Anniversaries

Celebrated anniversary by climbing Tongariro. In the rain.

It's the 8th January 2012 today. Three years ago exactly I arrived in Auckland tired, jetlagged, and totally overdressed for the 30C heat (where's that gone? Hmm?).

I didn't know when I stepped off that plane what my life was going to be like here. I didn't know if I'd be here six months, six years, or forever. My options seemed pretty limitless, and that was why I had come. To break out of the (self-imposed) box I found myself in in the UK. I changed my name slightly, and I think with that came a change elsewhere too.


Since I moved to Auckland in 2009 I have...

• Got my motorcycle and car licences
• Owned two motorbikes, and toured the country on them several times, realising a childhood ambition
• Owned my own car and the freedom and opportunities that brings
• Found a sport I love, and met some amazing people through it
• Completed a triathlon, and signed up for more
• Got my own place
• Started a blog that's (occasionally) worth reading!
• Landed my dream job that doesn't pay me or interferes with my actual job: writing for a print newspaper.
• Really got my scuba dive on
• Got through some pretty nasty injuries and situations and come out a bit smarter and stronger.

Not many derby-themed 1st birthday cakes out there!

There's a whole truckload of personal things I could write about here,  about relationships, love, loss, hard choices and the like. I could talk about the ways I've changed a lot as a person since moving here and the person I used to be. But to be honest, if you knew me before then you'd know already and if you didn't it doesn't matter.

Speaking of anniversaries, I just checked and saw that DDYG is one tomorrow! It's been a hell of year just on and of itself. I've gone from looking forward to my skills test, to team selection, to bouting, to travel team, breaking myself, the road to recovery and coaching. What a ride! I want to thank everyone who's taken the time to read my blog over the last year, everyone who's messaged me with advice or criticism or encouragement, who's helped me out on and off the track and who's made it a hell of an adventure. 2012 has a good (if very wet) feel to it and I know it's going to be an absolute cracker.

So happy NZ anniversary to me, happy first birthday to DDYG, and thanks to you guys for being awesome.