return to killing brain cells with Netflix. Now don't you wish I just posted about bikes and ducks? 

Hurricanes, Homesickness, and Honesty

So we're having another hurricane today. It's becoming a routine thing, like grocery shopping day or garbage day (crap, that's today too. Rubbish bins and hurricanes- awesome combo.) Anyways, Cyclone Lusi has actually been downgraded to a mere "tropical storm", the winds are only 50km/hr and my roof is only leaking in 4 different spots. So what's to complain about?

There's just nothing to do (besides housework), so I thought, hey- great time to update that online story telling thing you never update anymore. But the problem is this… usually I have an idea for a post, or I've recently done something cool. But I scrolled through my photos and- nope!- haven't done anything cool since the last time I posted. I've worked a lot, including night shift, which I mentioned once wasn't that bad and I must have been delirious from night shift because it is that bad and it ruins all my fun.

So here I am, finally sleeping at night again, finally cleaning up and breathing deep after having 4 months of visitors, and finally sitting down to relax. There's a cyclone outside so I can't ride (had an awesome one yesterday though) and Scott's off at a bike race. Yes, he's nuts. So in the quiet of the living room, with only the trees slapping the windows and the flickering lights to comfort me- what am I thinking about? What should I write about?

I think to myself: it's sunny in California right now. You're missing a friend's wedding next weekend. It's spring time, the grass is green and everything has that awesome almost summer smell. Babies are growing up and have never met you. The race season is about to start and you're missing your favorite race, again. You're going to miss St. Patrick's Day festivities in a place where you can bike to the Irish pub and Guinness will be affordable.

I think to myself: I wish I were home.

I wrote an article for Expats Blog back in March 2013 about homesickness. I talked about eating healthy and staying active, and surrounding oneself with happy people. Although I don't exactly disagree with what I wrote then, I will be the first to say that my words came from a place of ignorance. I had been in New Zealand for 10 weeks. That's nothing. That's an extended vacation. And with that in mind, I'll admit now that my homesickness is likely different at 15 months than for someone who's been away 5 years. Or 10.

But it's very real now. It's tangible and sometimes it's ugly. It sneaks up when somebody innocently asks me about where I came from or what I miss. I miss everything!, I want to scream, even though that's not true at all. Sometimes the longing for home is literally painful, right inside my soul, like I've lost a beloved pet or even a friend. Other days it's more like longing or lust- like I'm 13 again, and thinking about that cute boy (California) all day while I do my homework and piano lessons. Harmless.

In 12 weeks we're going home - actually to several places in California and Oregon that have been or feel like home to us. It's just for a visit, 33 days that will probably fly by all too quickly. I'm so excited, but I'm also scared.

What if it's different than I remembered? What if the burritos actually don't appeal anymore? What if the salads aren't as fresh as I recall? What if I hate the fashion there as much as I do here? What if everything seems expensive? Or worse- feels cheap? What if my favorite restaurants are closed? What if the beer somehow doesn't taste amazing (ok, Im not really worried about that one)… but what if these experiences that I am so excited about don't live up to the pedestal I've put them on? What if my friends have moved on? What if they've changed? What if I've changed?

Assuming all of these fears are for naught, and every moment is amazing- then what? What if I want to move home immediately? Where would we go, what would we do? What is the plan? There is no plan.

And so, these thoughts flurry around my head, like raindrops from a hurricane. Smashing around, creating waves and deluges of thoughts and expectations. Happy drops and sad drops. All amounting to a flood of emotion.

I think it may have all started when we purchased our tickets to come home. That's surely when the anticipation began, and the memories started bouncing back. We have to do this, I can't wait to do that. We have to go there, we have to see them. And not long after we bought the tickets, 4 months worth of Californians started visiting, bringing wonderful tokens of life back home with them. Reminders of what we have to look forward to, but also of what we chose to leave behind.

Let me make something clear though. This choice to move in New Zealand has arguably been the best decision of my life. (Well, second best. Love you, babe.) I am living in another country. Not visiting, not working temporarily. And by living I mean truly experiencing- making friends, seeing the country, learning traditions, accepting the shortcomings.

Homesickness, no matter how deep and sometimes agonizing, still only gets to be a fraction of my experience. I think it's important that I keep trying to come to terms with it's existence, and that I recognize it is just a challenging but unavoidable "side effect" of getting to experience life away from California. It's not a reflection at all on New Zealand, it's a reflection of how great life was at home.

Chico

Ashland

Benicia

Fort Bragg

So You Want To Move To New Zealand...

Frequently I get emails from people, usually American, who are interested in moving to New Zealand. They usually ask similar questions, many of which mirror the questions and concerns I had before we moved. I try to answer the best I can, tailored to their individual email, but recently I thought… why not write more about this? I mean, I'd be naive to think anyone (anyone???) visits my blog for the cool bike pictures. You are mainly expats and future expats, looking for advice and camaraderie. I was there.

So here's one of maybe a few or maybe several posts relating to why you found this blog. You want to move to New Zealand.

Disclaimer: I am not qualified to give legal advice regarding visas or immigration, and any visa topics which may arise are based on my personal experience only.

How far in advance should I start planning my move?
We told ourselves at the beginning of 2012, this is going to be the year we go. And so we started our preparations in January. Because getting a nursing license involves taking the IELTS and then submitting tons of paperwork, 6 months flew by before we even started looking at visas. We started our visa process in October, and we were in New Zealand by December. I would recommend a year, though, for bolstering finances, planning the move, and gathering all of the documents required for visa application.

How long does it take to get a New Zealand visa?
Once the paperwork is submitted, I would recommend you allow a few months for processing. This being said, ours were processed in about 14 days. It's the gathering of required documentation for the visa application that will really take some time.

What is required in applying for a visa?
Regardless of the type of visa you apply for (see next question) you will require police clearance. For Americans, this means at least 6 weeks waiting for a paper from the FBI to come, stating you have no felonies. If you are applying for a 2+ year visa, you'll also need medical clearance, including several blood tests, a physical, and a chest X-ray. This is spendy, and takes a few weeks to process. The X-ray, once done, is only good for 6 months- so you've got to be coordinated in your planning and submission of your application. Other than these things, it's just about carefully filling out the paperwork and ticking all of the boxes. Oh, and sending them a check!

How do I get a New Zealand visa? What are the different types?
There are heaps of different kinds of visas… student visas, working holiday visas, work in skilled shortage areas, work to residence…., and this is where an immigration lawyer comes in handy. I hired one to assist us in our application process while we were still in the States. It's expensive, but it came with peace of mind. If you haven't gotten very far at all, I recommend you check out the NZ Immigration Website. I know, I'm putting this on you instead of answering the question- but this is where the legal stuff lives. Yuck!

Can I get a job in New Zealand? What kind of jobs are on the shortage list? 
Some visas (student, and such) don't require you to work, but most of them do! And many visas are easier to obtain if you have a job on the skills shortage list. Check it out here. If you are married or in a long term relationship, it is possible for one of you to obtain a visa through having a job on the list, and for the other person to get a Partner Visa, which will allow them to work at any job.

How much money should I save for the move? 
Oh boy. I don't even know what to tell you. No matter what you save, it probably won't be enough. And everyone is different.  But there are two sets of expenses here: your moving costs, and your when you get there costs. The only estimate I can provide is from our own (2 person) experience:

Moving Costs
Movers: $2500 if you are not bringing furniture. (And don't even get me started on the movers. I hated ours. They were sneaky fibbers. If you're moving from CA to NZ, email me and we can talk about who I wouldn't recommend…)
2 One Way Tickets to NZ from California: $1600
Food, lodging, etc. during period of inevitable homelessness between moving out of your house at home, and landing in NZ: $1000
When You Land Costs
Temporary accommodation for 1 week (unless you line up a place to live ahead of time): $800
Rental car for 1 week: $350
Buying a cheap but hopefully reliable car: $2500
Cell phones and contracts: $300
First months rent + bond + letting fees, etc. in Christchurch: $1300
Setting up electrical, internet, insurance, etc.: $400
Food, crappy furniture off of Trade Me, other life expenses during the first month before you get a paycheck in New Zealand dollars: $2000
Beer to celebrate your successful move to New Zealand: $10… per pint!!!

So lets do some math… $12,760. I know, ouch! But, you asked!

What should I bring with me when I move?
First and foremost, if you are one of those lucky people being sponsored to move (i.e.: you're not paying for the moving expenses) then bring it all! The furniture, the pets, the motorcycle! Pack 'em up! But if you're one of the rest of us, have a garage sale before you go. Or keep it in storage if you're planning to come back. Moving furniture is astronomical (you get charged by the size of your container space, not weight) so unless it has sentimental value or is of quite a bit of value, leave it behind. And if you bring it, bubble wrap it a lot. So now that you're ready to leave it all behind, don't! Bring all the small stuff. Replacing spatulas and picture frames and kitchen knives will be twice as expensive in New Zealand (think $150 for decent sheets. Go to Target. Go now!). Just shove the pillow cases in the pint glasses (no need for bubble wrap!) and the blankets between picture frames. Look at packing like Tetris. We brought all of our kitchen utensils, plates, etc. All of our clothes. All of our bikes, snowboards, camping gear, bathroom junk, sheets, pillows, etc. It will also be nice to have all the familiarity when you are so far from home. Of note however, your American electronics will not work (they will die) unless they have an input of 240 volts. Computers, camera chargers, and printers should be fine. Blenders, hair dryers, shavers, and toasters will all die a swift and smoky death. Unless you have a voltage converter (not just an adapter!). They are expensive and cumbersome. Don't bother.

What should I bring on the plane?
You'll need the essentials on the plane. Enough clothes to live for 4-8 weeks. We brought 3 bikes with us. Your computer, the sheets and towels, and I'd recommend again, a few familiar things to make it feel like home when you get there.

Where should I live? Where do I stay to begin with?
While the obvious answer here is a hotel, I'd advise against it. If you've come with a job offer, ask that employer if they have accommodation for new employees. A lot of employers do, and this will be a good way to meet people before you even start work. If not, I recommend doing what we did and staying in someone's house. We stayed with a family in Christchurch for the first week we were here, and while we payed basically what it would cost to stay in a hotel, we got a lovely warm welcome, and so much valuable information about the area that we never would have gotten from a concierge. Because of our hosts, we had set up bank accounts and cell phones within 12 hours of landing! We found them through AirBNB.

What is the general cost of things in New Zealand?
(Based on living in Christchurch. Rural areas will be cheaper, Auckland will likely be more expensive.)
Car: $5000 for a decent and reliable one, $10,000+ for one younger than 10 years old.
Rent: Rent is weekly, and varies a lot by neighborhood. But, for a decent 3 bedroom house that is not an apartment, not a duplex, not in a dodgy area, and not severely damaged by the earthquake, you're looking at $350-$500/week (so $1400 if you're lucky, and more likely $2000/month). Its expensive to live in New Zealand, especially Christchurch, so adjust to that now. If you're looking for a room in a flatting situation, think $150-$250/week, depending on your needs.
Buying a House: I advise against doing this until you've been in NZ awhile and really know where you want to be. But think a minimum of $400,000, $500k if you want to live in Auckland. (But why would you?)
Again, I recommend Trade Me for getting a real idea of property value in both buying and renting. Trust me, you'll be using it when you get here.
Groceries: Again, we're all different. I buy a lot of organic, so mine will be higher. I wrote a little post when we first got here about how grocery shopping isn't that expensive, and I kind of still stand by that. Certain things however- alcohol, bacon, quality yogurt, quality chocolate… (the important things in life) are definitely expensive. But as many expats will agree, you get what you pay for in NZ. And in NZ you get quality food. Anyways, our monthly bill is around $800. But it is quality, and we eat a lot.
Internet and Cell Phone: These are grouped together because you will likely pay for them together through the same carrier. Ours is roughly $200. Internet is expensive here, and limited. If I spend too much time blogging (ha! not lately!) we will run out… its like we're back in 1999! Phone minutes and data are limited as well, but texting is unlimited. That's really how Kiwis communicate.
Garbage: FREEEEEEEE!
Water: FREEEEEEEE!
Electricity: FREEE-….yeah right. Electricity is expensive. No one has central heating or air because of this. We have a heat pump (space heater built into the wall) in the living room that we only turn on when we can see our breath inside and have run out of snow parkas to put on. Cost of electricity: $80-250 for 2 people in a small house, depending on the month. I had a friend who left her heater on low for a few hours each day during the first month they moved in to their new house. 800 bucks. On low.
Gasoline: Sit down. $2.22/litre. Now do the math. That's $8.88USD per gallon. Yep. Try to live close to your work, or commute by bike or bus or camel or magic carpet. Gas is freaking expensive. One thing that's cool though- all gas stations sell the gas for the same price. So none of that Oh, we've just pulled in to Valero but look! Across the street at Shell it's 3 cents cheaper! Lets waste $2 in gas revving up this Chevy and going through two stop lights to get over there and save 60 cents!
Insurance: Ahh, finally some good news. It's cheaper here! Car insurance is optional (!) and roughly $15 monthly for 3rd party coverage or $40/month for full coverage. Our contents (home owner's/renters) insurance is $40/month. Health insurance? Psh, whats that? Medicine is beautifully socialized over here! (But not until you're a resident. You can purchase health insurance if you think you need it. Accidents are free for everyone. Go break that arm, no biggie.)
Eating Out: Lets just go back to that, you get what you pay for thing. And what you get is usually really nice, quality food. $15-20 for a burger, $30-40 for a steak, $15-25 for a salad, $25-35 for pasta. $10 for a pint of beer or a glass of wine, $15-20 for a really good cocktail. But hey, its a non-tipping country! So what you see on your check is actually what you pay.
Clothes, Furniture, Sports Equipment, Electronics, etc: Just double it. Whatever it costs in America, times it by two. If it costs less than that (it probably won't) then you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Wow, that last bit wasn't meant to scare you. I'm a huge advocate of moving to New Zealand! Im also a huge advocate of the belief "money isn't everything", obviously. And just like with the food, the whole life you pay for in New Zealand is quality, so think of it as investing in serious quality of life. See interspersed photos (from our first year) for reference.

I think this is a good place to stop for now, but I'll pick up sometime. If you've found this helpful, or have a burning question for me to answer next time, please leave a comment or send me an email.

And one last thing, I'm nominated again (thank you, whoever you are!) for the Lexiophiles Favorite Blog of The Year. So if you've got a spare second I'd love your vote (by Feb. 17)!

One Year

Today is the day. We've been in New Zealand for one year.

I planned on writing a longer piece, a reflection, a personal time capsule. But as I find more and more often, I have so many other interests. I had things to do today. Scott raced (and won!) another downhill race in the park. I enjoyed another beautiful summer day. I cleaned a bit and prepared a little for my parent's visit in 5 days. And in an hour or so, we're going to the movies.

Life is blissfuly full. As Im sure my interested readers have noticed, I sometimes have a hard time being timely with my posts. I absolutely intend to keep writing, for the 4 of you out there that care, and for myself. But sometimes weeks go by where I just don't find the time… and I think thats a sign that we've made a life here in New Zealand.

So I do hope to write something meaningful and reflective at some point. It's actually supposed to rain tomorrow. Maybe then. But for now, I'll leave you with what I posted to my Facebook this morning. A summary of my feelings:

While staring off into space this morning, contemplating the ridiculous juxtaposition of my Christmas tree against the sunny ocean, I realized… Today is the 1 year anniversary of our move to New Zealand. How does time go by SO fast? What an incredible life and perspective altering year of growth and challenges and frustrations and happiness. I am grateful.

Well, that was fast...

While at work on Monday we missed a mail parcel. There was a note to come pick up a package at the post office. I hadn't ordered anything recently, and Scott's birthday is coming up- so I figured it was an early birthday arrival.

A side note about the post shops in New Zealand. They are everywhere. In a complete contradiction to my California hometown where there was one official post office, there is a post shop in almost every suburb of Christchurch. I'm sure that some of the larger 'burbs have two. There are four post shops within a 10 minute drive of our house. There are two types: the one is a post shop in the mall or as a part of another business- and there you can send your mail, buy lotto tickets, etc. At the larger post office though, the options are endless! Here you can have your PO Box, pay your cellphone bill, do your banking (if you belong to KiwiBank), get your passport photos taken, exchange your foreign currency, get travel insurance, register your car, apply for your tax number …oh, and send and receive mail. If you can't tell, I'm really impressed by the post shop services. And at mine, there's rarely even a line.

Ok, back to our parcel. Since I figured it was an early birthday gift for Scott I was a bit slack on getting down to the post shop. His birthday isn't for another 13 days (not that he's counting), so what's the rush?

Then on Wednesday morning I got an email from the Immigration Office New Zealand. It began like this, "Dear Kristen, Congratulations on your recent acceptance for a work visa…"

Right then it clicked what the parcel at the post shop was! Our visas got processed! The immigration website states an average of 24 days for processing so I wasn't even beginning to worry yet about our applications since it had only been 12 days. Needless to say I rushed down to pick up the package, and there they were:

P.S.: Scott is still annoyed this was not a birthday package

Ok, I know… they're not much to look at. But what a relief! And they got processed on November 6. A one week turn around. Impressive, guys!

So here's the one thing. As I explained before, we applied for 5 year work visas. Basically, we wanted the maximum time allowance to figure out a plan. But as it turns out, we were granted 3-year work visas. Good to go 'til November 6, 2016.

Although it wasn't our goal, I feel really good about it. By then we will have been in New Zealand just a month shy of 4 years. That's nearly double our original intentions. We can, of course, come home earlier than then. We still have time to figure things out. Actually… our goal was to get work visas. So the goal has been accomplished. And we got a year longer than the majority of folks get.

I'd like to think that by 2016 we'll be ready to put some roots down somewhere.

But no promises.