The worst decision of my life????

---

Some might say I made a bad call when I accepted the job offer in Rotterdam last year. I had a very stable, enjoyable job at a large international company in London, one of the greatest cities in the world. I had friends and family, amazing colleagues, played sport, went out often, and lived in my own flat. In mid-2012 I resigned, and in September I made the move to Rotterdam, a port city in the Netherlands, to work for a local utility company. I couldn't speak the language making it difficult to integrate into the culture and make friends. I missed my colleagues, family and friends from the UK and NZ. The weather was even worse than in the UK (hard to believe but I swear it is true). My car was broken into. My bike got stolen. Then to top everything off, on December 22nd, the day before returning to the UK for christmas, and less than 4 months after starting with company, I was told my job was to be made redundant.

Despite all this, I think the move to Rotterdam was one of the best decisions I have made. When I look at the positives, I can confidently say they far outweigh the negatives. I have had the massive opportunity not available to all Kiwis, to live abroad on the European continent and experience and live a completely foreign culture. I met my amazing boyfriend here, and together we have visited almost the whole of the Benelux region as well as parts of Northern France. Thanks to the remarkable concept of 'gardening leave' that is prevalent in my industry, I had the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in East Africa last year, having incredible experiences, meeting amazing people, and completely changing my perspective on life. This year I have been able to travel through Morocco and Italy, went snowboarding in the Alps and made numerous visits to see friends and family in the UK. I have had the time and motivation to learn Spanish in earnest, something that has been forever on my to-do list. The lack of a social life has enabled me to become a fit and healthy individual.

So where to from here?? My work permit for the Netherlands expires in August, and thanks to changes in the immigration laws in July, I will no longer be elegible to apply for a residence permit to stay here. It looks like the start of yet another era in my life, and the gameplan for the future has been changing almost daily. The option I am currently settled on is returning to London in 2013. In the meantime I am hoping to achieve a few more of my lifelong ambitions. Watch this space...

---