• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tyranny of Pink

Jonelle Unfiltered

  • Home
  • About
    • Subscribe to Tyranny of Pink
    • My Ostomy Journey
    • In the Media / Features
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Posts by Jonelle
    • Life
      • Authentic Living
      • Living with Intention
      • Motherhood
      • Emigrating
      • Mental Well-Being
      • That time I nearly died
      • Self-Confidence
      • Social Issues
    • Death & Grief
    • Travel
      • Destinations
      • Tips / Advice
    • Success & Career
      • Women’s Empowerment
      • Jobs & Career
      • Productivity
      • Interesting Careers
      • Blogging
    • Ostomy Journey
  • Contact Me
You are here: Home / Reflections on Life / Expat Adventures / Being an Expat / Life updates | Migration Tales

Life updates | Migration Tales

9th November 2017 By Jonelle Leave a Comment

I haven’t been very good at writing the last while! I think it’s just this weird phase of my life that I’m in. Kinda transition phase…

We are still mostly just waiting! Although there has been one step of progress:

Gerard got his visa!! YAY

But Oden and I are still waiting with no news…

In the meantime, we’ve done a few other things and set other plans into motion. 

  • We still have nowhere to live when we get there
  • We don’t have flights booked yet – because we have no visas
  • We don’t have temporary accommodation booked
  • We haven’t finished renovating our house before we can sell it, but we can’t sell it until we have visas either just to be safe
  • I still have no job over there – impossible to do without a visa even though I keep trying but literally get rejected immediately without a visa.

Things we have done

  • I have faced my fears and gone to the dentist! – This may seem like no big deal but to me, it’s pretty huge! I am TERRIFIED of dentists after a bad (traumatic) experience with an evil dentist age 12ish. Feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders to finally get this done.
  • I have booked myself in for eye lasik surgery! EEK! Yup, next week Wednesday I go get my eyes lazered! People keep asking me if I’m afraid. I’m not even a little bit. YES, they do cut open your eye but I figured after what I’ve been through what’s a little flap in my eye 😛 HA! So this means I’ve spent A LOT of time running up and down to appointments and getting checks done in preparation. Totally worth the freedom that will come from not having to wear glasses anymore to be honest!
  • We have booked painters to come and sort out our house!
  • We have met with the agent so that we can get a good evaluation on our house
  • We have opened New Zealand bank accounts – this is probably the most exciting part for me. We actually already got post from our new bank!! Yikes!
  • We have also officially given Oden’s school notice that he will not be returning next year. This was SO hard to do because we love his school and he loves his school. He lives for school and even asks to go see his teacher on the weekend! We will really miss the love and kindness that they have shown our child over the last year. Hard as it was putting him in school in the first place, the people there have shown us that it was the right choice!

The struggle is real

Honestly, at the moment, my biggest concern is that we won’t be able to find a rental that will take us plus four animals. It gives me sleepless nights honestly. We had a back up plan if we couldn’t find a rental that would take them, we’d just buy a small house but the new Prime minister is changing the laws and non-residents won’t be able to buy houses there soon. So that’s fallen away. Oh well!

Our animals will be in kennels for a month in SA and then 10 days quarantine in NZ so that gives us a little time to find a house. Fingers crossed!

My anxiety is through the roof at the moment. Every email I get my heart races hoping that it’s finally the one.

My diary is almost fully booked up between now and the date we hope to leave (December 9th if we get our visas in time) and I’m just constantly exhausted.

So many people ask us why don’t we just stay for Christmas and the truth is, we just want to start this next part of our lives and stop waiting. Waiting for everything to happen. We want to find our new normal and settle in and let go of some of this stress!

I know that it will all happen exactly when it does and stressing over it doesn’t change anything but can someone maybe tell my brain to stop panicking because I don’t think it understands the futility.

Also, as the time draws nearer to d-day, I realise more and more just how much I’m going to miss this place and the people in it. Saying good-bye isn’t going to be easy…

 

 

Filed Under: Being an Expat, Blog Tagged With: adventure, be unapologetically you, being you, follow your dreams, following your dreams, life purpose, moving abroad, moving countries, moving to New Zealand, new life adventures

Previous Post: « Making bath time fun with Zimpli Kids!
Next Post: Setbacks and frustrations | Migration Tales »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Jonelle

I write things, I make art, I like good food, wine, a whisky after a rough day and I’m always up for a new adventure. I believe we can all contribute to a better world and we should do it while living authentically. I answer to “mommy,” live in Wellington New Zealand with my family and work for Local Goverment. Welcome to my blog…

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

What's Popular?

  • Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many | Tyranny of Pink
    Authentic Living, Being You, Blog Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many
  • Blog, Social Issues Why South Africa will always be home
  • 6 Weeks Post Colostomy Reversal Op! I survived! Tyranny of Pink
    Being an Ostomate, That time I nearly died 6 Weeks Post Colostomy Reversal Op! I survived!
  • Blog The List – 50 Things I love
  • She's strong but she's exhausted - Taking care of Me! Tyranny of Pink
    Being Resilient, Blog, Mental Well-Being She’s strong but she’s exhausted – Taking care of Me!

Recent Posts

  • No one reads blogs any more and Cheers to a Slower 2022
  • The strong confident woman
  • Migration Tales – New Zealand in the times of Covid-19
  • The story of two bloggers who lived happily ever after
  • 3 great TED Talks to watch about race, inequality & being antiracist!

Recent Comments

  • Jonelle on No one reads blogs any more and Cheers to a Slower 2022
  • Bonnie on No one reads blogs any more and Cheers to a Slower 2022
  • Jonelle on 4 years after my life-changing colostomy reversal surgery
  • Priscah on 4 years after my life-changing colostomy reversal surgery
  • Jonelle on 4 years after my life-changing colostomy reversal surgery

Categories

Archives

Throw back to a week ago when I drove a giant Poli Throw back to a week ago when I drove a giant Police boat around the Wellington Harbour. Like a boss.
A random sign in Christchurch ♥️ #Swaziland #s A random sign in Christchurch ♥️
#Swaziland #swaziinnewzealand
Six years ago today, I left the hospital for the l Six years ago today, I left the hospital for the last time after my 6th and final surgery. I went home to this (swipe) and haven't stopped those cuddles since. 

It's quite incredible what a motivator love can be. Thankful for the life I've lived between then and now. It keeps getting better. ♥️
Two of my favourite new things. A weird mix of t Two of my favourite new things.

 A weird mix of the old and the new. This beautiful book from @theaxelife_ , a gift from my old team, my wonderful friends chose it for me because I love plants and I love interiors and I couldn't feel more seen. You join a team to do a job and walking away with true friends is the best part. 

My new @sabenltd bag, is packed and ready for my first day at my new job tomorrow. Complete with notebook, pens and absolute panic 👾

Couldn't be more overwhelmed or more terrified but I'm thankful for people who love me who I adore and if you know me, you know I love a great bag! Ready for this. 

♥️

#newbag #newbook #newlife
#friendshipgoals #saben #frankiebag
Oden, please pose properly Do you mean like THISS Oden, please pose properly 
Do you mean like THISSSSS. 

This beautiful boy made me a mother and for that, I'm always grateful. 

Happy Mothers Day ♥️
Gosh darn it I love this city. #deathmural and #g Gosh darn it I love this city. 
#deathmural and #greenpants
Walk. Stop. Feel. Be. Walk. Stop. Feel. Be.
And this is how I have to eat dinner. And this is how I have to eat dinner.

Copyright 2020 Jonelle Unfiltered | Tyranny of Pink