“35kg. Sorry mam.”
Flip. Standing at the oversized-baggage desk at the airport, I pondered how we could possibly solve the situation of my excessively heavy suitcase, when out came my second checked-in bag.
“29kg. You’ll need a new bag.”
My stomach lurched. My husband was already at the international terminal getting a head start on our international adventure – I was alone in the domestic terminal, on a flight to see my family. Feeling emotional having said goodbye to John, his parents and our entire life in Auckland, I took a few deep breaths and quietly gave thanks for my bank balance not being in overdraft.
A few hundred dollars later for an overpriced airport-purchased bag, extra luggage fees and a very strong coffee, my belongings were finally checked through.
One month prior to this moment we decided to pack up our life in New Zealand and move to a tropical island. John was offered a great new job in Fiji on a major construction project. It meant resigning from our existing positions; a tough decision as we both were happy with our previous employment.
We both felt great loyalty to our employers. I had to quit my full time job with a New Zealand radio station that had made me the happiest in nearly ten years of work as a journalist. We were home owners in Auckland – a privileged position to be in for our age group, in a city with an absurdly expensive housing market. We had loving families and great friends nearby. We’d just celebrated our wedding 6 months earlier. And as avid snow bunnies, leaving the country meant we’d be missing the New Zealand ski season.
So why did we leave?
Sometimes when opportunity knocks, you’d be a fool not to answer.
We weighed up the pros and cons. Could we really do this? Should we really move to a tropical island?
We thought about the pros: a chance to travel somewhere new, a cheaper cost of living, excellent scuba diving, a warmer climate, a good remuneration package, the opportunity to learn new skills, more time to invest in other activities. And really, why the heck not?
But every opportunity comes risks. I’d be sacrificing my full-time income. Moving to Fiji certainly wasn’t our plan. We had to give up good jobs in New Zealand. There’d be more challenging living conditions in Fiji as well as health concerns such as zika and dengue fever.
After much discussion, debate and extremely heated conversations we made our decision.
Within a month we both quit our jobs, sold or donated our possessions, rehomed our pet cat Spring (one of the hardest parts!) and finished renovating the house to get ready to rent out.
When determining what to keep and what to throw out we considered the following factors:
- was it of value – financial or sentimental?
- Could we replace it?
- Could we live without it?
- Does it need to be updated?
- Could someone else benefit?
I started calling my husband “Mr Biff-It” as he was ruthless with our belongings.
But I’m more sentimental. Nostalgic. I keep old letters and birthday cards from my childhood and love to reminisce.
After many a night in heated discussion over whether to keep items such as a set of mugs I’d been gifted for my 21 birthday last decade, we eventually found a balance, and learnt to compromise.
NEVER SHUT DOWN DOORS
The reaction from most of our friends, family and workmates when we told them about our move to Fiji was a mix of excitement, a tinge of jealousy and comments along the lines of “Oh you’re so lucky!”
Yes, we are fortunate. But did we just strike it lucky?
There are hundreds of articles out there about people quitting their jobs to travel the world. Yay for them. We’re not them. We didn’t have a sudden desire to backpack around the world with only three pairs of underwear or spend months practicing meditation in an Indian ashram.
We wanted to upskill.
The opportunity didn’t fall out of the sky in front of us. If you look at it broadly, it had been an opportunity in the making for years. Both of us have worked and studied exceptionally hard to get ahead in our careers over the last decade, saving and scrimping to pay off debts likes student loans and mortgages and making necessary sacrifices to get ahead. There have been times we hated it, there have been times we’ve questioned what we’ve been doing and there have been times where we just had to suck it up and face another day.
Persistence has paid off.
We had great jobs in New Zealand and we could have been quite happy to stay.
But I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity for something different and outside the comfort zone.
My philosophy in life is to always be open to new opportunities. Be open to change. To try something which may challenge you, test you and even nearly break you. For it is in these challenges that we grow.
Don’t be afraid of the hard times. Don’t feel you have to stick to the familiar paths all the time. Go where there is no path and create your own. Life is a journey. Enjoy the ride.
Like many a new country, Fiji will bring about new challenges. Challenges in our careers, our lifestyles, our marriage.
But the key is to embrace it. Be open to the experience. Try new things. Embrace the challenge, the journey that comes with it and recognise that every step along the way is a step towards a better life and a greater understanding and sense of one’s self in this world.
