A decade can be a pivotal span in one’s life, filled with experiences, growth, and change. For me, it involved a journey that took me across the Atlantic to Canada. After spending ten years in the Great White North, I find myself back in the place I once called home: Christchurch, New Zealand.
In 2011, my now-wife and I resided in Auckland. Life was on a promising path: I had recently become a lawyer and was working on insolvency cases at Waterstone, while she was valuing properties at CBRE. However, we shared a feeling that if we didn’t venture overseas for a new experience soon, we might never take the leap. My time spent in Montreal and Toronto can easily be summarised in bullet points:
• Canada, unsurprisingly, is cold.
• Moving to Toronto is simpler than mastering French.
• We ventured blindly, but fortune favoured our audacity.
• Settling in an economically robust, merit-driven city was a wise decision.
Now, Christchurch is where I hang my hat; so, what happened?
Midlife often prompts us to evaluate our choices and priorities. We found ourselves at a crossroad, reflecting on the experiences gained in Canada and the push to be closer to family. Having two young children certainly rebalanced the relative importance if quality bars and music venues, to having a free afterschool program run by a loving grandparent.
Christchurch’s post-earthquake renaissance has transformed it into a vibrant and exciting city. The opportunity to embrace a balanced lifestyle, filled with outdoor activities and a strong sense of community, contributes to overall well-being. Something that holds increasingly more importance as one navigates through the midlife phase.
Returning to Christchurch after a decade in Canada, rejoining Waterstone, and now running a regional office here has proven to be a rewarding move. The combination of running a growing business unit, a lower cost of living, reconnection with family, and an enriched lifestyle paints a promising picture of the future.
Written by Peter Drennan, Waterstone’s Christchurch Manager. Peter can be contacted on peter@waterstone.co.nz
Peter joined Waterstone in 2009 after having graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and LLB from Victoria University. In his time at Waterstone, Peter took several appointments as a Liquidator, while also providing internal legal guidance on matters including litigation opportunities and security disputes. Following a long hiatus in Canada, Peter is back in a consulting capacity and manages Waterstone’s interests in Christchurch.
