Getting set

Things continue moving along quite nicely here in Wellington. I know it sounds ridiculous only 4 days into our year here, but my deepest fear is that we won’t have enough time to really enjoy this amazing country! While we are eager to find Adam his dream employment opportunity, there is a small, selfish part of me that would rather he stay jobless for a while so we can play and explore. Of course, the practical part of my brain quickly takes over the dreamy side and would prefer stable housing, transportation…and oh, yeah…a paycheck :)
Here is a quick replay of our last few days:

Saturday was amazingly productive as Adam and I were able to do two very important things:

#1 – We purchased cell phones and pre-paid plans which are quite reasonable. My sister, Kara, and her husband, Jason, generously gave us their cell phones from their time in France in hopes that the rest of the world would be more techno-compatible with each other than the US is with anyone…but were unfortunately unable to make use of the gift. New Zealanders pride themselves on their quirky ways – right on down to their SIM cards. For those looking for ways to spend their family fortune on international phone rates, Adam should be reached at (64)-021-0230-4250. Callie’s cell is (64)-021-0230-4785. All incoming calls are free for us…so ring away! Our quick disclaimer is that we haven't yet received any international calls on the cell phones...so we aren't 100% sure of the sequence of these numbers.

#2 – Adam and I opened a banking account at KiwiBank – locations of which are all conveniently located inside post offices. We figured that no matter where we end up – one thing remains true worldwide: EVERYONE loves to get mail….so even the smallest towns should have a post office, right? The young woman who helped us to open our accounts was awesome. She withheld all evidence of frustration or exasperation at this clumsy American couple and babysat us through the entire process, including applications for our Tax ID numbers. Talk about two birds with one stone! Next step….we’ve got to figure out how to put some money in that Kiwibank account…details, details.

Sunday found us wide awake, alert, and enthusiastic at an early hour since we are still crashing into bed well before 9:00pm. We undertook our first bus ride on our first excursion taking us from Wellington City Central to a nearby neighborhood for Sunday church. We must have looked quite the sight, dressed up in suit and tie at 8:00 in the morning on a Sunday as we walked through the aftermath of Saturday night revelry along Cuba Street. Our clumsy entry to the bus was a dead giveaway to the bus driver who immediately commented that we must be “far from home” – but we were quickly comforted by one of the only other passengers on the bus leaning forward to ask if we were headed to church. The bus driver happily rambled along about the many ways in which life as a Kiwi was better than anywhere else, while the woman behind us introduced herself as having arrived in Wellington only a month ago from….Spokane, Washington! The Wellington Ward is quite a mish-mash of cultures all coming together in what appears to be a happy ward-family. If Adam and I were hoping to be unique visitors, this was the wrong place to go. Apparently, if you want to meet lots of Americans all from the Northwest, simply head to Wellington! The family in the pew in front of us is a Kiwi-American couple with 4 busy little boys. The mom grew up in…Federal Way, Washington! The organist was from…Moses Lake, Washington! And the lady behind me in Relief Society lived for three years in….Tacoma, Washington! Do you sense the theme? The nice part is that there are certainly many friendly ears, all well aware of what it is like to relocate to this area.

Long post getting longer....we love this city! The weather has been wonderful. We haven't had any real rain and the sun is a frequent visitor. The wind is more than agreeable - especially on our morning jogs along the city to sea wall. Our only "wish" is to be able to share it with everyone from home. We are making lists of places and things that are on the "must show" list so start making those plane reservations as soon as you see the "steal of a deal." Those we've spoken with speak fondly of the (elusive?) $400 plane ticket from LA to Aukland. Hope to find those soon!

Love to you all!


Proof for all the worried moms out there concerned we aren't eating our veggies!