Category: General

This month marks my family’s two year anniversary in New Zealand. I have to admit that the time has flown by at a ridiculous rate. If you had told me that within the space of two years I would have helped deliver a world class STEM Festival to my newly adopted country AND set up a new registered charity, I would have scoffed at you and then asked what it was you were smoking? Well, it seems the laugh is on me.

In reflecting on the remarkable things that have happened to me personally and professionally, I have come to the conclusion that it’s been a combination of pure luck, good timing, and being fortunate enough to have surrounded myself with an exceptional group of individuals, all of whom where total strangers to me two years ago and who now I couldn’t imagine being without.

These amazing group of people not only shared my vision, but they embraced it and helped to reshaped it into their own so that it became a collaboration in every sense of the word. I am so much richer for having these awesome humans in my life: Amanda, Marie, Mike, Debs, Kurt and Steven (AWOL from the photo).

The remarkable success of STEMFest has been down to the fact that our vision of an inclusive, joyous, and inspirational event would absolutely capture the imagination of the public and community. We truly believed that “if we build it, they will come”. And they did come — all 3,500 of them. We asked them to bring their curiosity and an open mind and they came away being truly inspired and wanting more!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, encouraged us, hustled for us, and made us push that little bit harder, because, hey — just look at what we did together!

I’m really excited for the future, for what is in store for “Tia the designer”, “Tia the STEM organiser and advocate”, and “Tia the hoarder of stationery” — so watch this space!

Ka Pai Hoki Koe!

The other day Miss Crayons asked me what the date was. She pointed it out that our one year anniversary in New Zealand was coming up. So, today on the 18th of November 2018, one year on from when we landed on these fair shores, I thought I would attempt a one year summary.

So, I have to admit that the year went way too quickly, so quickly that I almost missed it. I still recall waving our container off as it drove down Postland Road with all our worldly belongings. I also remember being in transit in Hong Kong and then arriving in Auckland and being greeted by the Crowthers and half of the Birchalls.

I also recall that the ‘just two weeks’ bunking down at the Crowthers turned into almost four months. I think it’s taken them all this time to get over the trauma of such a concentrated amount of Lush in one short period. We have managed to maintain our friendship, well that’s what I read in the court restraint documentation.

In our year, we have managed to buy a house, two cars, lots of fish (since died) and four Guinea piggies (not dead). I’ve finally stop whinging about the price of cucumbers, but still referring to currency as pounds.

The children have settled into school, but not without some blips along the way, with Miss Crayons starting college (high school) in the new year and growing up way too quickly. The boy turns out is a talented long distance runner and won a prize and a place on the podium at a coastal fun run the other weekend. So I can see weekends of taking him to running events and people asking me why I don’t run – insert much snort laughing here. The Mister still works for the US company so his hours are erratic, but his commute is only down a flight of stairs so he shouldn’t grumble, but obviously he still does.

I have managed to integrate myself into the tech scene here, there’s no DPiP, but I have found a tribe who felt sorry enough for me to let me join them. So now I am part of a ‘scene’. I have my own office (complete with bunting and party lights) and I get to share it with the BFF, so work life it not too shoddy at all. Still working with some of my fav UK clients but looking to branch out into the local scene in the new year. No knee-touching networking events though, I’m still allergic to those sort of things.

I have decided to bring STEMFest to NZ and managed to convince (bully) some people into helping me organise it. Which means breaking out of the comfort zone, talking to lots of different people and committing to more sleepless nights and voluntary stress levels. You’d think I would have learnt my lesson, but clearly I am not that bright.

The other day I climbed the Mount, so I leave with with this parting photo of my ugly mug on top of a mountain! #LifeIsNotTooShoddy

I found this gorgeous dinky little watch at a charity shop in Southampton at the weekend.

I love how small and delicate it is, so much so that I ignored the fact that it probably didn’t work and would need servicing or repair.

So now my smugness is dampened by the fact that I will probably have to spend more to fix it than it actually cost to buy.

Insert #Fail here.

UPDATE – 6 SEPT 2016

Turns out a wind-up watch requires — winding. Genius!