At 21, fresh out of the army and nursing the wounds of a brutal first love heartbreak, I made a bold decision. I packed my bags, grabbed a one-way ticket to New Zealand, and threw myself into the unknown. To be honest, I knew next to nothing about New Zealand, except that they had an amazing rugby team – the All Blacks. But that was enough for me. I didn’t care about the challenges or the uncertainty ahead; all I wanted was to escape, somewhere far, far away.
Buying that one-way plane ticket
Growing up in Singapore, raised by my grandparents with a few chickens clucking in the backyard, life in the ‘90s was slower. People smiled more, connections felt deeper, and there wasn’t this frantic rush to keep up with everything like there is now. The Singapore of my childhood was a world apart from the bustling, high-tech metropolis it’s become today. Every time I go back to visit, it blows my mind how much has changed. Skyscrapers seem to pop up overnight, and familiar places are replaced with something new, shiny, and unrecognizable. It’s bittersweet – progress is great, but sometimes I miss the simpler times.
When I told my family I was moving to New Zealand, their reactions were priceless. My parents’ faces looked like I’d just told them I was signing up for a mission to the moon. I had a good life in Singapore – a solid group of friends, a stable job, and a pretty comfortable routine. Leaving all that behind to start fresh on the other side of the world sounded crazy to them, and honestly, a part of me thought so too. But the itch to explore something new was stronger.
The unknown
Moving overseas for the first time alone? Yeah, that’s nerve-wracking. You start questioning everything. “Will I be safe?” “Will I make friends?” “How on earth am I going to figure out where to live, or what to do?” When I landed in Christchurch, my first thought was, “Wait, did I just arrive at a construction site?” I had no clue the city had been devastated by a massive earthquake not long before. The whole place felt like it was mourning.
Within a week of arriving, I managed to land a job at a bakery called Breads of Europe. Sounds fancy, right? Not exactly. The hours were brutal – night shifts that ended with me sleeping on the office floor until the first bus came at 7 a.m. so I could finally get home. I kept this routine up for three long months until I could afford a moped. That little scooter was a game-changer for me. It gave me a sense of freedom and independence, even if I still had no idea what I was doing half the time.
Embracing the “New” Zealand
There were so many firsts: setting up a bank account, finding a place to live, navigating life completely on my own with no friends or family to lean on. It was sink or swim, and I was dog paddling at best. But you figure it out. You learn. And somewhere along the way, I adopted the Kiwi mindset – “She’ll be right.” It’s this unshakable belief that things will work out in the end, even when life throws curveballs.
One of the absolute best things about New Zealand? Nature. You’ve got it all – fiords, glaciers, mountains, volcanoes, and beaches. You can go from standing on a mountain trail to chilling on a beach within hours. It’s like living in a postcard. Every weekend was an adventure, exploring landscapes I’d only ever seen on screensavers. And that beauty wasn’t just in the scenery – it was in the freedom, the space, and the sense of peace that came with it.
Living here has been eye-opening in ways I never expected. All the experiences, good and bad, have expanded my understanding of the world. There’s something powerful about navigating a foreign place on your own, without a safety net. It teaches you resilience, creativity, and the art of winging it when things don’t go according to plan.
You are the writer of your story
Moving to New Zealand didn’t change who I am at my core. But it added layers to my story. Every challenge, every triumph, and every quiet moment of awe in this stunning country has become part of who I am. It’s funny, sometimes you have to travel halfway across the world to truly find yourself. And if you’re lucky, you might just stumble upon the best version of you along the way.