Let’s Try Living On The Other Side Of The World.

We’ve boxed up the contents of our belongings into seemingly random categories of “need” and left them behind. Our house looks so different, feels like it has lost it’s soul and smells of cardboard. As the weeks have passed leading up to this moment, we have imagined sleeping in new beds, having meals at a new family table and sharing one quarter the living space as we are accustomed – one of my most favorite anticipated features of this change. After months of revisions, we have funneled the bare necessities into bike boxes and several duffel bags. It has felt like an eternity since we decided upon this course for our future. Our family of four, my husband and our two daughters ages 7 and 10 have arrived to this new place on Earth, eager to begin this new stage of life.

We’ve put 9,000 miles between ourselves and our loved ones, we’ve left the familiar structure and dependability of our very accommodating town, the confidence we have with medical/dental care, education and our absolute financial security. We moved our family to a New Zealand city in which we have never set foot. It feels surreal, even now, almost three months later. We have a temporary car, a temporary home, a permanent US home that has yet to be rented, and a whole new world and community to explore.

The first thing we noticed upon arriving at the airport was the breathtaking landscape out the window. Lush green hills, turquoise waters and few buildings. We land in a tiny airport, exit directly into the sweet, fresh New Zealand air and are met with a group of smiling faces, ready to help us make our way to our rental house. My husband’s employer has arranged several of his coworkers to pick us up upon arrival. We have so much luggage, so my husband hops into a big rectangular vehicle and myself and our daughters into a separate vehicle. We are off on the very final leg of this long journey and moment we’ve imagined for so long. Our new friend drives us all around town, giving us a quick tour – sadly, I fear I’m not going to remember anything he’s saying. We’ve been traveling far too many hours to take in this new information, 24 hours and three flights.

We arrive at our rental house, so much anticipation in this moment. Would it be as good as the photos and description? What if our girls just miss their familiar home and want to return right away? The house is beautiful, better than the photos and definitely far different than the home we know. We can see the ocean from almost every room of the house and walk to the beach in 2 minutes. I’m so excited to settle in and see all of our family’s toes get splashed by this coastline. Right now, I’m just taking in my family’s smiles, first impressions and sounds of joy. This precise moment will be etched in my heart and mind forever.