How & Why We're Going to NZ

Many of you have been wondering how this crazy plan happened...here's the story. 

Last March, a woman plunked herself in my office.  She said her name was Vanessa, and she had a job very similar to mine in New Zealand.  She was here for a year on a grant exploring college alcohol awareness programs and large-scale events done without alcohol.  Hence, she wanted to be free labor for SEE!  In addition to having her work with us on our large events, we became GREAT friends!!  Her partner Graham is in a PhD program at Hopkins,and with Todd, the four of us spent lots of time together over the year she was here.  She and Graham even came to Maine twice - once in the summer to counsel at Pilgrim Lodge and once at Christmas to spend a wacky holiday with the Barrantes family.

Vanessa is the Events Manager at the Otago University Students Association at the University of Dunedin.  Vanessa and I initially proposed doing a six month job swap, but it didn't work out. In early February, Vanessa offered me a job as the Assistant Events Manager.  Todd and I decided we were in if two things happened. One, both of his jobs were cool with him working from abroad for a year (we have a mortgage to pay!), and two, we could get visas.  Well, Todd's jobs were totally cool with it, and our visas were approved at the beginning of March!

While it breaks my heart to leave the students and grads I love in SEE and many lovely colleagues at Maryland, this was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.  I resigned effective May 14th, and on May 21st (my 35th birthday - if that's not good karma, I don't know what is), we're off to New Zealand for our year of being Kiwis!