Once upon a time in college, someone “sold” New Zealand to me. They told me that with my IT degree, I could easily qualify for residency because the country had more cows than people. The idea fascinated me—the possibility of starting a new life in such a beautiful, faraway place felt like an adventure waiting to happen.
As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a flight attendant so I could work while traveling the world. That dream eventually faded, and I pursued computer science in college instead. Still, the desire to travel never left me—it simply found a new shape.
After graduation, I already knew I wanted to work abroad, and New Zealand had always been on my radar. But right after college, an opportunity arose to work in the U.S. as a COBOL programmer for the Y2K issue. Just like that, New Zealand moved to the back burner.
In 2005, I decided to give it another shot. I started filling out an Expression of Interest for residency, but when it came time to pay the fee, I hesitated. I couldn’t bring myself to move to a new country without a job waiting for me.
Not long after, another chance to work in the U.S. came along—and this time, it materialized.
Around 2010, I found myself revisiting that New Zealand application yet again. And yet again, when it came time to click “Pay,” I just couldn’t do it.
Then in January 2011, I got engaged, and New Zealand went back to the shelf—this time, probably for good (I did tell my husband that if he didnt propose I am planning to finally pursue my NZ plan).
That’s why my recent trip to New Zealand meant so much to me. It wasn’t just because Lord of the Rings have been filmed there (which,admittedly is one of the reasons I visited), but also because lt is like closing the loop on a path I almost took.
And did I enjoy my trip? Absolutely. New Zealand feels like God’s country—no dangerous insects or animals, the water tastes amazing (and I’m very particular about my water!), the dairy is extra creamy, and the views… oh, the views.
