Start the Journey

Start the Journey

The rest will follow

I was sitting in the auditorium of the Tauranga parish I think of as the "rock band church," this morning, when the vicar said something that hit home: "Start the journey...and as you're going, you will be shocked at the coincidences that come up." Doesn't that sound like life? Ever take a journey, move to a new town or visit a new place and feel like you're supposed to be there? That's how New Zealand has been for me since we arrived 3 months ago.

Several weeks after arriving in the Bay of Plenty, I started running into people I knew – at the grocery store, at concerts, while running the Mount. Yes, it's a small town (population, 120,000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauranga ), part of which explains how I keep bumping up against the same crowd time and again. One of my friends in Spokane has started dating a Kiwi (living in California) who grew up in this area. His sister still lives in Tauranga. Turns out, the sister attends dance class with my flatmate, Amy.

I met Amy after calling a local nonprofit to ask about a new migrant support program. The admin assistant said, "You should talk to our CEO. She's American, too" Amy and I met for coffee, where she learned I was looking for a new place to live. I learned she was seeking a flatmate. You can't orchestrate this stuff. Start the journey and be shocked by the coincidences as they arise.

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