Thanks everyone.
It's nice to have a supportive community of such understanding and *good* people.
What I wrote has been cathartic for me, like having a good cry. (Not that I ever cry, mind you.) Now that I've said my piece, I feel peace.
Coming to terms with the fact that I probably won't find a teaching job, and may not find a job that particularly suits my skills, has given me space to think about the other reasons I came here. I think my approach from this point forward is going to be looking at my time here as a sort of working vacation. As a type-A workaholic, it'll probably do my blood pressure some good.
FWIW, I don't intend my experience to be a dire warning about the perils of coming to New Zealand. Even if I end up sweeping the floors at Pak 'n' Save, this has been a great experience for me. If I were 10 years younger, or 15 years older, this would be perfect. If I were an entrepreneurial type, or if I knew how to do something practical and useful, like swing a hammer or weld a guardrail
, this would be perfect. It's just that my particular passion and my particular point in life isn't gonna work so well for me.
And, like it said, it may just all fall into place next week. Who knows.
Again, thanks everyone. You're the best.
