Life in Christchurch (For a month)

My time in Christchurch was totally unplanned and a very ‘go with the flow’ kinda moment and experience. Something I think I needed as I’m usually a very organized and go go go kinda person

I knew I was going there for a month while my family friends that lived in the city went on vacation (they went to ANTIGUA in the Caribbean to visit their friends – my family included. Funny right?). And while it was a ‘go with the flow’ kinda move, true to my nature, I had a general plan of at least some things I wanted to accomplish while there. Here’s that list:

1. Get a feel for the area. Is it somewhere you’d wanna live during your time in NZ?
2. RELAX.
3. Get paid at LEAST a lil sum sum.
4. Re-organize your finances.
5. Attend that dance workshop for the entire day.
6. See how you can get a car from your finances.
7. Look into one possible road trip (speak to your contact).
8. Reach out to all the contacts – (that you received from your friends).
9. Hit the reset button on Global Gyal and hit the ground running.
10. YOU CAN DO THIS
11. YOU CAN DO THIS

Besides #1, this is the exact replica of the list of things I wanted to achieve while in Christchurch. And I’m proud to say that I did most (minus buying the car. I bought a plane ticket to Australia instead lol But more on that later).

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Here’s what I got up to during my month in Christchurch:

Road trip to Kaikoura (with a friend).

• A small town about a 3 hrs drive from Christchurch, it’s known as the place to go to spot marine wildlife (dolphins, whales etc) just for fun.

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Galavant

• It’s great when you know people in an area. If they’re nice enough they’ll take you around to the local spots and areas that you probably would not have discovered by yourself. A friend of mine (a friend of my dad’s from Antigua that happened to move BACK to NZ at the same time I would be there) had lived in Christchurch previously and did not hesitate to show me around. Lots of love to her. Also some friends of friends did the same – drove me around to beaches and different spots. I’m forever grateful.

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Volunteer

• I’d quickly realized that NZ experience was a thing required for lots of jobs. As I wasn’t having any luck finding a paid position, I decided to volunteer my time at the nearest Library as well as with an Entrepreneurship organization called …….. Through these two moves I got to 1. Be around books which I love and 2. Meet some very interesting people that would stick around my journey in NZ for the rest of the year and inspire me in other instances to keep traveling.

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Part time job (A.k.a “Get paid a lil sumn sumn”)

• The hope was to find a full time job or something for my month in Christchurch. But, after lots of searching and resume sending with no luck, I pursued an advertisement for a babysitting job that I found on a grocery store notice board. It was random but they said yes! The family was quite welcoming and I got pocket money! Win win.

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Hang with new friends

• Friends I made in Auckland linked me with friends they had in Christchurch. It was so SWEET of them! These people took me out, visited me by the house, I hung out by theirs and one of them even allowed me to host a Caribbean lime at their place TWO nights in a row!

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Search for Caribbean people

• After living in Auckland for a lil bit and realizing there were lots of Caribbean students studying in NZ, I decided to extend the search to Christchurch. I literally strutted up on a University campus where I heard Caribbean students were studying, walked into the scholarship office and inquired about any information they had on people studying there. Funnily enough this was the ONE semester where they had no one in house! Someone was coming the following semester but unfortunately I would not be there to catch them. Ah wells, I tried 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Host a Caribbean lime!

• Yall know I love my Caribbean people, and I was determined to find dem! I sent word out in the West Indians in New Zealand Facebook group and invited anyone in the area to come by and lime at my friend’s house a few days before I left Christchurch! It ended up being about 8 people in attendance – 2 of which were ‘from’ the Caribbean, but the other people in the room were aware of and actually very appreciative of the culture! It was amazing to be on the other side of the world with an eclectic mix of people all who were down for the cause – the Caribbean cause.

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Overall, my time in Christchurch was worthwhile. I learnt about and explored another city. I drove on fancy highways. I took road trips. I practiced cooking. I chilled out. I met and spent time with a bunch of friendly, welcoming people who shared their lives and stories with me. I got to go out (one night on the town which was eventful to say the least).

But the important thing was I got to do. Or not do. It was my choice and I loved it.

In the end however I decided Christchurch was not for me. It was too small, too cold and lacked a bit of colour (if you know what I mean). So, after the family returned to Christchurch, I headed back up to Auckland. I decided it would officially be my city to tackle and create more memories and journeys.

Have you ever just ‘went with the flow’? Took a risk and ran with it? Made the best of a situation and focused on you? Explored a new city for exploring a new city’s sake?

Let me know your stories! They’re all valuable in their unique ways and I wanna know! Comment below.