I was on a 2-year round the world tour when I arrived in NZ in 2004. I felt like I was home. Wanaka, Arrowtown, Christchurch, Akaroa, Te Anau, Glenorchy, Raglan and Arthur’s Pass are on my “must visit every trip” list. We were turned down for residency.
Those are all great places to see. Sorry to hear that you were turned down for residency. Some days I wish that I could live in New York City. It would be great to visit the US and see Texas, California, New Mexico and so on. One day...
I live in Texas and went to grad school in New York City. Santa Fe, New Mexico is unique and well worth a visit. Both TX and NYC are nice to visit, but awful places to live.
The USA has no national healthcare, no guaranteed pensions, and very little in the way of a social safety net. NZ doesn’t admit Americans over 45 because they are typically in worse health than 65-year-Europeans due to decades of limited healthcare unless they are very rich.
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NZ does have its share of issues, but it doesn't seem as tough as other parts of the world. Life here does feel easier (for many, anyways).