7 Months (almost)

7 months and more of that stepping away from the honeymoon phase. 

First politically, 

The NZ government has switched over  to a group called National which has had to align with a more right group called ACT and some policies are a bit in direct opposition to why we moved to New Zealand. They halted lots of public transportation and bike path projects and are now on a new thing of building more highways which goes against our love of biking and not using our car. They also started taxing ecofriendly vehicles more than you would tax a ute. They're also reversing all of the lovely things they've done to honor Te Reo Māori which I find an absolute shame. I genuinely do love that New Zealand acknowledges the Māori people and that they were here first. For example, the transportation department formerly known as Waka Kotahi, is now going back to the NZTA which is so boring. Kiwis have assured me they are also a bit shocked and people who voted for them had no idea this is the way they were going to take their policies. 

It certainly affects my line of work as lots of public transportation projects got axed which has civil engineering peeps scrambling. Chargeability- everyone's favorite consultant phrase- is variable at the moment. Projects axed include a new rail line in Auckland and this project called IREX which was supposed to improve the ferry system from North to South Island. It's a weird choice as they're already designed and in some cases very on the way to completion so it seems like wasted money now. During our time in Auckland, the streets surrounding our hotel were bustling with construction for the rail. For the ferries, they're long overdue to get fixed so completely halting that project seems unreasonable. We will see how all of this plays out but the new policies are not my favorite. It still beats the the unsettling things we're seeing in the US. 

Personally, 

I think I mentioned Sean took up some temporary work at Kathmandu or the 'du as I like to call it. The non-responsiveness and general lackadaisical speed of Kiwi companies is a bit annoying. He's had about 4 interviews with one company and no official job offer yet (yes 4 seems excessive). It's a hard life trying to get set into meaningful work but he has definitely not given up! You don't take a break from adult life to spend 4 years in school surrounded by Gen Z'ers to not get a job doing math and science and all the cool things you enjoy. 

It's been nice having a little more money though. We are a couple who enjoys activities and getting out there, on a social level and on an active level so we've had a few more opportunities. Sean has never had to start fresh in a new state let alone country so this whole "it takes time" thing tests his patience. I took some interesting manager type classes before leaving like "Leading at the Speed of Trust" which is a god-awful name but I wholly believe you can't just show up to places and go "hey! hang out with me" and immediately get swarmed. It's a whole lot of showing up and earning people's trust that you're worth getting to know and are going to stick around- seriously a hard ask in Queenstown. It does have some parallels in Boulder in terms of a beautiful town nestled next to gorgeous scenery and therefore full of millionaires and expensive housing. Somehow, it's still cheaper to live here though so I am grateful for that. 

Things we've been up to include going up Ben Lomond through the Tiki Trail. We also hiked Queens Drive which meant traversing at the tippy top of the Remarkables (super cool) before dipping into Lake Alta (cooler- literally). I've forgotten how to deal with scree but lots of fun. We've also biked Bush Creek again down to Arrowtown and stopped for a beer and burger. All of that's been peppered with the occasional paddling session at Lake Hayes, some climbing fun in Queenstown and Wanaka and inline hockey for me. I might also have a Beer League team (on ice!) lined up.

We are missing spice and bought two jalapenos for $4 recently so we could make carnitas and remember when we were inundated with Tex Mex in Colorado. 

Regardless of all the downs, there's still so many ups and I can't say I would not have taken the plunge. It's fun trying out a new country with different mannerisms and having to throw out what you think is normal. It is good to know there's a whole world out there. Have I also mentioned all the music is about 10 years older so it's actually good? 

I also feel like I'm sharpening a lot of geotechnical skills too by designing for seismic cases and having to read a lot of papers. The geotechnical vibe in NZ is ever-changing as data and methodologies keep getting updated as they learn more about earthquakes. Yes, I am nerding out and have to admit I like math and complicated equations and delving into codes and research. I hope Sean gets there soon too. Unfortunately, New Zealand won't feel homey till we're both working places that feel more permanent and fulfilling.