I was planning on starting this blog when I actually arrived in New Zealand, since who the heck wants to read a blog chronicling some American’s wild adventures in another country while they’re still in the States. But since I created this blog with the intention of chronicling *all* of my adventures, I wanted to start now. Because preparing to move to another country is absolutely bananas and I want to share the experience with you.
I am a very organized and efficient human being. I rarely forget to do something I need to do, or do it later than I’m supposed to. I have a good memory and I am constantly making to-do lists. But holy cow you guys. I’ve never used the “exploding brain emoji” as much as I have these last few months.
I have also never, ever had this many reminders constantly popping up in my iPhone calendar. A few examples, and please excuse the AGGRESSIVE CAPS LOCK and excessive use of !!!! but that’s exactly how I put these my phone:
“GET FBI BACKGROUND CHECK!!”
“CALL T-MOBILE/DBL CHECK OVERSEAS PLAN??”
“PICK UP NZ$ @ AAA!!”
“MAKE SURE AIR TAHITI FLIGHT INCLUDES CHECKED BAG????”
“HAVE I RECEIVED FBI BACKGROUND CHECK??”
“ORDER COMPRESSION BAG THINGIES FOR PACKING???”
“PUT ETSY SHOP ON VACATION MODE!!”
“GET CAR INSPECTED!!”
“DOWNGRADE CAR INSURANCE??”
“GET TAX STUFF READY FOR HAZEL!!!”
“SEND INT’L STAMPS/NZ ADDRESS TO PENPALS!!!”
“MED REFILLS MID-DECEMBER!!!”
And I keep a notepad and pen on the passenger seat of my car since every few days I think of even more things I have to do.
It’s a lot. Preparing to move abroad is a lot. There’s the practical side of it, such as what to do with my car (I’m keeping it because I love it) and what to do with everything I’m not bringing with me (neatly packing up and storing it in my parents’ attic). Then there’s the fact that I need to see as many of my friends as I possibly can, knowing that I won’t be seeing them again for another 6-7 months, which means going off Cape nearly every weekend but I’m still working full time so I’m just exhausted when I come home to start my work week. And then there are all of my AGGRESSIVE CAPS LOCK phone reminders and the scrawled notes on my passenger seat notepad. Yeesh.
I truly don’t know how people with real jobs, families, homes, pets, and all of those other grownup things move to another country. I really don’t. I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t own property, I have no kids or pets, I have a seasonal landscaping job that doesn’t require me to train a replacement or transfer all of my files over or attend exit interviews or whatever the heck other stuff happens when you leave a “real job”, and I don’t own anything that needs to be shipped overseas.
On top of all of that, there’s quite a lot of things I’ve had to do this year to prepare to submit my first visa application. I needed to order an original copy of my birth certificate. I needed to get updated passport photos. I needed to get what Immigration NZ calls a “Police Certificate,” which meant getting fingerprinted at my local police station (oooooo!) and then ordering my official background check from the FBI (it was VERY exciting to order my own rap sheet and I can’t wait to see what kind of dirt the Feds dig up on me!). Then, because I am hyper-organized and somewhat neurotic, I also got copies of my contact lens and eyeglasses prescription, a letter from my PCP stating that I’m in good health, and the past ten years of my medical records in case Immigration needs to see them. And yes, I went out and bought a bunch of international postage stamps to send to all of my penpals (I’m a lifelong avid letter-writer).
But all in all, I’m fine. A little “exploding head emoji,” but fine. I’m all packed and ready to go, though I will inevitably unpack and repack at least three times because…..I don’t know; just because I tend to do that. I have two more weeks left of work. I only have a few little things I need to buy before I go. I managed to see a boatload of my friends this year. I got a haircut. I think I’m good to go. 🙂
- Where Do I Even Begin? I Have SO Much To Fill You In On.
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- Finally, A Short Post!
- My *New Job,* Along With a Brief (“Brief”) Rundown of New Zealand’s Workers’ Rights, How Taxes Work Here, and How a Stranger Saved Me From a Lifelong Financial Nightmare
- So, now what?