Kia Ora!

Wow! Has it already been two weeks?! It's crazy to think I'm sitting outside at a house I am now calling my home for the next year...in New Zealand! So what's happened since I left MN February 3rd?

HOLD UP! Before I flew out of Minneapolis and before I even started packing my suitcases, my family had an amazing "Bon Voyage" party for me! It was wonderful to see so many of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends one last time before I left a short week later. We had themed decorating and a couple of themed foods...kiwi and pretzel rings!

I'm going to New Zealand! 

But we're going to miss each other....except dad didn't get the memo. ;)

Alright. Back to February 3rd. Well the morning of the 3rd, I had my last family breakfast of the year with my parents, brothers, and sister-in-law. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, BACON, OJ, and coffee anyone? Those of you who know me won't be surprised to hear I still had to finish packing...because when isn't last minute stress packing a good idea? :D Thank goodness my SIL is amazing because my suitcases were definitely too heavy before she helped me eliminate over 15 lbs of shoes and clothes from them! When it was all said and done, I had two suitcases pretty much filled to their limit and a backpack that weighed 23 lbs. Trust me. I know.

I was really happy it was snowing that day because despite disliking how long winter is in MN sometimes, I truly love snow! It was like a little going away gift. However, it did make for some interesting driving to the airport - thank goodness for Jared's Tahoe!

Saying goodbye to the family was obviously sad and there were definitely a few tears...but at the same time, it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. Probably because they are all going to try to come visit me at some point in the coming year! And because we can message, Skype, and chat whenever!

We had to get a final family picture...love these guys! <3

I arrived at the airport about 3 hours before my flight so I had PLENTY of time to check-in and get through security. Officially, my suitcases weighed 47 lbs and 49 lbs. I could have fit one more pair of shoes easily...haha. 

FLIGHT PLAN: [MSP---->LA] [LA---->SYDNEY] [SYDNEY---->AUCKLAND]

Due to some interior lighting issues with the plane, we ended up flying out of Minneapolis about an hour later than planned. Thank goodness I had a little wiggle room with my connecting flight in LA! Turns out I didn't even need to worry because my flight from LA was also delayed over an hour! Eventually we were able to board and thankfully the flight was not full. There was only one other person in my row with the middle seat empty. Translation? Extra leg room for sleeping! By the time we left LA, it was around 2:30 AM Central Time on Sunday, February 4th. One of my favorite parts of this flight was being surrounded by so many people from Australia and New Zealand because of their accents! We received an evening meal on the plane, and then I attempted to sleep for a few hours. Despite never finding a truly comfortable position, I was able to fall asleep and rest after a busy day. I mean, I had about 15 hours of time to fill. Oddly enough, being the movie lover I am, I only watched one movie on my long flight and one movie during my first flight!

Towards the end of the flight we were served breakfast and then we landed in Australia! I literally saw the eastern edge of this country/continent...I must have been tired because I thought that was pretty incredible. :D Remember how I had two delays in the beginning of my journey? Well they finally caught up to me as I had less than 30 minutes to get to my final flight to Auckland. Cue epic "running through the airport" music. Kidding! There were about 26 people that had to make the flight so I'm pretty sure they held the plane for us. We all rushed through security, rushed to the gate, and rushed onto the plane. Whew!

The plane to New Zealand was significantly smaller than the one I had just gotten off of...needless to say I missed my leg room and having an empty seat next to me! I sat next to a lovely New Zealand couple, though, who were very nice. There was not much to do on this flight except snack, journal, stare out the window, and listen to music. The time went quickly and soon I had my first glimpse of New Zealand! Let's just say I understand why it is called "The Land of the Long White Cloud" - note the picture. Shout out to my little brother who downloaded Lord of the Rings and Hobbit music for me...which I listened to as we landed in New Zealand! EPIC. When I landed in Auckland, it was Monday, February 5th for me...but still Sunday the 4th for everyone back in the States.

New Zealand...with a long line of white clouds over it! :)

After getting my passport stamp, finding my suitcases, and waiting in line for quite awhile, I finally got through customs. I almost left my backpack behind (because I legitimately forgot about it, not because it was causing problems), but a kind gentleman reminded me to grab it before I walked out. Thanks random stranger! My only thought after customs was, "I hope someone will be here to pick me up!" Thankfully Chad was, and he recognized me - probably because I was the only one looking around like I was lost. :D

We got everything loaded up in his car and we were off to my new home...after I attempted to sit in the driver's seat before remembering everything was now backwards for me! It was pretty sunny out and Chad told me many fun facts about New Zealand and the area where I would be living. To be honest, I didn't retain much because I was exhausted. We avoided most of the rush hour traffic and I got my first look at where I would be living and working.

As soon as I walked in the door, the girls yelled, "Krista's here! Krista's here!" I have to say it was a great welcome! :) The oldest girl, Emily, gave me a flower and the youngest girl, Ava, gave me an almost dried painted shell. So cute! 

View from my room!

I got a quick tour of the house, got my stuff in my room, and met the family's current au pair. The rest of the day consisted of settling in and becoming familiar with everyone. I also met the mom, Jane, after she came home from work. Thankfully the next day, Tuesday, was a public holiday (Waitangi Day) so I could sleep in! I spent most of the day around the house unpacking and organizing my room and then the family took me to the beach! It is such a beautiful view, I know I will never tire of it! Afterwards, we got gelato at Gingersnap - my goal is to try every flavor there (so far I've tried 3 different kinds...not even ashamed!) :)

The rest of the week consisted of me shadowing Lydia and learning what I would be doing for the next year. It was somewhat intimidating the first couple of days because I was learning the girls' schedules, the locations of where I had to bring them, and how to drive at the same time...it was a lot! While I had a couple of sunny days, the rest of the week was mostly rainy so I couldn't even walk around and explore during my time off. By Friday, I had a basic grasp of everything and I even drove alone to pick up Ava from Kindy!

We went to a park to feed ducks one day.

I was also able to open a bank account, get a NZ SIM card and phone number, and get a library card! I was so excited! :)

On Saturday, Lydia flew back home and I was officially the family's solo au pair for the next year! I was going to miss Lydia's guidance but was also looking forward to creating my own schedule with the girls. Sunday, I went with Jane and the girls to a Cat Lounge where you could literally drink coffee and pet cats...crazy! Even though I wish it had been a Dog Lounge, it was still fun to experience this place. My favorite cat pretty much slept the entire time and actually snored! I had to laugh!

Here's all of the cats in the room we could pet!

I survived my first full week as an au pair! It was rainy the first half of the week, but thankfully the sun came out Thursday and Friday! Driving here was definitely my biggest concern, but I have to say I'm quite comfortable with it now. It wasn't as strange to drive opposite as I thought it would be. The main difference is that instead of hugging the side of the road when driving, I have to hug the middle because people park along the curbs. Besides that, I still struggle with parking...but I did back in the states too so that's not really anything new! :) The girls and I went to the beach one day and had fun wave jumping!

A sweet moment from this past week happened one day when I brought Ava to the beach. As we were getting out of the car she said, "I just love you Krista." :) It was so precious!! <3

Ava and I going to the library...of course it was raining!

This is one of the sandwiches the girls eat...I can't vouch for it as I haven't tried it yet! :)

In other news, I saw my first spider in New Zealand. It also happened to be in my room...and I killed it. Be proud everyone, be proud!

I quickly learned that sunscreen is a necessity here! Look what happened when I only put it on my shoulders....and apparently above my elbow! :)

My parents are literally the best! They gave me a Valentine's Day card before I left so I was able to open it here! It was so sweet....love you mom and dad! <3

On Valentine's Day, I made the girls heart-shaped grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They thought they were the cutest things! :)

We went grocery shopping and Jane stocked me up on all of the New Zealand goods...my favorites so far have been Tim Tams, the Whittaker's chocolate, pineapple lumps, and the chocolate milk! The chocolate milk is literally the best I've ever had...I haven't tried L&P yet and the baby fish are basically chocolate covered marshmallows (not bad, but not my favorite).

Because of my schedule and the rain, I haven't been able to do much adventuring. But! Saturday (February 17th) I was able to go walk around and geocache. It was a cloudy day, but I still wore sunscreen because I learned my lesson from before. :) My search was successful as I found 2 caches and was able to sign them! The rest of the day consisted of going to Black Panther at the local theater (tickets are $18.50 btw...when I get back home I will stop complaining about paying $8.50 for an evening show!) and then walking to the beach to relax. In total, I walked about 15,000 steps so I definitely slept well that night! 

The walk down into Browns Bay...no problem going down but a definite work out walking back up! Also, the roads and parking spots here are more narrow which can be a challenge when driving - especially for me since I've only been driving here less than two weeks!

New Zealand's "Yield" signs...they're everywhere!

A collage of my Saturday.

On Sunday, February 18th, I went out geocaching again with more success! I found 2 more caches before ending my day at the beach with an ice cream cone. Initially an overcast day, it never turned into rain...something I was grateful for having chosen to spend 4.5 hours wandering around outside!

Thank you to the family and friends who have messaged or video chatted with me these past couple of weeks! It makes me feel connected to you and life back home...I miss you all! If you have Instagram or Snapchat, add me because I try to post something every day!

A few questions people probably have that I will answer.

• Is the water here safe to drink? Yes it is!
• What's the food like? Not much different than back home. There's no Dove chocolate or LIFE cereal here however! There are many different cultures in New Zealand so there's a variety of restaurants and foods available to eat. I've tried sushi (it had cooked chicken inside but I'm working my way up to raw fish!) and pies. Pies here are like pot pies...mine was filled with steak and cheese. 
• Are there similar stores/restaurants to back home? Yes there are a few! They actually have K-Mart here which everyone LOVES. I found that funny since our K-Marts have pretty much all closed! I'm guessing it's the closest thing to a Wal-mart I'll find. I have also seen Snap and Anytime Fitness gyms. Restaurant-wise I've seen Burger King, McDonald's, KFC, and Pita Pit so far. The grocery store I shop at is called Countdown...because "You can COUNT on us to keep the prices DOWN (their motto). :)
• Is the coffee good? Yes it is! However a normal cup of coffee, which is called a Long Black (similar to an Americano), costs close to $5! So I won't be going to cafe's too often! :)
• What does a New Zealand accent sound like? Normally, I would have said similar to an Australian's (see below where I reference this), but that's not true. What I can say is they often end their sentences with a raised voice like they're asking a question...even when they aren't. This might be a trait I will adopt throughout the year!
• What else can you tell me? One of my favorite things is that people don't feel like they have to wear shoes here! You will often see kids walking to and from school barefoot and I even saw people going grocery shopping sans shoes. Crazy! If the store is a casual place, shoes are not required....I'll have to try this out! EVERYTHING is expensive in NZ, so just accept it. If you pay for something in cash, you're definitely a tourist. People usually pay with their debit or EFTPOS cards. Thank goodness I have both now since I opened a bank account! I can watch Netflix but there are different shows and movies available because I'm in New Zealand. Unfortunately that means there are shows I was watching back home that I can't watch here. Oh well! Finally, it rains frequently - especially in winter. If you come to visit, bring a rain jacket and umbrella!

While I was at the beach Saturday, I was able to sit, reflect, and journal about my time so far in New Zealand. I titled my entry "First Thoughts." In a year, I plan on writing "Final Thoughts" and comparing the two to see how my perspective on this job, country, and the people have changed. The great thing about New Zealand is everyone is really friendly - similar to Minnesota! Even though I'm so far from home, in a way if feels like home because of the people.

While I'm not lonely yet, I do hope to meet people I can explore and travel with throughout the year. The benefit of being in this area is that there are many au pairs and I am part of a few groups on Facebook and WhatsApp where I can connect with others. The majority of au pairs here are from Germany...not many from the USA!

Sorry for the long post of random thoughts and pictures. I'll leave you with these New Zealand terms I've learned and will probably come back home saying. I've also learned to never tell a New Zealander that they sound like an Australian - they find that very offensive. Don't worry, I didn't do this but was warned by my host family. What's funny is that I've been asked by two different people if I'm from Canada because our accents sound the same! (excuse me...definitely not!) :)

Togs: Swimsuit
Jandals: Flip Flops
Plaster: Band-Aid
Jumper: Sweater
Cheeky: Sassy (ex. "Oh you're being cheeky today!")
Sherbet: A powder candy - NOT ice cream
Petrol: Gas
Kindy: Pre-school
Year one, Year two, etc.: Kindergarten, first grade, etc.
Kia Ora!: Hello (in Māori language)

**Any name used in this post has been changed for confidentiality**

In my next post, I'll share more pictures of the area and house I'm staying at for the next year.

Cheers!