The Honest Truth About Living Abroad...

[@nickandraychel]

Well, y'all - the ups & downs of travel & living abroad, I guess. Ha!! Now, back to repairs...

[@MikeB-gf6dj]

I emailed you. Refers my comment below. 🇳🇿 😎

[@Dave_Kennett]

Life throws a lot of things at you. The key is to get through this and out to the other side. Always remember, bad times don't last forever, so keep strong and keep doing what you always do. As others have said, you will look back at these days in NZ and you will laugh at some of the things you worried about then. Am enjoying your adventure so thanks for sharing. All the best and Merry Xmas xx

[@nickandraychel]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful message. Hope you have some nice cozy holiday celebrations. 🫶🏼

[@TheOnlyTaps]

🎯💯

[@MyLifeThai371]

Just a few days before I move to Cambodia to live and work! I don't know if you heard, but Angelina Jolie announced that she is moving to Cambodia as well. A bunch of the youtubers in Cambodia have been saying that they have invited Angelina for an interview, so that will be fun!

[@nickandraychel]

Aw that’s so cool!

[@TheOnlyTaps]

Great watch as always 👊🏿🙏🏿. The growing pains are natural. Makes the fun times even sweeter and easier to cherish

[@nickandraychel]

Couldn't agree more.. thank you!

[@TakeTimeToTravel]

You got this! These will be the “good old days” when you look back on them. Cheers from Cartagena, Colombia :)

[@nickandraychel]

Cheers! Can’t wait to go to Colombia in the new year!!

[@garynarborough]

I'm from NZ and your video touched me. I'm now in my late 60s. I went back to see family in September. You get homesick for BC Canada which I can relate to. I've made the necessary but heart ripping decision I'm not going back to NZ to visit. I cannot handle the long flights etc and as much as I miss NZ I'm better off now living in my home on the other side of the world. Your video affected me emotionally. Really enjoyed it. You have each other and ultimately will head back to BC and family. Really enjoy your posts. Merry Christmas from Greater London.

[@nickandraychel]

Thank you so much for your message. And yes, the long flights are not easy!!! Hope you have an awesome end to your year.

[@joyceannak4956]

accidentally saw you on tik tok talking about NZ and how you find Nz nice. You mentioned you have youtube so I jumped on it. saw subscribed and liked. I miss my nz

[@194ellu]

Me and my boyfriend - we definitely understand how you're feeling and how super stressful it can be and is. I'm glad that you guys are honest about it and like you said aren't going with toxic positivity. We've been here for 9 months now and every time we have to look for a job and then move for a job we're constantly worried about running out of money, our car breaking down and about having to go back home earlier than we'd want to if it was upto us. Also with Christmas and New years getting closer it's making us miss our family and friends and our home country's food a lot too. So lately it's been pretty hard on us too emotionally. It definitely feels like a rollercoster. Sometimes scary, sometimes fun. :)

[@nickandraychel]

I think so many of us that live abroad feel these same feelings, for sure. Hopefully you can find a way to bring some of your family traditions to your new little life here. It must be really different weather for you too, considering you're from snowy Estonia!

[@virginiabrown397]

Hi welcome to Queenstown. I'm a new subscriber and it's so interesting to see Queenstown being featured on a vlog. Rachel when you were trying to familiarise yourself, driving on the left-hand side of the road, I actually saw you went past my house. It's so strange and funny. Anyway, Hope you enjoy Queenstown. It's expensive here but there's so much you can do/go and discover. It is really beautiful. Once you live here, you sometimes seem to not notice the place or take it for granted, but I am so lucky to live in this beautiful town. 😊 Hope like Cambodia, you will also have the same feelings about this town. Enjoy Christmas! 🥰🌲🌟🎅💕

[@nickandraychel]

That's so funny! I actually loved driving around that area. Thanks for the nice comment!! x

[@mierypesado6740]

hey guys. idk how i came onto your videos but after watching a few it's clear y'all are good people, and i felt compelled to comment specifically about the 'speech' at ~11 mins. i'm 28, more or less the same as you guys, originally from NZ (Wanaka actually) but now living in Mexico. we're living in a pretty unprecedented time with the wide accessibility of travel and ability to support yourself working remotely (even though you guys have 'on the ground' jobs, and consequently little in the way of traditional markers of success such that there used to be (now we revert to vain social media metrics as our markers, but that's another story). you spoke about your cambodian experience and how you were terrified at the time, but now look back on it as the best time of your life. that's exactly right - something i hold dear is the idea that 'life only makes sense looking backward'. we will never have the answers to the questions we feel like we need to know right now, and it's in that uncertainty - and the highs and lows that come with the reality that follows - that you build your conception of self, who *you* are. pseudo-philosophical ramblings aside, keep it up and keep smiling :)

[@nickandraychel]

thanks for your thoughtful comment 🫶🏻 figuring it out day by day

[@itscarolinemary]

It gets sooo dark here 😢 ugh NZ looks soo nice! I’ve never moved abroad or travelled out of north america, you guys are lucky (and brave) to live abroad & take those risks. If I could go back in time, I would have waited on university and travelled abroad.. but I would have needed to work and save a bunch too.

[@jackobrah9]

I have covid and I some how found your channel I hope you guys are still enjoying nz

[@jackobrah9]

Happy new year

[@nickandraychel]

Thank you. We’re loving it here!

[@stevie_M]

That was brilliant and so honest, cheers guys.

[@nickandraychel]

Thanks for watching ❤️

[@nicktankard1244]

NZ looks so nice i'm jelous :) It was absolutely miserable today in Vancouver. Heavy wet snow and then rain and it's already dark at 4pm. I got soaked and cold and lonely. It's been almost two years since I moved to Canada but I still don't know anyone here. It's fine though bad times can't last forever.

[@nickandraychel]

It can take some time to adjust for sure! You should get bumble BFF!! I use it in every country haha :)

[@Emzy15289]

Aww this video got me all emotional, traveling and being away from home breaks your heart sometimes! Just gotta listen to your heart and do what feels right for you at the time. I’m a British gal living in Canada and while I love winter (I’m a skier) I do NOT love the crazy short days 😭😭😭

[@nickandraychel]

Aww, thank you. I know all of us who have moved abroad have probably been through some of the same things. It's just hard to connect, because we're always so far away from each other!! Ha ❤️

[@koehl405]

I know that you are not going to but you should have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year anyway. Thanks for your video.

[@nickandraychel]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@moondancer4660]

You will look back at this and have very fond memories. And if y'all stay together for life, you will both get to look back at this together.❤

[@nickandraychel]

can’t wait to tell these stories to our grandchildren 🥹

[@aprilsnow7798]

You are just going through the growing pains of moving to a new place, and I'm sure it's amplified when it's also a new country! Don't let it get you down❤

[@nickandraychel]

Thanks so much ❤️✨

[@cadifan]

The reason the turn signals are on the left side of the steering wheel is because it's a British built car. British cars are designed with LHD controls because that's the biggest market in their area even though their cars are RHD. The British isles are the only RHD area in that part of the world. So instead of building RHD & LHD steering column controls like they used to, around the 1980s they switched to just using LHD controls for cost cutting purposes.

[@nickandraychel]

Ouuu that makes sense

[@krh007]

Hoping you two can bump into Tia & Cheveyo (One Pack Wanderers) who are probably in Queenstown area by now (last update they were heading your way via Arthers Pass from the west side. These two are similar age to you two and seasoned travellers from the US with very similar personalities doing everything on a tight budget. Their little cheap beamer hatchback they bought when arriving in the Nth island also had engine issues making it go into limp mode, but Cheveyo managed to fix it in the end with some new parts swapped in. Tia also gets those down days like you doubting herself but they push thru it and keep moving, so your not alone when those self doubt feelings swell up at times which is normal when your on the move away from family & friends exploring the globe on your adventures. We are from Perth, West Aussie (what we call paradise) and have travelled a lot (my wife is from the UK) and our pet hate is the cold weather. We are most happiest chasing the sun and Perth (& WA which is huge) is perfect for that beach lifestyle of pure white sand & blue ocean water

[@Nickubus99]

When it comes to swimming in our beautiful lakes, jumping in is ALWAYS the best option. Walking in is like torture! Jump in, give it 1 minute of fast breathing and try and control your breath through it. Jump out and bake in the sun, you will feel AMAZY-ZING. Haha. Good luck.

[@nickandraychel]

Hahahha okay I’m going to try it next time!!!

[@danettewinkfield907]

I Want To Know That I Think You Guys Are Awesome And I Salute You Two Beautiful

[@nickandraychel]

Thank you!

[@MikeB-gf6dj]

Yes Raychel, as Nick says, It's fine, you'll get used to living here. It is the ups and downs of moving and living abroad. NZ is a beautiful country. You'll look back and treasure the memories you made on your travels, and am sure NZ will hold a very special part of your hearts. You are way down south and inland too in one of, if not the most expensive towns in the country to live in .. now .. but all those things will change once you've settled in more, and got used to the timezone (which does play it's part too when you are opposite in seasons and times than what you are used to - I found the very same thing at first for a while when I lived in the Northern Hemisphere in a strange country, feeling my way, making new contacts/friends etc - polar opposites to what you know and grew up with 🙃), the opposite side of the road too can be a little daunting though practice makes perfect, and on those Southland South Island roads where the traffic is not so dense - a perfect learning ground. Once that Drive Train is fixed, take yourselves for a drive over to Lumsden and have a look at the Kingston Flyer, Drive up the top of the Remarkable Ranges - on a clear day and see nearly all of the South Island to even as far north as the lower North Island can be seen without a good telephoto lens on a clear day. Go visit Wanaka, Go over to Milford Sound/Mitre Peak/Dolphins - there's plenty close by that isn't just Queenstown - each as beautiful as the next. When you get to bigger metropolitan areas, and mixing more outside Queenstown you will probably feel more at ease too. Things too will be so much more cheaper. I couldn't believe you spent 4,000 on a laptop - Wow - the prices in Queenstown really are over the top. I was astounded at the price - inland freight costs to that town soo expensive!. I'm in the Bay Of Plenty (North Island) myself and even an expensive laptop to me would cost half that. When you reach this part of the country - I'd open my doors to you if you wished. 🙂 Come North .. warmer cheaper more jobs more people though .. aim for Seasonal Work, do the South Island in Autumn when so pretty with all its colours. Just a suggestion. If you guys want any leads or assistance with anything don't hesitate to ask - Kiwis are pretty helpful hospitable folks, and we most certainly don't want our international guests to feel uncomfortable. I'll email you with addy YT provides - give you a point of contact for North Island, just in case is useful to you. Kia kaha (Maori - for Be Strong) pronounced Key-a-car-ha, Cheers from Nth Is, 🇳🇿 😎M.

[@nickandraychel]

Thank you! Just got your email ☺️

[@mierypesado6740]

Great comment - another pretty underrated place to settle in the north island is hawkes bay, super pretty, great weather and tons of jobs

[@itscarolinemary]

The other side of the road and roundabouts, hahaha. I understand the fear as someone who does not drive! I need to learn…

[@nickandraychel]

Hahaha it’s so nerve wracking!!

[@itscarolinemary]

I’m sorry about the expenses! 😢 sucks. Things will get better though. Do you plan to be in NZ for years?

[@nickandraychel]

At least 1 year! Maybe 2 :) but we are leaving for their winters too. We will be on a big backpacking trip next year for about 4 months.

[@ZavHustles]

4k for a new laptop??? Is it gold plated?

[@nickandraychel]

Hahaha basically. I have to have one of the most high powered MacBook Pros for editing. The one I wanted was $6,200 but I could “only” afford the one with lower ram.