Why did I move to New Zealand?

I get this question a lot, so here’s my honest answer.

I was living in Singapore, feeling culturally adventurous, wanting to live everywhere, meet everyone, and get to know the whole world. But then I had a baby.

At first I thought we’d raise him in Singapore, fluent in all the cultures of Asia. But after a few months, I realized how important it was to me that he have a real connection with nature. Feet in the river, hands in the mud, climbing trees, running in fields, at home in the forest. Great foundation for the soul. Maybe even a competitive advantage in a world where everyone else is dependent on devices.

Also, Singapore was a super-social place for me, where I knew too many people, and I wanted to give my boy my full attention without distraction — to live where I didn’t know anyone. So the plan was to raise him in nature for the first six years, then move somewhere more culturally expansive for the next six.

New Zealand is a nature paradise, but I also loved the safety of its location in times of global trouble. They make you a citizen if you live here for six years. So, perfect match for our situation. Raise a baby in nature, then leave with an amazing passport, and the right to return forever.

It took nine months of paperwork to become a legal resident, but the government is friendly and helpful. It’s really sweet to live in a country where the government agencies are really small, sensible, and personable. I like the culture here better than I expected.

His upbringing went as planned. Full nature boy. Not into screens or phones at all. He’s always outside, spends his days in forests and the rocky coast, and loves building physical things like tools and shelters for his adventures.

After getting New Zealand citizenship, we moved to Europe, but then Covid hit. So in a way it was just as predicted: New Zealand was a great location in times of global trouble - one of the only Covid-free places on earth - and only citizens were allowed in, so our passports felt like the golden ticket, and we moved back. While his cousins across the world were locked down in isolation, staring at screens, he was playing with friends.

His mom loves her job in the government here, so no more moving. He’s in high school now, and he’s still not into screens. He’s mentally healthy and wise, I think partially due to being raised outside in nature.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but moving to New Zealand was a good choice.