Two years ago I was sitting in a hotel room in Johannesburg, stitching my duffel bag back together with a crude sewing kit and chatting with my dad on the phone while I waited for my flight to Cape Town. I had just returned from Zimbabwe and I told him that for all of my grievances about Vancouver, it was actually pretty damn great and I wasn’t going to be in a hurry to leave again.
Famous last words. I’m writing this from the airport.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I just said goodbye to my family. I’m now waiting to board my one-way flight to Auckland and I’m experiencing every emotion. That’s why I didn’t post earlier this year when I finished my dental hygiene qualification, passed my board exam and officially became an RDH—I’ve been saving it for this moment. I landed my dream job, and I quite literally mean my DREAM job, in January. Yes, a full six months before I expected to graduate, and I’ve spent the entire year waiting. That time has now come. I’m heading to a full-time gig at a dental clinic in Tauranga, a rapidly-growing city on New Zealand’s northeast coast in the Bay of Plenty. I don’t know anyone in New Zealand, but I’m forging on ahead anyway and hoping I’ll figure it out when I arrive.
It’s crazy that I’ve been planning for this moment for so long and now that it’s finally here, I’m a bundle of nerves. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks and months, I’ll take you along on my journey as I build my new home.