I think that Kiwi dogs are just about the happiest dogs on the planet. Sure, I’ve not really seen much of said globe, but still. I’ve yet to come across a pooch here that isn’t just ecstatic to be alive, this fellow included. I think Kiwi dogs (and maybe all dogs?) are happiest on the beach where they can splash about in the waves, run up and down and chase birds with reckless abandon. Who can blame them, eh?
I’m pretty happy these days too, and it’s about bloody time! …

I’ve decided to hack my life, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. When I return to Canada next April I will have been gone eighteen months. I will come home having seen a bit of the world, hopefully righted the things that were going wrong for me before I left, and God willing will have a small chunk of money in my savings account.  What this means is that if I am going to make some changes, now is the time.
What is life hacking? According to Wikipedia, it means …

An unexpected side effect of living away from home is that I’ve spent a lot of time in my head. More than usual, which is a frightening amount of time. I’ve spent countless hours reflecting on my life choices, my relationships, my family. I’ve taken a really close look at the person I was when I was at home, the person I was becoming prior to leaving, the person I seem to be now — and most importantly, the person I want to become. While I am generally happy with …

It’s hard to believe I came back from Queenstown a month ago, that Ive been at the Most Awesome Job Ever for three weeks, or that I’ve settled into a familiar routine here already. After six months of insecurity finally having stability in my life is a beautiful thing.
I worked on a budget for the next six months this week. Among the things I will (!) accomplish are

getting my CDN credit cards under control
saving up for a week-long holiday to Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa or Cook Islands to be …

Hello from sunny Nelson, South Island! Ive been here for a few days now, and wow. My life has completely changed for the better since leaving Wellington. Everything about Welly was going against me, no matter how hard I tried to make it work, no matter how much I loved that city. It just plain SUCKED.
Im working at the Tasman Bay Backpackers for 3-weeks as a housekeeper: cleaning rooms, the kitchen, doing the laundry, and odd jobs in exchange for my accomodation. While Im still rapidly running out of money, …

I love Wellington. I love the way the city looks and feels, the people. The cafes and presumably the bars (I say presumably because Ive yet to set foot in one). I love the weather, and the hills and how there seems to be water in every direction. I love pretty much everything about this city, except for the small bit about me not finding work here. In another week I would have run out of rent money, and since Id rather not have to wonder what my options would …

I dont know why I thought moving to New Zealand would be easy. That I would be able to find work relatively painlessly. I had a bit of arrogance, I suspect, in thinking that my experience would give me an edge down here and that there would be tons of work just waiting for me to come in and code away. The plan was that Id get here, live off my savings for a few months, then start working my buns off in about February, after I came back from …