✍️ Blog Part 1 From Seoul to Palmerston North – Chasing a New Life

Before HeySewCute ever existed — before we had our garden, our home, or even our New Zealand nursing licenses — there was just a dream.

My husband and I were both nurses in South Korea. We were newly married, and I had just given birth to our first child. We had stable jobs, but very little time. Nursing in Korea was intense. The pay was similar to what nurses earn in New Zealand, but the working hours and expectations were overwhelming. There was no balance — only pressure.

My husband had always dreamed of living in a peaceful, nature-filled country where we could raise our children slowly, without the constant rush. After years of pushing through, we decided to take a leap that would change everything.

In 2011, we sold everything we had. With a newborn in our arms and a suitcase full of hope, we left Korea and arrived in a city we had never heard of before: Palmerston North.

We knew no one. We had little money. My husband had to study again to convert his nursing license, and I stayed home with the baby — trying to adjust, trying to learn English, trying to stay strong.

It was the beginning of something hard and beautiful. We didn’t know where the journey would take us, only that we were willing to give everything for a better life.