Here we are, our one year anniversary! I wish I had a whole bunch of well thought out reflections, but instead you’ll have to settle for some thoughts off the top of my head.
First things first – how is it after a year? Overall I can say there have been many more ups than downs and that we’re really happy with the decision. Things are good here!
So some highlights from our first year here?
- Kelly found a job she likes, with people that she likes and that she’s good at. Ditto for me, though it took a little longer than we’d hoped. Work-life balance can still be a challenge but is better than in the States.
- We’ve had a great time getting to know Wellington. It really is the coolest little capital in the world. There’s always something going on and when there isn’t, there are tons of cool places to check out. We’ve been able to explore outside of Wellington too, making it up to Napier with some friends, camping in the Wairarapa, and skiing on a volcano.
- We made it through one of the biggest earthquakes to happen in NZ – the first for all of us.
- It’s still tough being far away from family, but with today’s technology it’s pretty easy to keep in touch. If anythings we’re in touch more often.
- We’ve gotten to take advantage of living near the ocean and Hopscotch has definitely taken to the beach.
So one year in and we’re super happy with the decision to move here. We still have one more big thing to knock off before we’re truly settled – buying a house, but it definitely is feeling like home now. One more year and then we can apply for permanent residency. Until then there’s more to explore!
Kiwi Bound 