My Big Announcement

As you all know, I was a bit far along with my pregnancy when I moved over to New Zealand last December.  Since then, I have been a housewife.  Part of me has been rather content to do this, and another part of me has really been feeling the itch to go back to work.  I have never been out of work for this long, so I'm sure that's part of the pull.  The other part is that I do kinda miss being a nurse.  I know...I know...I only have a baby for so long and I have the rest of my life to work, but I actually enjoy what I do.  I like working with my moms, babies, and their new families, and if I didn't I wouldn't be anxious to get back to them.  That being said...here is my big announcement

I'm starting back to work on Monday.  I had been looking at hospital vacancies, and I saw the opportunity to work in my field.  It isn't something that comes along every day in New Zealand because remember, maternity care is covered by midwives here.  The chance to work with post natal patients came up, and I jumped.  As you can tell by my start date, my interview went well. :)

I was really nervous before my interview.  I kept telling Ben (and anyone that would listen) "I'm so nervous!  I've never interviewed in another country!!"  I'm sure he was thinking "Really?!?  I never would have guessed being that you were born and spent your entire life in Alabama."  Everyone else was probably wishing I would hurry up and interview so I would hush up about it.  I interviews last Tuesday, they checked my references, and I received a job offer.  Oh, yeah, if you think moving to another country makes you exempt from reference checks, You. Are. Wrong.  So, be prepared, and make sure your referees know that they may be contacted by prospective employers.

After I knew I had a job for sure, we had to make arrangements for Stevie.  We had checked out daycare before, but we checked out one more that had previously been full.  We were lucky!!  The center close to work had an opening, so Stevie will be near enough for me to scoot over to nurse on my breaks!  Yay!!  Also, they have no problem using cloth diapers on her and when she starts solids, they make it from fresh veggies!  Double yay!!  Ben isn't thrilled she's going to be away from us, and neither am I, but I am happy we got her into this center.

There you have it...news from my little part of the world!

Say What?!

Part of moving to another country is learning to understand the locals.  It seems simple enough because the majority of kiwis speak English and you have to be able to do the same if you want to come live here.  That's where you get fooled.  I considered myself lucky because Ben is a kiwi, so I was familiar with his little expressions, the way he said things, his accent, and even how fast he talked.  We southerners don't get in a hurry when we speak, so imagine my surprise when I got to New Zealand and realized everyone spoke faster than a chipmunk on speed...and then you put a couple of them together having a conversation.  I had NO.I.DEA what 3/4 of the people around me were saying.  I did a lot of smiling and nodding initially, and I'm pretty sure my random smiles and nods earned me a few strange looks.

But wait, shouldn't I have had an easy time since I was used to Ben?  One would think, but then he got around his 'cuzzies' and 'bros' and he too got smiles, nods, and blank stares.  I know you think I'm exaggerating, but picture this, you're sitting at a red light, and some random dude yells "Aye, Ben!!" (yes, this happens ALL THE TIME, I swear I expected Ben to see someone he knew while we were over in Oz)  Ben leans over me and proceeds to yell back out the window to random dude "Ah, chur cuz!  Chu been up to bro?"  "Ah yeah, nah, yeah, just got back aye...shot over to Ragz for the day yesterday."  "Choooice!!" "Yeah, it was primo, but I got the chop from the kids and my wife cuz they weren't on holiday."  (they both laugh at this and I did too because laughing seemed appropriate) "Yeah man, that's us..light's green!"  "Sweet as!" "Catch!"

WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE?!?!  Here's that conversation translated:  "Hey, Ben!" "Hey, friend!  What have you been up to?"  "I just got home.  I went over to Raglan for the day yesterday."  "Awesome!"  "Yeah, it was great, but the wife and kids were upset they didn't get to go because they weren't off of work and school."  "Gotta go, green light"  "That's alright!" "Bye!"  That conversation took place during the 10 seconds we were waiting for the light to turn, so yes, they too sounded like chipmunks on speed.  Ben claims kiwis don't speak fast, but they do...they just do! 

So, before you plan on coming for a visit or moving to another country, you should probably brush up on the local's lingo.  Luckily, you have me here to translate and give you a heads up on a few things you can expect to hear around our ways.  Like other parts of the world, you're going to get different little expressions and sayings depending on your exact location (example, other parts of the States don't say 'bless your heart' or 'y'all' nearly as often as southerners), but I can give you the gist of things.  Also, this is not THE definitive kiwi sayings list.  These are common phrases I hear.  If you're around a bunch of expats, you may not hear these phrases being said.

Oh, and one more thing...if someone asks you what you've been up to, don't say 'piddling around'.  I earned blank stares from Ben and his mother when I used this expression.  Piddling is going to the bathroom, so a few times I told them I had been peeing around the house all day. 

So, what you've all been waiting for...common expressions used around here!!

kia ora - hello
You will hear this and see this from the moment you log on to the Air New Zealand website to book your plane tickets.  This is actually Te Reo Maori, but you'll hear pakeha (not of the tribe) using it as well.

cuz - friend or cousin (non gender specific)

bro - male friend or brother

sis - female friend or sister

sweet as - you're welcome/no problem/yes (in agreement)/expression of admiration/I don't want to but I will/I'll be happy to
Example:  "Thanks for shouting lunch!"  "Sweet as!"
How not to use it:  "We're going out for a sweet as lunch."  "We're going to lunch and it's gonna be sweet as."  You may go to a sweet restaurant for lunch, but you are not going to a sweet as restaurant for lunch.  See the difference?  It takes some getting use to to be able to see how and when to use this correctly.

sweet - awesome, primo, choice
You may have a sweet new ride, you may go to a sweet new restaurant.  Sweet is used to describe a noun. 

primo or preemz - awesome
Example:  "The weather was priiiiimo!!"

mean - mean is not a bad thing, it's good! See sweet as, primo, awesome, or used as an emphasis
Example:  "You mean got told!"  "You mean got the chop" or "That party was meeeeaaaan!"

choice - may be accompanied by a thumbs up and can be a positive or negative.  See sweet as, primo, mean, shot
Example: "I got a new job!" "Ah, choice bro, that's mean!" On the other hand, if someone cuts you off in traffic... "Ah yeah, you're choice..."

shot - awesome/thank you/good on you or can be a negative when used sarcastically
Example:  "Shot bro, you're awesome" that would be a negative because someone just did something stupid or inconsiderate, but if they said "Shot bro, you're awesome!" that's a positive because they used it with a happy tone!

chur - when accompanied by the appropriate individual identifier, it is a greeting, farewell, acknowledgement, thank you, you're welcome, all good, no worries
Example:  "Chur bro, chu been up to?"

is that us - asking about someone's eagerness to do something
Example:  When getting ready to leave the house.  "Right, is that us?"  in other words "Are you ready?"

sorted - all good/ready/everything is taken care of
Example:  When getting ready to leave the house "Are you sorted?"  or "I sorted my doctor's appointment."

safe as - I've got it covered/no worries/sorted
Example:  "Can you make sure the back door is locked before you go?"  "Safe as"

got the chop - embarassed/denied/told off
Example:  You ask a girl out, and she says no.  You're buddies are in the background snickering because "You mean got the chop!"

got told - getting scolded/berated
Example:  You've been out too late with your friends, and when you get home you're partner is upset about this, so "You got told!"

cheap as - just that, cheap or inexpensive
Example:  "I just sorted tickets for our trip to Oz.  They were cheap as!"

a feed - a meal
Example:  We're heading over to mom's for a feed."

shout - pay for
Example:  "I'm shouting lunch."

good as gold - no worries/you're welcome
Example:  "Thanks for lunch!" "Ah, good as gold!"

nice one - thank you/primo/congratulations/awesome
Example:  "I scored a new job!" "Nice one, bro!"

too much - that's fantastic/that's awesome/thank you so much
Example:  "Oh, you're compiling a kiwi to American dictionary?  You're too much alright."

good on ya - depending on how it's used, it can be good or bad.  It is a call on behavior if you do something stupid or inconsiderate.  It can be used to say good job if you do something considerate.
Example:  "I've been cleaning house all day." "Good on ya, darling put your feet up."  On the other hand, if you just drop a glass and it shatters "Good on ya"

no worries - all good/you're welcome
Example:  "Thanks for helping clean up the shattered glass." "No worries, cuz"

stuffed - tired
Example:  "What's for dinner?" "I can't be bothered cooking, I'm stuffed."

she'll be right - it'll be okay
Example:  "You think the number 8 is gonna hold the muffler on?" "Yeah mate, she'll be right" (number 8 is fencing wire)

on to it - clever or getting things done
Example:  "I've been sorting through the kids stuff getting everything organized today."  "Ah, you're on to it."

church it up - exaggerate
Example:  "I'm stuffed!  I've been busy all day!" "Don't let her church it up, she's had her feet up all day!"

save it for Sunday - don't exaggerate
Example:  "I'm stuffed after cleaning all day!"  "Save it for Sunday!"  You'll also hear "Don't church it up, save it for Sunday!" or "Save it for Sunday, don't church it up!"

you don't know - whatever
Example:  "Man City's gonna lose tonight!"  "Shut up, you don't know!"

yeah, nah, yeah...(may have an 'aye' before you receive the explanation)- yes or no depending on context and tone, or may just be used to start a sentence
Example:  "Did you get out to the beach this weekend?" "Yeah, nah, yeah, we were going to but the wife had to shoot out to her mom's." or "Yeah, nah, yeah, we got out there on Saturday."

what's your buzz - what's your problem/what are you on about/what do you think you're doing
Example:  You're having a rant at the kids, and your partner walks in "What's your buzz?"

This is just a smidge of what I hear and try to understand.  It's gotten much better, and I use some of the little expressions myself.  However, I still get lost at times...let the whanau get together and start slinging around Maori words, and I am left trying to decipher through the muddle of confusion that Google Translate can't figure out.  If I get too lost, I remember to...

Just Jump Already!

Happy Friday from New Zealand!  With it being the weekend, I thought I would write about something fun/entertaining.  When I initially thought about my topic I was all gung-ho, but then I was like 'nah because some people know about this' and then I was like 'but wait, everyone isn't my facebook friend' so, I decided to write about it.  By now, I'm sure you're wishing I would stop rambling and actually get to writing about whatever it is I'm going to write about.  So, here goes...

Remember me posting about my trip to Auckland and the Sky Tower?  Here's a pic of the Sky Tower in case you missed it.

Sky Tower

See how tall it is?  It's 328 meters tall, which is 1,076 feet tall for those of you like me who are metrically challenged (yes, I still have issues with the metric system even though I've used it for the past 7 months).  Guess what you can do?  You can jump off of it!!  Yep, you can leap off the ledge!  If that isn't your cup of tea, you can also walk the ledge, but for some reason, that seems even more scarier than jumping.  I know, I'm weird.  I would much rather jump off with lines and wires attached to me versus inching my way around the thing with the same wires and lines attached to me.  I might fall! :D  For more info on that click here, or hop over to Jenny's Practically Perfect Blog to read more about it.

As you can tell, I did not jump off of it, but it is impossible to come to New Zealand and not jump off of SOMETHING!!!  They don't call us the Adventure Capital of the World for nothing.  What did I jump off?  I jumped off the side of a cliff (over water).  Initially, I thought that was a bit safer than jumping over the ground because at least if something goes wrong you don't go SPLAT!  I've changed my mind.  I've since realized that if something goes wrong over water, I'll most likely drown, which is worse than going SPLAT in my opinion.  But hey, if I was gonna exit the world when I jumped, at least this was my final view...

I bet you're going oooh and aaahh.  I know I did when I saw that beautifully colored water!  That's down at Taupo, which is where I bungy jumped back last June.  It was my first time, and I did it at Taupo Bungy.

Was I scared?  You betcha!!  Perhaps scarier than being drug off leaping off the platform was the number of times they weigh you.  "Hi!  I want to jump off that cliff side!"  "Step on the scale, please" O.o  Ummmm...I'm not THAT big of a girl.  After that, they weigh you again for good measure, weigh you with the person you're jumping with (if you're going tandem), weigh you with the equipment on, weigh you with the person you're jumping with once you're both strapped up, and then they weigh you one more time because they haven't given you a big enough complex.  Seriously, they do it for your safety, but it felt like they were trying to put me in therapy...lol

Okay, so once you're feeling kinda crappy after stepping on the scale so many times, they run through a few more safety checks, and then they encourage you to jump.  O.o  I would say by that time I was all prepared, but nope!  Still skeered!!  Luckily, I was strapped to Ben (because I felt better drowning with someone if something happened) and when he went, I had no choice but to go.

I screamed the entire 47 meters (154 feet) down!!  The only reason I stopped screaming is because the wind rushed down my throat and silenced me, but I was still screaming!  When it was all over, I was giving thank you prayers and actually wanted to do it again!!  I'll admit it was the biggest rush EVER!!  When I saw Sky Tower, it made me think of my bungy jump.

Wanna see Ben and me jumping?



Pretty scary huh?  Let me just add, grabbing that pole is a bit more difficult than it looks.  You're high on adrenalin, the blood has rushed to your head, and you're going round and round and round.  It doesn't seem like we're spinning that fast, but it feels like you're on the tilt-a-whirl!

I am keen for my next jump, which I plan to do solo, and maaaaaaybe it'll be the Sky Jump!  What do you think? (besides thinking I'm out of my head)  What are some jumps you have made or want to make?

What's That You're Drinking?!

Last night while having a cup of chocolate and wishing I had a flat white, I knew exactly what I was going to write about today...some of the things we drink in NZ.  I'm sure you're wondering why I thought this deserves it's own post, but you have no idea the amount of heartache I suffered while trying to figure some of these things out.  For instance, tea is not tea like in Alabama.  Coke does not taste the same, and I am convinced that when the U.S. based fast food chains opened up stores in New Zealand, they forgot to mention that the bags of Coke syrup is suppose to be mixed with carbonated water in the fountain drink machine.  More on that another day, but for now, I'm going to talk about the incredible flat white!

I mentioned flat whites here when talking about going to the gardens, so you may have heard of them, but I did not elaborate on what they are. So, what is a flat white?  A cup of wonderful goodness!  Okay, I know that didn't exactly tell you anything, so let me try again.  A flat white is a type of coffee drink that lies somewhere between a latte and a cappuccino (and I don't mean the convenience store cappuccinos either).  It's stronger than a latte and has less foam than a cappuccino.  Flat whites feel velvety on your tongue when you drink it.  I know...I know...I too thought wtf when I heard that they "feel velvety", but they do!  It has something to do with the milk. 

Now, if you look them up online, you're going to find conflicting information...starting with where and how the flat white originated.  Like pavlova, the kiwis and Ozzies argue over who made it first.  That's why you will often see sources stating flat whites are a type of coffee that was popularized in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980's.  From there, it just gets worse when they attempt to describe how to make a flat white.  Some sources say it's a double shot latte, some say it's a cappuccino without the foam, some go into elaborate details on making the perfect flat white, and still other places say who cares you can't find them in America.  They all have one thing in common though...you can always scroll down to read the comments and find a kiwi calling them out for spreading misinformation on flat whites.  To be safe, don't attempt to get one unless it's made by a kiwi, or at least made in New Zealand because apparently the directions for making flat whites are a carefully guarded secret that must be kept local. 

You can find flat whites outside of Aotearoa, though I can't attest to their authenticity.  They can be found in Australia of course, but they're also gaining popularity world wide.  They are found in a few places in the UK now, and they're even popping up in San Francisco and New York City.  Don't expect to be able to bebop down to your local Starbucks and request one because you'll probably get looked at funny. 

Speaking of looks...here's a picture of my Mother's Day flat white.  Notice the pretty little fern design on top!!

Flat White

You can find these EVERYWHERE!!  Seriously, you can find them wherever coffee is sold..except Starbucks.  I'm not sure if Starbucks in New Zealand has flat whites.  I've not been in Starbucks here, and now that I'm thinking about it, I only know of 2 Starbucks in NZ.  Hmmm...  Okay, back on topic...  Flat whites could very well be the drink of New Zealand. 

So, what if you don't want a flat white?  What if you just wanted a regular coffee?  Well, do not fear because yes, you can get it!!  Don't expect it to be poured out of a coffee pot, though.  Nope, if you want a coffee expect to hear whirring and buzzing as the coffee beans are ground and mixed up in a freshly brewed cup just for you!  If you're at home and you want a coffee, well, don't expect to go and 'turn on the coffee pot'.  Ummm...yeah, about the coffee pot.  We don't exactly have the ones found in every home in America.

U.S. Coffee Pot...not found in New Zealand

 I have NEVER seen one of these in NZ!  Not for sale, not in anyone's home, not in a restaurant or coffee shop, or anywhere...  It's okay...I promise!!  It's not the end of the world!  You can still get coffee, but not "percolated" coffee.  Instead, you either 'flip the jug' and use the electric kettle to make coffee, or you have a plunger, and no I don't mean the thing you use to unclog the toilet.  This is a plunger...

Plunger                   

See, no need to panic!  Freshly brewed coffee is available! :D

Say you don't want coffee...what if you want tea?  Well, if you're from the South, you better come visit me if you expect to find "sweet tea" or "iced tea" or as Ben says, "a cup of diabeetus".  Like grits, I can't get him to like sweet tea!!  If you ask for tea outside of my house, you're either A) going to get a meal depending on what time it is, or B) you're going to get hot water, tea bags, and asked if you take milk or not.  I know!!  Milk in tea is blasphemous!!  Who does that?!  Apparently the rest of the world....

Tea

Now, for anyone that comes into my house expecting traditional NZ tea, I'm gonna look at you with a blank stare, and that's your cue to ask for something else or at least help yourself to my kitchen.  What I concoct is not going to be what you're expecting.  If you take milk, it's usually white by the time I'm finished, and if you want it without, it's generally too strong for the average person's liking.  Consider yourself warned...I can't make tea like a kiwi!!  My mother-in-law has learned the hard way...bless her heart.  She now knows to be very specific when telling me how she likes her tea! 

There are other hot drinks I can make quite well, and they are not what you will find in the States.  I can make a mean chocolate or Milo.  I'll start with the chocolate.  It's kinda like hot chocolate, but different.  It's richer, in my opinion, and it is not as sweet.  Also, unlike Swiss Miss, it comes in a container and you scoop out what you like.

Drinking Chocolate...NOT Hot Chocolate

Drinking Chocolate

 
To make a chocolate, put one or two heaping spoons into a cup and you add hot water, milk, and maybe sugar, if you take it hot.  If you want it cold, you mix it up in a glass of milk, but it tastes much better than Nestle Quick! 

You may be thinking "Yeah...yeah...yeah...it's like hot chocolate, but different, I get it already.  What's this Milo you speak of?"  Milo, is something I had never heard of before I moved here.  To be honest, I had never tasted it until after I had Stevie and my midwife made me one.  I was sort of afraid of it...

Milo

I know you see that, and you're wondering what's to be afraid of.  Do you see what it says?!  "Made from Malted Barley"...yuck (or so I thought)!  Come to find out, this stuff is pretty delicious!!  I now keep it in my house and drink it quite often.  It isn't as rich as chocolate, but it does kinda have a chocolaty taste.  It's more "mild" for lack of a better word to describe it.

Milo

Notice it's a bit grainy.  How do you make a Milo?  Here's how I like mine:  1-2 heaping teaspoons (depending on mug size) with 2 sugars, hot water, and milk.  I take mine "milky" so about 2/3 of a cup of hot water and the rest is filled with milk.

Milo..in the making

The Finished Product

I know it doesn't look like much, but it really is yummy, as long as it doesn't get cold.  If it gets cold, Milo gets a film over the top of it and that's just gross.  I can't drink it then. 

So, there ya have it...my hot drinks of choice!  I'll have to talk about the cold drinks another day because Little Stevie is awake, and she's demanding hers!  Hope everyone on the other side of the world had a great Monday, and happy Tuesday to those of you on my side!

How to Adjust (As Pain Free As Possible)

Guess what...I'm not writing about what I originally planned to write about.  I know I said I was going to fill you in on a haka, but I've got a bit more fact checking to do before I'm comfortable putting that piece up.  Instead, you're going to get to take a walk down memory lane with me because I realized I have been in New Zealand for six months, and I'm going to talk about adjusting to life in a new country.

Before I left, everyone was giving me tips on how to adapt and what I should and should not do.  Everyone also said to "give yourself six months before you decide you don't like living there".  I read and researched ways to make life as an expat less difficult, and for the most part, all of the advice was spot on.  I did say for the most part.  So many times I have read and heard "If you don't like it, you can always move back home."  I think that is the worst way to look at making a big move.

I mulled that piece of advice over in my head on several occasions, and one day while washing dishes, it hit me.  I won't ever "go back home" for more than visits.  I know some of you are thinking "never say never because you don't know what the future holds". No, I don't know what the future holds, but I can tell you if Ben and I ever moved to the U.S., it wouldn't be "going home".  Even if we moved back to Alabama, it will not be what I left.

My life is different, my family in Alabama didn't cease to live because I'm no longer there, and my friends have moved on and filled in my empty slot.  This doesn't mean that they're less important to me or I to them, but it does mean there's no going back to how things once were.  Time didn't stop once I moved away, and things have changed, including me.  The glasses that color my world aren't the same, so I would never see my home in Alabama like I use to.  When I had this great epiphany, I was saddened by it, initially.  It's hard to let go of the past, and life in Alabama is my past.

Letting go of what once was doesn't mean forgetting it, because your past is part of who you are.  I thought about that for a bit, and then I cheered up.  I will always be a southern girl, but this southern girl knows that she has to live in the present and future.  I keep up with my family and friends, but I don't look at my life thinking I can always go back.  It's made adapting to life here much easier for me.

Another thing that's made life in another country easier is realizing I'm in another country.  So many expats get caught up in trying to make their new home the same as their old home.  They don't like the way the New Zealand businesses shut down without notice over summer break, they don't like how kiwis are more concerned with going to the beach than driving a new SUV, they don't like the food, they don't like the dress, cost of living is too high...you get the picture.  A lot of expats want here to be like "there".  Sorry, it doesn't work like that, and once I realized that, things here became easier for me.

For the most part, I embrace the kiwi culture, and I love most aspects of it.  Sure, there are some things I don't love, such as someone offering me tea and it being hot with milk in it, but I don't dwell on things I can't change.  I incorporate what I miss into my life, but I don't expect kiwis or New Zealand as a whole to change to accommodate me and my culture.  I made the choice to move here, and in doing so, I accepted the responsibility of adapting to a new way of life.  I think the quicker expats learn cultural assimilation, the easier they will find life in their new home.

Part of living in a new country also means making friends with the locals.  There's a whole lot of foreigners in New Zealand, and you'll also find support groups for expats, forums on the internet, cultural affiliation get togethers, etc.  That's great!  There's an initial base of support to help transplants get acclimated to their new life, but after a certain point it kinda becomes a crutch.  See, a lot of immigrants want to hang out with immigrants, and then they get to talking about the differences between here and where-ever they're from. After that, they start grumbling about things they don't like here.  They end up disgruntled, missing 'home', and angry because they expect NZ to adapt to their way of life.

This is why I say get to know the locals.  You'll hear some people claim that outsiders aren't welcome, but I can assure you, that's not the case.  EVERYONE knows I'm not a local.  My accent gives it away, and out of all the immigrants here, I get asked "Where are you from?"  I've not had anyone be rude or make snide remarks about Americans.  I think it's because I'm rather friendly and don't sit around going on and on about New Zealand's inferiority to my home country.  Kiwis are a proud bunch, and they're not going to take kindly to an outsider bashing their country and wanting to make it more like 'home'.  The way they see it is if you don't like it here, go back home, they didn't ask you to move here!

Which brings me to another key feature of successful immigration....come here, or there, or wherever you think you might want to live!!  I hear and read about so many people that up and move somewhere sight unseen, or in New Zealand's case, sight seen on the big screen.  Sure, there are some people that pick up and move to a place they've never traveled to, but for the average person, you're setting yourself up for failure.  I didn't move here without knowing what I was getting into.  I visited last year, and I didn't stay on the tourist path either.  Ben made sure I got to see what life as a local was like.  I saw the prices of food, clothes, houses, gas, etc.  It's easy to get caught up in the beauty and touristy parts of NZ, but I had to keep in mind life here wasn't going to be as a tourist.

Also part of not being a tourist meant I had to deal with immigration and local licensing authorities.  I'm not going to get into what all that entailed right now, but I will tell you that I did so much reading before my sudden move.  Do your research before deciding to immigrate, and be prepared to jump through lots of hoops.  Don't expect special consideration to be given to you for your particular situation because you won't get it.  I have been frustrated numerous times, but I successfully managed to work my way through it.

Now you know what I've done to adapt to life in Aotearoa (Maori for Land of the Long White Cloud aka New Zealand), and I'm sure they can be applied to any move.  We'll see if my little bag of tricks are still working for me in another six months, once I'm out of the honeymoon phase.

If any of you have tips to make life in a new place easier, I would love to hear them!!