July 19, 2006

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

You Have To Start Somewhere...

I'm beginning this blog to document my feelings about moving from Arkansas to New Zealand in 6 months time. I hope this blog will document the process of an American couple moving to New Zealand before, during, and after the process. Despite my hesitation of using a public forum such as myspace.com to document the journey my husband are embarking on (I've fallen prey to the fear of identity theft and the thought that a future employer may not hire me due to my opinions) I understand the importance of recording my feelings as well as useful information for others who face a similar situation.

So why are we moving abroad? Josh, my husband, received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship (RAS) to pursue a post doc at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Palmerston North is on the North Island...2 hours north of the capital Wellington and 6-7 hours south of Auckland. Josh's Ph.D. research is centered on Public Policy with an emphasis in Education.

We began the process of applying for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in May 2005. We won't actually land in New Zealand until February 2007. We found out about the opportunity to study abroad with the RAS as undergraduates at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. As members of the college version of Rotary, Roteract, we were made aware of the scholarship. We also knew three Honors College students who were awarded the scholarship during our tenure at Henderson.

So, why didn't we apply for the RAS at Henderson? Well, Josh and I both considered it and even picked up the applications. However, it was not meant for us to do it at that time. Josh mentioned not feeling led to complete the process at that time. So, we moved to New Mexico for two years to attend New Mexico State University. After that, we returned to Arkansas to work at (me) and attend (Josh) the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

As Josh's Ph.D. program was nearing completion last year, we began to consider our options for living abroad (something we've always talked about doing). The Fulbright Scholarship and RAS were on our list of considerations. The RAS had an earlier deadline than the Fulbright so we went through the RAS process first. As it would turn out, we never had to go through the Fulbright process because Josh was awarded the RAS.

The application process took a lot of time. Submitting the forms and essays, considering which schools (you can pick 5) that you would like to study at, meeting with the local club, etc. This process occured in the summer. By August, interviews were set at the district level.
Josh and I faced an emotional decision. The RAS interview was set two days after we were supposed to fly out for a vacation in Mexico. There was no way to reschedule the interview or conduct it over the phone. We had to decide if we should take the interview or go on our vacation as scheduled.

I'll never forget sitting in the living room with Josh with the Orbitz itinerary in front of us. What to do? If we stayed for the interview, we still might not get the scholarship. But what if we did? One of our philosophies in life is to "Make the Best Decision" no matter how hard that decision may be to make. I told Josh I didn't want to change our vacation dates (and pay $1000 in change fees) but I knew that doing so was the best decision.

Decision made, Orbitz was called, the vacation dates moved back three days, and Josh was set to interview on Saturday, August 13 at the Holiday Inn in Springdale. I went with him and sat in the lobby of the hotel reading a USA Today as I waited, praying for the best. Josh returned soon enough feeling good about the interview.

I think we went out for lunch after the interview and by the time we returned home there was a message on the machine for Josh to call a Rotarian back. I held my breath as Josh spent what seemed like forever on the phone in his room. Josh, in typical fashion, was hard to read. He displayed no emotion, either favorable or not. When he got off the phone, I was about to burst. Josh said we got the scholarship! In my life, even including the wedding proposal, I never felt or displayed such happiness at hearing anything. Think lots of jumping up and down and crying.

So, we vacationed in Mexico (Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun-recommended) and waited for further approval from Rotary. Once the district approves a scholar, the scholar must be approved at the national level to find out where he or she will study. Remember the 5 schools a scholar selects, Rotary will select one of those schools for the scholar to attend.

We found out in December that our first pick school, Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand was approved. Then the process submitting forms and attending an outbound orientation began. Josh attended his orientation in Kansas City this March. He had a really great experience.

In April, Josh met a professor from Massey at the APPAM conference in San Francisco-truly a small world. The two now plan to collaborate on a project during Josh's tenure at Massey. In May, I applied for and received my Working Holiday Visa (WHV). I'm not positive this is the best visa for me to get to go to New Zealand but I figure, it will grant me access to the country and I can possibly change the visa upon arrival.

The WHV is designed for those under 30 and without children to live and work in New Zealand for a year. As this description fits me, I went for it. It was a very easy process, carried no fee, and had a one day turn around. Based on Lonely Planet postings, I feel I may be using the visa in a non-traditional way-staying in one place rather than traveling around the country for work in service related areas or agriculture-but hopefully it serves its purpose and I can find some work there.

The way I understand it (and I could be totally wrong) is that upon arrival in New Zealand I need to visit an immigration office and apply for a working permit to hold in addition to my WHV. I do hope to find work at one of the universities/colleges in Palmerston North or in one of the primary or secondary schools. I'm not adverse to working in a field outside of education, however, I would prefer to work in a professional setting. We'll see how it goes.

As the process goes, finding a place to live is proving frustrating. It's not the same as moving to another state in the U.S. We were able to apartment hunt online before moving to New Mexico to check out places. Rental homes or apartments in Palmerston North are a bit harder to come by (am I looking in the wrong place). Perhaps it is too soon six months out, however, I want to start planning. We've asked for housing assistance from Rotary, so we'll see what type of information is provided.

On the housing front, there is on campus housing for married couples. However, if it is like the housing we've seen both at the UofA and NMSU, I'd rather take a pass. Not that we live in a palatial setting now, but we are accustomed to having our own washer/dryer and nice accomodations now.

As far as my feelings go, I feel nervous and even have butterflies at times. To feel this way about moving is odd to me. I never felt it moving to or from New Mexico. I tell myself that it is moving to a different country not just a different state that may make me feel this way. I don't get nervous when taking 3 week European vacations-it must be the whole across the world for a nine to twelve month trip that's doing it.

The paperwork (or really, the failure to complete the paperwork) also makes me nervous. There is much to do with not only being admitted to the program but completing insurance forms, finding a place to live, banking issues, cultural differences, finding a job, etc.

I suppose that is enough for today. I imagine I will make periodic updates as the mood strikes and/or as more information allows the scholarship process to progress forward. I intend for this website to provide information on Palmerston North and the surrounding area once we arrive. As it is, finding a lot of pictures of the area is proving difficult. Hopefully, future installments will solve that problem.