Every Journey Must Start With A Single Step

And just like that, suddenly, I’m sitting at the airport, awaiting takeoff.

It’s amazing the significance that things take on when it’s the ‘last time’. The last day at work. The last family gathering. The last coffee. The last time you see your grandfather (and cheerfully, he promises to ‘try and stick around to see me again’, which at 88 years old, is awfully comforting). There were tears then. The last run up in the hills. 

There were tears shed at the top of the hills, where I stood and bid farewell to my beautiful city. I have had a complex relationship with Christchurch following the earthquakes that killed so many, and changed our landscape both physically and emotionally. The strength and steadfastness of the people and how we rallied around our family, friends, and strangers will be the reason that Christchurch will forever be a home.  It’s tremendously exciting to see the new city take shape and I'm a little sad I won’t be there to continue to see this.

Remarkably, perhaps because the lead-up to leaving has been so busy, I’m not feeling much sadness. A quiver of uncertainty and the last week I've had some of the most horrendous, stomach-churning nervousness I’ve ever experienced. I’m not feeling excited- until I’m on the plane, I don’t feel like I can truly believe it is happening. I’ve had my hopes and plans fall to pieces too many times to believe anything is a certainty in life.

Boarding call! There’s that flicker of excitement I was waiting for. A brief bump of my heart. I’m off on the start of my Grand Adventure!