I have officially been in New Zealand for 6 months. Its the potential halfway point: my visa expires after a year. I figured today was a good day to reflect on my experience, so far.
To start off, I have achieved a number of “bucket list” adventures: I scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef and saw Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. And while neither of these is in New Zealand, I wouldn’t have made the trip if I wasn’t currently living here. Like all of my travels, these are sights 2 years ago I believed I would never see. But my, how much difference a year makes.
A rainbow spotted from Scorching Bay
This isn’t to say I don’t love anything about New Zealand. This country does nothing but surprise me with its beauty. The islands’ rolling green hills, and varied coastline often leaves me breathless. There’s a simpler way of life here; everything runs a bit slower than it does in the states and that means everyone seems a lot less stressed and hurried. This may be helped by the fact there are simply fewer people here; the entire county has just half the population of New York City, or it may be its politics: everyone here has access to healthcare, and that the government will help if something horrible were to happen. But honestly, horrible things don’t tend to happen that much here. I mean, this is a country where you can actually take a bottle of water through airport security (and on to the airplane,) and where halved-lemons washing on shore is front page news: it’s a safe place to be.
And while there are a lot of positives, those of you who know me personally, are aware that this experience has not been everything I’ve hoped on a lot of levels. It’s cold and gray here more often than it’s sunny. I miss both Florida and the stability of my old career a lot more than I ever anticipated. I’m extremely lonely from time to time and actually miss owning things. (Particularly my queen-sized bed.)
A glimpse of how empty the beaches at Castle Point can be, even on a sunny, beautiful day
But where there is the pain, there has been healing. I’m spending a lot of time alone, which means I am being forced to work out unresolved issues from my past, issues I didn’t know I still had. The hurt of failed relationships, of being abandoned by a group of people who I once considered family, of feeling unlovable and unworthy, that all has come up and come to roost in New Zealand. But because I am taking the time to recognize these wounds, I have been able to recognize and feel these previously ignored emotions and states of mind. Furthermore, I don’t have any distractions here and that means not only do I have to cope, and but I also have to let go. And doing this is helping me become a better version of myself, as well as help me figure out more specifically want I want from life both personally and professionally. Its nice to no longer be on “auto-pilot” and know I can actually decide what I want in life and go for it; I do not have to be a slave to the opportunities that present themselves to me. Instead, I can choose where I live and what I do and can create the future I want, preferably with palm trees.
Although Gisborne is known for being the first “major” city to see the sunrise across the international date line, its sunsets aren’t bad either
So what does this mean for the next 6 months? I don’t know. Last week I wouldn’t even imagine being here that whole time, but it’s becoming more of a possibility as summer starts to creep in. So, assuming I’m here for another six months, I hope to use that time to travel the country more. Some of the sites I want to see before I leave include Lake Taupo, the Tongariro Crossing, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Abel Tasman and Auckland. It would also be nice to see more of Australia if possible. (Specifically Uluru, Sydney, and Melbourne.) But mostly, what I want for the rest of this year is to be joyful. I want to really relax and begin enjoying this “working holiday” experience. As cheesy as it may sound, I want to leave New Zealand feeling like anything is possible. I want to learn to love myself and my life in beautiful ways I never imagined. It may not be the adventure I set out to have, but like Batman, it was the one I needed.
To to the next 6 months!
-Amiekay
Just a few days ago, swinging in a little park near Karaka Bay
Anyone who thinks it is easy finding a job abroad either works in tech or has never actually tried it.
I have been in New Zealand for over 2 months now, and just finally found someone who will pay me to work. And while it is a good gig, it’s only on a temporary basis, which means unless they continue to have a need for me, I could be without a job again come October. And for anyone who enjoys a sense of security, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
I’m a good candidate with lots of experience and I like to think a decent online presence. I come with passion and a somewhat ridiculous work ethic. I have written some incredible cover letters and have applied to dozens and dozens of jobs since moving here. And what has that gotten me in New Zealand? Two interviews and one job offer. (Unfortunately, the job offer was based in a distant suburb of Auckland on weekends, and would almost definitely require me to have a car so I had to turn it down.) This, of course, has affected my confidence and has sort of caused me to withdraw back into myself. It has caused me to walk away from this blog, and spend most of my time wondering why I moved here in the first place.
I have been asking around, and the most common answer I get from anyone is that immigration is a big political issue here at the moment and that I probably won’t be able to find permanent work of any kind until after the election, and employers know more if I am a candidate they can invest in. Meanwhile, I am missing having a career and upward mobility. I am missing creating but at the same time avoiding it because this inability to even just get interviews is new to me, and makes me wonder what I am doing with my life. It makes me think maybe I should return to the States, where I can find work, health insurance, and a sense of stability.
Is any of this New Zealand’s fault? No. Like the States, it only makes sense a country wants to provide for its citizens first before making room for new people like me. I get it, I do, but it doesn’t make my struggle, or any other immigrant or expat’s struggle any less valid. (Or any less frustrating.)
So what am I to do here if I want to stay? Well, I have always loved spending time on the computer since my childhood. (Seriously, ask my family how I would take over the family computer and build websites during middle and high school.) So, I have thought about going to school to learn coding or some other skill in the tech world to make me more appealing to employers. I know it is something I would enjoy, but student debt is a hard reality I am still dealing with and not something I’m sure I want to incur more of.
So what is the point of writing all this? Well, I think people have this misconception that being a qualified candidate makes it easy for you to live anywhere you want. That if you work hard enough, you can achieve whatever dream you have for yourself. But the truth is that this isn’t possible to some extent, as there are external factors at play, especially for people seeking a life in a new country. Short of starting your own business, opportunities are few and far between unless you have a skill that can’t be found in someone else who already has residency or citizenship — or two things you can’t get anyway without a job offer or a native partner.
I am sorry if this seems political, I don’t mean it to be. I simply needed a post to explain where I’ve been for the past few weeks. I have plans to get back into this blog, but I really needed a break while I dealt with some of these issues. Obviously, they haven’t been fixed but I am at a much better place now than I was a few weeks ago. I also wanted to give you some reality into what it is like looking for jobs outside of your country of residence, and just how hard it is to find a job when you are a foreigner, even if you speak the same language.
On another, happier note, the working environment here in New Zealand is quite different than that in the States. (For one, I drank beer in the office yesterday!) But I’ll save that for another post.
Drinking a cider at my desk as part of “Friday drinks,” a tradition in many New Zealand workplaces
Getting ready for my big move was anything but easy. In fact, it was s 7-month process, and even then I feel like I probably could’ve used more time.
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide on how I moved to New Zealand.
1. Apply for the working holiday visa. Open to people in several English-speaking countries ages 18 to 30, the working holiday visa scheme allows a person to live and work in in New Zealand for a year. Australia has a similar program.
You can apply for the visa online here. There is a fee and you have to provide your education and passport information. It is surprisingly easy to do, and in most cases doesn’t involve any extra documentation.
After applying, you will find out if you gained approval within a few weeks, if not days. After you’re approved, you have a year to enter New Zealand. Your visa activates when you land, giving you a year in the country from your time of arrival.
2. Figure out your financial obligations. In my case, this included my apartment lease and my car lease. My apartment lease ended in February, which fell within my year time frame, so I decided to just wait that out. The car lease was trickier.
In order to get out of my car lease, I paid to put an ad on LeaseTrader, a website designed specifically for people looking to exit their car leases early. The site does require a fee and works by pairing sellers (leaseholders) with people who want to pick up a lease. This could be because they have bad credit, or want a shorter duration than the standard 3 years. In my case, the buyer was in the latter category.
I was able to find a buyer pretty quickly, but the actual process took more than 4 months even though I was told it took a month. I am not sure if this is because I was with Honda Financial, as my research suggests they aren’t easy to work with. Either way, my advice to anyone doing this is to give yourself extra time, and don’t book any tickets until you are close to the end of the process.
3. Start getting rid of your stuff. Sorry, no matter how much you like that dress or how sentimental that t-shirt is, there is only so much you can take on a plane. The more stuff you have, the earlier start deciding what you can live without the better. (I had been living on my own for 12 years and was a bit of a pack-rat, so this process legit took me 4 months. See my post on the process here.
4. Buy your tickets. I recommend doing this as soon as you have a timetable, and ideally before you quit your job and sell your furniture because both of those things are really hard and scary. If my tickets hadn’t been booked when I did those things, there’s a good chance I would’ve backed out.
5. Quit your job, with appropriate notice. I gave 6 weeks because there was no way I was going to start planning if I didn’t, but 2 weeks is usually fine.
6. If you have a pet, make sure you find a home for him or her. Please do your best to avoid surrendering any animal to a shelter. I was lucky enough to find an incredible home for my beloved cat with a coworker. Giving up Rory was probably the hardest things I had to do. I cried most of the day after giving him away, but know he is happier now than he would’ve been with me.
Rory on one of our last days together. I sobbed giving him up and miss him everyday. Do not take giving up your furry family lightly.
7. Search for housing. You’ll want to have a place lined up before you land. I was lucky enough to know someone in Wellington before I arrived, and she helped me find a great place with some chill kiwis. However, I did do my own searching before then. The best places to look for flats in New Zealand is trademe. (This is also a good site to look for jobs.) If you are moving to Wellington, I would also suggest the facebook group Vic Deals. (I also found a similar group for Auckland.) There are also several hostels you can stay at long term, as well as Airbnb, but those tend to be more expensive.
8. Prepare and pack. I brought way too much stuff with me because I was unsure what the climate was going to be like. I would recommend no more than one suitcase (preferably carry-on size) and one bookbag. If you’re moving to Wellington I also recommend a good, water-resistant winter coat. (Best investment of my life) Be prepared to get rid of whatever doesn’t fit in your bags.
9. Say goodbye and take off! This is going to likely be the longest plane ride of your life, so prepare for jet lag by doing your best to start thinking in “New Zealand” time ahead of your arrival. I put the time on my world clock app, and this helped a lot. I used this to decide when I would go to sleep and when I would be awake on my journey. It was fool-proof but I recovered from jetlag in about 24 hours.
10. When you arrive, you’ll have to go through customs which is fairly easy. Wellington International Airport had automated machines that scanned my passport and saw I had a visa. I didn’t have to talk to anyone. I would still recommend having your visa printed out and with you just in case. (Legally you need to keep it with your passport at all times anyway.)
11. After you settle in the first things you’re going to want to do are: get a New Zealand phone number, open up a bank account, and get your NZ IRD number. (An IRD number is for tax purposes, and you need one to work in New Zealand.) I would do them in this order as well, as you’ll want to give your phone number to the bank, and you need a bank account to apply for an IRD number.
–My suggestions for phone service: I started out with Vodaphone’s travel sim. This was a set number of calls, texts and data for 2 months. After that I can either toss my sim card or go on a month-to-month plan. This gives me a way out should I want to leave New Zealand early.
–You have a lot of options with banking. I chose ANZ and really like it so far. Everything is on my phone which makes my life pretty easy.
-To learn more about what you need for an IRD number, I would suggest just checking out the website here. You can print the application form from the site, or pick them up at any PostShop. The PostShop will mail your application to the agency for free.
12. Find a job. Admittingly you could start trying to do this before you arrive, but I have been told most companies in New Zealand want you on the ground first before they will consider you. While I know of at least one case of this not being true, most of my luck has come since moving here. My biggest advice with this is make sure you put together a New Zealand CV, as it is much different than than a US one. (You can find templates here.)
That’s it! Once you have all this done all you have left to do is enjoy your time in New Zealand. (I’m still working on that as well, and will hopefully share more advice as the year goes on.)
“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.’ -Unknown
Learning not to be a pack rat is hard when you grew up with a mom who kept literally everything.
You see, when you’re poor you have this mindset that everything is important because you don’t know what you’ll be able to afford in the future. This means you don’t give or throw away much; everything is kept around “just in case.”
My childhood home is full of so many things because of this mindset. There are boxes of my school papers that I will likely never look at again, my mom has more clothes than she could wear in a year, and none of this counts what’s in our family’s detached garage.
Naturally, as much as I recognized this was a problem, I kept some of these tendencies when I moved out. I had boxes and boxes of mementos from past boyfriends, old phones, VHS tapes and even a broken music player. I can’t tell you why I kept these things, I just did.
VHS tapes I hadn’t watched since childhood. I haven’t owned a VHS player like, ever.
(Yes, the same book Emily Gilmore references in “Gilmore Girls: Year in the Life.” Now why the book didn’t work for her, it did work for me.
The KonMarie Method is very particular and I suggest reading the whole book if its something you want to do right. The method splits your items and stuff into categories which you then go through in a certain order, moving from easy to hard.
The method to go through your things in each category is the same: you hold each item in your hands and see if it brings you joy. If it does, you get to keep it, if it doesn’t, you have to get rid of it. I admit this sounds a little weird and obviously takes some practice, but the results are pretty epic. I went through a closet overflowing with clothes to just 3 suitcases (and a couple of boxes I shipped home.)
My closet prior to decluttering. Goodwill got quite the donation.Everything that was in my dresser, spread out on the floor.
Now, I won’t say this is easy. There are some things that made me cry when I went through them, especially when it came to my boyfriend boxes. But it’s kind of freeing in a way to only have 3 suitcases, and frankly, I want to get down to another one.
I miss my Hylian shield and Master Swords! However, I am pretty sure this wouldn’t have made it through customs.
Letting go of a lot of incredible nerd memorabilia and books wasn’t as hard as parting with my furniture which came as a bit of a surprise.
I think this was because I had bought the furniture new only a year ago and thought it would follow me to my eventual home. However, I think buying it helped me feel “tied down” to an area, and ultimately gave me the motivation and strength to move. I like being able to just pack up and go somewhere new if I want to, and owning big bulky items doesn’t let you do that.
My dresser. One of my beautiful furniture pieces that now have a new home.
It’s only been a few weeks so I have to admit I still miss some of my “things,” (especially my bed and central heat.) But if I had those things still I couldn’t have made this trip, and I wouldn’t have any of the great memories I have already made in this new country.
I have only been here for a few hours and already I’m in love. This place is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.
The plants are a mix of the “tropical” ones I’ve come to love in Florida, as well as more evergreen sort of trees. The mountains are unlike anything back home. Plus, there are lots of cool restaurants, bars and public art in Wellington. It’s quite fantastic.
Yes, it is cold. But I am surprisingly okay with it. After all, I’m in New Zealand, and that’s pretty amazing.
If you had a chance to change your fate, would you?
Right now, I am waiting to get on my one-way flight to New Zealand via Los Angeles and Fiji. I am much calmer than I feel I should be, given my history of anxiety and depression. But I’m not. Maybe that’s because I’m taking the leap and doing something I never thought would be available to me as a daughter of a single mother with 7 kids.
Just a week ago I would be arriving at my job as a news producer in sunny, West Palm Beach, Florida. But I’m not there, and chances are after 8 long years I may never put together another newscast again. Instead, I have chosen to be unemployed so I can pursue a bigger, more important dream: to see the world despite growing up poor, and despite the mound of student debt I have to my name.
Getting here was not easy; there was a lot of tears and sleepless nights. There were goodbyes I wasn’t prepared to say and lots of second-guessing. I will take you through that journey in posts to come, but right now…it is time to fly.
