I had a short conversation with an old university friend yesterday about whether I’d move back to Canada, or if I have settled into New Zealand permanently. I honestly can’t give an answer. I might move back. I might move elsewhere. Or I might not. At this point, I’ve had my residency for nearly a year, which means that I have one more year of obligation to receive the golden permanent Returning Resident’s Visa. After that, I can come and go as I please.

There are a lot of factors that would go into a decision to leave or to stay: work, family situations, relationships, money and political atmosphere. It’s probably most safe to say that I’ve consistently decided to stay, and expect to keep deciding to stay for a while yet—I like my job, the city I live in and my personal life. However, if something were to happen to my family at home, I could see myself leaving on short notice.