I arrived in Auckland on the 28th July 2016. I have always been fascinated by New Zealand, since I can remember. The sheer beauty of the landscape, the endless beaches, the vast mountain ranges, the deep untouched forests, how lonely and isolated it was in its little corner of the world. New Zealand was daring me to come and I have been under its spell ever since my first visit.

Some unforeseen events turned my world pretty much up side down and I was a little bit lost for a while. I desperately needed a change of scenery, a new start and the end of the world seemed like the perfect place. I remembered how happy I was during my time in New Zealand and hoped to find happiness again, coming back.

Having visited New Zealand before I already had a couple of preferred spots. The job that I have been offered was the main reason why I moved to Auckland. Plus the few people I knew all lived in Auckland, so it seemed like a good place to start my new life.

I spent the last weeks in Europe downsizing, sorting all my stuff. Marie Kondos book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, was a pleasure to read and a great help. (I highly recommend reading this book.) After going through my possessions several times and giving or throwing away everthing I didn’t love, I ended up with my final hoard. Two suitcases of items that I liked and wanted to keep. Items that were precious and important enough for me to drag them to the other side of the world. And that is how I arrived in Auckland after a two-day long trip. 30 years of life in two suitcases and one bag, ready to start allover.

This is the first photo I took in New Zealand after my arrival.