Premature nostalgia

That does sound contradictory, I know. We have not left this country yet, we have no precise date as to when we will set foot in New Zealand and yet... The idea - and repercussions - of leaving Europe and ultimately the idea of leaving the proverbial home has struck for some time.

Curiously enough this was one of my first concerns since we were mulling over the idea of emigrating to New Zealand. I remember asking the question in a forum, "were you not homesick going to the end of the world and leaving Europe behind?"

This can be more or less understood. To live in Europe was not a fact of chance - I was not born here - but a choice, I chose to live here. I have had the experience of living in and leaving a few countries and the process requires a certain amount of adaptation and personal investment. Moving to New Zealand will mean leaving the old continent and its history engraved in the walls, in the ground, in the way people act and react here. History is something so palpable when you walk through the streets here. And history is but one aspect of it all.

But yeah, the decision has been made: I'm giving my resignation to my boss next Monday, Guy will be doing as well shortly; the first floor of the house was painted, we are going to put the house for sale on the Internet and things progressively move to the fait accompli.