Why do people migrate? The answer in most cases is a longing for change. Something in your home country isn’t working. This was the case for me and my husband. We were looking for the proverbial ‘greener grass’. And we found it. We came to New Zealand three years ago on a residence visa and we have never looked back. Has it all been great? No.
The first six months everything was great. It did not matter we were living on savings and no regular income was coming in. We felt like we were in heaven. We never were homesick, we never doubted our choice to move here.
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Of course this could not last. Until today we still have never been homesick or doubted our choice to move to New Zealand but we have had to overcome our share of difficulties. We moved five times in two years, from way East to way South and everything in between. And although this is a great way to explore more of the country it also brought uncertainty, loneliness and frustration. |
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Every time you move you start over. You get out and about, meet people, and make friends. In other words you invest a lot and then, just when the investment starts paying of you move again. And you start over. Again. You accept a job you know you won’t like because you need money to live. You rent a place that is dark, depressing and without a heart because all of your own stuff is still in storage. You start noticing things about the country that are not great….. I will stop now, you get the drift. Everyone who immigrates or is in the process of applying for a visa has its own battles to fight. Yours may not be the same as someone else’s but they might be just as hard.
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Was it worth it. Yes! If you have ever read a book about immigration you must have come across a sentence that said something like ‘the first two years are the most difficult’ or ‘it will take two years for you to settle’. Well, in our case it did take two years …… and a bit, but we did find a place to call home, good friends, and a job that is interesting.
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