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10 Things I Hate Living in New Zealand
After seven years I still love this country, but some things never cease to annoy me…
I moved to Auckland, New Zealand, from New York City about seven years ago. There were a lot of good reasons to pick New Zealand: free health care, stable politics, least amount of danger from climate change or nuclear war, one of the friendliest places on earth. After living my whole life under the opposite, I welcomed the change.
But… live somewhere long enough, you start to see problems. The first six months start small. Problems with parking, matches that won’t light, sticky toilets, crap housing. After a few years, I noticed more embedded issues, like a lack of imagination, weird conversations, and problems getting what I need. The first few years you think it will get better. It doesn’t.
If you decide to move to New Zealand, here are the ten things you can expect to annoy you, and maybe one extra.
1. New Zealand is Always Cold
I moved to New Zealand to get away from cold winters. I always lived in cold places — New York, Alaska, Minnesota, Russia — so those palm trees and beaches in the brochure looked good. Don’t be fooled! I have never been so cold as I have living in New Zealand.