Update from AZ - Roy's update

**WARNING - This post has ended up being quite a bit longer than anticipated!**

Roy here.

At the time I write this, I have been in the USA for almost two weeks, and I've been in Arizona for 9 days. I really miss Holly and LJ, but thank God for Skype. At least I can talk to them and see their faces.

My first week here has been intense to say the least. I started off with the following "to do" list:
 - Open a bank account
 - get my AZ drivers license
 - including learn to drive on the "wrong" side of the car, and the "wrong" side of the road
 - change my address with the USCIS and NVC (visa applications for the fam)
 - file tax returns for the last three years (yes believe it or not, even though I earned well below the threshold to pay tax to the Fed while in NZ, I still have to file tax returns here...)
 - get a cell phone number sorted, and hopefully a new phone because my existing one is a piece of.... trash
 - go through my CV and make it more "American", including remembering it is called a "Resume"
 - suss out the job market
 - apply for jobs
 - get set up (finally) on Linked In
 - register with Manpower and Experis
 - get a gift for Holly for our anniversary
 - mail said gift, and MAKE SURE IT ARRIVES ON TIME!!! (turned out to cost a tad more in postage than I thought)
 - sample the local "cuisine" (actually only talking about fast food here!)
 - land a job

 I have so far achieved everything on that list apart from my tax returns (which are a bit trickier than in NZ), and land a job.

I have seriously applied for around 35 jobs in the last couple of days alone, a few that I don't feel qualified for but I figure it's better to shoot above my comfort zone and see what happens. I don't want to close doors on myself just because I feel unsure/unconfident.

I think I'm only just coming to grips with the time difference - at the moment we're 4 hours ahead of NZ but a day behind (which will change to 5 hours when NZ finishes daylight savings). It is definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be!

Driving here is still very weird. But I got my license! Apparently, even though I've had my NZ drivers license for more than ten years, it is not even recognized here. So I had to sit a written test and a practical test in order to be issued my Arizona drivers license. Thanks to my aunt and uncle who let me drive them around a bit in the days before hand, I breezed through it. Only a few things are different to back in NZ (apart from the obvious) so it wasn't too hard to adjust.

My cousin was awesome enough to help me with getting my phone sorted. I was able to get added on to his plan, which made it cheaper over all, and get a brand new phone for a lot cheaper than back home so I'm pretty stoked with how that turned out. He also just happened to be off work the week I arrived so he picked me up from the airport and took me to my aunt and uncle's house where I'm staying for the next little while. LEGEND. Oh and he introduced me to Chick-Fil-A.

 My aunt and uncle are awesome. So hospitable, and have been so helpful to me adjusting here. My aunt went through my resume with me and made a few changes to make it more "american" for me and has been great with leads on where to apply for work. Not to mention they are the reason I have my drivers license already and got my bank account set up so soon.

 I have been going for at least one walk per day. I'm still struggling to get up early and go for an early morning stroll, so often I head out around dinner time when it is a bit cooler outside. I still prefer the morning walks but as I say I'm still struggling with the time difference, especially morning and night. I've managed to get some cool photos on my strolls, so I'll add one or two to this post. My daily walk abouts have been super helpful with getting my bearings here and fixing up my sense of direction which has been out of whack since I got here.  Where my aunt and uncle live is about 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix, in a place called San Tan Valley.  It is really nice and nothing like the big city, lots of new houses and subdivisions, with a lot of open land all around.

I don't know if there is too much more for me to add at this point in time.  So enjoy the photographs, and leave a comment below if you wish.  Let me know if you have any requests for me to blog about regarding life here. 

Typical view to the north.  Desert.

Another view to the north.  Note green grass and trees.  A rare day with clouds and chance of rain.

Weather forecast for the next five days (Celsius)

Weather forecast in Fahrenheit

The First Leg Ch2

Library card - check.
New reading for our 2yr old - check.
Sussed out where the best local yarn shop is - check.
And the 'thrift' store - check.
Changed addresses on everything - check.
Set up a mail redirection just in case - check.
Find out about local upcoming markets for stall opportunities - check.

It seems we're in practice for when we make the big move to the USA.

Our immigrant visas are still pending which an uncertain date of arrival - potentially up to 8 months at worst, only a few months to wait at best.

The First Leg Ch1

March 14, 2014

Currently packed up in our friend's station wagon, driving along the shoreline of lake Pukaki.  The car is chocka full.

LJ is happily chilling/playing/observing in his carseat.  Roy, driving and talking about how much he loves this part of New Zealand.

The sun has just dipped below the horzon showing off the awe-inspiring jagged mountain tops.  It's still daylight enough to see clearly.

Today has been FULL ON.  LJ and I both have survived several meltdowns, Dwight and Rachel and Miles have shone nothing by patience, tolerance, caring, kindness and love towards our family.

We are blessed.  Praise Jesus and his Magnificent Glory.

**driving the 8hr+ drive from Christchurch to Te Anau, New Zealand, after just having packed up the house, cleaned, dropped of loads to the dump, to the thrift stores, packed two cars, paid the carpet cleaner.  We arrived in Te Anau at 12:30am.  Exhausted.

Prologue

We're the Bruces.

Before Roy and I were married we - well, mostly Roy to begin with - had talked of living in the States.  A dream, a goal, an eventual reality.  I was sold.

Fast forward 4 or so years to mid 2013 where we had expanded (a 2yr old child) and were still talking about the future in America.

Every year it had been, "We'll aim for next year," to get ourselves packed up and move to the USA.  But this time we figured out that "next year" never really ever came around and that we should just. do. it.

We prayed.  A lot.  It felt like such a deep calling that we knew that it was the direction we believed God was wanting us to go.

There was just one thing stopping us.  Money.  As usual.  But we believed that moving to the States was what we had to do so we set a date and planned to make it happen.

We looked at the numbers and figured we'd need about $10k, NZD to get the ball rolling.  The numbers also showed that A. we definitely didn't have $10k and B. practically speaking there was no way possible for us to save that much in 7-8 months before we left.

Again, we prayed.  We gave it to God.  We said (paraphrase), "This is what we have, this is what we need, we believe you're calling us to the USA, we believe you can and will get us there, Lord, we trust you.  If it's not what you want, Lord, please close doors, if it is what you want, please guide us and open the right doors.  We want to be in your will."  Over and over.

Now, here's a twist. Sure enough, and we believe by a miracle of God, suddenly we were presented with, believe it or not, exactly $10k.

When that happened, our jaws hit the ground.  We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the USA was where we were going - sooner rather than later and by God's hand.

And so the story begins.