Preparing to move...

I had my last day of work on Friday.  I wasn’t as excited at the start of the day as I expected because I don’t think it felt quite real yet.  But by the end of the day, though, I could feel excitement for what lay ahead as well as gratitude for the first four months successfully coming to a close.  

I am spending Monday and Tuesday volunteering in the local bakery’s kitchen hoping to learn a few things.  Tuesday night I’ll eat my last meal with the family here, and I’ll have the day on Wednesday to finish packing, clean the cottage, and then take a 6pm bus out of Feilding.  I’ll arrive in Paekakariki at 8pm, and then I’ll have a few days rest with my new family before starting my new job on May 7^th.  Busy week ahead!

I’ve been packing this evening.  I’m not good at getting started, but since I’ll be gone the next two days and I leave for Paekakariki on Wednesday, I figured I'd better start!  When I was preparing to move to NZ in December, I was determined not to pack the day before I Ieft.  What did I do?  Packed the day before I left.  It’s a denial coping mechanism I believe- if I don’t start packing, then moving isn’t really real.  Even when I’m moving somewhere I’m looking forward to going, it’s still a stressful process and packing seems to bring that out.

I also spent some time today researching groups to join in my new village.  Ahh, social life :)  That really got me excited to have a new start.

I'll update on the move and getting more familiar with my new village once I've had time to settle in :)

Month 4 Reflections

I learned many valuable lessons during my time with the Mortons.  One of the things I learned was a pesky thing about dreams.  They aren’t easy!  It can be difficult to decide to follow them.  It took me years!!!  I was talking about NZ while I was still in college in 2005.  I randomly bought myself a NZ book at a library book sale in Osceola in 2009.  And it’s 2012 when the stars finally aligned. 

Then, when you finally make up your mind to do it, it’s like “YES!”  And it all falls perfectly into place and you know you’re doing the right thing…

And then you do it. 

And it seems impossibly hard to be doing, and you start to question what the h*ll you were thinking in the first place.  But now I’m at the “made it through the first part” place, I have a better understanding of what I went through.   Life is messy and uncertain and doesn’t always happen the way you want it to.  But somehow, it happens the way you need it to.  Errrr.  And it's good to be nice to yourself in the process.

I’m headed on to my second family, and hopefully the last family I’ll be working with while I’m here.  Wish me lots of luck with lively Victor.  I’m reminding myself- “terrific twos,” not “terrible twos.”  Oh yes, I’ve been reading parenting websites.

The other thing I’ve learned in my first four months?  Just how much I adore my friends and family at home.  And my pets.  And the luxuries we have in the US like inexpensive food and stores.  And even the “Schallavan” that my parents let me cruise around in before I left- having a vehicle in a place with poor public transportation is a real gift, one that I’ll be giving up when I move.  Distance and a different perspective really helps you to appreciate what you have! 

Now back to appreciating what I have in the moment…

“Brown hair, blue eyes, enjoys long walks on the beach…”

On Friday I did something I’ve never done before…saw a movie by myself!  Ha, before you think it’s a step backwards, know that I found the experience very empowering.  My school girl crush on Zac Efron was allowed to flourish without dragging anyone else into it.

I enjoyed a beautiful day on Saturday.  After heading to church, I joined my friends in the congregation to a picnic lunch on the beach.  Great food, great weather, and a very long beach walk with my Polish friend Gosia.    Little did I know my current location is roughly an hour and a half from the ocean. 

Sunday was also nice and sunny, and I had two nice walks around the farm.  Which of course justified for me some mindless TV time…and it was then that I discovered NZ has caught up to where I left off with a few of my favorite shows from home.  Excellent!  It was a little weird watching the Christmas episodes again, but I’ll take it!

Tomorrow begins my last week of work with my current family- wish me luck!

The Weta and other Wild Things

New Zealand is known as the “sea bird capital of the world,” and bats are their only native land animal.  Possums, hedgehogs, wild pigs, and any other species that currently reside here were introduced.   Another fun fact- opossums are found in North America and are colloquially called "possums." In Australia/NZ, they are called possums and are actually not exactly the same.  

[Side note- I have the terrible tendency to pronounce the “o” in “opossum.” I suffer from the inability to remember not to pronounce that silent letter in other words as well, such as sword.   Of course, I was mocked in grade school for saying the “h” in “herb,” so I don’t make that mistake anymore.  And here they pronounce the “h” and think it’s weird when I don’t.  Go figure.]

Possums are a big pest here.  They’re probably our equivalent to raccoons, but worse.  They’re a nocturnal animal, but I have seen them a few times now that daylight is fading much earlier in the evening and I’m still out on a walk.  I will say that those buggers gave me the biggest fright when I arrived here.  I am just getting settled into my cottage, all by myself in a strange place and away from the main house.  Just as I’m about to fall asleep, I heard the most horrific blood-thirsty animal call of my life.  It sounded like a wild pig screaming, if you can imagine.  Then I heard a thud as the creature landed on the roof.  Naturally, I thought I was about to be murdered and thought it was quite sad that I made it less than two weeks in NZ.  Later I discovered that fighting possums make those lovely battle cries and they also enjoy playing on the roof.

I will end with my first weta sighting.  A weta basically looks like a giant grasshopper.  I was convinced I’d be walking along and the thing would come flying out at me, making me scream like the girl I am.  Happily, they don’t do that, and they are nocturnal.  I’ve only seen one in the early morning while at Lake Taupo when I first arrived.  The picture might not do it justice- it’s probably about 4” long!

A Beautiful Fall Day

Today was a classic Fall day with leaves changing colors and the air crisp and cool.  Really, I should be saying “Autumn” instead of "Fall" but I just can’t seem to get used to that yet!   I asked someone recently if the day we were experiencing was “a typical Fall day.”  They asked me to repeat myself twice before they realized what I was talking about.  Another example of the small language barrier I occasionally encounter!

I enjoyed a very relaxing weekend.  Yesterday I went to see a French author speak through a Francophone speaking organization.  Franck, the dad in my new family, attended as he is a personal friend of the author.  It was a fun night out; something different!  And another opportunity to refresh my brain on French speaking.

Today I’ve literally done nothing but read, send emails, Skype with my mom/friend Corissa and her family, and walk outside.  I've slowly learned that I need one day like this a week to feel sane for the week ahead.  Only 10 more working days and then I’m done at this location!

Not Everyone in NZ is Gay

There are certainly language barriers.  I made the mistake of reading a paragraph in a NZ culture book that my sister was kind enough to check out for me before I left meant to illustrate differences in speech.   The author essentially put every word specific to NZ in one paragraph.  Afterwards he told you that it was only an example and that native English speakers wouldn’t have problems communicating, but in my head I was still somewhat convinced I’d show up alone and have no idea what anyone was saying. 

Hearing “partner” instead of “boyfriend” is a great example.  When I first started to hear the word “partner” being used for people describing their significant other, I assumed the people I was talking with were gay.  No big deal.  But then once I heard it enough I started to have doubts.  And then I went and had my hair cut by a gay man who referred to his partner.  And then I was confused all over again.  It has now been straightened out for me, and people don’t say “boyfriend” once they are out of high school.  Referring to your partner is simply the more adult way of talking about an unmarried but committed relationship. 

Here are some other different words/expressions that come to mind right away:

• Jersey- sweatshirt
• Nappy- diaper
• Biscuit- cookie
• Aubergine- eggplant
• Capsicum- bell pepper
• Courgette- zucchini
• Tea – dinner (though my current family does say “dinner”).  This one has tricked me before when I accepted a “tea” invitation thinking I was getting a hot beverage!  I am used to saying “supper” so I’m really off.
• Bonnet/boot- hood/truck.   I asked someone if they wanted me to “pop the trunk” recently which was met with a very strange look!
• “Good on you”- “Good for you”
• Heaps- lots
• Suss out- to figure out
• “Sweet as”- an expression basically meaning “cool”

And because you’ve undoubtedly been wondering what kind of fruit I’ve been eating these days, I am happy to report that I tried a feijoa.  It’s a Fall fruit that’s commonly grown here.  I can’t really describe the taste, but it’s good!  You eat it similarly to a kiwi (called “kiwifruit” in NZ), cutting it in half and scooping out the pulp.  Mmmm.

Meeting the new family: Easter in Paekakariki

I spent my extended Easter weekend meeting the next family I’ll be au pairing for in Paekakariki, NZ. 

Franck, Cecile, and little Victor

[This reminds me, I’ll need to send out my new address.  If you don’t get it in the next few days and want it, be sure to send me a message!]

They were amazing, truly.  We had long late night conversations about politics, global affairs, French women’s confidence, and serial killers to name a few.    They’re great conversationalists and we’ll have varied topics to be sure!  It reminds me that I’ll need to start paying attention to the news if I don’t want to feel pathetic in conversing with them.  French people are very intelligent and in tune with world affairs, and I’ve been slack in keeping up lately.  For the last few years, actually. 

Because they’re French, I’ll be eating like a French person again.  Which means incredible food, but a different eating schedule: breakfast ~8am, lunch ~1pm, and supper ~8:30pm.  No snacks.   This will be hard at first! 

We didn't do anything special for Easter other than devour a delicious dark chocolate egg.

The most surprising thing about my time with them was how comfortable I was hearing French again.  Ironically, it was the most comfortable I’ve felt since being here!  I think it’s triggering good memories of living in France, and I’m remembering more and more of the French I’ve forgotten.  I also already am familiar with French culture which helps.  When I mentioned it to Cecile (the mom), she thought it was because the French and American cultures were more similar than that of NZ.  This is fascinating to me, and I will continue to formulate an opinion on this.  I only have one family to base my Kiwi knowledge on, and I’d like to have some more experiences first before I try to generalize.  Cecile has lived in NZ for 12 years, and so she had a lot to share based on her time here. 

Victor is 18 months old, and he’ll be my new work assignment.  He’s delightful and basically just wants to be outside, so we’ll be doing a lot of walks.  Everything is in walking distance to their house including the very short walk to the beach.   I got to swim in the ocean for the first time since arriving in NZ!  The village itself has several cafes, a vegetable shop, a hairdresser, a tattoo parlor (which I will not be frequenting), and a little grocery store (aka a “dairy”).  The deli we went to had awesome food.  There was also a Saturday morning market to peruse, and there will be concerts almost every weekend in the village.  I think it’s a little bit of a hippie town, and I love it.  It had a great atmosphere, and I felt really peaceful and "at home" here.

We had incredible weather, and I was very spoiled on this trip.  They warned me not to expect it.  It is Fall here, and the weather should be getting cold and more windy where I’ll be at.  But who knows- after a colder than normal Summer, I’m hoping for a warmer than normal Winter!  

My visit was paradise.  I felt like I couldn’t possibly be moving to this amazing place.  This is going to be good!

The view from the family's home.  Talk about spoiled!

Kapiti (pronounced "cap itty") Island

Month 3 Reflections

Today is significant beyond the fact that it’s the end of my third month in New Zealand.  It also marks the year anniversary of my last day at Surpass!  It was one year ago today that I left the comforts of a steady income to embark on this crazy, unpredictable journey from living with Mom, Dad, Paul and the cats on the farm all the way to NZ.

Month 3 was definitely better than 1 and 2.  I think the biggest lesson of this month was faith.  I was led to come to New Zealand for years, and I finally made it happen.  Then I was thrown into a family situation that was less than ideal for me, and I had to find ways to hang on.  (4 weeks left!).  Now, I’m back to faith again as I transition to another family starting early May.  I can’t say that change is easy for me, but being transient at this stage in my life definitely forces uncertainties!

“Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”
― Paulo Coelho

I believe I’ve unwittingly fallen into the “all at once” category.  I am already excited for the day that I can look back on my experiences with perspective.  So much growth in the last two years, and especially the condensed growth of the past few months.

As for friends, I’ve found a group of German au pairs in the area to spend time with as well as continued time with my friends from the church/bakery.  And I was blessed for a week and a half with Marie who was a highlight this month!

This picture with "Mt Doom" in the background reminds me of something Marie said to me as we hiked.  She commented that it was very comforting to hear my labored breathing as I followed her because she always knew I was still there!  Awww ;)

Health wise, I’ve been investigating the medical system here.  I’ve had two doctor’s appointments to get checked up on because I haven’t been feeling 100% food/energy-wise.  Each doctor appointment cost NZ$62 and included the blood work and allergy skin testing prescribed.  So for NZ$124 (~$100 US), I had a comprehensive look at my health (all normal).  To put it into perspective, I paid around $200 to have my doctor in the US freeze a mole off my neck before I left!  They don’t have universal health care here, but their system seems much more accessible in my limited experience.  Especially considering I’m paying without having health insurance (though I do have travel insurance for emergencies).

[Correction- they do have a form of universal health care!]

My goal for April is just to enjoy the quiet time left here as I suspect I’ll be much busier with the next family!  I’ll have many more opportunities for involvement being close to Wellington, NZ’s cultural hub.  I am excited to join some clubs and other areas that interest me once I’m there.  As much as I wish I was the type to enjoy the bar scene and meet people that way, I just have to accept that isn’t me!  Not being able to tolerate alcohol due to an angry gall bladder makes drinking a lot less enticing.

I have had a wonderful day today.  This is the first time in a long time where I really felt like I benefitted every minute of my extra hour today.  Yay for Fall J

Falling Back

Today the clocks "fall back" an hour in New Zealand.  Until your Fall/my Spring changes it again, home is now 7 hours ahead of me.  As I write this, it's 10:32am on Sunday, and it's 5:32pm Saturday at home.

Also, if you have my address for my current location, I will only be living here until the end of the month.  I love getting mail, but I wouldn't send anything to me past April 15th.  I will send out my new address as soon as I have it!

Despite being glad I'm here, I find myself continually looking forward to Christmas to see everyone.  I told my mom that I want to eat pizza and Christmas cookies as my first meal.  Last night, I had a dream that I was on the farm eating cookies.  Patience, Amanda.  It will happen soon enough :)