on the road (in the air) again

part 2 of the big life-changing events of this year
i was born in new zealand and have spent most of my life living in sydney
largely because of my work i have travelled extensively throughout australia
and similarly have managed to visit nz 3-4 times a year
lack of family in oz and an ageing one in nz has finally tipped the balance
so i have decided to return to my roots and re-connect somewhat
though the nature of my work and established contacts
means that effectively i will straddle both countries
and become a true australasian in more ways than one
i suspect my heart is more attached to nz
than my head that probably belongs in oz
so at least for a while i shall try to placate both
i think i can make it happen with the plan to spend even time in both places
though ever conscious of my carbon footprint i will need to minimise time in the skies
apart from the distance of loved friends and other acquaintances
my biggest fear about time away from my familiar surroundings
is the loss of immediacy living in a large city affords you
than means to me the lack of opportunity to see some live music on a whim
or walk out the front door to a vast array of eating establishments
or a similar number of picture theatres, book and music shops in close proximity
mostly though it will mean a shift in the comfort zone
as i have become very aware of and attached to the diversity of culture
that has evolved in my city of choice and suburb of domesticity
something that i had previously noticed the lack of in previous visits to nz
i sense that things are changing for the better though
something to do with a more sympathetic and socially aware government maybe
(would australia be enjoying such diversity now if you-know-who had been in power back then)
so on friday 19th of october, 2007 after a late night out
i rose at 5 in the morning to complete the task of packing all my necessary possessions
and relocating them into a 10 square metre storage space
some friends took bits of furniture and the cd/dvd collection
and so with a bulky 4 suitcases i arrived at the airport quite late
to be greeted and laughed at by the ground crew
who quite happily took my happily parted money for excessively excess baggage
stepped on to the plane, feet up and too tired to even think about it
bade my temporary farewell to my more permanent home
i hope australasianism can work for me
we shall see what the future brings
ps - morale of the story
do not relocate house and country on the same day
(another meaning of the word optimism)