Well ...here I am.

When I first moved to Denver, licking my literal and figurative wounds from a disastrous stint in New York City, the initial plan was to stay for six months to a year. That was seven-and-a-half years ago. Life can be a bit funny that way.

I've loved my time in Denver, I've had a lot of fantastic experiences and met some truly wonderful people who I will miss very much. I even had the "dream" for many of my generation, a good paying job, at a firm that is considered one of the top in the nation, and a mortgage. But, while those are very nice things, it isn't really the life I wanted (still in the process of defining that, by the by). Given that I am lucky/blessed/privileged/(insert adjective of choice here) enough to be able and change my life, I'm moving to New Zealand for a year.

I've always wanted to go to New Zealand, my Mom had a riding student from there when I was a kid, and I loved to listen to her talk about this gorgeous place. Then the Lord of the Rings trilogy came out, and being the nerd that I am, I really wanted to go hang out in Middle Earth. Friends of mine moved there a few years ago, and I no longer had an excuse not to go. I went to visit in January of this year, and absolutely loved it. I was not initially planning to move; however, several weeks after returning, it was illustrated to me how short life can be. I decided, almost on a whim, that I would sell my place and move to New Zealand for a year on a working holiday visa, for a change of pace and a chance to rewrite my life.

My adventure, as I keep insisting on calling it because that makes it a little less scary, kicks off on Wednesday when I fly to San Francisco to spend a few days with family before heading on to New Zealand. In the meantime, I am finishing the last bits and bobs of closing up a life, which will be less adventure and more up packing until 3am, trying not forget anything, a few tears, and lots of giddy excitement.