We are happy to announce our April’s Blog of The Month, Adventures With Pete by Eve Brickner, a twenty-something American expat in New Zealand. In 2013, Eve met her fiancé, and ever since they have been together on a journey of adventures. However, the biggest of all is living in New Zealand, and Eve blogs about the ups and downs, and the lessons learned throughout.
Hi Eve, tell us briefly about your expat life and where you're originally from.
I'm originally from Chicago but was living in Portland, OR with my partner, working part-time at a nonprofit and as a barista, when we decided to move to New Zealand. I flew over in November 2017, and since then we've brought our dog, Cash, over from the States and I've found an amazing job working at St John, a charity that provides ambulance services across most of New Zealand.
What brought you to where you are now?
My fiancé is from Wellington but was living in San Francisco when we met in 2013. Three years later we were ready for our next adventure, so we packed up the car and moved to Portland, OR. We loved living in the Pacific Northwest but decided we were both keen on the idea of moving overseas. As a computer programmer, my partner could easily find work anywhere, but after doing a bit of research, it was clear that getting a work visa would be more challenging for me working in the nonprofit sector. New Zealand became the obvious choice because I was eligible for permanent residency as a partner.
What made you want to start a blog?
Starting Adventures with Pete was a way for me to keep a diary of this crazy time in my life. When I first started writing the blog, I was still waiting for my visa application to be approved. My fiancé, Pete, had already accepted a job and needed to be in Christchurch by September so I ended up staying with my parents in San Francisco for a couple months living in visa limbo. Writing was a great outlet for expressing everything going on in my head at the time and it kept me busy since I'd already quit my job. I wrote about the moving process, offering advice on everything from how to network professionally from overseas to what to look for when renting a house in New Zealand (two words: double glazing). It's also been a great way to share my adventures with friends and family back in the States.
Tell us what your blog is about and how our readers can make the most of it.
Adventures with Pete is about my experiences in Christchurch as a twenty-something expat. It's about sharing my journey of moving from overseas, a running commentary on embracing the kiwi lifestyle, and a guide to finding the best hikes, food, and experiences across New Zealand.
What are your next projects regarding your expat life?
My next big project is planning our wedding! Pete and I are getting married in Christchurch next summer, so there are heaps to do between finding vendors and organizing the logistics. We're excited to share such a sigificant milestone in New Zealand. It goes a long way towards making this country feel like home.
