and another month is gone

Alright, for anyone still wanting to read my blog, I apologize for the lack of posting (yet again). I'm settling into my life in New Zealand and not really sure how this blog is going to proceed. I might keep it going and find a topic to focus on. I'm getting more into gardening and cooking again, so I might try to post on those for the time being, but it's still going to be a ways off before I get that going.

News update- I'm moving in with J. The house I'm currently in is up for sale and we've all got to find new digs. I mentioned it to J and he suggested that I move out to Spring Grove and stay with him (and Tai). I thought about it and accepted. It's a good decision for us, seeing as I spend most of my week out there anyway. At least now I won't have to pack and unpack bags! So the next couple of weeks will be spent cleaning his house and making room for me when I get out there as of November 11th. I'm really excited about it and am looking forward to a quiet country life.

I am still searching for a sponsor for my work permit here though...I know God will provide, but it would be nice if it could happen soon! I'm still waiting on paperwork from the FBI and then I can meet with an immigration lawyer to see what my next step could be. Fingers crossed that I can get this taken care of and then not worry about it! In the meantime, I might be making a quick trip to Australia to get another 90 day tourist visa for NZ. We'll see though.

I'm alive, in love and happier than I've been in a long time. It's good to be home.

ps.- you all should come visit sometime.

it's been a busy month

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted on here. It's been busy though, in my defense. I moved back to New Zealand at the beginning of September and have been settling into life here again. It has been a decently smooth transition and my boxes that I mailed by surface mail are FINALLY starting to show up. My Christmas box arrived today!

It took some time and two extra days in quarantine, but my buddy Tai made it down to Nelson and is LOVING his country life in Wakefield. He gets to run around like a fool outside most of the evening and terrorizes the cat by playing with his rope and running around the house. Poor Squeak doesn't quite know what to do about this new furry creature living in her house.

The highlight of this month has been getting to take my relationship with J further than phone conversations once a week. It has been awesome to be around him and spend time together, learning more about each other every day. I've met a lot of his mom's family and he met my dad and one brother this weekend. He also met two aunts and my sister-in-law. Being with J is different and wonderful. He's so unlike anyone else I've dated, but still feels really familiar. I suppose 7 months of long-distance phone calls will do that.

The next step is to sort out my visa situation as I'm here on a temporary visitor visa. For that I need work and I've managed to find a job working for a rental property management company as their viewing agent two days a week. It's not enough to live on, but it's a start and I'm really happy doing it. It'll sponsor my visa and allow me to stay here more permanently until something else comes up. I'm hoping to get a teaching job, but until that happens, I will gladly show people rental homes (and look for one myself) and do any other odd jobs that pop up.

I'm so happy to be back in Nelson finally and am enjoying every day that I am here. I don't know where this blog is going to go now since I obviously had a hard time getting anything out in the last month, but I hope to sort that out soon and possibly get back to a schedule of some sort.

ABC's of Me

A. age: 28

B. bed size: queen

C. chore you hate: taking out the trash. It sort of makes me want to puke.

D. dogs: one adorable pain in my butt...Tai.

E. essential start to your day: orange juice.

F. favorite color: Purple all the way, although turquoise seems to be gaining.

G. gold or silver: Silver...I don't have anything in gold.

H. height: 5'4"

I. instruments you play: I played clarinet and baritone sax when I was in school...that's about it though. I do a mean air guitar.


J. job title: English teacher (for five more days and then nothing).

K. kids: I love 'em...I'd like to have 3.

L. live: Ilsan, South Korea for now, Nelson, NZ soon.

M. maiden name: I still have it, but I'm looking forward to losing it sometime.


N. nicknames: Deb, Debs, Debster, Deborama, Snake

O. overnight hospital stays: Nopers

P. pet peeve: Inconsiderate pedestrians.

Q. quote: my favorite is "When two people sing together, they're in love; when two people dance together, they make love."

R. righty or lefty: righty

S. siblings: 2 sister and 7 brothers

T. time you wake up: M-F, 6-ish...It takes me an hour to get moving and out of bed. Ugh.

U. university attended: Greenville College and currently Ashford University (Masters)

V. vegetables you dislike: It really is broccoli

W. what makes you run late: internet

X. x-rays youve had: tooth x-rays and chest x-rays. But never because something is broken.

Y. yummy food: chocolate chip cookies always top the list. Tuna melts and pasta as well.

Z. zoo animal favorite: I have a soft spot for the zebra-donkey hybrid.

Five for Friday

I'm sitting at my work desk and thinking to myself, in two weeks I won't be sitting here...:) I pretty much despise my work computer. It locks up, runs slow and generally does everything within it's power to annoy me. It wins all the time. I finished my last summer camp today. The kids are going to get their butts kicked by Juliet when she takes over the drama after I go, but we did have fun during camp. I did make a point to learn all of my camp kids by name, and use them often. That's big for me.

Okay, so I'm leaving here soon and slowly getting things done. It's absurd how slowly some things are going for me. Can't really change it though. I got Tai's kennel in the mail, and they sent me a medium instead of a large. Tai doesn't fit into a medium because of his gangly legs. Going to mail the medium back and pray that the large gets here before we have to head out. Ugh. My apartment is in various stages of clean and packed and disaster. It rotates what stage it is in. Needing prayers and happy thoughts as I wrap things up. It's a lot to do and I still have to be at work most of the time. Oh yeah, and I have a final paper to write for my class before I move as well. Oh good grief.


I really like this bracelet. I wonder where I could find something similar?


I keep this thought in my head when I start to feel overwhelmed by my big move (which is almost every day) and remember that I have a plan, I see the path before me and I am praying that things work out. Good days.


There are days when I just need this...today is one of them. Thank goodness today is Friday.


I remember Mom always made custard pies during the holiday season (at some point) and now I want to make one with blackberries in it. Yum!


This is so very true. I never thought it was going to happen when I was preparing to go on vacation last January and certainly didn't expect it after we met. Glad I was wrong.

What's wrong with me?

I'm in a funk still. I managed to get out of it a little bit last night while out in Seoul, but it's back again today. So let's remember the really awesome things going on right now that I should be focusing on instead of the things that are funking me out.

1- I have awesome friends here in SK. Mina, Irene and Tom: you guys rock.

2- I get to start summer camp tomorrow with my drama kids. 2 weeks of playing drama games and watching movies? Awesomeness.

3- I only have 25 days before I move back home to NZ. Tom was awesome last night in that he kept referring to my move to NZ as going home. It is going home for me. A new home with my created whanua (thanks for that new word, Trish). I think it's more important to surround yourself with supportive, loving people even if they're not blood family.

4- I'm healthy and my dog is healthy.

5- I just found out that I have a place to live when I get home that can be as permanent as I need it to be. Fingers' crossed that Tai get's to live with me as well. And at only $92 a week, I think I can deal with that.

6- I have an amazing future to look forward to with J.

So what is my problem? I have all these awesome things going on and all I can do is get bummed out by stupid things. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Alrighty then...time for lunch and sewing this afternoon.

Five for Friday

Even though I apparently struggle to even blog once a week, I'm back again. Today kind of sucks, I'm not going to lie. The festering wound that is my family dynamic has burst open again. I love my family, and I always will, but it's disheartening when I find out what some people really think about me and it hurts. Today I really wanted to stay home and stay curled up in my bed all day, but I didn't. I got up and went to work to sit at my desk so I don't get in trouble. Although, I'm pretty sure I could have stayed home and no one would have been the wiser. I have 27 days left here, camp starts on Monday and I'm looking forward to at least having that going on so I am not bored out of my mind. It really feels like summer today, 90+ degrees, sunny, humid and I can hear the cicadas going berserk. The only thing I really miss about summer is going barefoot. I can't really do that as I live in a city, but I really love going barefoot outside.





I think this would take longer than I would like to make, but it's just so bright and cheery. Just what I need on a day like today.


I found this quote earlier this week and it rings especially true for me.


Remember how I said I missed going barefooted? These are a bit fancy for everyday use, but would be super adorable at a casual outdoor wedding. PS- I walked barefooted a little bit today because my new sneakers rubbed my ankles raw and really hurt. Hence the missing going barefooted thing.


Whenever I am having a down day, I just go to youtube and watch this video and laugh a lot. What a funny video.

Five for Friday

Where have I been all month? Good grief! It's two days until the end of July, which means I'm 34 days away from my new adventure in New Zealand. How close am I to being ready for this? Yeah....not so much. I've been really slow about packing and sorting my things. I keep getting more sewing projects to do instead of finishing them so I can pack up that stuff and the last week has been spent with my brother John. He leaves tomorrow to head back home and then I can spend a few days cleaning/packing/organizing my house again. It's been a bit of a disaster since he got here. I've had more escapades with him in a week than I did on my own in a year and a half here. I'm exhausted and now I've got a major upset stomach because of it (that and eating out too much).

Oh, yesterday I went to North Korea. Yep, I stood there for a few minutes. We went on the DMZ tour with a company in Seoul and we got to visit the JSA (Joint Security Area) where the North Korean border and South Korean border meet and where talks can go on with both countries. It was weird being there, but really cool as well. That was the last big thing I needed to do before I left Korea. Now I can check that off and be happy with it.


I'm ready to work on a house and work on making said house a home. How cool would this be?





I want to do this for my house! How fun?


I love the old floor here...I'm falling in love with wood I think.


I hate my current dishes...these I could never hate.