Charles Herring 2 November 2025
Charles in Russel New Zealand

Background

Over the course of a year from November 2025 to November 2026, Mai and I researched and eventually moved to New Zealand. We were looking for a life change and my work at WitFoo needed to plan for international expansion. My extensive notes are found below. 

Advisors

Our move was made much easier by a few advisors. I am pretty good at paperwork and research and thought of doing it myself to save some money. I ended up feeling that all 3 of these advisors over delivered on value and made our move much more successful.

  • Morrison Partners Attorneys – Tori and & Ben mostly worked on getting business agreements and filings in place but also made banking much easier. They were able to provide anti-money laundering (AML) verification for our bank and IRD accounts. They also provided great introductions to other advisors and contacts. https://www.morrisonpartners.co.nz/
  • Malcolm Pacific Immigration Advisors – James Bruce from Malcolm Pacific was organized, engaged and helpful through the entire process. I highly recommend them as a service. https://www.malcolmpacific.com/
  • Mobile Relocation Experts - Emma from Mobile Relocation made our move as simple as possible. She guided us around pitfalls that we likely would have fallen into. Emma spent time getting to know us. She helped us find a neighborhood that would fit our lifestyle. She helped us find doctors, shops and other services that we would need. She prepared an introduction packet with references to present to landlords. She found our home, negotiated the lease and took us on a virtual tour. Having an expert on Christchurch helping us move in was an amazing service. I can’t overstate how important Emma has been to make our move so successful.

Research Resources

In helping us in our move and understanding many of the nuances of New Zealand, we found the following resources extremely useful:

  • It’s a Drama – Liz & Brian have put together a ton of great, detailed content on relocating to NZ. They have a paid membership plan that delivers more in-depth information on virtually any topic that may come up. They also host a Slack community filled with expats, and Kiwi hopefuls on all stages of the journey. https://itsadrama.com/project/new-zealand/ . The content and community continue to be very helpful on our journey.
  • New Zealand - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture – If I was only going to read one book, it be this one. It’s a rather pragmatic look at Kiwi culture. I have avoided so many uncomfortable errors thanks to this book. It’s very easy and fun to read.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091ZDMV5T.
  • Frommer's New Zealand – This travel guide was fantastic in helping us plan our tour of the country. It did a great job in laying out the fundamentals of where we should visit and what we should look out for. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084D7DLK5
  • Stuff.co.nz – I have learned a lot about the Kiwi world view by keeping up with the news in Stuff. The editorials and lifestyles sections were most informative but the narrative on international news and the take on US news also helped me anticipate how my new neighbors may be thinking about the news.

Guiding Ideas

I’m not a guru, life coach or wise by any stretch of the definition. We did find a few guiding ideas and cautions that really helped our move.

“Breathe, it’s New Zealand”

After traveling back and forth between Chicago and New Zealand, it became visceral and clear that the tempo and attitude of life is very different. Expectations in my Chicago life are for around the clock vigilance, expedience and efficiency. My expectation is if I’m not paying attention, trying hard enough or moving quickly enough, I will be ostracized, ridiculed or physically attacked. I work around the clock or I’m lazy. I’m at risk of being thrown away or replaced if my value isn’t seen any longer. If I zone out at a traffic light, I will be called out in less than 2 seconds loudly for my crappy driving.

I have found that New Zealanders have a great work ethic and get things done. They aren’t joking around when they say “She’ll be right”; they do get things done. The tempo is much more humane, compassionate and balanced. Learning to “stay left” and not be a nuisance on the road came with my Chicago road-rage fears. I had to regularly say to myself, “Breathe, it’s New Zealand” to remind myself no one was likely to fire a gun in my direction for a traffic mistake. 

We found this mantra helpful in almost all our work from unpacking to finding a doctor or gym. The relentless Chicago clock would tick in our minds screaming we were moving too slowly. We regularly caught each other with tension showing on our faces then we’d hug each other and repeat our new mantra: Breathe, it’s New Zealand.

Is it still the best way?

The move was a lot of work and at times, it seemed it would never get done. The recurring temptation was to take things, habits and techniques that had worked for us in Chicago and try to replicate them in NZ. Many times, we asked, “Is this the best way to do it in NZ?” Asking the question caused us to slow down and research better ways in our new circumstances. We moved to NZ because we wanted to make some changes so we realized it was important to look for areas where we should and could change our lifestyle to benefit from our new home.

Work the Plan – Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Moving is a lot. We handled it by making a detailed (but flexible) plan of things to do and when to do them. Sitting in a half-packed home drove the 2 of us nuts. It was very important to remind ourselves that we were going to be uncomfortable for an extended period. We had to often force ourselves to not do work reserved for later. It was a discipline neither of us were comfortable with. Make the plan, allow the plan to change but stick to the plan.

If we break; it all breaks

Making time and budget for rest and recovery often seemed like luxuries we couldn’t afford. We could see better ways to spend both time and money than “pampering” ourselves. We realized early that if we have a mental break or damage our marriage, the move becomes worthless. In a time where stress and work were heightened, we did our best to carve out time for snuggling, dining out, going on walks and getting naps. It required changing my working schedule and travel schedule with a recognition of how draining the move was physically and emotionally on me and Mai.

Sit in the Wonder

In the turmoil and stress of getting everything done it was easy to miss how amazing, miraculous and wonderful the experience was. In the history of the world, no one has had a journey the same as us. While many will move their lives to New Zealand, no one will have the same experiences that we have. It means we have unique seats to a journey filled with wonder. As we started feeling anxious or overwhelmed, we found it helpful to stop and see the moment as exciting and filled with wonder. Slowing down and breathing and enjoying the mini-miracles and blessings was much better than just trying to rush through the process. Being filled with wonder, excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to be on the journey greatly improved our mood and enjoyment of an arduous transition.

Immigration

NZ immigration is complicated, nuanced and a quickly moving target. As I’ve been plugged into the news and discussions on immigration over the last 12 months, I have seen several major changes come through. I initially filed for my first (Business Visitor) visa but in retrospect, I would have engaged my immigration advisor for that. James at Malcolm Pacific is a great resource, advisor and advocate. He and his team have done a great job building a custom plan for Mai and me. The value is several times greater than the cost of the service. I also understand it’s illegal to give immigration advice without the certification to do so. So, the only advice I’d give is to find an immigration advisor you can trust early and trust them to do what they do. Every path has all types of nuances that needs an expert to navigate.

One thing that I would have done earlier is renew my passport. NZ visas are attached to the passport so when I finally did get a new passport, there was additional paperwork to file. Along those same lines, I went and requested certified copies of all documents that I might need in immigration or later in life. These included birth and marriage certificates, my military records and health records. I got super organized with our records and tried to think through future life scenarios beyond immigration that may be needed while we are overseas. I also digitized all records and backed them up online.

I’ve also found New Zealand to be much more colloquial and less modern than the US about references. Asking friends, family, colleagues, landlords and teachers for reference letters have helped us in immigration and with securing a lease. 

Packing Up

I don’t know if there is anything much more stressful than packing up my life. Above all else, it was important to limit how much we did in one go. It was very easy to exhaust ourselves. We did find it a great opportunity to make a thoughtful inventory of the things we collected in the last quarter century. 

Mai and I have long valued Marie Kondo’s philosophy on tidying up. Watching her Netflix series (https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/80209379) together or reading her books (https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/B0DPR7VX73) are golden at a juncture of life when every single article of possession needs to be judged.

In preparation for water freight shipment, we asked the following questions of every article:

  • Is it precious/does it spark joy?
  • Is it less expensive to ship or replace when we get there?
  • Will it properly work with the electricity in NZ?
  • Does it have enough life left in it to move?
  • How likely is the sea air to ruin it in shipping?
  • Can we wait 3 months, or should we bite the bullet and air freight, pack it in luggage or just buy a new one when we land?
  • Is this useful in how we will be living or is it a relic of our current life?
  • Is it time to upgrade this?
  • Will it fit in with our new home?

With the things we decided not to move:

  • Is it small enough to sell and ship on eBay?
  • Is it worth enough to sell on AptDeco.com?
  • Do I have any friends or neighbors that may want it?
  • Can I throw this away without hiring someone?

We sold some great furniture on AptDeco and a ton of odds and ends on eBay. Knowing where we were moving to (see “Finding a House in Christchurch”) really informed what we should move. If it wasn’t a good fit in the home or in our new lifestyle, we got rid of it.

Getting rid of things is a job. I under budgeted the energy drain of unloading the things. I wish I had started this much earlier.

Saying goodbye to things is also emotional. We had some funeral like time to part with things we had developed affection for. I also underbudgeted time for this. It was harder than even my pragmatic heart expected. Marie Kondos process of thanking items and saying goodbye to them was helpful.

When we slowed down enough, it was a great opportunity to reflect on our life together. Whether we kept or discarded things, it was a beautiful ritual to celebrate our life so far.

Useful packing tactics

  • Start an inventory early. Annotate serial numbers and values.
  • Use desiccant packs liberally in packing to reduce sea air funk and fungus.
  • Use vacuum bags to seal appropriate things. It reduces funk and shipping volume.
  • Order boxes and tape in batches. It helped us in slowing down the work.

Household Goods Clearing Customs

In our pack out, we booked through a broker that contracted packers and truckers to get our goods from Chicago to the port in Los Angeles. Then it was moved to a water shipping company. Finally a Christchurch moving company was contracted. Very late in the process, I was required to fill out a NZCS-218 Form. For the things that required declaration, I needed to provide the box number so it could be inspected. The packing contractors did not make detailed enough notes to meet these requirements. Fortunately, we kept a detailed Excel spreadsheet inventory that we were able to use with the accepting company in Christchurch. If I knew then what I know now, I would have used that form to inform our packing. I would have kept the declared items in the same boxes and probably would not have moved some of them.

New Zealand is extremely diligent with biosecurity, and anything exposed to soil or other organics is going to be highly scrutinized. We had a Roomba vacuum cleaner that had to be inspected (it deals with soil) and delayed delivery by a couple of days.

Some of our goods also incurred fees that were probably higher than their worth.

Unpacking

Because we spent so much time downsizing, when our household goods showed up 95 days after packing, we were able to unpack very quickly. The movers were nice enough to return the following day to pick up our packing materials and haul them away. The use of vacuum bags and desiccants worked in protecting our textiles from picking up unfavorable smells. We were fortunate to only have 1 broken dish.

Saying Goodbyes

Shortly after getting married, my mother passed away unexpectedly. It really tore me up. There were so many things I wish I had said. Years later when my kid brother moved in with us for hospice with terminal cancer, the social worker gave me a pamphlet on handling the loss of a loved one. It encouraged expressing three thoughts: “I love you. I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me.” Research shows these sentiments are the basis for regret and suffering in losing a loved one. Losing my brother was painful but using these sentiments in our final months together allowed me to heal faster and deeper than with the loss of my mother. 

As I thought about the weight of moving so far away, I realized the opportunities to express the weighty sentiments were going to be greatly reduced. I decided to get on the road and let people I love know that I love them, I forgive them, and I hope they can forgive me. I drove to Alabama to visit my uncles, aunts and cousins. I flew to Mississippi to visit my Dad. I called friends and colleagues and booked meals to say goodbye.

The travel was expensive and the meetings were often emotionally draining. Some of the meetings were contentious. It was common that I was prompted to defend our decision to move. Sometimes I was outright attacked over it. I had expected it but I underestimated its impact on me. It took a good amount of rest, prayer and meditation to digest those meetings. 

No matter how off the rails the meetings got, I made sure I made it clear that I loved them, I forgave them, and I hoped they could forgive me. While it was an extremely exhausting process, in near retrospect, it was all precious. Most of the meetings were purely edifying moments. Even the duress I felt quickly turned to relief. The process allowed me to come to NZ in good faith knowing I had done all that I could to leave my relationships in the US in as healthy a place as possible.

There were a few more meetings I wish I could have made. Looking back on it, I wish I would have started earlier and budgeted more time for recovery and more money for travel. It was great for my soul and personal growth. I should have many of those meetings years earlier and the immediacy of the NZ move gave me an opportunity to “rip off the Bandaid” and get them done.

Travel to New Zealand

Getting to NZ had a ton of options. Because of my business trips I had some resources and experiences that made things easier. I still had so much to learn to get to NZ effectively and comfortably.

Air Travel

Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance which is led by United Airlines. I have mid-level status with United Airlines. In booking flights between US and NZ, there are several considerations that I discovered along the way.

AirPoints

Setting up an Air New Zealand AirPoints (https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/airpoints) account for me and Mai as easy enough. It allowed us to set up profiles to include our passports, visas and dietary preferences. I couldn’t link my United Mileage Plus account to Air New Zealand account but could add my AirPoints account to my United account. AirPoints program is pretty limited on benefits compared to Mileage Plus and other US carriers. Air New Zealand domestic flights don’t have First or Business class so upgrades are less important. AirPoints can be used to buy a wide range of things (from a catalog).

Air New Zealand Koru

Air New Zealand Koru program (https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/koru) costs $834 NZD to join. On the surface it seems like a frivolous expense but there are a few things that makes Koru worth the cost:

  • Access to the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX and Air New Zealand lounges in NZ. Mai was able to join me on my membership (she later got her own membership.) The lounges are great places to eat and relax during long layovers in exhausting travel.
  • Air New Zealand flights give early, priority boarding to Koru members. Dragging some extra carry-on bags was made easier with the early boarding.
  • Both Mai and I get an extra free checked bag.

SkyCouch, Premium Economy and Business Class

A 12.5 hour flight from LAX to Auckland is a serious flight. There are 4 options available:

  • Standard Economy: The least expensive option. Seats are comfortable for economy and food and drinks are served. The seats will shrink as the trip goes on and getting any sleep will need some pre-thought. When I did this, I used the “Sleeper Hold” mask. It worked as well as you could hope: https://youtu.be/Un7o6Vpn3Nk?si=DpN9T80w9-KDz6hl. Air New Zealand only gives 1 checked bag on these tickets.
  • SkyCouch: Some (but not all) of the ANZ flights offer SkyCouch (https://www.airnewzealand.com/skycouch). This is an upgrade on Standard Economy. You still only get 1 checked bag but it’s an extreme value on the cost. I also like it better than Premium Economy. I shared a SkyCouch with Mai on one trip and had one to myself on another trip. Mai and I have smaller builds for our genders and were pretty comfortable (but snug) sleeping across the Pacific. Essentially, you get a whole row of Economy seats that you can convert to a couch by pulling special footrests up to become flush with the seats in front your row. There is no way to book SkyCouch if booking through United (or other carrier). I was successful in calling ANZ to book it later though. I think SkyCouch is a really cool way to travel. I got some really solid sleep. It’s wide enough to curl up. Being 6’1” I have to bend my knees so my feet don’t pop into the aisle but otherwise, it’s very comfortable.
  • Premium Economy – The seats are about 30% wider, have a deeper recline and a foot rest. It’s like sleeping in an uncomfortable recliner. You can’t recline quite far enough to avoid head-bobbing so I still have to use “Sleeper Hold.” The upgrade does provide 2 checked bags. That can be huge in moving. With Koru, that gives 3 checked bags per person.
  • Business – The sleep pods are older versions but recline fully for comfortable sleep. The seats do come at a 2x to 3.5 x premium over Economy. With SkyCouch an option, I think Business class is more expensive than the value. It does come with 3 checked bags and has priority boarding.

Booking

Having some status with United and access to the United Club, I did some trick plays to maximize my benefits. I can book with either United or Air New Zealand. The following things are determined by the rules of the carrier I book with:

  • Baggage limits
  • Access to Club/Lounges
  • Upgrade of seats
  • Earning of points/miles.

What has worked best for me is to book with Air New Zealand and reserve my SkyCouch. Then I call United and move the United/US leg of my travel to my United account. This allows my United leg to receive complimentary or paid upgrades. It also gives me access to the United Club in ORD and LAX. In our big move, we received a complimentary upgrade to First class going to LAX which also increased our bag limit to 3 for the entire trip. This means I earn points in the US to United and to NZ with Air New Zealand AirPoints.

Baggage

Koru and United status helped us go from 1 bag each at 50lbs to 3 bags each at 70lbs. We used Amazon hard shell luggage (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D95QJLPB ). They were solid and well-priced. We also grabbed a luggage scale (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWFHRGD) to make sure there wouldn’t be any surprises at check-in. All of the luggage has an AirTag in it. That came in handy when we landed in AKL and a bag was missing. We could see it was still in LAX.

The bag that was delayed showed up the next day. It was delivered to our home. The bag was the heaviest and was badly beaten up. 2 handles and a wheel were broken. We packed things carefully. Airline bags get thrown around. The heavier they are, the bigger the beating they will take. Fortunately, the bag protected it’s contents. Unfortunately, we had to take it to EcoDrop once we unpacked it. 

Dragging Bags

Dragging 6 large bags across ORD and AKL did create some stress and require some planning. After moving out of our home in Chicago, we checked into the Airport Hilton at Ohare with our bags. To get them there, I rented a large SUV that could haul them all. I booked the same in Christchurch to get our bags from the airport to our home. 

I grabbed a couple of SmartCarts ($7 each at ORD) to get our bags to the check in desk in ORD. The trolleys are free of charge at AKL. Landing in AKL currently requires a 10 minute walk from the International terminal to the Domestic terminal (to get to Christchurch.) Koru membership was helpful here because there is a dedicated check-in desk at the Auckland domestic terminal. We dropped off our 5 bags (I had one missing) then went through security to jump on our last leg of travel.

Car Rental

In the US, I rent from Hertz (and have some status/perks.) The experience with Hertz is very easy, quick and professional. Hertz has limited selection of cars, though. Ezi has a wider selection of cars, a larger inventory and generally better prices: https://www.ezicarrental.co.nz/. I rented from both on different trips and they were great. The only real differences are costs and car types.

Domestic NZ Travel

When traveling domestically in NZ, it feels like a time machine. When I’m flying to most destinations from Christchurch, I don’t go through security scanners at all. I walk off the street to the gate, scan my boarding pass and get on the plane. If flying on a larger plane, I go through a metal detector, and my bags are scanned but my ID isn’t normally checked and my boarding pass isn’t checked until the gate. It’s quite a throwback to the 80’s and 90’s. This also means that you can meet someone at the gate or act out a 90’s rom-com and chase your lover to the gate before they depart forever.

Another thing is Air New Zealand domestic flights do not have business or first class. Kiwis are egalitarian and everyone rides coach. I’ve been on flights with celebrities and politicians. No special treatment except for boarding order (Star Alliance Gold, Air NZ Gold or Air NZ Koru members can board early.)

Domestic flights do not currently have wifi or power, so plan accordingly. Download ebooks, shows, movies and music. Have battery chargers in case of delays. Speaking of delays, they are pretty common. The weather, overbooking and infrastructure issues all lead to a pretty high level of delays or cancellations. Be sure to pack patience and book travel with those delays in mind (use a cushion of time,)

Banking

I chose to bank with ANZ (https://www.anz.co.nz/personal/.) ANZ is an Australian bank and is widely available in both New Zealand and Australia. They also have broad access to capital and services. I have been treated politely and promptly by the staff and have found their online tools to be more than sufficient. I had a ton of delays and hurdles in onboarding WitFoo, a US Corporation, with a bank account but otherwise I’ve been relatively happy. 

In talking about the decision with local friends and entrepreneurs, many recommended local banks that may be more inclined to engage and invest than the monster bank that ANZ is.

Wise.com (previously TransferWise) is a great way to move money from USD to NZD. Wise also comes with a debit card that can be used to spend NZD in my Wise account. One thing to note is that at cash registers, Wise debit card works as credit (only) which often come with a 1% to 3% surcharge. TorFX is also recommended by locals for better customer service than Wise in transferring large sums of money.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) & IRD

To open a bank account at ANZ, I needed to do 2 things in person. The first was completing anti-money laundering (AML) verification and providing proof of an address. This is what I did ahead of my first trip to NZ:

The “proof of address" requirement initially threw me for a loop. I assumed it needed to be a permanent address but in retrospect, it was an internal documentation requirement for the bank and not a legal requirement. 

In the Auckland ANZ branch, we received online logins and our debit cards, and we were ready to pay bills and buy flat whites.

Cash Registers

New Zealand is almost entirely cashless but there are some nuances in paying by card:

  • Credit card payment – normally comes with a 1% to 3% surcharge. Non-NZ debit cards are typically treated as credit cards in this regard.
  • EFTPOS – use of NZ bank issued debit card with chip and pin. It is the least likely to charge a surcharge.
  • Paywave – Tap-to-pay including the card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Paywave may also carry a surcharge.

ATM and Tellers

Cash machines are pretty much the same as in the US. I typically go into the branch to get cash so I can have smaller bills (mostly for tipping.)  Tangential note: I was encouraged to remove my hat when entering the branch for security reasons.

Bank Transfers

A NZ bank account also contains the bank number and branch. The first number is the bank, the second number (after the first hyphen) is the bank branch number. The remainder is the account number.

In the US, services like Zelle and Venmo allow cash transfers. NZ has a very mature “Bank Transfer” system that is widely used. If someone shares their bank number with you, you can add them as a payee and send money (normally without fee.) You can also use your bank number to set up automatic debits (like an US ACH debit.)

Budgeting App – PocketSmith

PocketSmith is a New Zealand based budgeting application. It’s like Mint or Rocket Money in the US. All the apps use Plaid as a service to synchronize bank transaction. PocketSmith also is able to connect to NZ and other international banks. PocketSmith is much lighter on features compared to the US products but does provide cashflow forecasting, budgeting and transaction searches. I made the switch purely because I needed to access my ANZ bank accounts along with my US accounts. Some of the nomenclature and approaches were unexpected and unintuitive. The biggest issue is how it combines budgets, payees, and categories. Not having a choice to use something else, I learned the PocketSmith way. It does a good job of translating currency to NZD when it’s appropriate to a report. I needed a good way to figure out my actual spending and maintaining a budget. To get the international support, I do have to pay a $25/month subscription fee, though.

Finding Housing in Christchurch

Our relocation advisor was key to us finding a great neighborhood and home. I mentioned this earlier, but I am certain that we would have landed 1) in a less ideal neighborhood, 2) a less adorable and comfortable home and 3) ended up with less attractive terms if Emma wouldn’t have been driving the efforts. 

Emma and her company (Mobile Relocation) spent the time asking about the activities and interests Mai and I have. She used that information and subsequent time with us to figure out what we needed in a neighborhood and in a home. We would exchange listings on TradeMe (https://www.trademe.co.nz/) to figure out what was important to us.

Tenant Profile

To help Emma put together a profile of Mai and me, we asked our professional and personal contacts to write recommendations for us. We were already doing this work as part of our immigration package, so it was a light lift with a few modifications. We had been renting in Chicago since selling our home so we were able to get a letter from our old landlord as well. In negotiating our lease, Emma used that plus personal highlights about Mai and me.

Landlord Interview

Emma found an interesting listing that seemed to hit all our wish list items. She reached out to the landlords and booked an interview via Teams. We struck it off with the landlords (the husband and I now have a standing meeting at the local pub every Wednesday afternoon and Mai goes on walks with his partner regularly.) 

Virtual Tour

As much as we would have liked to fly in to look at the home, the cost and timing prevented it. Emma and the landlords took us through a walkthrough on Facetime. They were good enough to provide us measurements and answer questions. We recorded that walkthrough and used it in guiding how we packed out our household goods. 

Healthy Homes Standards

New Zealand HVAC standards and technologies are very different than the US. The lease must include declarations on “Healthy Homes Standards” (see: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/.) Many assumptions and expectations are different, so I was cautioned to pay close attention to the declarations from the landlord. 

Negotiating

Our home was fully furnished, which turned out to be great in the period of waiting for our goods to arrive from the US. Emma was able to negotiate the landlords into agreeing to putting some of their furniture in storage when our goods arrived. We were able to sign the lease and pay the bond in April for June arrival.

The Blessings of an Early Address

It’s not lost on me that it’s a minor miracle that we found what we now consider to be the perfect rental home for us before we arrived back in NZ. The first reason it was such a blessing was we were really exhausted from the work of leaving the US. Our patience and energy levels were very low. The prospect of jumping right into house hunting would not have been ideal. The other side of the blessing is knowing what we were moving into shaped how we packed and what we sold/discarded. Also, having a permanent address helped in shipping, banking and billing. As we were closing accounts in the US, it was nice having a permanent address to use.

There is no way we would have been able to have these blessings had we not engaged with Emma and her team. Being able to leave the airport and go straight to our new home, and find it to be everything we hoped, made the arrival in New Zealand that much more magical and wonderful.

Cellphone & Internet

US Number

Because of my business in the US (and regular travel to it) we opted to keep our AT&T cell phone numbers active with less expensive plans. Many immigrants that I’ve chatted with recommend porting the number to Google Voice to save money instead of paying the US Carrier.

NZ Number

Before our first trip, I purchased eSims from Spark Mobile (https://www.spark.co.nz/). We have unlocked iPhones that support dual active eSims. This allows us to use both numbers on our phones. Apple gives a good tutorial and overview on it here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/109317. Spark offers temporary travel plans, but we opted to go ahead and lock in a recurring plan. I had to use Spark’s chat app to get it done. They also needed a NZ address, so I used our first hotel. I had also initially planned on using the Spark bill as “proof of address” for the bank but the bill did not show Mai’s name (this is why we went the IRD path.)

It was nice being able to give out my NZ number on travel initially and for connecting with personal and business contacts as we were travelling. I had heard Kiwis are particularly suspicious of dealing with international phone numbers.

One other benefit of getting a Spark account setup is that it reports to the local credit bureaus. By the time we moved to Christchurch, we had 6 months credit established.

Internet

We have Gig speed Internet with Spark as well. The cost is covered in our rent payment. It’s extremely reliable and fast. Aside from the 150ms latency to the US (which is a limitation of the speed of light), I don’t have a single issue with it. 

App Store

There are some cool apps that are not in the US iPhone App Store. My banking app, several of the shopping and entertainment apps are only available in the New Zealand App Store. The App store for Apple is attached to the account (not the iPhone) so switching it meant a full change (see: https://support.apple.com/en-us/118283). The biggest hurdle was all subscriptions on my Apple Account must be cancelled AND must expire before I could switch App Stores. Mai uses Apple Music and shifting from US to NZ required her to redownload her music. It is a minor pain. It also prevented me from getting updates to the AT&T app (which isn’t available in the NZ store.) 

Credit Reporting

For better or worse, US Credit history doesn’t impact credit applications in NZ. There are 3 credit agencies, but they operate off different data. Experian is the only shared name, but it operates independently of its US counterpart. Like in the US, you can request an annual report from each bureau. Details on that can be found here: https://www.govt.nz/browse/consumer-rights-and-complaints/debt-and-credit-records/check-your-own-credit-report/

Out of curiosity and paranoia, I signed up for credit monitoring from Equifax. It costs $70 NZD per year. Details are here: https://www.equifax.co.nz/sites/default/files/VED515_VSABrochure_FA_HR.pdf

Both Sky (cable) & Spark (phone) checked my credit when I established accounts. As I mentioned in the “NZ Number” section, getting a phone account before moving helped establish credit before I moved. By the time I had moved, my Experian rating was in the top 20% of New Zealanders (which triggered a lot of other questions for me to answer later.)

Budgeting and Reality

I did a lot of planning on budgets, and I was off on almost everything. I was about 40% over my conservative budget on moving costs. There were taxes that I didn’t know about. Because we were stressed and disoriented, we ate out more than we normally do. We needed to buy several things for the new house than we expected. 

Not having moved in 14 years, I had forgotten how expensive “little” things can be. Plates, blankets, towels and toiletries add up quickly. I don’t regret the overspending but I wish I would have approached that with more humility and bumped the budget up 50% or 100% to remove the stress that shot through my body every time we had to make another unexpected purchase.

As I mentioned in the Banking section above, PocketSmith did help me get a handle on things in the second month, once most of the dust had settled and my blood pressure dropped a bit.

Rubbish, Recycling and EcoDrop

When we arrived at our new home, we noticed there were 3 rubbish bins (aka trash cans.)

  • Green – For compostable waste. Yard waste & food scraps go in there.
  • Yellow – Recyclables. Plastics 1, 2 & 5 can be put in these bins. Clean paper, cardboard, aluminum and glass containers.
  • Red – Landfill

Here is a guide from Christchurch that we reference when we get confused: https://ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling

Moving in and buying things produces an extra mountain of rubbish. To handle that, we drove it out to the EcoDrop (https://ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/ecodrops). It’s basically the dump and recycling center in one. The personnel were kind enough to answer our “fresh off the boat” questions. We were glad to have gone; it made us much more confident about how to handle our rubbish. 

Shipping & Logistics

Shipping things to and around New Zealand have come in a few ways so far. 

  • NZ Post – The primary mail carrier in NZ. I registered with them with my address. Their app is easy to use and allows me to change delivery instructions or locations. I was even able to route packages to my next-door neighbor/landlord while we were moving. When I ship letters or packages back to the US or inside NZ, I typically use them. https://www.nzpost.co.nz/. The local NZ Post office is about 1km from my home. It’s where I pick up packages that I missed pickup on. There are also NZ Post kiosks in pharmacies, book shops and other locations for buying postage and sending letters and parcels.
  • New Zealand Couriers – A private operator that moves a lot of packages. At first I confused them with NZ Post (which is publicly owned). Some shippers use them to move packages domestically. https://nzcouriers.co.nz/.
  • DHL  - DHL moves a lot of international packages in NZ. Amazon shipments often arrive via DHL.
  • UPS -  I sent some computers Air Freight from Chicago. UPS handed off the package to “Kiwi Oversized” after customs for final delivery. One thing that was a problem was UPS outsources almost everything in NZ. On top of outsourcing delivery, they also outsource customs work to the brokerage, “Fliway Air & Ocean.” One clear lesson is to make sure the shipping label has 1) NZ phone number and 2) a good email address. Fliway was extremely hard to get a hold of and will need to email customs documents and UPS needs to send invoice for customs.
  • Parcel App – The Parcel App on the iPhone Store has been a lifesaver in managing all these things. It plugs into my US and AU Amazon accounts to track the shipments including when they are inevitably handed off to another carrier. I paste my tracking numbers from the different carriers into the app and it keeps me informed on delivery status. 

Transportation in Christchurch

We settled in Christchurch Central, which as it sounds is at the heart of Christchurch. It makes getting around very easy for us. Even arriving at the beginning of Winter, we’re able to walk almost all days (with the help of an umbrella.) Along with utilizing delivery services we haven’t felt a strong need to prioritize buying a car.

Our situation does speak volumes to how selecting a neighborhood shaped most of our living decisions. If we were living in a more remote suburb, we’d be traveling almost everywhere by car instead of the walking we do in Chch Central.

Metro Bus System

Ahead of leaving the US, I ordered Metro Cards online for delivery to our new address (https://www.metroinfo.co.nz/metrocard/.) The cards showed up via NZ Post. Once we arrived, we could set up automatic replenishment on the cards. The bus runs at very convenient intervals. One-way with transfers are currently $2 NZD. That means I can go from the airport to Sumner beach for $2. The Bus Interchange (think mini–Grand Central Station or Union Station) is in the heart of the city. Virtually all lines run through the Bus Interchange. Because of the location, there is no shortage of cafes, pubs or restaurants within 100m. There is also a convenience store in the station. 

The buses are clean and comfortable. You tag-in when you get on the bus and do not tag-out to get off. I generally use Google maps to find the routes I want to take. I also use Google maps to help me see where I should get off (especially on a new trip.) Some buses have screens that describe the next stop but many currently don’t. It means I often watch my trip on phone. Before approaching my stop, I push a “stop” button to signal to the driver that I’d like to get off at the next stop. That should also illuminate a “Bus Stopping” light in the bus. On exiting the bus I have observed it is customary and common to say, “Thank you!” to the driver as exiting the bus.

Lime & Ario e-scooters

Uber runs Lime e-Scooters (https://www.li.me/)  in Christchurch. Ario was recently discontinued as an alternative. They are well distributed across the city. They are easy to find, easy to ride and a fast way to get from point A to point B. They can be ridden on sidewalks and bike paths which makes them a flexible way to move. They are also quite thrilling. There is some good guidance on the rules of the road and how to park them here: https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/shared-scooters. Once the apps are set up and the first ride or 2 are completed, it becomes second nature. The charge is typically $3 to start and additional time per minute rented.

Personal Bicycles, e-Bikes and Scooters

The bike paths inside of Christchurch are really fantastic. Many people own their own bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters. The main benefit over rental/shared e-scooters is the savings against renting scooters. Also, the customizations you can make to your own ride. While I haven’t noticed it first-hand, I have received several warnings that property theft of bikes and scooters is pretty common. Taking care to secure the bike or scooter has been my primary concern for getting one. The price of renting an e-Scooter also includes freedom to not worry about it being stolen.

I don’t expect I’ll make it too much longer before getting an eBike and enjoying the beautiful trails and paths the area has to offer, though.

Uber

Uber is in Christchurch and pretty easy to get one. The prices have been extremely reasonable and I have only had 5-star service from the drivers. I have seen reports (mostly north in Auckland) of Uber drivers gouging passengers but that doesn’t align with my experiences so far.

Driving

Aside from the different signage, metric system and being on the left side of the road, driving is much easier than driving in Chicago. There is slower tempo and much less occurrence of road rage than I had before moving.

NZ Driver’s License

You can drive on a US drivers license for up to 18 months after moving here. To get a New Zealand license, you need 1) your passport 2) your US drivers license 3) if your DL issuance date is less than 2 years ago, you also need to provide proof that you’ve been driving at least 2 years. A motor vehicles report from Illinois did it for Mai (my license was old enough.) AA branches are the best places to get it done. They ask that an appointment for “International DL Conversion” be made to convert. It took about 2 weeks for my license to show up in the mail. More detailed info is available here: https://www.aa.co.nz/drivers/driver-licences/overseas-licence-conversions/

Parking

In Christchurch, most street parking is free and unregulated. Some spaces may have a parking limit. P30 means I can park for 30 minutes. P10 means I need to move the car in 10 minutes. Where metered street parking is enforced, it is typically handled by PayMyPark (https://paymypark.com/). I downloaded and set up the app and it was cake.

Dining out

There are a couple of notes about dining out that I’ve been working through. For the most part, it’s almost identical to the US but some things are curveballs.

Pay at the counter

When we first arrived in NZ I waited a very long time on our check to discover it was never coming to the table. In almost all casual and fine dining, the bill is paid at the counter. In café and pubs its common to pay for the order and not keep a tab open at all. It’s a minor change and easy to adapt to but I wish I knew about it before looking like a dumb and impatient patron.

Water

As a rule, water is self-service. Most cafes, pubs, and restaurants have carafes of water for self service. If you’re going to drink several glasses of water, feel free to snag an entire bottle/carafe. There are no straws or ice so if you need either, order it. You can safely order water without an eyeroll or judgement just don’t expect it to show up at your table.

Takeaway

Ordering food for takeaway (takeout in the US) is a common experience. With all the beautiful parks there is cause to walk a short distance and dine peacefully in a beautiful location. Uber Eats was our go to app if we wanted to stay home. In Christchurch, Uber Eats will also deliver groceries & alcohol.

Tipping

When using a point-of-sale register, I am rarely presented with an opportunity to add a tip. Tipping is rare but appreciated in NZ. This means I must carry cash when I want to tip in most scenarios. 

In the US, tipping has become so compulsory that it wore me out. Having lived in Japan where tipping is virtually prohibited, I found myself frustrated when I couldn’t express gratitude for exceptional service with a gratuity. Tipping in New Zealand is not expected which creates a more nuanced dynamic. I generally tip using the following guidance:

  • Should I be sincerely grateful for the service? Being “fresh off the boat” I often require more attention, have more questions and on occasion create accidental problems. I almost always am given exceptional patience, assistance and kindness. Reflecting on the service, I am regularly compelled to express my gratitude.
  • Can I give a gratuity in a way that will encourage the server? This is a wrinkle we don’t have in the US. In NZ, because a tip is not expected, it can cause confusion when it is offered. Kiwis are rightly a proud people in an egalitarian culture. The first pitfall I want to avoid is making the gratuity feel like a favor, charity or pity. In no way should I look like a “big shot” in giving it. I need to deliver it in a way that shows appreciation and lifts us the service provider. I also need to present it in a way that doesn’t feel exploitative. Being a middle-aged man, shoving a handful of cash at an unexpecting young lady can come off extremely creepy. If Mai is with me, I generally ask her to give it because she is a much sweeter giver than me. If I decide it’s appropriate and helpful to give a gratuity, I should always accompany it with a sincere expression of thanks.

Having been stationed overseas years ago, it was impressed on me that whether I want it or not, I am serving as a representative to the US with all my actions. I do my best to be a good neighbor and good representative of my birth nation. Tipping (when appropriate) is a concrete way, when done well, to express gratitude to the kindness to my Kiwi hosts. Also, because it’s not expected, a little can go a long way. You really can’t be a bad tipper in NZ. If you chose to never tip while in NZ, it would not cause any problems.

Update: When tipping, I now typically say, “I’m very thankful for the great experience and service. Would it be ok if I add a $x tip?” That seems to be well received in most scenarios.

Last note is in trying to solve my tipping hurdle in Japan, I found that going out and buying a small gift (chocolates, wine, whiskey, etc.) and delivering it with a thank you note worked well and was well received. Sometimes a thoughtful gift can be a more effective way of expressing gratitude without the dynamics of tipping.

Hats for Stars

Unlike Chicago, Michelin does not review restaurants in New Zealand. Top-tier restaurants are ranked using 1 to 3 Cuisine Good Food Guide (CGFG) “Hats”. The hats aim to be peers of Michelin stars. The guide can be accessed here: https://www.cuisine.co.nz/cgfg2023-hatted-restaurants/. They are issued every other year. These reviews are done by professionals and are thoughtful and balanced. TripAdvisor provides crowd-sourced reviews in almost real-time. Overall, Christchurch provides plenty of options for dining from casual to exceptional experiences. I keep my favorite places to drink and eat in Chicago on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TSURbmFetiemRZne7

Shopping

It is still early days for us so I expect much of my thoughts on shopping will change but I wanted to outline some notes we have learned. Liz (It’s a Drama) has a few segments on grocery stores, dairies and other shopping that is much more thoughtful that I can compile but I thought it would be helpful to outline where I am currently buying things that I don’t buy locally.

  • Amazon.com & Amazon.com.au – I can shop from the Australian Amazon or the US Amazon stores. Not everything in either store can ship to NZ. I purchased almost everything in Chicago from Amazon so finding new, local ways is taking time to learn. It typically takes 2-5 days for things to come from AU and 6-10 days from the US store.
  • PB Tech – A tech store like Fryes or MicroCenter in the US. It’s a great resource for gadgets, cables and computer parts. Converting my electric cables to AU/NZ versions, getting battery backups, computer monitors, a new printer and a dozen cables and adapters came from PB Tech. They ship nationally and there is a local store nearby in Chch. The prices are fantastic. There is an app in the iPhone App Store.
  • New World Groceries – Not having a car currently, grocery delivery is a must. New World’s selection is fantastic and delivery is easily available in neighborhood at a low price. There is an easy to use app in the iPhone app store.
  • iHerb – iHerb will ship us nutritional supplements from NZ or US. It covered many of gaps we had. We’re trying to shift to NZ equivalents that we can pick up from our local pharmacy but we still have work to make those changes.
  • Briscoes – Great selection of home goods at good prices. It’s very much like a Bed Bath & Beyond. Reasonable shipping prices.
  • Harvey Norman – The Macy’s of New Zealand. They carry premium appliances and goods at premium prices. They carry many seasonal sales with deep discounts. I often order from the website. The shipping is fast and reasonable.

As we’re exploring our neighborhood and town, we’re finding boutique shops and stores that have options to replace our dependency on Amazon. NZ doesn’t have a ton of department stores or big box stores so slowing down and looking around like its 1980 is a skill we’re relearning.

Also, there is no Apple Store or many other things I take for granted in Chicago. If there is a specific part or product that I want, I need to be comfortable enough to wait or I need to jump on a plane to Sydney.

Entertainment

Virtually all of the entertainment is different here. There are no Cubs, Bulls or Bears equivalents here. Learning about Netball, Rugby and Cricket are great ways to fill those holes. TV programming is also very different. My notes below are far from exhaustive but have been helpful to us.

In-home

In virtually every chat room or pub I visit, someone will explain how they access foreign TV programming via NordVPN and a dedicated IP address. I won’t document here but it’s common for locals and expats looking for more content than NZ has available.

Over the air, there are several channels from TVNZ. They are also available streaming through the TVNZ+ app. Sky TV offers cable services. We have a SkyPod which is an Android TV device that streams the cable channels to our TV over our Internet connection. It has a wide array of US based news, sports, comedy and movie channels at reasonable prices. It’s also a must for catching 24 hours sports and premium matches.

Netflix, Disney+ and a few other stream in NZ as well.

Venues

We’ve been to a few concerts and sporting events since arriving. The tickets tend to be either on Ticketmaster or Ticketek NZ. Ticket prices seem to be much more affordable than I’m accustomed to in Chicago. I’ve signed up for notifications from my local sports teams and the agents above to get notifications of upcoming events. Christchurch hosts a much smaller number of events than Chicago so an event coming around is exciting and the notification volume is manageable. 

Movies

Hoyts is the mainstream movie theater (like AMC in the US.) Hoyts in the CBD has a posh LUX offering with alcohol and food service. The standard theaters have comfortable recliners. Most of the new releases in the US, make it to Hoyt screens close to the same time.

Lumiere theater is in the Arts Centre. It shows the non-mainstream and art films. It’s a great experience with full bar, great wine and cheese selections.

Arts Centre

The Arts Centre is a gem of a venue. There are several recitals and concerts that are great quality at a value. The main hall seats a little more than 100 people. Mai and I regularly enjoy the lunchtime concerts.

Healthcare

Healthcare has been a refreshing change. We did purchase private insurance through SouthernCross. When we arrived, we booked an online call with a doctor on CareHQ to refill our prescriptions. I picked out a nearby pharmacy ahead of the call and the doctor sent the scripts there electronically. It was pleasant and easy. It was also free.

To enroll with a GP, I looked for doctors with good reviews at a convenient location. Fortunately for us, a new practice opened up right next to our gym. I was able to enroll and immediately meet with the GP. They hosted a web portal to upload our documents. A few days later, I received notification that they were able to see us. I understand that is not normal practice given the current understaffing. It sounds like things vary widely based on location and specialty. The doctors’ nurses and assistance have all been very helpful. Our practice uses “MyIndici 2.0” healthcare software which allows us to make appointments and request refills via the app.

I could not be more impressed and relieved by our experiences to date with New Zealand healthcare.

Mental Health

Most of most days, I really enjoyed being in New Zealand. It is an objectively better quality of life than how we were living in Chicago. As I mentioned earlier, all the (mostly good) changes put a significant load on my mind to process. It also creates many more opportunities for my mind to resurface unresolved traumas that I was able to completely suppress before the move. That coupled with the stress of the move created pockets of anxiety for me.

 In the first couple of months, I went from drinking once or twice a month to drinking almost everyday and some of those days, it was quite heavy. I didn't like the direction and decided to seek out some help. I reached out to BEAM Counseling and started meeting every other week. The sessions were affordable at $150/session. I wish I would have started it sooner. I would have hated to miss the opportunity for growth all the change created.

Mental Health – Anchoring

Living in Central Christchurch surrounds me with a ton of new things to explore and enjoy. I continue to enjoy the feeling of exploration and discovery. One of the techniques that helped me adjust was adding blocks of time to my day that resembled established patterns. I played old video games, rewatched favorite TV shows & movies, read favorite books and booked days when I would change out of my PJs, shower and get into fresh PJs. Giving my brain some familiar activity that triggered happiness turned out to be a huge help.

Mental Health – Forest Bathing

Going on a walk with just my thoughts through Hagley Park & The Gardens each day started structuring my thoughts and helping me calm down. It can not be overstated how important Christchurch’s beautiful Botanic Gardens have been in our move. It is beautiful, peaceful & free. Being a short walk away from them is an unexplainable blessing.

Mental Health – Massage & Meditation

Last thing that helped was booking regular meditation & massage sessions at my gym. Mai is big into yoga and IHF Health Club has a lot of classes. The cost of membership (~$200 a fortnight) would not be worth it if it wasn't the abundance of high quality classes. I started taking fitness classes and mindfulness classes that really helped. They also have a great set of massage therapist on hand (for an additional fee.) It's helped my mental health while making my body a little less soft.

Lovoir day spa is across from IHF. I wish we would have found it earlier. The massage & treatments are extremely relaxing & reasonably priced.

Winter in Christchurch

Coming from 20 years of Chicago winters, I did not expect to have anything novel to learn from a Christchurch winter. It is rare for there to be frost or snow. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing. I did have some struggles in Chch, though. A local said to me in my local pub, “Christchurch winters aren’t that cold but it’s hard to ever get warm during them.” I found myself quickly agreeing with him. 

Winter without a Furnace

The major difference comparing Chicago to Christchurch in winter is how things are heated. In Chicago, we burn natural gas virtually around the clock to keep our homes and businesses toasty. Then eco-friendly Kiwis don’t use natural gas like we do in the US. 

The primary source of heating (and cooling) is a “heat pump.” A heat pump uses the same technology as what we call an “air conditioner” in the US. It uses refrigerant and compressors to move heat around. In a US A/C unit, heat from the home is collected and exhausted outside. That’s still true with a NZ heat pump. What happens in the winter is that process is reversed where heat is extracted from outside and pumped into the house.

From a utility perspective, it’s like running the A/C year-round triggering an elevated electricity bill but lacking the gas bill we get in the winter. It also makes Kiwis conscious of when they run the heat pump (in the same way a typical US father would scream for “cooling the whole neighborhood.”)

Heating Innovations

Because Kiwi’s are sensitive to their energy bills, they like to keep the heat pump off as much as possible. That means alternative methods of keeping things warm occur. 

Wool, Sheepskin and Possum

New Zealand is known for its wool and sheep. First thing we picked up were Wilson and Dorset (Sheepskin Reimagined – Wilson & Dorset) sheepskin slippers. That was a big help. The next thing we did was pick up merino/possum/silk socks and warm blankets from Swoon (Homeware | Lifestyle | Online Store | Café | Swoonstore) down the street. The socks were a game changer for me. I was warming up almost everywhere but my feet and the socks made a huge difference. If you’re like me and curious about the merits of possum wool, this article covers the broad strokes: What Is Possum Merino And Why Does It Keep You So Warm?. 

Electric Blankets

Our furnished home came with a bed with electric blankets. I’m glad it did because I probably wouldn’t have tried it otherwise. I keep the blanket on low and it keeps me at perfect temperature now. 

Sauna

We enrolled in a swanky gym that I initially worried was a bit overpriced. There are closer, less expensive options to IHF (IHF Health Club) but one of the best amenities is the sauna. We visit the gym more days than we miss (even on days when we don’t work out) to sit in the sauna for a bit. It’s proven to be a great reset on days when we felt cold.

Night Storage Heater

One other innovation here in NZ is the “Night Storage Heater” (NSH). NSH charges at night when electricity is cheaper. It heats what are essentially thermal bricks during the nighttime period then exhausts that heat throughout the day.

Electric Radiators

Just like in drafty rooms in Chicago, it’s not uncommon to use an electric radiator to warm a space. 

Winter Allergies?

One nice thing in Chicago winter is no pollen can exist in it. That’s not true in Christchurch. Flowers are blooming and our apple tree was giving apples a full 3 weeks into winter. I’ve had a bear of a time adjusting to the new ragweed. My local nurse remarked that she has particularly strong allergies in Christchurch that she didn’t have elsewhere. I use Claritin in the US for seasonal allergies. Here it is branded as Claratyne. It works well here.

While one of the best things of not burning natural gas all year around is the NZ air is so clean it almost tastes sweet, the pollen is likely new for anyone not spending time here. The gardens and flora are diverse in Christchurch. It’s beautiful to look at but sometimes through eyes tearing up ready to sneeze. It has prompted us to add a couple Dyson air purifiers to help us adjust.

Along those same lines, moving in the Chicago summer didn’t give me an opportunity to think through a NZ flu season. I wish I would have gotten my seasonal shots again after landing in NZ.

Sorting my Schedule

Once the work of settling in had slowed down, I found myself quite disoriented not having a proper schedule. Mai would also remark that it made me rather grumpy & intolerable. Working for a US company, I must juggle the US work schedule with my NZ work. In the Winter, NZ is 17 hours ahead of Chicago (15 hours at the respective time changes in the NZ Spring.) That leaves me waking up just before lunch in Chicago.

I did my best to balance US expectations and my intention of not dragging all my US anxiety here with me. I landed on this schedule:

0500 – 0600 : Wake up and orient
0600 – 1100 : Take US meetings and do the bulk of my work (US or NZ)
1100 – 1500 : Midday break. I go for walks, go to the gym, catch a matinee, go the café, etc. Generally try to enjoy the best hours of NZ.
1500 – 1800 : Either work through administrative tasks (answering emails, reviewing others work, setting up my calendar, etc) or have NZ in-person meetings.

I tend to make both Saturday and Monday flexible. I deal with pressing matters in NZ on Monday (when US is still on Sunday) and pressing matters in the US on Saturday (US Friday) but otherwise try to make them a leisure, weekend day. Most weeks it generally equates to a 3 day weekend but some weeks, Sunday is my only true day off.

This schedule has worked well for me. I shifted my US meetings to the Chicago afternoon before I moved to help people become accustomed to my availability. I still don’t love waking up to whatever fresh fire is brewing in the US but otherwise, I find that I’m able to cover all bases, be efficient with my work and enjoy a more balanced life. Ideally, I can eventually offload my US responsibilities and not live in time zone limbo.

Physically Adjusting

While I wish I could have left my middle-aged body and traumas in the US and swapped them out when I landed in New Zealand for newer, healthier models, I was stuck with what I have. I expect everyone’s experience will vary based on their mental and physical fitness, age, and life experiences, it took me much longer than I thought for my body and mind to adjust.

Body Adjustments

The change in time zones, climate, sunshine schedule and seasons coupled with the toil of moving had my body in sub-optimal conditions for weeks.

Sleep

Almost 6 weeks before we moved, I started shifting my sleep and work schedule to New Zealand time. It’s a big shift in time zones and I wanted to minimize the impact. I used approaches I learned in this Huberman Lab podcast to move my clock. I was mostly adjusted when we landed and sleeping well after the first 5-8 days. Mai decided to adjust after we landed and it took about 4 weeks before she was sleeping well through the night.

I brought my pillow in my luggage. That was a big help. I needed to calibrate the light, sound and temperature of the bedroom and it took a few weeks to get that completely perfect, mostly because I didn’t prioritize it over the other priorities.

So much of my mental and physical adjustments seem to be closely related to sleep so it would have been wise to focus on getting sleep right as much as possible earlier.

Digestion

It took almost 3 full weeks for my digestion routines to balance out. I didn’t spend enough time incorporating probiotics like kimchi, natto and kombucha into the schedule. My sleep schedule and stress also probably played a part in that as well.

Mental Adjustment

Sleep and gut health undoubtedly played a part in my mind adjusting, and vice versa. I had vivid and often disturbing dreams for several weeks after moving. I took the stance that I was taking away many of the things that anchored my mind and that I needed to spend dedicated time helping it to explain all the changes. It was downright horrible at this the first 2 to 3 weeks in a mad dash of getting everything done. By the time I got into the fourth week, I had several quiet touch points alone with my thoughts. They were 1) a solo walk 2) time in the sauna at the gym 3) sitting at the pub in the afternoon and 4) praying (normally in the shower.) 

It was very important for me to acknowledge fear and other emotions as they showed up; and they showed up frequently. My perception was that my mind was sorting out the new world and testing if the “old ways” of understanding the world still worked. That process regularly brought up flashes of old, largely addressed traumas that my mind wanted to reevaluate in this new world. It reminded me a bit of how we packed the house up. Every item was evaluated and we had to decide if we would take it with us, replace it with something in New Zealand or live without it all together. 

I expect the rigor and predictability of my previous routine let me avoid these conversations with my mind and the unfamiliar places, sounds, and other stimuli had my mind working in overdrive. I’m thankful that in the years leading up to the move, I spent time with mental healthy professionals building skills for these internal conversations. In retrospect, it would have been prudent to have some professional mental health support lined up as close to landing as feasible. In my case at least, my feelings and thoughts were asking more of me than I can remember in my adult years.

Lessons and Observations

I’m a task-oriented person. I made and maintained detailed plans. I took great joy in checking things off those monster task lists. I know that set of skills served us well in the move. What I underestimated or didn’t see at all was some “softer”, ineffable categories of tasks.

The first is it takes time to biologically adjust to moving time zones and hemispheres. When sleep is off, my entire body, my emotions, my energy are all off. It took a solid 2 weeks to fully adjust from a Chicago Summer to a Christchurch Winter. I wish I would have been kinder to my schedule in the earliest days. I should have respected the limited energy and emotional capacity that I had in the early adjustment. I was so concerned with finishing my checklist that I overdid it regularly. That caused stress for both Mai and me.

The second major thing I missed is that there are many new skills I need to learn. Driving is an obvious one but smaller things like how to find the right bus, how to get on and when to get off all require new skills. It’s always stressful for the brain to obtain new skills. It takes time, energy and recovery to learn new skills. It’s much more work to learn a new simple skill than doing complicated familiar tasks. There is also a lot of wonder available in learning skills. I regularly find myself rushing and not savoring the moments of learning cool new things about my new world. Once I started giving that process the respect and time it warrants, I enjoyed the process of being a novice on bus riding or watching rugby. Enjoying the journey and not rushing to the destination has become a regular reminder for me.

Another key observation is that I have benefited greatly when I take some time to look for new brands or approaches to my life. Kiwis do things differently than Americans. There are many circumstances where I think the American way serves me best, but I regularly find experimenting with the New Zealand way is more pleasurable, healthy or sustainable. Drinking flat whites instead of cappuccinos is one Kiwi change I love. Many food, wine, coffee, and beer brands are just fresher, better and more affordable than my Chicago choices. Even my wardrobe is looking more Kiwi. When I make the time to experiment and research the Kiwi way I am often (but not always) swayed to a new habit.

I mentioned it earlier, but the tempo of life and temperament is much different in Christchurch than in Chicago. I still have a lot of connection and business in the US, so I don’t have the ability of fully adopting a “She’ll be right” attitude but I do find it suits me to reevaluate my thoughts, traumas and aspirations with the help of my newly discovered Kiwi nature. I find the Kiwi perspective helps me solve hurts and problems that my previous perspective could not address.

Both Mai and I have observed many positive changes to our mental health in the journey. Part of it is embracing the move as an opportunity to reevaluate our world view, habits and values. The other part is the radical change in environment, culture and temperament. Our biometric gadgets have had such great across-the-board improvements on rest, stress and recovery, it looks like we have miraculously recovered from a horrible sickness. I think it’s fair to split the credit of quality-of-life improvements between our efforts and the magic of New Zealand.

100 Day Update

Our household goods have arrived, Spring has sprung and we’ve slept 100 nights in our new home. Below are some insights we picked up over our first 100 days in New Zealand.

Finishing the Move

With our household fully furnished and decorated, the checklists all complete, and an established routine, we do finally feel moved in. I still suffer from disorientation due to the difference in seasons and time zones. We recently participated in Halloween trick-or-treating and decorated the house and it didn’t occur to me that it wouldn’t get dark in this part of the world until almost 9pm. Mondays in Christchurch are Sundays in Chicago and Alabama football plays on Sunday mornings. Aside from that, being able to sit in our recliners, sleep in our bed and see our decorations has led to a beautiful merging of our new and old life. We really love being in Christchurch.

Fixing my Diet

Being in Christchurch Central gives us access to a myriad of great dining venues within a few minutes walk. While I have become much more active in NZ, the stress of the move, not having our cooking equipment and access to great food, led to me gaining about 20 pounds in the first few months of arriving.

Once our cookery arrived, we signed up for Green Dinner Table, a meal prep service that drops a box of recipes and ingredients at our door every Sunday. The meals are delicious, nutritious and vegan (our personal preference.) After a few weeks of using GDT, I am feeling better and beginning to tone up and drop some of my “moving weight.”

Mental Health

The work opportunities have been great in NZ. We have established new partnerships, sales and channels. The tempo of success is much faster than I expected. That along with the US/NZ time zone differences, have me working too much. Aside from that “success tax”, mental health has greatly improved for both Mai and me.

The general tempo and vibe of Christchurch is certainly more aligned to where we are in life than what we had in Chicago. Our relationship was strained by the weight and fear of the move but as we celebrated our 23rd anniversary in Rotorua, we noted that the move had ultimately brought us closer together and helped us both individually address our long-standing pains and traumas.

Making Friends

Our neighborhood has regular potlucks. Mobile Relocation has hosted a couple of mixers. The business community has also hosted events. That coupled with classes and events at they gym has allowed us to make some fast friends. It turned out to be a good mix of Kiwis and expats. 

It was initially challenging to put ourselves “out there” at these events, but we found almost everyone to be kind and helpful. Our neighbors have welcomed us to the community, and we feel loved and cared for.

iPhones Everywhere

If you thought “green text bubbles” were a problem in the US, it is much more of a deal in NZ. Almost every interaction I have had has been with other iPhones. If you want to fit in, it may be worth joining the rest of us Apple lemmings. If you do, note there is not a single Apple Store in the whole country. There are authorized service providers that can repair Apple hardware, but you need to be prepared for a long repair time. If you do need to visit a Apple Store, you have some options across the trench in Australia.

Canterbury is not Auckland

It’s easy to think Kiwis are monolithic and the same. Just like every other place on earth, people and communities are very different. Māori population is much smaller on the South Island and that impacts the Christchurch perspectives. Traveling to Wellington, Auckland or smaller towns like Rotoura, it’s very common to receive and give a “Kia Ora” as a greeting. It’s much less common in Canterbury. People tend to be more reserved, conservative and formal in Chch than in the other metropolitan areas.

The weather is also different. The winds and rain are blocked by the Alps. Being further from the equator, the warmer months are milder and the colder months are a bit chillier (but no snow.)

When we visited NZ ahead of moving, we spent 6 weeks driving 5000km surveying as much as the country as we could. There are many beautiful communities to choose from. Chch became our favorite but there were several other great choices if Chch wouldn’t have worked. I highly recommend reaching out to Mobile Relocation to help you find the perfect neighborhood in NZ to meet your needs. I am certain that if I was living just a mile away from where we ended up, the entire experience would have been greatly degraded.

Last Words

I didn’t write this to be a guide to moving to New Zealand. I lack the experience or knowledge to make something universally helpful. I expect some of our experiences may be helpful to those on their own unique journeys. Mostly I wrote this to help us remember the bravery, blessings, miracles and wonders of our journey. Life is a wonder. If I can be of help on your journey, please reach out.

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