Back to the beginning

Last week was my 7 year anniversary of “working the world”. It was on the 7th of April 2003 I arrived in Seoul, South Korea as a pimply faced somewhat innocent (highly debatable) 21-year-old. I remember that day clearly, leaving Christchurch airport and feeling overwhelmed by the airport check-in procedures, asking stupid questions to the information desk like “where do I board my flight?”.

Then I arrived in the hustle and bustle of Korea with the 12 lane highways and billboards covering the outside of all the buildings in my new neighborhood. These days going to a new city/country and setting up is the norm, airports are my second home and weird cultural changes are no longer weird (even kissing men friends in Argentina became second nature).

While I was back in New Zealand I made a stop at Outward Bound. Outward Bound is an awesome 3 week course I did in January 2003 after I finished university. It is a course that is aimed at testing the boundaries of young people. It was at Outward Bound that I committed to my goal “to live and work in every continent of the world before I am 30”.

It was great to go back to where the seed of my goal sprouted. Here are a few pictures from that day.

A photo of Dad and I (he completed OB 35 yrs ago)

Pointing to the sign I wrote over 7 years ago in the toilets that my watch painted (craftsmanship is one of the values you are taught)

Dad and I standing under the high ropes course (Dad trying to cover up his moobs!).

A little celebratory 7 year anniversary back flip off the OB jetty where we had to swim each morning after running.