A Year in Review

NYE 2018 @ Skytower Auckland, New Zealand

Happy New Year!
To you dear stranger who happen to stumble upon this corner of the internets, may the new year bring happiness and great new things.

2017 has been quite challenging for me. I took a leap of faith that in retrospect could have ended very badly. You see, I was unemployed for almost a year, burning a huge chunk of my savings along the way. Left my stable job in the middle of 2016 with little assurance of getting a job overseas. I started 2017 year with a gloomy realization that I probably made a very very terrible decision. This is compounded by the fact that I couldn't land a new job after a few interviews back home. The prospect of emptying my savings soon and no job in the horizon is a personal nightmare slowly taking shape.

The good news came in the second quarter when I finally got my flight booking to New Zealand. Even then, I was only half-convinced that I will make it to New Zealand without delays and roadblocks. Because, that's what exactly been happening to me so far at that point. The immigration requirements already cost me enough to be cynical. I haven't even said goodbye to friends thinking something will go wrong somewhere while I boarded my flight. They only knew I left the country  when I landed one chilly evening in Auckland.

So I started a new(ish) life in New Zealand meeting new people, exploring places that I've never even considered visiting at this point of my life. In a way, it's kind of liberating and exciting to live and work in one of the most remote places on Earth. There are a few adjustments but not that substantial to warrant a culture shock. I had to learn a new set of technical skills and to work on my spoken English - specifically of the Kiwi variant. I must say, I'm getting the hang of it.

Auckland Waterfront
Auckland is an interesting city. once you get used to the hilly roads, you'll find lots, sorry, heaps of things to do and get to. Public transport is pretty convenient. One of those things I really hoped Manila could have. But I guess that ship has sailed a long time ago. It is the most populous city of New Zealand at around 1.5M compared to the capital Wellington, the second most populous at just 400,000.

Queen Street

The work is pretty much your typical 9-5 job - as in literally everyone's out by 5. My apartment is just a 15 minute walk from the office (25 minutes if I'm on client site) on a cool breezy afternoon. An optimistic 2-hour commute on a humid night is definitely something I never missed about my previous job in the Philippines.

A view from Mount Eden
On weekends, I sometimes get to climb hills and ancient volcanoes, attend meetups and tech events, venture down south and appreciate the countryside or just lazily wander around the city with no particular reason. I'm loving the space and the change of perspective I desperately once pursued.

I'm in a more greener pasture now - literally. There are still uncertainties and risks but the opportunities are tremendous. At this point I'm pretty positive that everything's I've done so far are so worth my time.


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