Watch for the shift

January 2010

Sometimes a shift in direction can start off so small or subtle it's hard to pinpoint the moment it actually happens. And somehow it grows to a change so huge you can barely draw breath.

One day you're looking at a fairly settled future of working in that well-paying job, wandering the country in the caravan at weekends and over the summer break, saving for a (hopefully) early retirement and enjoying the annual overseas trip. It seems like the very next day you're throwing all caution to the wind and racing at breakneck speed in that entirely new direction.

Where and when did our shift in direction actually happen?

As near as we can tell, it started as a casual thought while driving. We were staying a few days at Waikite Valley at the tail end of a wonderful three weeks in the caravan. So, of course, we were dreading the thought of having to go back to work and be grownups again.

The basic theme of that casual thought was this: for the amount of money we'd spend on a big trip to Europe next year, how long could we live on the road in New Zealand? And the answer - a pretty long time!

Well, that was the subtle shift, and before we knew it huge changes were upon us.

We came up with a dreadfully sensible plan. Work for another 18 months, save plenty of money, do lots of planning...but really, once you've made a decision like that, how can anyone wait that long?

No comments:

Post a Comment