Stéphanie Rymkiewicz, from Langer to New Zealand

October 2013. A lifelong travel enthusiast, Stephanie Rimkowitz fell in love with New Zealand. Today, Langroise installed on the other side of the world is an executive assistant in a design office in Auckland.

Fismes (51), Joinville, Langres … The Rymkiewicz moved according to the appointments of the policeman’s father: “I was educated at the end of CE1 at the Ecole des Ouches, then at college and Diderot High School where I got a BAC STT.”

August 2009. BTS in her pocket, Stéphanie started at CPAM in Chaumont and soon felt the desires elsewhere: “In 2011, I joined a friend who was a glacier pair in Australia. In 2012, I visited Egypt and the West Coast of the United States (Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Grand Canyon,…). In April 2013, I went to Hawaii for two Two weeks (1 week on Maui and 1 week on Oahu). »

Travels, adventures, encounters… In October 2013, Stephanie asked for more and took a year off to discover New Zealand: “Within two months I toured the North Island by bus and then came to the South Island, I decided to buy a truck to be more independent. In five months, I am driving around the South Island and then stopping in Christchurch trying to find odd jobs (June-September 2014). Then I go to Bali, to Sydney to go back to Auckland. On the way back, I stop in Hong Kong.”

Fabulous…

HR Assistant at Lidl and then Executive Assistant at Leroy-Somer Motors… Looks like the bird landed in Angouleme but no! “In October 2017, I sold my furniture and left my home and work to go back to New Zealand. With a tourist visa, it’s a big risk! I’m stopping in Auckland, the country’s largest city for a better chance of finding a job.”

The French woman in exile began in this North Island city as an executive assistant and then became a project manager in Christchurch on the South Island: “The way I work in New Zealand is much cooler. I have regular coffee assessment interviews with my boss (one a month). The company is very flexible, for example I can work 7 hours on Monday and 9 hours on Tuesday. We have 4 weeks off and 12 public holidays. The 12th was held this year under the name “Matariki” to celebrate the Maori New Year at the end of June. »

Stephanie separates almost 20 thousand kilometers from her family, and runs the distance as much as possible: “ I come home every two years and my parents also visit me every two years. The large time difference (10 hours) does not facilitate video calling. Overall, I manage the distance fairly well, and plan to stay a few more years in New Zealand. »

From our correspondent Serge Born