I’m a Kiwi born Scots girl … well that’s what my parents used to say and it was pretty accurate considering my Scottish parents were immigrants to NZ, so I was brought up in a very “Scottish” way as they held their traditions, “way of life” and “language” very tightly. I decided I needed to find out what is Scottish and what is Kiwi – my plan was to live in Scotland discover their history and culture so I could better understand myself and who I was. That was when I was 10, when I was 22 I was living my dream.

I trained as a nurse in Rotorua, loved that place, loved the Maori community and their culture. Played hockey, carried on my dance passion, choreographed and performed. Those were fun carefree times. 

I left NZ after I completed my Nursing training, as the majority of young Kiwis did back then, in a class of 20 nursing students, 17 of us left NZ to travel! I travelled for about 2 years basing myself in London sleeping on my cousin’s floor, working nights (good money) so I could travel again. I lived and worked in Scotland – cycled around Scotland, slept my the Lochness and never saw Nessie (the Lochness Monster), read all the history books, met all my relatives but after several months I had had too many potatoes, too much tea, felt too much cold and damp, so headed back to London. 

I fell in love with an English/Swiss man, who was born in Africa, the multicultural aspect of my life continues, and had 3 amazing kids – 2 boys and 1 girl. Complete gifts from God coz there’s no way I deserved such amazing human beings in my life. I discovered what it was to really get to know God, to be close to him and see his reality in my life. We were part of a leadership team of a church based on a “non religious, relationship based Christianity” in other words – we weren’t into “religion” we were in to getting to know God and making a difference in each others lives as well as those around us. Special friends were made and I saw amazing spiritual things happening.

Eventually we moved back to NZ after 20yrs of my life in London – wow that was a culture shock! 

My kids are grown, the youngest having just left school. I have an amazing daughter in law – another god gift! I work mainly as a Respiratory Nurse in Auckland, one of the poorer parts of Auckland – love it and love the people I look after. I also do some training and some marking of papers all to do with breathing. My husband is a counsellor and group therapist. He’s very good at what he does. I can tell because every person he meets he discovers his or her innermost secrets within minutes … it makes me laugh. He’s a “natural” people love him and are drawn to him. We still love our God and see him move around us changing people’s lives.

I miss London, my husband doesn’t. We are very different in personality so balance each other out well. I need him to balance me.

The reason I’m writing “About Me” is so you understand a little of who I am and hopefully get a glimpse of why I see things the way I do. I want to write this blog to discuss issues that I feel need to be discussed about things like NZ, Health Systems, Education Systems, Church Institutions and to plant a seed in who ever reads this, that we should start asking questions and not necessarily follow the status quo. Too much bad stuff happening in this world for us to just follow along – we need to start standing up or back to see what we truly believe.