Decisions, decisions...

Things have settled down a bit. J and I have come to some form of agreement on a game plan to make our move as hassle-free as possible.

Sell house. This is the major decision we came up with. Forget sentimental value for now. It is just a thing after all. At first we held on to what it represented and to the possibility of gaining more equity on our up and coming neighborhood. First thing we have to do is to get it in better shape by fixing the leak and potentially replace original pipes that date back to mid-1950s! Next is upgrading the bathroom to a decent look. I'm estimating $2500 on all of that.


Rent a fully-finished apartment in the city. We plan to sell everything off if we can't sell them with the house. Except for the car and clothes, we might not have anything left to give the impression that we still have ties here in NZ.

Keep saving. Within the next 12 months we should have enough to tide us through 5-6 months without relying on income. We are not planning to take out our Kiwisaver here. I cross my fingers that one of us will have a job within a month or two of arriving in America.


J to make a visit in winter. This is a possibility so that J could get a feel for the economy from a local's perspective. Regardless of the result, we'd still fly out anyway.

There are risks and benefits in any decision but J is right that my support is essential in this goal of ours. I was constantly focusing on the impossibilities and spent time concerning myself. It's not really the end of the world. Plenty of people have moved overseas, including me. After getting some structure and getting our heads straight, I must admit that I have been feeling good about it all now.

Wish us luck!