Its a long way to go to say Hello
Firstly, well Hi, it's been a while. I was last on this blog in May 2011 and boy hasn't a lot happened since then. More on that, possibly, in future blog posts.
Anyhoo - the reason for posting after almost 7 years? Well I'm still in NZ which is frankly a miracle after some of the things that happened post May 2011. I've moved, I work somewhere new I have a cat, a puppy, MissJ and a lovely significant other. The team are currently planning something that will occur soon and its what prompted me to post again.
This post - it's about being a Brit overseas, specifically overseas in a far flung location. Specifically for me, New Zealand. People gush and gasp about the beauty and significance of NZ, it truly is a stunning and amazing country. Often people say, "wow I must move there" Well I say, "yes do so, but be prepared to say goodbye to friends and family" Even in today's age of cheaper and faster travel, flexible working, social media, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype etc etc, it's hard to maintain a friendship. The "thing" that's being planned for a few weeks time by the team - well my Dad and step mum have been invited, they can't come, it's too far now they are 80 and early 70's. My sister and her husband can't come - they haven't said why. Hey at least I invited them, I could just have let them know a few short moments before I post pics of the event after it took place, on Facebook.😒
The other half has been trying to persuade me to invite besties from Blighty and last night I had a bit of a meltdown and explained why, through tears, snot and frustration. I can't, because I can't cope with the "No sorry we can't come." Frankly it hurts way too much and I know I'll open each email and be cut in half with sadness every time. Their reasons will be valid, I would have made them myself once when I lived in the UK. "Can't take my son out of school", "Oooh I don't have enough annual leave", " it's just turned Spring here, I don't fancy NZ in Autumn" (hey it's actually warmer in an NZ Autumn than a UK summer BTW, "we're not good on long haul" and many more. When I lived in the UK and traveled to NZ (or Oz), it meant giving a years notice for the annual leave booking with my then boss/ bosses, or being made redundant and having 8 weeks off before I started the next job and using the time off to book a "quick trip down-under". It was major, it really was. I preferred to use my hard earned UK annual leave allowance on weekend breaks in Europe, a week somewhere warmer than a Blighty summer, a week or so in the mountains or possible further afield like ....wait for it....a 6 or 8 hour flight away. Going to NZ was frankly, a hassle, expensive and meant waiting for another years annual leave allocation, before planning a week in Portugal and a girls weekend in New York.
I get it, I really do, it's hard for my pals to come to NZ, some I know I will never see again unless I go back to Europe to see them. When I've made the trip "back home" I've been so touched, heartened, joyous and emotional to see people - the ones who travel from the far flung corners of the UK to meet me for a lunch in a pub, the ones that try to speed up the house renos so there is a spare room to sleep in, those who drive a a few hours to pick you up from a station in the middle of nowhere just to gossip and laugh for a precious 24 hours together. The ones that let you stay in their lovely house for 6 days while they are away, the ones that drive miles, stay in a hotel and rejig their plans to fit in a coffee and a catch up. The ones that own their own business, and its the busiest time of the year for them, but they still find time for a cuppa on their sofa, It's heart warming, lovely and so very much appreciated. It's also what I hold onto when I get sad that people can't just "quickly pop to NZ".
Role reversal though - remember when your NZ/ Oz based pal or relly lands in the UK or Europe that they have spent about 3+ months wages to buy the plane tickets, have spent 26 hours on a plane with about 40 hours travel one way, and...... they get to repeat that on the way back; that they appreciate more than you know, the effort you make to drive a a few hours to see them, hop on a bus or train to have a coffee catch up. Yes it's lovely that you have a spare room in your house in Norwich/ Liverpool/ Exeter/ Aberdeen......(insert UK location of choice) but please don't expect them to drive miles to come and see you after two 26 hour flights and 3 months wages in ticket prices. When they ask you to join them in the house in France they've rented for a week to see people and have a holiday - book that flight, sort the hire car, tell the boss you are taking a week off. Go and see them - just go and see them, they miss you more than words can tell. They want you to be on holiday with them When your NZ pal or rely says, "God I'd love a curry in Brum" - chuck them in the car, book a Travel Lodge for an overnight stay, and take them for decent curry, they've probably been dreaming about them since their last trip to the UK.
And for the ones that have made it to NZ - "THANK YOU" my God thank you, it's the best thing ever to see you, especially as you've probably given up two weeks in Europe and no annual leave for a year, to get to NZ. Thank you.
Yes i'ts beautiful in NZ, its a bloody long way away. Lets see each other more often, hopefully its not a "we won't ever see each other again".
Pictures - except for the curry, from https://sandysview.com/about/
Anyhoo - the reason for posting after almost 7 years? Well I'm still in NZ which is frankly a miracle after some of the things that happened post May 2011. I've moved, I work somewhere new I have a cat, a puppy, MissJ and a lovely significant other. The team are currently planning something that will occur soon and its what prompted me to post again.
This post - it's about being a Brit overseas, specifically overseas in a far flung location. Specifically for me, New Zealand. People gush and gasp about the beauty and significance of NZ, it truly is a stunning and amazing country. Often people say, "wow I must move there" Well I say, "yes do so, but be prepared to say goodbye to friends and family" Even in today's age of cheaper and faster travel, flexible working, social media, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype etc etc, it's hard to maintain a friendship. The "thing" that's being planned for a few weeks time by the team - well my Dad and step mum have been invited, they can't come, it's too far now they are 80 and early 70's. My sister and her husband can't come - they haven't said why. Hey at least I invited them, I could just have let them know a few short moments before I post pics of the event after it took place, on Facebook.😒
The other half has been trying to persuade me to invite besties from Blighty and last night I had a bit of a meltdown and explained why, through tears, snot and frustration. I can't, because I can't cope with the "No sorry we can't come." Frankly it hurts way too much and I know I'll open each email and be cut in half with sadness every time. Their reasons will be valid, I would have made them myself once when I lived in the UK. "Can't take my son out of school", "Oooh I don't have enough annual leave", " it's just turned Spring here, I don't fancy NZ in Autumn" (hey it's actually warmer in an NZ Autumn than a UK summer BTW, "we're not good on long haul" and many more. When I lived in the UK and traveled to NZ (or Oz), it meant giving a years notice for the annual leave booking with my then boss/ bosses, or being made redundant and having 8 weeks off before I started the next job and using the time off to book a "quick trip down-under". It was major, it really was. I preferred to use my hard earned UK annual leave allowance on weekend breaks in Europe, a week somewhere warmer than a Blighty summer, a week or so in the mountains or possible further afield like ....wait for it....a 6 or 8 hour flight away. Going to NZ was frankly, a hassle, expensive and meant waiting for another years annual leave allocation, before planning a week in Portugal and a girls weekend in New York.
I get it, I really do, it's hard for my pals to come to NZ, some I know I will never see again unless I go back to Europe to see them. When I've made the trip "back home" I've been so touched, heartened, joyous and emotional to see people - the ones who travel from the far flung corners of the UK to meet me for a lunch in a pub, the ones that try to speed up the house renos so there is a spare room to sleep in, those who drive a a few hours to pick you up from a station in the middle of nowhere just to gossip and laugh for a precious 24 hours together. The ones that let you stay in their lovely house for 6 days while they are away, the ones that drive miles, stay in a hotel and rejig their plans to fit in a coffee and a catch up. The ones that own their own business, and its the busiest time of the year for them, but they still find time for a cuppa on their sofa, It's heart warming, lovely and so very much appreciated. It's also what I hold onto when I get sad that people can't just "quickly pop to NZ".
And for the ones that have made it to NZ - "THANK YOU" my God thank you, it's the best thing ever to see you, especially as you've probably given up two weeks in Europe and no annual leave for a year, to get to NZ. Thank you.
Yes i'ts beautiful in NZ, its a bloody long way away. Lets see each other more often, hopefully its not a "we won't ever see each other again".
Pictures - except for the curry, from https://sandysview.com/about/
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