[wanderingoregonian]

I've been really enjoying these boards – what a treasure trove of information and kinds words.

My husband and I are hoping to move to NZ in November 2006. We're both from Oregon (I've been particularly interested, Raeven in your posts – it will be very hard to explain to some of our Oregon friends/family why we wouldn't just relocate back home, which my dad always calls 'gods country'), but school and jobs have taken us further and further east, to our current life in Boston. We want to quit our jobs in June and spend the summer in on the west coast with family before heading for NZ.

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions as we dive into the process and I'm thrilled to have found this amazing community to help me along the way. Just reading about what people are deciding to bring or not is helpful as I gradually start sorting through our stuff. We'll also have to figure what to bring with us during our 4 month lay over in Oregon and what to ship straight to NZ. and after visiting the 'big' three NZ cities this year, I know I'll be doing lots of thinking about where exactly we want to shoot for.

Cheers- Shannon

[Moorf]

Welcome to the forum Shannon :nice1

[leosus]

Welcome Shannon, keep us posted on your progress!

[Jonathon1977]

It's nice to have someone else from the US to exchange thoughts and ideas with who is about as far along in the process as we are. Welcome!

[PaulandHelen]

Hi sharon, welcome.

[kiwidebs]

Hi Shannon

Welcome to the forum. I look forward to hearing more of your journey as you head for NZ.

Debs

[Kim39]

http://www.nearlygood.com/smilies/welcome(1).gif (http://www.nearlygood.com/) to our world Shannon. You have questions? well ask away. Am sure folks here will give you a honest answer.

Kim

[wanderingoregonian]

Thanks everyone, I feel very welcomed - what a great way to wake up on a Monday morning!

[Oregonkiwi]

hi! I'm new to the forum too. I'm a kiwi and my husband is American. We're currently living in Oregon (Roseburg) and planning to move to NZ in November 2006 also. Nice to "meet" another Oregonian here!
Avril

[gil]

Welcome to you, oregonkiwi and to you, wanderingoregonian! Good luck with your NZ dreams, and always remember to ask "it", whatever "it" is, here!

Gil

[clg]

Welcome and good luck with all of the planning. I know at this stage it all probably seems a bit sureal and very distant. This forumn is an invaluable resource, you learn an awful lot here and I think it really helped us with the transition.

Chris

[Diny]

Welcome to the forum!! November 2006 may seem a long way away but believe me, it'll be upon you before you realise. Good luck with all of your planning and remember - almost every answer to every question can be found 'within these pages'.

Good luck.

Diny

[deebat]

Welcome, Oregonians! My BH and I just moved from Portland (to Richmond, VA for a temporary stay until we go to NZ...long story), and we're certainly missing the area. There's a lot of NZ interest out there. Have any of you visited with the NZIS representative in Portland?

Best of luck,
Deebat

[Oregonkiwi]

Deebat - I emailed him a couple of times, he was very helpful. I'm sure he'll be sick of hearing from me by the time we figure out all the paperwork for my husband!

[wanderingoregonian]

I haven't contacted the NZIS person in Portland - glad to hear to hear that he's helpful, particularly since we plan to spend the last 5-6 months before our move in Oregon.

As for missing portland - haven't actually lived there for 6-7 years, and even though I spend most summers there (school jobs have nice vacation plans:) I do miss it - the land, the people, the trees, the mountains, the ocean, the politics, the coffee, and Powells... And yes, there are many people with NZ links out there. I have a high school friend who is a Kiwi who grew up split between Forest Grove Oregon and the Auckland area. She'd do 1-1.5 years in each place, then her family would switch between school years. Its been great chatting with her lately, and I suspect she'll be back in NZ soon:)

[tigerlily]

Welcome welcome welcome!

Portland love-fest! We moved out of Portland to Eastern Washington (blaaaaaaaaaa) last year, for school, after 13 years in Portland it took some getting used to.

Glad that you are here!

[katandbob]

Welcome, we have to wait till sept 06, so join the club of the slow journey to the land of the white cloud, its nice to know there are some of us out there. I sometimes get depressed when reading the threads of those who are getting to the end of the journey (but Its exciting to see them reach it too)

kat

[wanderingoregonian]

Kate and Bob - yea its a long wait for us too, but in a way I'm enjoying having made the desicion to go and now I can really enjoy this last year in the states. Just savoring random little things each week - from the pumpkin books in school to watching the New England leaves slowly turn, knowing that difficult teachers I encounter at work I only have to cope with for a few more months... at least this is how I keep trying to trick my anticipation/excitement from driving me crazy.. going for long bike rides just to see new things here I've missed in the past, see friends, seeing other friends off as they move to OZ, Canada or NZ...that and knowing that I only have to wait 9 months for Oregon, then from there even less time for NZ