Goodbye NZ, hello again London: For a while at least

Around February 2008, I was all mysterious about why I was heading back to the UK. I had a few motives for doing so. I had an interview for the JET programme, teaching English in Japan for up to three years. I was successful, and was offered a spot, but I ended up turning it down. By the time I was told I had a spot on the programme, I had met Kate, and I wanted to spend time with her rather than spend a year in Japan. As it turns out, it was a very smart decision, especially as I found another way to Japan through being awarded an Invitational Fellowship for a month – I leave for Tokyo on Monday.

But I was also in London to sit the FastStream Assessment Centre – the testing and assessment process  for people wanting to join the accelerated path to the Senior Civil Service. Last year, around 18,000 people started the application process for about 250 jobs. I was one of the lucky few to get through. I was also able to defer the decision to take up my position for a year. But now that year is up, and I’ve decided to go.

It has not been an easy decision at all. Wellington has fast become my favourite city in the world, and I intend to return. But there was more than just that to consider. The opportunity is a great one, and after much negotiation, it seems likely that I will join the Department of Health in London. Kate will also be coming with me – not immediately, but shortly thereafter once a few things have been sorted here. We’ll spend time with my folks and my friends and living a life in London that includes travel to Europe to see my sister and sights, and all those things we’ll share together. We’ll see what life brings us, and play it by ear to a certain extent.

As the year we have spent together in Wellington has sped by, it became apparent that another opportunity like this, at this place in our lives may not come by again. So we have grasped it. We still have links here. Kate is a NZer, and they (we) have strong homing instincts. I am a resident here, and I have good friends, strong links with the Ministry of Health (NZ) and an honorary position at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University in Wellington. I suspect we’ll be back shortly. More of that in another post.

I booked my ticket today. I leave on June 10. Comments welcome.