It’s no secret that I was a bit worried about coming back. Worried that things might not go our way. Worried that there wouldn’t be opportunities here. Worried about starting over, again. But after being home for almost two months now, the only real disappointment has been NZ's attempt at Nandos – not even close!!
I'm not really sure what all the worrying was about because it's all fallen into place rather easily, one after the other. It’s only March and we’ve ticked off the big three: a job for me, a job for Nikki and as of the other week, a place to call home in Eden Terrace.
I always knew that Tauranga was never a realistic option. It’s always going to be home – our happy place – and nothing will change that but for now, Auckland it is. Yes, Auckland.
"Too busy, too expensive" people tell me. I hear it every time the topic of our largest city comes up.
Sure, compared to most other areas in NZ it might be both of those things, but let’s put it into perspective...
Rent
We forked out $2500 each month to rent a shoebox studio in London. And although we’re still spending about the same, instead we come home to a modern 2 bedroom townhouse in the heart of the city (and even the luxury of a double garage!).
Salaries
Okay, this is different for everyone but because marketing is so bloody undervalued in London (at my level) and teachers over there are treated like 2nd class citizens, moving to Auckland gives our salaries a tidy little boost.
The daily commute
“With new jobs, a new house and everything that Auckland has to offer on our doorstep, we’re exactly where we want to be.”
Coming from a city where my daily commute was anywhere from 40 minutes, to 2 hours each way (damn you Tube strikes!), it would often be 7.30 before I'd walk through the door at home. And this is perhaps the biggest one for us from a work/life balance perspective. Not only am I getting home at 5.15pm in the evenings, but I have zero commuting costs courtesy of an 8-9 minute walk to the office. And Nikki isn’t much worse off with a quick trip down to Newmarket Primary School taking 10 minutes in peak hour – not exactly a stressful drive down the Southern Motorway.
It might not be for everyone (and that is okay) but coming from where we have, Auckland, for us, is a very livable city. We’re spending less money for more, and although it means starting over in a new city, what we didn't have when we first started in London was a support network of awesome friends. And having that, i know will make our stay here even better.
With new jobs, a new house and everything that Auckland has to offer on our doorstep (I may or may not have strategically found somewhere within walking distance of Eden Park), we're exactly where we want to be.
On a side note, I know I didn’t finish off the London story like I was supposed to but I will come back and revisit it next time I write, I promise!
SG