Why did I move to New Zealand?

Derek, I love this current blog series.
Short, personal, frequent, and very open and honest.

I think that when one writes publicly for a while, eventually, one's audience gets interested in some of the inner details of things. Missing lines to connect the various dots given over the years.
Just wanted to let you know it's both appreciated and inspiring.

+1 to what Franco said ^

I think you, Derek, are the closest match I have found so far of my perfect hero or inspiration. A lot of the virtues that I look up to often lend themselves to people who aren't trying really hard to reach me, so in that way, they are hard for me to find.

Given the rare nature of me finding of someone like yourself, I really enjoy consuming everything you are willing to share. Especially the personal stuff.

Thanks :)

This is great. I have a two-month-old son and I have always wanted my son to stay away from screens and get close to nature. Thank you for providing this case, which gives me confidence in this.

Your writing is very sensible. Everybody loves nature.

Meanwhile, I was raised in nature. On well water, among a grass field among ten acres of forest that we owned, plus we could cross the invisible line and keep going.

But, unlike an older brother, I didn't do stuff, or projects, with my hands. Perhaps because he was first raised on a city lot and found "the grass to be greener on the other side". But if the proverbial horse starts out in nature...

As so many teachers have said, "You get out of it what you put in." In my case, I didn't put too much in. Perhaps I had a low grade depression that was a drag. Or perhaps I genuinely liked non nature things. Toy soldiers did better on a man made surface, book pages had too much glare under a natural sun.

Even today, when I go to Britain, I ignore the green hills of Scotland, ignore the pastures green and shrouded hills of southern Britain, to stay instead in the heart of the biggest city. I choose my hotel for being in walking distance of the British Museum.

On the sidewalk to the museum, on the actual surface, I found interesting stuff to blog about. (brass rectangular covers (for pipes) and removable cement squares along a block, and rubber squares to briefly rest my feet, as with the brief landing when going up stairs.)

Meanwhile, my dear rural brother-in-law (living in a two-street town surrounded by forest) turned down a three-week (or six) contract in my city because it was, well, a city, too far from nature. Meaning that of course different people are nourished by different things.

Someday I will write about the beauty of a common sidewalk... because nobody else will.

Derek, I'm loving these small personal blog series! :)

Nice to hear!

I had the chance to move there for 4 years, from 2001 to 2005. Was a great experience. Lived in Port Chalmers and Motueka.

An amazing place with an amazing culture.

I'll probably go visit again some day.

All the best to you and your family!

Erick
Motueka was my first choice, but his mother grew up in NYC and couldn’t handle that small-town life. ☺ — Derek

Wow that is extraordinary commitment to putting your offspring first. Often, some how children get placed second in our ambitious life goals for gathering economic nuts. I leave for New Zealand tomorrow for a visit celebrating our 30 year anniversary.

Derek - Lovely way to raise your child! My husband and I visited NZ last year and understand your decision. It was hard to go home from such a beautiful place.

How did you decide WHERE in NZ to move to? My parents are visiting aukland this week and going to Christ Church next week .
His mother got a job in Wellington so that’s that. — Derek

Hi Derek - how do you approach phones/screens/technology with your child? I used to be against screen time. But after reflecting on my own use of phones/screens/technology, I realized that the future is increasingly online. The best teachers are online, the most business opportunities are online, communities are online. Perhaps it's as simple as allowing our children's natural curiosity to guide them towards their interests. What do you think?
Good question. I'll try to think about that and write about it some day. — Derek

I love reading your stuff, Derek… what a great way to start the day!

Love this story. That's so inspirational. I'm a huge fan of your books.

Very cool insight into your reason to move here, I have lived in Dunedin my whole life and absolutely love the natural beauty of this place. The surf, the wildlife and the closeness to Central Otago. I feel blessed to live here!

Loved the story Derek. I’ve been in NZ for over 50 years, best decision my family made, I’m glad you’re enjoying it too. Best wishes Mike

Hi Derek,

Thanks for sharing this.
I have a friend who moved from the UK to New Zealand.

I like your intentionality in moving to New Zealand and my friend would certainly echo your sentiments about living in that environment compared to the UK or US

I've yet to get to that part of the world so thanks once again for sharing.

Golden ticket, indeed. And very prescient. Sounds amazing.

Curious about Portugal: did you pass the language test to become a citizen? We are considering that route and wondering how hard it would be. Thanks.
I became a legal resident of Portugal in 2014, and my visa needed annual renewals with in-person visits. My citizenship test would have been in 2020, and I was studying for it, but then the world was locked down for Covid and I was in New Zealand, so sadly I let the visa go. — Derek

Hi Derek,
Thanks for sharing your story of becoming a Kiwi with your family. Yes, I know NZ well, my father was a kiwi from Whangarei - pronounced "fong-ar-ay" in the maori language. My people arrived there in the early to mid 1800's from England and Wales. Some of the first settlers - goldminers to be exact. My dad made me and my siblings citizens by descent, so I hold an NZ passport. I have cousins and family there and think about coming there too. After reading your story, I wished I would have taken that step with my two children who are now teenagers. We now live in Portland, Oregon, where the PNW is beautiful. I grew up in B.C. Canada, also the outdoors is beautiful. No lie, I came kicking and screaming as I was yanked out of L.A. due to partner's job needs and one came up in PDX. All that to say - and that happened - the pandemic and life really did change for all of us.


You and I first met at MIDEM circa 2001. I always remind you. I was pre-promoting my country CD. Alas, after all these years, I want to have it pressed to vinyl, I always dreamed of making records - not CD's.

I continue making music and re-shaping and re-inventing what I am in the world and what I believe I have to offer. I woke up one day on August 4, 2024 and was 60 years young.....not too many wrinkles and still love making music and sharing my experiences with young artists and students of music.

I am in the midst of finally launching my private practice of teaching music here in PDX - in person and online - group teaching - piano, voice, guitar and other instruments. Unfortunately, PDX has been a bit of a wasteland for me and work - I supported myself in L.A. working for entertainment attorneys as a legal assisstant (not my true calling but it helped support my craft and eventually, I went to California State L.A. and earned my Bachelor of Music Education and am now just finishing - my Master of Music in Choral Conducting).

The music industry is not what it was when I was coming out of the gate—record labels ruled everything. I poured a lot of effort and investment into my career. I cannot help but wonder how it would have been if I had the social media aspect to take advantage of during my efforts. It is an amazing time for artists to reach their audience if we just let them know we are still here.

I keep thinking maybe a blog is a good idea to start or a podcast - what do you think?

XO
Suzanne Edwards

NZ *is* a good choice! I just got my citizenship this month. I guess that makes me the NEWEST Zealander! 😄

You definitely made the right decision. If I were 20 years younger, I’d think seriously about moving there myself. But now I just hunker down in my “bubble” and try to ignore the insanity.

I just love these. I'm going to start commenting more to let you know.
I also gave a few of your books as gifts this year, namely to my biz partner at TeamClermont, Bill Benson whom you may remember.
Anyway, This one makes lots of sense and makes me happy for you and these choices you've made. As I toil away in what seems to be a never-ending downward spiral we call the music industry, and my wife in a middle school teaching job she despises, we both long to get away.
Sadly we probably will not, or at least not until our 3 youngest girls finish high school.
Congrats and thank you, Derek. always inspiring. and wow, noticing SO many amazing comments here below too. i didn't notice at first glance. just terrific. Always - nelson

He’s in HS now!? Holy moly. In my head he was always around 9 or 10. Man, time flies 😊

I'm glad you moved to NZ :)

He's like Ric Flair... "The Nature Boy"
WOOOOOOOOOOO!

Wow! So happy for you and your super-glorious family!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love hearing about your life and your perspective, Derek, as well as all the great places you have lived. I traveled a lot as a young man, and it provided some of the greatest moments of my life. New Zealand sounds idyllic!

6 years in nature, 6 years in culture. You did a great job at intentional parenting.

Having recently read Anxious Generation I'm glad that we followed a similar path ... traveling for a year to the places important to our family and our heritage. At the end it was 16 countries, twenty years ago.

It gave our children roots and access to a global support network of people who love them. But most importantly, I am coming to see that it gave them parents who were not distracted from them. That ties with the choice you made.

It is an intentional luxury that we created for them that has given them confidence and the wings to take on the world. What better way to raise a next generation for this world?

NZ is an accessible healthy reality and is comparable to Galt's Gulch utopia, with benefits!

Thanks for your interesting take -- It's interesting to hear how people come to NZ, and whether they wind up staying for the long haul.

My family moved to NZ from the States in 1990, but we already had a connection, as my mum is a kiwi. She and Dad met up Whakapapa when he came over (from Portland, OR) as a ski instructor in the late 60s. They went back and forth for the ski season for quite a while.

I did the whole culture shock thing when I was in high school. NZ is terribly small, but I got used to that and now it just feels cozy. I love Wellington too - despite living in other places over the years it does feel good here.

That said...it takes so long to get anywhere else, and it's so expensive to travel. Our dollar is weak against most of the world's currencies and we still have a real primary industries mindset that I wish we could move past. I think for people coming to live here some of this can be quite a hurdle, once the initial shine has come off.

It's going to be so interesting to see how all the world's current events play out. Perhaps being on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere is preferable...who knows!

You've lived such a wonderful, eccentric life.

Part of me is jealous of your freedom from attachment; part of me can't imagine being so footloose and fancy free.

Reading your blasts over the years helped me to become more free of attachments as well as being more footloose and fancy free. So that's a win!!

I am in my 40s, and have lived in Australia for 30-something years.
When I was 5 my parents moved us from Auckland to a farm in Nelson.
Even though I only spent 3 years on the farm before my family moved to Australia, those 3 years are the most significant in shaping me as a person.
Those days wandering freely, building forts, and exploring the woods on my own, made me who I am today.
Those 3 years *are* my childhood.
Seven years ago, I moved my 4 kids to acreage in the mountains with the hope to give them the same experience I had.
I know that whatever the future holds, wherever they end up, 'the wild' will be marked on their soul like it was on mine.

My psychotherapist wife says I have blossomed in New Zealand after moving here from the UK because I am 'out of my discourse', by which I think she means I've left all my history behind and I've been open to new ways of doing things. We'd only been here a few months when COVID struck. Linda had been headhunted for a job back home in NZ in her field, as a senior manager in a drug and alcohol rehab, and she had huge responsibility for a lot of vulnerable people at this time,which I think took its toll on her. After COVID she resigned, as she was developing health problems. I had spent lockdown working on music with people all over the world, from a back bedroom, which had its attractions, but when lockdown permitted, I began volunteering at the rehab, in the role of literacy advisor, helping some residents with the written component of their intensive therapy programme. This gave me something totally different- the opportunity to sit and talk with real people about their lives. The most hi tech thing I use is a whiteboard pen. They ended up offering me paid work, which has honestly been the best job of my life (getting back into the workforce after official retirement, at the age of 69!). I get to see lives changing for the better. I undoubtedly see a much grittier side of NZ than you do, as I've worked with a lot of gang members, but I understand where you're coming from. This is a very special place.

Innocence is precious, and you have given your son that. Someday I plan to give myself the same chance.

Hi Derek, great. Thank you for sharing. Could you share some photos?
duckduckgo.com/?q=new+zealand&ia=images&iax=images — Derek

Tell me about your mistakes, please.

Did a Working Holiday in NZ from August 2019 to August 2020. Yep, COVID hit while I was there. I wanted to stay but it was impossible to get a visa. I always said NZ would be a perfect country if:

1. There was no osone hole.
2. There were no earthquakes.
3. The housing situation is better and houses are actually made with insulation!
4. There were no sandflies.

wonderful, so wonderful ✨

I recently saw a documentary of New Zeland and I was really impressed with the culture and lifestyle and hope someday to visit there. I've always wanted to visit China as well.It's been interesting following you after your stint at CD Baby and seeing how your life has unfolded. You are blessed today the least. it's nice of you to share your experiences. Are you still involved in music in anyway?
Take Care
-Ron

Derek,

I am so happy for your family but I say that wistfully. In 1983-1984 I live in Waiblingen, West Germany ( near Stuttgart). I liked it better than USA. However, a baby daughter made me return to USA after leaving the Army. Fast forward, new wife, two more kids, who both never really dug living in US. I regret not raising my kids in another country. When you have to say a quick prayer and plead your kid does not get killed in a mass shooting when you drop her off, it is time to go...When Blake was in 8th grade a kid brought a handgun to school and took his own life in the school restroom, he could have taken Blake in the process. The gun worshippers, not hunters or one gun in the safe people, have ruined this country. You have to pass a psych interview to own a hunting rifle in Germany...

Derek, Thank so much for this insight on New Zealand!

No question about it; New Zealand is beautiful. As I told you several years ago, I'm still concerned about the Ring of Fire, the techtonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes surrounding your area. I saw a before and after picture of the 7.8 earthquake in Hawke's Bay in 1931, which dramatically change the landscape in the area. There was an 8.2 earthquake in Wairarapa in 1855. Nevertheless, it's riskier living in the United State these days than in New Zealand, so have fun and enjoy!

Your description of New Zealand sounds like a story book and honestly makes so much sense considering of the state of the world right now. I feel inspired.

That's in part the reason why we're raising our child between West Virginia and Ecuador! We want as much time in nature for him as we can.

So glad you found the benefits of our great country. Our 12yr granddaughter loves coming to our little farm to help with the animals & do other farm work

I love, love, love this new blog series—and also /married!

+1 to what Franco and Eli Richmond said! You inspire me, and these personal details were exactly what I craved when reading your books and listening to your podcasts.

🧡💙💚💜

Really enjoyed this Derek...

The screen thing, dude. As a fellow parent I'm a bit jealous you helped your son learn to love life without them. I have to constantly remind my two sons that life *points out a window* happens out THERE not on a screen.

Liking this blogging you're doing. Thinking about self-hosting a blog in Ghost or similar on my own server, but we'll see.

Be well (sounds like you are!)
-Brendon

Sounds like a wise plan. One correction, I think your wife had the baby
Us guys are just along for the ride.

Happy to know about the Natural Beauty and Safety of New Zealand, if you try village areas with hills like Kolli Malai, Erkadu, Kodaikannal and like in Tamilnadu you may feel the same. People are very friendly and helpful. They are paradise for us, unfortunately we are caught in our busy life of urban cities and could not move to those places even for a Vacation for more than 2 decades.

U.S. is continuing its descent into madness, so New Zealand is a great alternative.

Hi Derek,
Love this post, I am a kiwi that lived in the USA for 20 years and got lucky in covid to be able to adapt and now our family splits the year 8/4 between NZ and USA. A while back I heard you with Tim Ferris talk about your blank box house build. How’s it going? What did you do with the space? I’d love to hear or see what you decided to do.
Thank you for your writing
sive.rs/now ← I’ll post updates there — Derek

As someone who moved to Singapore last year, and who is conisdering my next move --> this blog post feels like it hit my inbox at a better-than-chance "right" time.

New Zealand feels like an option I should consider (especially after visiting Melbourne last weeked).

Great answer and great reasoning. Yes, all our priorities change with the arrival of a baby. (Hopefully, not our values, though.) The criterion of where to live becomes what would be best for the child long-term. Everything involves compromises and every situation has some good and some bad features but it sounds like you are pretty content with your choice. Nice.

Hi, Derek. I really enjoyed your post.
It reminded me to explore a different way of living - one that is more connected to the real world, rather than just devices and screens.
I also realized that my children could experience a completely different kind of joy through nature.
I’m even thinking about how to experiment with this idea this weekend - I think that will be cool and interesting!
Thank you for the inspiration!

This brings back memories of growing up in Ohio. We had a wooded area in the neighborhood where we climbed trees, played games, built ziplines, elevators and I'm having multiple memories that are bringing a smile to my face. Our parents wanted us out of the house and we did have the options to play video games, talk on the phone or watch tv but I know my parents were always kicking me out and I mostly loved being outdoors.

It makes me wonder what we would do if one of us had a phone out in the woods? Would we create more or zone out and perhaps watch things we weren't supposed to? I remember when someone bought the land to build a house and we all protested and tied rope to each other and stood in front of the woods hoping it would stop them. We all got in trouble, the woods were chopped down and at this moment it feels like childhood left for good that day.

Beautiful imagery I have reading about you and your son in nature. My daughter doesn't appreciate it as much as I do but I keep taking her to cool places like Zion National Park for Spring Break to hike and star gaze...I like to believe it makes deposits that will last forever.

Kia ora Derek, lovely to hear how much you love Aotearoa New Zealand. As a born and breed Kiwi I feel ridiculously fortunate I call this tiny, magnificent country home. I do want to caution your readers that our country is NOT a utopia. We have similar issues to many other countries such as colonisation and its impact on our indigenous peoples, environmental issues, low investment in education, poor health infrastructure, political scandals and a cost of living crisis. However, I still believe this is the best place on the planet to live right now. Aroha nui, Julie.

This is great that you have brought nature to your little one. Nature sends so much to us when we are in it, and being in it a lot early in life means so much for the rest of life. You remember all the places and paths and trees and rocks and things like that, and it makes everything more peaceful, and the world makes more sense. It makes sense that New Zealand was the place for you.

I love how when life happens to us, we would make choices that somehow, eventually make sense for everything else in our life.

I didn't know you'd moved to NZ. I lived there until I was 30. In Ireland since then, family still in NZ, mostly in Dunedin. My sister used to own a house in Paraparumu very near a beach when she was working in Wellington. Cool that you chose NZ. So many younger people leave NZ for Australia now, NZ's fabulous natural environment and low stress life isn't enough to outweigh the draw of better money and opportunities. Bit of a worry to be fair. All the best! Peter

Derek, I love how intentional you were about shaping your son’s upbringing, especially in a world where so many kids are raised indoors, glued to screens. Giving him a childhood rooted in nature, hands-on experiences, and real-world adventure is such a gift—one that’s becoming increasingly rare.

Your story really hit home for me because it reminded me of my own childhood in the Caribbean, where I spent most of my days outside—climbing mango trees, running barefoot on the beach, and getting into all kinds of adventures. There’s something about that kind of upbringing that builds resilience, independence, and a deep sense of connection to the world. It’s the kind of freedom that modern life often strips away, especially in big cities.

I also found your decision to choose New Zealand fascinating—not just for its natural beauty but as a strategic move for long-term security. The idea of intentionally selecting a home based on both lifestyle and future stability is something I’m considering. And it’s amazing how it all played out, especially during Covid. While so many kids were stuck inside (including my son), your son was out in the world, living, exploring, and growing.

I truly appreciate you sharing this. It’s a great reminder that the environments we choose—whether for ourselves or our kids—shape us in ways we don’t always realize. It definitely got me thinking about the power of place and the kind of experiences that truly matter. I'm looking forward to more of your insights!

Just wanted to say hey from across the pond!

I'm lucky to be raising my 5 kids in a natural paradise, too.

Yeah true about nature and new Zealander out doors life style, although i do believe its a matter of approaching that, im kind of an outdoorsy type and i did feel nz being a bit on the cold side for me, but i do feel that anywhere you live you can do that regardless of weather, well at least from what i have experienced

Very nice. That’s how to live.

Thanks for sharing.

Kia Ora Derek and family.

I stumbled across your book How to live yesterday on audiobook and finished listening to it and played again. I loved it, kept me so intrigued, I did not know if you were trying to warp minds, if the book was your very own mind and this is your truth, contradictory it sounded at first but so is the bible. I then accepted that it's neither it just is what it is. Loved when you spoke about New Zealand being a great country to choose to live. I then go to your website to try and investigate the mind of this strange but relatable author and who is he again to let others know upon recommendation of your book and wow ,you and your family live here and have done for many years! Helps me to feel so very greatful to come from this land and have authors of books that are very eye ear opening for the non usual reader live here in our very own country! Naumai Haere Mai e te Sivers whanau! Nga mihi nui, Marley and kids in Tauranga :) Buzzy!

Hi Derek,
I like the way you see the life. You make me belive that it still exists parents who want to raise their children out of screens or devices and only being connected with nature. It's really amazing. I bet your baby will thank you when he grows up and face this world by himself.

Somethings has to break in this global mess and I am happy you are in New Zealand, far from the maddening crowd.

You’ve been a cyberfriend for a long time.

I get asked this question a lot as well. My (kiwi) husband and I started questioning where we wanted to live in 2014 when our kids were 6 and 5. We were living on the Sunshine Coast in Qld AU > the main reason people ask us why we moved to NZ and think we are crazy for doing so. We bought a NZ caravan and 4wd online in June 2015 and came over in August that year. We ended up spending 14 months in that van going around both islands and living the adventurous unplugged (except for work using public library wifi) life. We decided between Queenstown or Dunedin. Qtown was nothing like we remembered it, and the tourists and traffic to get into town (oh and the Af8 potential to tsunami Qtown off the map) put the nail in the coffin. After those 14 months we lived in Thailand and then Vanuatu for a year to show our kids that the whole world isn't like Aust or NZ! We arrived back to NZ in 2018 to Dunedin. What a beautiful city it is, and one of only a few places in NZ where you can still get earthquake insurance, as it is far enough away from the Af8. We completely underestimated Dunedin's potential. Unbelievable wildlife on our doorstep, fantastic beaches with sea lions, amazing harbour views, fab schools and a forest life for our kids. Living at the arse end of the world also has its benefits. Thank you New Zealand, and to thank Dunedin, we gave back to the city by sponsoring a mural and volunteering in other ways. I don't think we would have enriched our lives as much if we had stayed in Australia. www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/new-mural-bond-st

Probably the best wisdom I can give:

A person can return to nature state even if they are influenced by screen. However, if they depend on cars too long, they might not be as natural as you think. If you can, do not let them learn driving too early.

The forests sound idyllic, especially without concern about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases that exist elsewhere. I used to love the forest before a family member developed severe Lyme. Now it is too annoying to be concerned about ticks, so we avoid those areas. I would definitely spend loads of time in the forests of New Zealand! How are the mosquitoes during the warm season?

I’ve just discovered you after FOCUS Pod. I live in Auckland and felt strangely proud that you chose NZ to live. Am going to really enjoy getting to read your work. Just need to decide where to begin.

DS, Im reading you after a few months - dont know what it is about your voice that both calms me and fills me with hope.

Im just sayin ...

Derek, I read your nowpage just now. I don’t understand why you think WeChat is a nice app. We Chinese have suffered deeply from Tencent’s harmful influence—they develop highly addictive games and exploit psychological manipulation in their software design, wasting countless hours of young people’s lives. At this point, I even feel disgusted by this app, not to mention its blatant disregard for user privacy.

Kia Ora Derek, great to have you here how does it feel to be a Kiwi?
Nga mihi Scott

Dear Derek,

Your story is truly incredible! I really admire your mind and strength of spirit.

I’m just a 44-year-old dentist, an investor and I run a family business.
I’m also the proud dad of a 2.5-year-old boy, and our second son is due in just a week.

For me, making money feels as natural as breathing — I earn what I want, how I want… but I still haven’t found the courage to make big changes, like moving to another city or even better to country.

Wish me luck — if a dentist from Poland ever pops up in your area, that might be me. ;)

Warm regards,
Tom

Great moves!

Family friends, live life simple. I miss that. Im glad you found it and it worked for you. I am not sure I'll find that in my life. But I'll keep looking. Enjoy and keep the peace.

Hi Derek,

It was generous of you to give your books away for free for a week! I read that you're in NZ, and thought to email you since I'm back in Singapore and remembered that you lived here. Lucky for me, you provided an answer with an article! x) Now living with the kids in my family and seeing how frequently they are on the screens, you've definitely made the right choice. Not to mention the stress of academics here. Guess I'll see you in other parts of the world other than Singapore!

About getting a resident visa in another country, being Australia or some country in Europe, like Spain, I used this examples because I know that both of them make it possible to get a citizenship after a few years of residency, but getting a work visa or a resident visa in the first place feels hard (I mean it should be hard right, it makes sense), but as a software engineer based on Brazil (I am 23 years old with few years like 2 years of junior experience) I feel like I either have to be a crazy good developer/very experienced one or go there to work on something with a lower entry barrier (manual labor mainly), so, do you think my view is quite accurate, and I have to take a look at this residency thing further down the line or is there something I am missing, btw just read your entire *anything you want* book on a plane trip yesterday and loved it!
Agreed. It's very difficult to get a resident visa! Younger is better so start sooner. A work visa is great, but there are other entrepreneur visas, and under-30 short-term-work visas that let you come and look for work for one year. — Derek

Derek, can't agree more. In China, nearly everybody is adicted in mobile video， young and old，man and woman.
Without the phone, we have more time, with our family and into the nature.
I am now reading your book , the 3rd one.

My dad taught me so much as well about life and I want to learn more on how to raise my kid to love nature for it's relaxing quality. Loving this post a lot!!

Hi Derek, I just came across you whilst looking for who to credit for the "we'd all be billionaires with six packs (or perfect abs)" quote. This post is so far the only piece apart from that one line that I've read of yours but I enjoyed it. No doubt helped because I have lived in Singapore and New Zealand too. I'm back in the UK now (home country) but visited NZ earlier this year after ten years away. The people, the food and the landscape were as wonderful as I'd remembered.

I'm currently in a similar boat, my daughter is 1 year old, we live in Canada, which has amazing nature and I can see us teaching her so many good things about the universe through nature away from screens and artificial things. But also my wife and I were raised in Egypt, all of our family members are there, and I don't want to take that away from my daughter, having a support system of family members around you makes a huge difference in a child's upbringing. I don't know.

It's funny how different two experiences can be. I'm a Kiwi and got stuck outside of NZ during COVID. I applied several times for MIQ, including for the "humanitarian exception" (a family member was terminally ill), and was denied each time. I ended up overstaying my tourist visa, getting into debt to live in temporary accommodation for over a year, and even entering into a convenience marriage.

And I am just one of many…
Ouch! Wow. — Derek

Hey Derek, why don't you publish your essays directly on X?

Hi Derek, I've recently finished reading your amazing book "How to Live" and still pondering about quite a few insights given by you. I think keeping your mind free of material possessions is so important in this new age world and you have beautifully put it across your book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Atul