A new adventure ...

... and a new blog to write about it. That's how it goes :-).

The interim job at Decathlon (where I actually had a serious amount of fun) is done and I said goodbye to some people hoping that we might stay in touch. All the paperwork to get to the southern hemisphere is finished. The visa is paid for and acquired and sticks shiny in my - now getting rather impressive - passport. I haven't started packing my bags yet, but am going to do so in the next few days. I know it's a bit early (after all, I'm "only" leaving in 10 days) but you never know - I'm heading towards winter and while packing, it could be that I notice there's a lot missing. And anyway, I'm free from now on; what else should I do but getting packed and excited? :-).

In the mean time, 'empty' moments are easily filled with friend meet-ups. Although I shouldn't be gone for too long this time, it is (and always will be) a difficult matter to say goodbye to people you love. However, I am more experienced now and know that when I return, while some things might have changed, in basics everything stays just about the same - loved ones remain loved ones, no matter how many kilometres are between them... and isn't that the bottom line? :-).
So on the one hand I'm standing with one foot still in Belgium, whereas the other foot is already reaching for New Zealand. I keep close and ever closer contact with Alex, who I'll be staying with, which makes me really look forward to arrival in Christchurch and a new life in Queenstown. There's even already a winter festival waiting for us :-). I'm also slowly starting to look for jobs while Alex has already started an intense search for apartments. Curious about that!
But hey, what's the rush. Before I head to winter, I'm still here for a few more days, to enjoy the gorgeous weather (and hope I get a tan to freeze off in Queenstown), to spend time with family and friends, and to take a deep breath before the big plunge.

New Zealand - I said I'd return, so here I come :-).