An Unexpected Layover

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck

There are a lot of things to worry about when you’re headed off on an extended trip to a foreign country. Visas, bank transfers, insurance, packing… the list goes on. It was a pretty massive undertaking and I spent A LOT of time trying to be as prepared as I could be. As it turns out, none of the ins and outs of arranging an international move confounded me as thoroughly as San Francisco International Airport. I assumed my less than two hour layover at SFO would be a piece of cake. After the stress of getting packed, getting my life in order, and saying goodbye to my friends and family, the actual travel part was supposed to be smooth sailing. But when I landed in San Francisco, a series of small mishaps and wrong turns led to me missing my flight to Auckland.

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New Zealand Calling

New Zealand has been on my mind for quite some time now. I found out about their working holiday visa program several years ago, and it’s been calling to me ever since.

As a kid, I had recurring daydreams where I envisioned myself bouncing around the world, living in a new country every year. I had no doubt that this is what I would do (once I got through the pesky business of growing up). As I grew older, I discovered, much to my dismay, that this was easier said than done.

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