A 6 month journey of discovery

It began the first week we were here. The doubt started to grow. We had to give it a chance, we had to give it 6 months. It might just be the fact that we have sold up and moved abroad (again!) we thought. New Zealand felt like home, the same streets and same night sky. We struggled to find a place to live and ended up signing up to a 6 month contract to a place in Ponsonby. It didn’t work out, it just didn’t feel right and that really says it all about our trip this time – something just doesn’t quite feel right.

I got a job back at World Vision, still an incredible place to work. Nowhere can beat it, that I am sure of (well, I heard Google is pretty good!). Terry is working in Takapuna for a shipping company, but is pretty uninspired by it. We moved into a villa in the same suburb we lived before and I have the same old trek to work everyday over the bridge. It's as if we never left :).

My brother came over for 3 weeks and we travelled the north island. Terry and Boy went skydiving, we kayaked on Christmas eve, saw stingrays at the beach and climbed our way through glowworm caves. We camped the whole journey (well, Terry and I did, my brother opted for the car!). We had a blast. Hayden and Lynds joined us for a week and we pretty much hopped from beach to beach. It was so awesome to spend time with them all and show off how beautiful New Zealand is.

I turned 29 in December. Big breath in, big breath out. It’s my last year before I am 30 and what an epic 20’s I have had. 30 was the year I have always said I would settle, be in a place that makes me happy and surround myself with positivity and love. Here, in New Zealand, I am happy. It is truly a beautiful place full of space, trees, sunshine and freedom. I feel so safe. Yet, that is not enough. I keep thinking to myself that what does that all mean if you don’t have your loved ones to share it with. It’s a wonderful place to bring up kids, but again, without your family, is there enough joy to be had?  For some maybe, but for once in our entire lives we can say that it isn’t enough for us.

So, we are heading back to the UK. Going to find a place to settle and get our feet on the ground. It’s a nice feeling to know that for once in our lives we will feel content in the same space and not wanting to go live in all these other places. Of course the love for travel will always be there, it will never go and we will still travel but from now on (in for the foreseeable future), we will travel and then return back to somewhere that we can call home! Ha!

From Terry's work colleague and rings so true:

"You have to do what you have to do.  I have kids so I can tell you how difficult it is raising them without support from family.  My kids miss out so much, all their cuzzies, aunts, uncles & gran & granddad are 12,000 miles away, my eldest as met them when he was 6, he is now 16, my youngest is nearly 5 and has only met gran & granddad when they came out when he was 2.  You do what you have to do and make your own traditions and family but it’s not the same.  I love NZ but I love my family too and I miss them. 

You never know what is around the corner, never say never, you may even decide to come back some time in the future.  The weather has been bad over there, my cousin and aunt, & uncle live in Puckeridge and their homes have just been condemned due to the flooding but eh, we have earthquakes and tsunami’s here!!  :o)"

So kids, when we you are grown up, I hope you read this and understand why you live in the UK now and aren’t Kiwi and don’t blame us for the lack of sunshine in your lives! I kind of feel, when reading this back to myself, like this in the end of the Jen and Terry show, but of course it’s not..it’s just the beginning of the next 10 year adventure together!