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My Bucket-List Lifestyle Didn’t Bring Me Joy — Here’s What Did
What I wish everyone understood about the pursuit of happiness
Seven thousand. That’s how many miles separated me and what I used to call home.
Two weeks after landing in New Zealand, I was finally able to slow down long enough to process the enormity of it all. We had just sold everything we owned. Moved across the world with two young children. Navigated our way through a new country as we found a car, home, and furnishings.
After a frantic push to get all the moving pieces into place, the relief from feeling settled was palpable.
We made it, I thought.
But the respite was short-lived. It took only a few moments of silence for the thrill of our crazy adventure to hit a wall. The buzzing of busywork was instantly replaced with a wild rush of loneliness as I realized the ramifications of uprooting our family.
We had no friends nearby. No community to rely on. If we died, nobody within 7,000 miles would even think to check on us.
What the hell did we just do?
Our move to New Zealand was a giant, intentional leap into a new world. But it wasn’t the first time I dared to dive into the unknown. Only five years earlier, I…
