A Big Leap: From the Familiar to the Unknown
We’re Lauren and Dusty—two professionals who’ve decided to step off the beaten path and take a major swerve. We both walked away from US jobs in emergency medicine and criminal defense, sold our home, and are headed to the other side of the world—New Zealand!
But before we dive into all the exciting details, let us back up a bit. We both come from small town in Mississippi, where life moves a little slower, and dreams tend to follow a well-worn track. After tying the knot in 2017, we made a pretty unconventional choice, especially for folks from the South—we decided not to have children. Instead, we’ve always dreamed of exploring the world, collecting experiences rather than things. And now, after years of planning, we’re taking the plunge.
The Road to Adventure (With a Few Twists)
We started this blog back in 2019 with the goal of sharing our travel adventures with you. The plan? To document our journey as we explored new corners of the globe. Then, as we all know, COVID threw a wrench in everyone’s plans. And life, well, life kept happening. But even amidst the chaos, we managed to tick off some amazing destinations from our bucket list—Chile, Eleuthera, Australia, Los Angeles, Argentina, Miami, Bonaire, Colombia, Greece, and Italy.
Unfortunately, we didn’t keep up with the blog as we had hoped. But hey, better late than never, right?
A Bold Decision
Fast forward to January 2025. After much soul-searching, we decided it was finally time to make a bold move: pack up our lives, leave the security of our jobs, and head for the other side of the world. By September, we had sold our house, sold our cars, and let go of most of our belongings. We’ve even said goodbye to our well-established careers.
But don’t worry, we’ve still got big dreams—and New Zealand is calling. We’re now the proud holders of New Zealand visas and have one-way tickets to Palmerston North, where our next adventure begins in January.
What’s Next?
But before we jump into the life-changing move, we’ve got one final adventure in the works: 100 days of travel. Yes, it’s our “second honeymoon” to celebrate this new chapter in our lives. We’ll be soaking up the sun, savoring new experiences, and preparing for the big move.
We can’t wait to share every step of the journey with you. Stay tuned as we embrace the unknown, face challenges, and—most importantly—pursue the life we’ve always dreamed of.