19 years ago today

On September 12, 1995—19 years ago today—I arrived in New Zealand as a tourist and met Nigel in real life for the first time. Everything in my life changed that day—and how many of us can point to the one day where our lives utterly changed?

Today begins what I jokingly call the “Season of Anniversaries”, a series of commemorations of events that have marked the progress of my life in New Zealand. It’s turned out to have been a very good life, indeed—a great life, in fact.

Becoming an expat isn’t for everyone, of course, but things worked out for me, and I’ve never been happier.

So, I’ll end as I did last year with something I said back in 2012, because it’s as true now as ever:

“Never underestimate the power of love to make the improbable possible, or to transform the unlikely into an entirely new life.”

My advice is to never be afraid to embrace where life is leading you: You may be both astonished and deliriously happy if you do. That possibility is worth all the risks.

Previous posts about this anniversary (the first three only mention it):

Anniversay Time (2007)
Blogoversary 2 (2008)
Anniversaries Three and Fourteen (2009)
Where it began (2010)
Anniversary of the beginning (2011)
Another anniversary (2012)
18 years ago today (2013)