When we arrived in Palmerston North in 2011, we had no idea what awaited us. We didn’t know a single person. My husband needed to study again to convert his nursing license, which meant international tuition, visa fees, and living costs all coming from our small savings.
We found the cheapest flat we could. It was cold and damp, and our baby often fell ill. We drove an old car that was older than us and tried our best to stay hopeful.
I spoke very little English. During every nap time and every late night after putting our baby to sleep, I studied. I kept whispering to myself, “One day, I’ll be a nurse again, too.”
But life was not easy. We were running out of money, and my husband needed a job quickly. Then one day, we found a small hospital job posting — in a faraway town called Kaitaia, at the very top of the North Island. It felt impossibly far, but it was our last chance.
So we packed our car and drove the full length of the island — with a baby in the back seat and all our hopes in that one interview.
And then, a miracle — he got the job.
We moved to Awanui, a quiet town just outside Kaitaia. It was peaceful, breathtakingly beautiful, and full of kindness. Those two years were healing years. We finally had space to breathe, to grow, and to begin again.
It was the first time New Zealand truly felt like home.