Why Me?

My life was perfect, well as perfect as life gets. I have a great husband, two amazing children, a very close family, and the best friends ever. I worked for over 30 years in the field of mental health and education and 3 years ago I decided to change my career and work part-time. My children had graduated from college and launched careers of their own, so it was time for me to make some decisions for myself. Working part-time in a lower stress job allowed me to do what I loved the most — spend time with family and friends. Life was good! My life was perfectly simple, no more job stress and lots of time for friends, family, and fun. I loved my life!

I was driving to work one day, my mind on the Zumba class I planned to take that evening and thinking about how sore I was going to be. My husband called, totally interrupting my thoughts and said “Hi honey. What I’ve got to tell you is going to rock your world. How do you feel about living in Australia?” My response started with something like “What the f*** are you talking about?” Twenty years ago we lived in Hong Kong for an overseas work assignment. It was an amazing experience, one that I will always cherish. However my thought process at the time of the life-changing phone call was, “I can’t go now, my life is easy, low stress and surrounded by people I love. I am 57 years old and I don’t want or need a huge adventure. I’m good with the way things are now”.

So here I am — six months later — living in Sydney, Australia! I am not living a simple life, not surrounded by family and friends, and right now, not even working. I am however sharing a fantastic adventure with my husband. A big part my heart will always be back home with my kids and that is why I named my blog “The Reluctant Globetrotter.” But I am here now and know how fortunate I am to live in a country that most people only dream of visiting. I am in the “land down under” and am excited to share my experiences with you!