2 year post
Well where did that time go?!
2 years ago today we arrived in New Zealand. Won't repeat all the one year bits about jobs and houses but basically we are still really loving our life here. I love my job as a primary school teacher (altho' my goal of getting a permanent position does not look likely for a while yet); OH is retraining as a primary teacher (just so we can have long hols althogether!) and we're hoping he'll get a job next year and at last, we may be on two incomes!
Our 'old' life seems just that; old and a long time ago. We struggle sometimes to remember names/places of acquaintances/things that were a part of our everyday lives. Our youngest, now 7, has forgotton lots, eg our old house and definitely has a 'better' life here in terms of sport, activities and his friendship groups are wide and varied.
Other two are both thriving, are independent, have had opportunities they wouldn't have had where we lived before, and are happy and glad to be here. Some of this is because we now live nearer to a town so there is less hassle getting to after school activities or to friends but alot of it is that it all feels less stressful here.
All 3 kids seem to be doing very well in school and older ones have had to repeat quite a bit but some excellent teachers have challenged them too. My nephew at same year level (Yr10) in the UK is under far more pressure, unecessarily so I say. We'll see how they compare in the next 3 years!
We all love exploring our new country, the space, the beaches, the bush. We've found some real gems. The lack of crowds and traffic is one of my biggest 'likes'. The friendliness of people in everyday life continues to amaze and hearten me. The way people are so positive, so ready to see the good side of things.
Do we miss anything? The kids could only think of food items, eg Shreddies or Bran Flakes, so not terribly important! OH and I can honestly say there's nothing we miss. We've had quite a few visitors with 3 more coming soon so we feel we're keeping up with family.
Is there anything we might change? I still hanker after living near the coast and one day we'll address that but not for the forseeable future.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that we emigrated here because it all feels very normal. It was a big gamble. It has paid off. It was the right move for us and I look ahead with excitement for us all.
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Originally Posted by Carey
