Photography, History and Whatever Else Strikes my Fancy.
Given that Lotus Domino and related products are typically deployed by larger organisations and development is typically done from "head office" locations, opportunities for employment in my profession tend to be concentrated in a small number of cities. In the English-speaking world this comes down to New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Sydney, Melbourne, Aukland, and Wellington. Within Canada, Vancouver is pretty much a "branch office" city and I have reached a point in my career where if I am to continue grow as a Lotus specialist I find myself looking to the opportunites in these other cities.
On a personal level, I'm not particularly fond of especially hot or cold weather, and neither is my common-law wife, and I also like being near both the ocean and mountains. Melbourne, Aukland and Wellington all have a climate, surroundings, and culture that compares very favorably to what we have become used to here in Vancouver - moreso than even my Canadian options of Calgary, Ottawa, and Toronto. New Zealand is especially attractive to my wife and I since she lived on the North Island for a year and she has maintained her friendships from that time and we also have a friend originally from here in Canada that has recently taken a position in New Zealand.
Another strong draw are the housing prices in New Zealand. Average house prices within the city of Vancouver are now well over one million dollars, making ownership nearly impossible without being forced into very long commute or settling for a tiny condominium in the city. The affordability of homes in New Zealand puts the prospect of owning a home and genuinely settling-in within reach.
Comments? Suggestions?
Oringinal post: http://mbarrick.livejournal.com/693410.html