So I’m officially living in my 7th country (yes that is counting my home country too!), so moving is starting to become pretty old hat.

Throw a few things in a suitcase or two, get the rest when you get there.

But now I’ve added a new thing – a partner.

And sometimes new things also mean a kink in your otherwise smooth-flowing-moving-machine.

Luckily we had plenty of time to plan – and to be fair he was condensing his entire life into 3 suitcases, but it took a while.

2 months of a while. Selling, reorganizing, selling more, reorganizing again, packing, realizing something isn’t needed, repacking, selling more – BREAK – repack, reevaluate, reorganize… it went on and on.

We eventually got down to 6 suitcases – full of things like Tupperware and linens (I gave in a lot on “essentials” – going from 30 years of life to a few suitcases is allowed some wiggle room on “essentials”), and all EXACTLY 23 kilos – the allowed limit.

But we STILL didn’t have everything that was “needed”.

In comes: overseas packaging!

Found a company, got a quote, packed 4 boxes, got them picked up, put in a shipping crate, and carted off.

It was so nice to be almost done! But then we got to the airport – wrestling our 6 suitcases and 4 carry-ons.

The looks we got at the airport made me writhe in shame as people assumed we were “THOSE” vacationers and not people moving.

We had to grab our bags again in Christchurch, cart them through customs, then bag onto the next plane. Then pick up again in Queenstown.

Then cart them between our AirBnbs – yes multiple.

5 weeks in I got a call that our boxes were finally in the country, and I could choose what day we would wait around at home aLL day to wait for the boxes to arrive.

I arranged work off, arranged to hang out at my friend’s all day. Decided to call the company a week prior.

“So we have those boxes coming out a couple days early, that’s fine right? Someone will be there?”

No, we are going to be there on the pre-arranged day.

“Ok, we’ll make sure that’s in our system.”

Wednesday, I see that the company drove out Tuesday, and took the boxes back to the warehouse.

I call again.

“Yeah, no worries, they’re coming out on Friday.”

Friday I decide to do a quick check.

“Um… nope those boxes aren’t marked to be delivered today, I have that they went out Tuesday but came back, did you want them today?”

YES!

“Ok, I’ll call the truck back and put them on.”

Ended up almost missing the delivery as I picked up my parents from the airport, but got everything in the end.

Luckily, out of all of this, my partner has decided that Less is More.

Fingers crossed that next time goes that much easier!

I’m officially living in Queenstown, New Zealand!

I have to say I feel pretty accomplished for all that happened when we first moved here:

• Detained by customs at the airport, but all a misunderstanding because of immigration! Phew!
• Moved three times! 1) Into Airbnb – told by host it might be “messy” when we get there. Find rotting fruit, dirty dishes, bugs, hair all over the bathroom, etc. For the first time ever, had to cancel an airbnb. 2) Moved into friend’s house, slept on floor for two days (on super super comfy mattress!) 3) Moved into another airbnb, this one back up to standard!!
• Bought a car
• Opened a bank account
• Got phone plans
• Applied for our tax numbers
• Saw the annual Fat Freddy’s Drop concert (and learned that NZ does not frown on public drinking…)
• Saw an amazing sunrise in Glenorchy
• Job interview two days after arriving
• Found a room in a sharehouse 3 days after moving to NZ (we were told by everyone how quickly rooms are snatched up, it’s pretty crazy!)
• Did a sunrise hike (pretty much died – really need to shape up!!)
• Did gondola up a hill and some awesome luge rides
• Joined the library
• Bought some herbs (yay gardening!)
• Bought a crockpot (cold = I foresee lots of soup!)
• And on the 1 week anniversary day, I go the job offer.

NZ we’re off to a good start!!

I have never seen shadows like that in a sunrise!

Lee’s mum’s favorite story is that within 4 months of dating I told Lee, “I’m in this for the long haul. So if you don’t propose by the time we’ve been together for two years – I’ll leave.”

You’re crazy! My friends all said.

But I had reasons!

Reasons so I don’t sound so crazy:

1. If at the end of two years Lee didn’t know he wanted to marry me – then we needed to go our separate ways.
2. I’d known since the first month of our relationship that he was the man I wanted to marry – so if he wasn’t as sure by two years – then our relationship would be uneven in how we felt, and that’s not good, so it would be time to part ways.
3. Culturally – Australians love to date, and move in, and never move forward for YEARS. And I wanted him to know that that was an avenue I wouldn’t be taking. Especially because:
4. Not Australian – so it’s not like I could stay indefinitely anyway.

The biggest thing was: if he wasn’t ok with this statement from me, then he’s an adult, can say no, and we could go our separate ways.

October 30th of 2016 would mark the 2 year anniversary of our relationship and our deadline – except that several months prior my deadline qualifications had changed. “You just have to know that you Want to propose – the proposal isn’t actually necessary.”

We’d both been having hard times with work – big decisions were coming up, I gave him the flexibility to make it a surprise.

“Jillian, as you know work’s been little, your work is unstable – I don’t know if I’ll be able to propose this year.”

“Jillian – you’re planning to quit, work’s still tough for me, you need to not expect a proposal this year – 2017 definitely.”

“Jillian, we’re definitely not going to be able to start planning anything until next year, for sure.”

And on and on the talks went.

We flew to Scotland, where I was a bridesmaid and Lee got to sport a kilt (for the first – and he says last – time), had a good couple week vacation, and came home.

“Hey, since you arranged all the Scotland trip details I’m going to arrange a weekend away for us. For our anniversary. But don’t get your hopes up, I’m not going to propose.” 

He kept it a surprise, wouldn’t tell me where we were going. The day before we left my roommate approached me, “So… do you think he’s going to propose?”

“No,” I insisted, “he’s said he’s not going to. He specifically told me not to get my hopes up for this weekend, and I know we both have a lot of things going on, so I really don’t think it’s going to happen.”

We ended up at a Beautiful, 100-year old farmhouse he’d found on AirBnb. No tv, huge fireplace, the perfect romantic spot in the Yarra Valley Wine Country. Just a weekend for the two of us.

The day of our 2 year anniversary dawned.

“I got us a reservation for lunch – I know it’s supposed to pour down today, but I thought it’d be nice for us to go out.”

We got in the car and drove – as we approached our lunch spot I realized, this was Warrandyte – the site of our first date!

We ate, and then started down to the river. Lee stopped by the car first, “I need to grab my bag in case we get hungry.”*

The spot we stopped at – well this spot on our first date is the ultimate romantic spot. Ducks paddling on the river, trees surrounding, steps so you can sit and dip your feet in. And on our first date – Lee got cold feet, couldn’t kiss me so he stood up and kept walking.

This time we sat and Lee joked that I still couldn’t have my kiss yet. We watched people swimming – he got uncomfortable when a European girl jumped in topless (“Where am I supposed to look?!”), and he kept checking his phone.

Finally a group of people left the bank and Lee jumped up and dragged me down to the river. He fumbled with the bag behind me back.

“What are you doing?”

“Grabbing an apple…”

He looked into my eyes, “I wanted to say, I regret 2 years ago, not kissing you on our first date-“**

“But you did!” I interrupted. “It was later in the evening, but you did.”

He looked flustered, and drags me over to sit on the rock steps, which we did gingerly as the bottom step was under water.

He pulls out a box from behind his back, “Will you marry me?”

I’ll admit, was COMPLETELY surprised! Had no idea! I started tearing up, but said yes.

And then turned around to find our friends sitting there clapping.

My mom had asked Lee to do just one thing: record it so that she’d be able to see it. So he’d invited our friends to make that happen.

So he did it – pulled off a surprise proposal that I never saw coming despite the fact that I was the one who gave him the deadline!

*Seriously, this comment didn’t even register with me, didn’t think it was weird that he’d want snacks even though we just ate

**Turns out he had a whole thing planned, “I regret not kissing you two years ago, but I don’t regret proposing to you now” with a whole bunch of lovey dovey words. But as is my custom, I butted in and threw him off. ^.^

I know for many 2016 wasn’t the best of years. And I can most definitely add my own downs to that year.

• Had a job I thought was going to be a career
• Had to quit that job
• Therefore lost my visa
• Have to leave Australia

But there were a lot of ups too!

Despite having to quit – I learned SO much from my job. Things that I’ll use forever.

I’m moving onto a new adventure – New Zealand next!

I was a bridesmaid for a great friend of mine – and got to enjoy the glory that is a Scottish wedding!

I ended the year finding out that 2017 will make me an Aunt!

And best of all – I got engaged.

Engaged to the man who changed my whole life as soon as I met him.

2017 is already looking like it’ll shape up to be pretty good – but 2016 definitely wasn’t a year to forget for me either.

My new years resolution for this blog? I wanna update regularly again – not for readers but definitely for myself.

So fingers crossed that I keep that resolution – and fingers crossed for another good year!