Well I’m back in New Zealand
after a wonderful trip home for the holidays. It was so good to see everyone
and catch up. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in
my life, however, it never gets easier saying good-bye!
I arrived in Wellington just a
couple of weeks ago. It was 23 hours worth of traveling that actually seemed to
go by so quick! I basically went straight into the job and apartment search.
The easiest way to find work is to apply through agencies. You meet with them
for what is basically an interview. The
agency will then find work for you with a company. Luckily, administration jobs
are pretty easy to come by. The difficult part was my work visa only lasting
through March 22nd. I ended up getting two days of work at Te Papa
Museum as a receptionist thinking I would only be filling in. Well, as luck
would have it, one of the girls that worked there had a wrist injury and she
wouldn’t be able to work for two weeks so they had to let her go. They called
me back that next week. So here I am with a full time job! Yay! I’m SO
grateful. The pay is pretty good and it’s really easy work. No stress. I also
applied for another job as a waitress for the corporate suite area in the
Westpac Stadium just to earn a little extra cash. The job is just for events
like rugby games and concerts, so I can work on the weekends whenever I want.
On the apartment front, I had
some trouble finding something for such a short amount of time that was
furnished and close to town. Finally I came across a place that was dead center
in town just steps away from the harbor. It’s a TINY one room apartment with a
kitchenette and a bed. It’s absolutely perfect for me. It’s more than I wanted
to pay but like I said, it was probably the best I could do without signing a
long-term lease and you can’t beat the location!
After signing my lease, I stepped
outside and heard someone say my name. I couldn’t believe it, but there were
two friends from Queenstown! What are the odds that at that very moment we
would be walking in the same place at the same time in a huge city?!? It was
Louise, a girl I worked with in administration at Coronet Peak along with her
boyfriend. They were actually only spending a week traveling through Wellington
but it was just so great to see them.
My friend Jessica from home lives
here in Welly so it’s definitely nice to have someone here to hang out with. I
also met another friend through Louise who just arrived in Wellington too. So
things are coming together here! Friends… check. Apartment… check. Job… check!
And I absolutely love this city! There is always something going on. Concerts,
markets, festivals… you name it. It’s impossible to be bored. There is so much
culture. The only downside to Wellington is the wind. I mean, it just doesn’t
stop! We had 130 kph winds last week and that happens all the time! I guess you
just get used to it. You have to laugh at it really because people are blown
off their feet.
I still don’t have definitive
plans for the upcoming months. I have lots of friends passing through or coming
for concerts, which is exciting! Also, my mom is finally going to make the long
journey over for a visit. I could not be happier. She will be here for two
weeks at the end of March/beginning of April. After that, I can hopefully go to
Queenstown and work again at Coronet Peak where they can sponsor me with a
visa. It’s all up in the air obviously with re-applying.
So that’s that! A pretty massive
update. I’m really happy here and hope things continue to go well. J
