Well I have been here two months now and I think I am becoming fairly “Kiwi’fied” I have my Kiwi license and IRD number. We have bought cars and rented a house. Driving has actually become fairly easy although the whole right turn and give way to oncoming traffic turning right is still something I almost always forget. Or do I have that backwards?
The only thing that has been truly difficult for me (and the cause for my absence on here) is internet service. We moved into our home about 7 weeks ago and since have struggled to obtain internet service. I won’t go into the long traumatic saga as the pain is still very fresh still but suffice it to say it involved me at my lowest point in tears. Once I finally accepted that I was doomed to dial up a miracle happened and within 4 days found out I was going to be granted broadband after all! Miracles do happen!
Shopping is interesting. There are no familiar brands and no huge selection so deciding what to buy has proven fairly easy. There are lots of new things to try and I have bought a couple of cooking magazines to try out NZ recipes. Things I would never have thought about cooking in the US I try here because the ingredients are available. I have even discovered spices I did not know existed. I am learning new things every day!
Finding a house was interesting. We came from a ~4000 sq ft home in the US and find storage a challenge here. Thankfully we got rid of a lot of our “worldly possessions” before making the move. The home we rented is a new build in a new development so all of us are new to the neighborhood.
I have also realized that just because NZ is an English speaking country that does not necessarily mean you can understand. It also occurred to me that they may have as much trouble understanding me as I do them! Again, this has been addressed by others in posts.
We have made a point of getting out almost every weekend and exploring this beautiful place. We have been to the Coromandel, down to Bay of Plenty and to both coasts. I quite like Tauranga and Gisborne.
One thing I would recommend is learning the metric system. I love to cook and shopping is interesting if you don’t know how to convert lbs to kg’s. I do find groceries more expensive. Actually, I think most things are.
Making the change from the US to here has been quite the process. I am glad we made the move though. I think the key to it is something that has been a theme through many of the posts. Your attitude. I find you have to keep a sense of humor and look at everything as an adventure. And keep smiling!