Sara here! Yes, you read that right. I’m moving to Middle Earth…I mean New Zealand! As I sit here wrapped in my cozy blankie and heating pad, I still can’t believe that I’m typing this and that it’s real. And also that it’s all happening in less than one month?! So let’s start from the top shall we?

A dream 12 years in the making

If you ask me the question “Why New Zealand?” the first answer I give you will always be “ The Lord of the Rings”. And no that’s not a joke, it’s actually totally the truth. Let me set the scene for you…

Back in high school I was first introduced to The Lord of the Rings, specifically The Two Towers. I know, I know, I watched the movies out of order. But I saw it and I was hooked. I got the extended editions and started binging all of the special features. There were two categories of the special features that I loved and could watch over and over again, making and designing the costumes and filming in New Zealand. 

If you’ve ever watched any of the Lord of the Rings movies then you can appreciate how stunning the scenery is. And if you know anything about those movies, then you know that they were filmed entirely in New Zealand.

So fast forward to college years. Stacy and I had traveled out of the country for the first time with a family friend and to say we caught the travel bug from that trip would be an understatement. We wanted to travel as far and wide as we possibly could. And when the opportunity came to take our first big international trip as a family, I convinced everyone that we would go to New Zealand.

Our first visit to New Zealand

It was a sort of pilgrimage to visit as many Lord of the Rings filming locations as we possibly could. And believe me, we did. I had also planned that we would land the day the first The Hobbit movie came out in New Zealand theaters, and we went to the midnight showing, being some of the first people in the entire world to watch it.. 

I don’t know if I’ve ever felt the level of excitement for a trip as when we went to New Zealand. And from the moment we touched down to the moment we left I fell in love with it. It is truly one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit. You can see any and every type of landscape you can imagine in a day. The people are friendly, there is a heavy emphasis on spending time in nature and leaving nature as untouched as possible.

I always knew that I wanted to live there someday, I just didn’t know when or how. But I knew I would figure it out. And 12 years later, I finally am.

The big day is finally almost here

Now here we are at almost the end of 2024 and this dream is finally becoming a reality. I think I had actually made the committed decision to make this move about a year ago and I’ve been working behind the scenes to make it happen ever since.

In full transparency, this last year was a really tough transition for me. Having Stacy move to France, learning how to live on my own, and dealing with loss and grief from some family deaths made this past year challenging. And admittedly I can’t remember when exactly it was, but I had the thought and realization that if I don’t do this now, I don’t think I ever will.

You’ll hear time and time again that there is no perfect time for anything. If you wait for the perfect moment you’ll miss it because it will never come. But for me, now is actually the perfect time. And once I had that realization I knew I had to jump into action.

How it started and how it’s going

It started small, first deciding when I would go and for how long. Then deciding where I would want to stay. What really solidified everything was when I bought my plane ticket (which is a super cool story that I’ll share soon). Once I bought my tickets the rest is kind of history! As soon as I clicked that final “purchase” button I could really feel the shift and this dream becoming a reality.

So on November 1st, I’m flying to New Zealand and I’ll be there for *almost* 5 months! I’m starting with a trial run to explore some of my favorite places better, discover new ones and see where I want to settle and make a life for myself.

How I’m really feeling…

Am I excited? Yes! Am I scared? A little. Do I know anyone there? Nope! Did I already cry in the shower about how much I’ll miss my mom? You bet!

I can’t wait to explore New Zealand more. I can’t wait to rediscover already loved places and discover new favorites. I can’t wait to see what friends I’ll make there. I can’t wait to see who I become and what I’ll learn about myself along the way.

So if you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, then follow along on all of my adventures through Middle Earth! I can’t wait to take you on the journey with me.

“The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began…”

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