My Quest

Okay, guys, I am very nervous right now because, in less than 8 hours, the application for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa will open. And from what I saw on XHS and Facebook, a ton of people are trying to get it. Of course, I’m one of them—but I’m just trying to stay calm and go with the flow. (Keyword: trying). I’ll just do my best and see what happens.

From what I researched, as long as you successfully pay the fee, your chances of getting the visa are about 90%. So basically, my biggest opponent in this battle is not other applicants—it's my internet connection. I’ll be waking up at 4 AM for this showdown. Wish me luck and pray that my WiFi doesn’t betray me.

Speaking of the internet, the WiFi at my company was down the entire morning today. And since literally everything we do depends on it, we all just chilled and did manual stuff for a few hours—very retro. I had nothing to do and couldn’t even check my Outlook for emails (not that I wanted to). But luckily, after lunch, the WiFi resurrected, and we could finally get back to work.

Fun fact of the day: My supervisor, LS, came to the office in the morning, still coughing like a final boss in a zombie movie. He had already been on medical leave since last Friday, but after 30 minutes of struggling in the office, he finally surrendered and went home. Good decision, my guy. With the influenza outbreak being so bad these days, I’ve noticed more people starting to wear masks.

As for me? I’ve been wearing a mask since Day 1 at this company. Why? Because it’s a manufacturing company, and chemicals are everywhere. My department uses a lot of oils, another department works with plastic, and then there’s Department P—which casually uses cyanide. If I were placed there, I probably wouldn’t last a month. So yeah, wearing a mask is basic survival.

Bonus perk? It helps me avoid small talk. Because, let’s be honest—I’d rather breathe through a mask than force myself through unnecessary conversations.

So, I found this prayer on the internet for what I’m about to go through later:

"Thank You for knowing what we need, even before we do. Help us to release control of our agendas, our wants, and the 'needs' we think we need, to You. I pray that You would give me, my family, and my friends whatever we need to see You and feel Your presence more clearly in our lives. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen."

Wanaka