Well, we made it! After that long flight on January 29/30, we touched down in New Zealand (hello, instant time travel confusion from crossing the International Date Line), and officially kicked off this chapter we've been dreaming about. New Zealand is beautiful with green rolling hills everywhere, farms dotted with sheep and cows. It is super rural where we are. Matamata feels just as peaceful and countryside as we expected…

I’m sitting with a mix of nerves and excitement as we get ready to leave Hawaii for New Zealand. In just one direct, nine-hour flight, we’ll be landing in Auckland and stepping into a whole new season of life. This trip honestly still feels a little surreal.

We are joining Youth With A Mission (“YWAM”), a Christian organization that’s all about knowing God and making Him known. Specifically, we’ll be attending…

“I envisioned waking up in the morning and watching the sun rise on the porch but Hawaii is different than I imagined,” my daughter said to me a few nights ago. She was still having a great time in Hawaii but it seemed…well…different. She quite candidly admitted that her expectations were not being met but that she was having a great time. I mean, it’s Hawaii…

The Seven Wanderers have been soaking up island life in Hawaii for over two weeks now, and it feels like we've truly settled in. We've already made two Costco runs (with a third on the horizon), tackled multiple loads of laundry, and locked in a comfortable morning routine that starts with coffee and ocean views. Life here has a gentle rhythm that suits us perfectly. We're happy, content, and pacing ourselves well. We have avoided any frantic sightseeing marathons, just steady enjoyment. We've checked off most of the big spots we dreamed about, and today we're heading to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling.

Imagine packing up your life, leaving behind routine, and embarking on a year-long adventure around the globe with your family. That’s what we’ve done and it’s feeling like one of the best decisions of our lives. We did not do it on a whim. We’ve been planning for many years. But it still feels fresh and vibrant and new.

I’m sitting here sipping a vanilla macadamia nut coffee, listening to birds cooing just outside the window. The temperature is perfect—both the coffee and the air around me. In the early morning, the scents of the ocean and the jungle drift in, pure and uncorrupted. It’s truly amazing to be back in Hawaii.

As the new year draws ever nearer, I am asked more and more often if the family is getting more excited. I hesitate to answer every time. The first emotion that rises to the surface, literally every time, is anxiety. “We don’t have plane tickets booked, we don’t have renters for the house, we don’t have enough X, Y, or Z, we’ll still have to do A, B, and C…” All those thoughts float to the surface…

Looking ahead to February 2026, our Eldest Son will embark on his next significant chapter of life by attending YWAM New Zealand’s Discipleship Training School (DTS). He will be attending a DTS that is separate from the rest of the family and will truly be his first time apart from us for any extended period of time (although we will only be a 40-minute drive away)…

As we gear up for our year abroad in 2026, our family of seven is buzzing with excitement and a touch of uncertainty. January’s destination is set for Hawaii, a place that holds deep significance for us, but planning this leg of the journey (the first leg!) is proving to be our toughest challenge yet…

It’s been years in the making but the time to begin the journey is fast approaching. On January 1, 2026, we will be leaving Canada for one full calendar year. Some of the kids have never been on an airplane and only one of them had been outside of the country…when he was two years old…