A Merry Life

Posted: 03 Jul 2012 12:57 AM PDT

My husband! My dog! New Zealand! OMG I’m so happy! Hurrays!

I’m in NZ. Super tired. I wrote the following a couple days ago and wanted to share it. I’ll be back to blogging regularly at some point. One day.

I’m going back to New Zealand… and I’m so excited!! We had a work party Friday where I ended up talking a lot about New Zealand, both good and bad. I realized that I really only had good things to say besides the cost of living factor (but I’m spoiled because I’m from a lower cost of living city).

I was also thinking about how I have portrayed life in NZ on my blog and in conversations with friends. I don’t remember if I ever talked about how NZ finally became a place I love living in, because the process was so gradual I didn’t notice it until a few months before I came back to the USA. I remember writing a lot about the negatives and struggling but never sharing how it resolved.

You see, there was a period where I was so frustrated with my experiences here that I hated NZ. I let that experience of hitting an expat wall negatively color my perception of life in NZ for a long time. But slowly I made friends, got a job to fill my time and work my brain, found places and activities I loved, and grew accustomed to the differences. Things just got better. All it took was time. (Yes, like everyone said it would, things did get better with time.)

Looking back now I realize my distaste for life in NZ was originally mainly about my frustration in being unable to find a job and trying to plan a diy wedding across an ocean. Those factors threw me into an emotional tailspin which led me to dislike every other single thing that came up. I couldn’t look past that initial situation for a long time, but eventually those things were resolved. I got married, found a job and got a dog and things got better. Life in NZ got better.

Now we are planning to move away this year and it makes me sad. I love my job in Memphis and want to be closer to my mom after this cancer thing but I can’t help wanting to stay in NZ and enjoy all the things I love about it….

The ocean nearby. The mountains and beautiful scenery. The amazing sunsets. The hiking trails and areas for JuJu to run free. The multicultural mix of people. The food. The awesome summer festivals. The parties with friends. There is so much I love about NZ now I wish I could find a way to afford living half a year in both places. Maybe I’ll win the lottery one of these days. ;)

Back in New Zealand :) is a post from: A Merry Life! If you aren't reading it via RSS or on amerrylife.com it has been stolen!!