Hazelnut

and could do with some pictures or positive stories. I've finished my second, professional, graduate level, course and all the portfolio work, just the exam to go. Final vocational, college level course starts today and I'm the oldest on it by over 20yrs. Please wish me luck for the exam and surviving and passing this last course as they are what will give me a career in NZ.
Those of you that are happy there please tell or show me one thing that you love about NZ to keep me going on the 'total retrain in late middle age' merry go round.

Damson

Hi Hazelnut. I'm in the UK so can't give a New Zealand-based pep talk, but just a note of encouragement and to say good luck, although I'm sure you won't need it. Have to say that for sheer determination at studying to get where you want to go, you should pass! There's no way at my own tender late middle age years I could contemplate studying again - I was pants when I was at school, so trying to focus through my foggy brain would be nigh on impossible.
Good luck.

Charismatic

I've written many nice things about New Zealand:

jmh

How about doing a collage with pics of where you hope to be. E.g. If your dream was to live on a farm, put up a pic of a farm. Or pics of...

someone doing the job you want to do
first class seat on a plane (hey aim high!)
the view from your dream home window
the book you want to write
the car you want to drive

Keep it to hand and look at it every day to focus on your dreams and positive things in life.

Woodlea

Put this on your desktop, it gladdens my heart, a nice view of the seaward Kaikouras, through the lovely Norfolk Pines, from the Esplanade, Kaikoura

Pom_Chch

Feel free to check out my blog in the signature. Not professional looking photos in any way shape or form, just ones I've taken on our trips around NZ.

One thing that helped me look forward to the adventure was looking up all of the activities I wanted to do in NZ before we left. I knew we were moving to Christchurch so I made a spreadsheet of day trips, overnight trips, weekends away and trips further afield. It really made me look forward to moving and excited for all the cool stuff we were moving to. Yeah, I know, I had way too much time on my hands since I was only working part time then!

Here's one of my fave pics - hiking up Ben Lomond in Queenstown. Stunning weather and scenery. Great memories

Hazelnut

You are all lovely. The course this afternoon left me demoralised and in tears once I reached home. Thanks to your great posts I'm bouncing back now and have sent out some emails and texts to source a solution and a way forward

I love the scrapbook idea, I've been capturing some images of houses and land I like but hadn't done the job and other things. I loved the other thread about things to do on a reccie as there's heaps we didn't do.

mickey_d

Central Hawkes Bay on a cold mid-winters day

Hazelnut

Seriously? That looks like a summer day!

I've organised some extra tutorials so I can jump the hoops I need to for the last qualification so I'm back on track for final test date for that in February.

scrubbedexpat094

How are you going Hazelnut? Hope that you are feeling a lot brighter this week.

j19fmm

Couldn't be happier up here in the Bay of Islands, especially when I spend all summer at the near deserted Matauri Bay x

Hazelnut

Thank you for asking, it's appreciated. This final course is seriously challenging and I'm finding it very heavy going trying to do that whilst revising for a big exam. If I can pass this exam I have a career so it's a big deal but other course tutor has no empathy. The course is not well designed and pretty chaotic.

To add a smidge of excitement as things were becoming a little boring Dad fell and broke his hip last week so had emergency surgery at the weekend. It's hard not being able to go and see him and supporting Mum from a distance when she's having to deal with hospital visiting being an hours taxi ride away; her Parkinsons and other health challenges are also worsening. They are both so strong and just deal with whatever life throws at them, a powerful example for me when I'm struggling.

I've been looking at pictures from our reccie tour this week and daydreaming over house adverts which is helping. Where I live there's a saying of, "what's for you won't go by you" which fits very well with the NZ, "She'll be right".

jenny02

Here in northern Ireland i have often been told, if its meant for you, then it will not pass you by. Another i was often forced to hear, when god closes the door he will open a window, you just need to find it. In my younger years these quotes drove me crazy, now as a little bit wiser person, so very true words. Well done you for educating yourself further, i wish you the best.

Damson

Aw bless. I'm not a christian but they do come out with some great observations.

Damson

Sorry to hear about your parents situation hazelnut. It's the curse of having folks who are getting on a bit. Mine are both 79 and Dad has given us such frights this year as he has had 2 X mini strokes and a pacemaker fitted whilst on holiday way up in Scotland. I spent hours in the phone trying to sort mum out with accomodation and the subsequent bloody insurance claim so I do sympathise.

Stay strong with the studies; it'll be worth it.