In 2018 I made the decision to embark on a 1-year working holiday in New Zealand. I had just finished 2 years teaching abroad in South Korea and 2.5 months backpacking around Europe before returning to Chicago. New Zealand was going to be my next big adventure!
Shout-out to Tinder Guy
The first time I learned of working holidays was actually from a Tinder chat in Korea. At the time I seriously thought the guy was trying to be funny or something. Literally as in he still had to work while on vacation. Then when he explained to me all about it I was like ohhhh.
A working holiday visa permits you to stay in a country for a lengthened period and grants you the option to seek employment. You don’t need to commit to a certain time frame or anything so it’s a pretty sweet deal. It’s basically an extended tourist visa with the additional perk of being able to work to fund your travels.
It blew my mind how I had never heard of this working holiday visa before (what rock had I been living under). Although the more I traveled and the more travelers I met I have come to the conclusion that America really doesn’t encourage overseas travel enough. For example, taking a gap year isn’t as common for Americans as it is with Europeans. I also seldom encounter other American tourists when I’m abroad. Domestic travel is far more popular in the States as opposed to international travel. I think one of the main reasons for this trend is because the U.S. is massive so Americans feel less inclined to explore elsewhere.
Crossroads
I really enjoyed expat life in Korea. I found the whole process of immersing myself into another culture invigorating. It’s such an accomplishment to move to a foreign country and successfully build your own little life there.
However, even though I was loving my life as an EPIK teacher I couldn’t see myself living in Korea forever. My job was meaningful but I knew deep down teaching wasn’t my true calling. I wanted a new challenge. The problem was I wasn’t sure what to do or where to go next.
I left Korea and went soul searching in Europe but never got that epiphany I was hoping for.
After in-depth research I finally determined that I wanted to partake in a working holiday. It sounded right up my alley and the perfect adventure for my next chapter in life. At the time I only qualified for two working holiday visas: New Zealand and Australia. My plan was to ultimately apply for the visa in both countries. I chose to do New Zealand first because I had never visited before and had heard incredible things about it.
Leap of Faith
I had no real action plan set in place and would essentially be stepping into the unknown. Unlike Korea there was no job lined up nor living arrangement ready for me in New Zealand. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to try volunteering on a farm at some point. I would practically be starting from scratch. For a Type A personality like myself this endeavor was quite a big deal.
On the other hand I did feel a bit more at ease this time around since it wasn’t my first rodeo. I figured if I could survive Korea surely I could survive in an English-speaking country. Nonetheless, living in a new country is always a bit nerve-racking.
When I informed my parents of my decision they were like oh no here we go again. They didn’t understand why I couldn’t just take a short vacation in New Zealand instead. I think they had hoped that after Korea I would live a more “stable” life.
Outcome
In the end I spent one remarkable year in New Zealand. My life there was full of exploring, hiking, stargazing, and road trips. I got to experience a bit of farm life as I had intended. I made extraordinary memories and lifelong friends.
From the beautiful beaches in the North Island to the majestic mountains in the South Island, I have definitely been spoiled by all the spectacular nature New Zealand has to offer.
For additional content on NZ, read my guide on the New Zealand USA working holiday visa. Check out my list of top attractions in Auckland. Learn about my experience on the very first day of my working holiday.
After New Zealand the plan was to continue straight onto a working holiday in Australia. Unfortunately, like the rest of the world I hit a roadblock when COVID-19 hit. Learn more in my other post about how the pandemic has hindered my wanderlust.
Have you ever been on a working holiday? How was your experience? Let me know in the comments!
