We fell in love with familiarity

"There are several sort of ills in the world from which a person can never escape altogether, let him journey as far as he will. One escapes from one breed of an ill only to encounter another breed of it"--Mark Twain

This got me thinking, where do the majority of our problems come from? Are most societal? Is it through the pursuit of a desired lifestyle that causes our stress? Do we simply want because we are taught to want? A big home (plus a vacation home), a luxury vehicle, lavish vacations, the latest gadgets, big salaries, etc. As our salaries increase, so do our lifestyles, rather than our savings accounts. How often do we judge ourselves against our family, friends and neighbors? Is life one big race? A race even worth participating in?

I often wonder, those who have the least have the most. After visiting New Zealand’s south island, I was nearly convinced. This middle aged man, originally from London, cut my hair one afternoon in the small town of Nelson. He lives simply and gets by running a barber shop. He fishes every weekend and enjoys life amongst nature. He spoke about how he could have had a chain of barber shops in London or even Auckland; An educated man far from ambitionless, yet a man who simply had other desires than material success.

I thought to myself, how great it would be to be free from America’s grasp. How nice it must be to live in an area that is not full of pretension, so hell bent on status, such as New York City. How nice it must be to be surrounded by people who aren’t jaded by other human beings. An open society that isn't so obsessed by class structure . A place that boasts low instances of corruption and even lower instances of crime. Four million people spread out over two islands-- Breathing room. More wildlife than humans. No traffic means less congestion, which means less stress. People who are genuine, kind for the sake of kindness. On the surface, it seems that New Zealand's south island is unspoiled by man, or at least, not as spoiled like other areas of the world.

Undoubtedly, the quality of life is much greater in New Zealand and Australia, but at what cost? Many people find the cost of living very expensive compared to the average wages. Limited job opportunities. A lack of overall convenience and flexibility (towns shut down at 5pm). The weather can be extremely unpredictable and the chance of natural disasters high. It's safe to say, everywhere as it's downsides.

How about those looking to relocate because they are running from themselves? Nowhere in the world will help you deal with skeleton's in the closet; jealousy, hatred, depression, addiction, loneliness. All of us have a past. Vices follow. Know and free yourself before searching for a suitable lifestyle. At least that's what I tell myself. I do believe that paradise can be anywhere you make it out to be. It's a state of mind. We can't escape ourselves nor man, but we can find that ideal place that we've been searching for when the time is right.