Where is Darran?

With less than 2 weeks left in Australia, I am starting to think back upon the time I have spent here, the friends I have made, and all the experiences I have had. I always look forward to exploring new places and meeting new people, but leaving Australia is proving to be a challenge outside the physical realm. It is very likely that I will be here again and I look forward to returning.

My flight for Auckland, New Zealand leaves on the 14th of August. On that day, I will have been in Australia for exactly one year and my visa will expire. Much like my arrival to Australia, I will be arriving in New Zealand without a job, without a permanent place to stay, and most likely without a permanent visa. My New Zealand permanent residence visa is still being held up by the analysis of my medical results. Perhaps, I should send them my race resume or training log.

I have been working as an IT Engineer for GA Systems and it has been a great experience. After leaving NetQoS, I wanted to experience working for a smaller operation and GA Systems has provided that opportunity. In New Zealand, I am open to organizations and positions of all varieties. I am also thinking about going to school in New Zealand and applying to graduate business schools in the United States.

The proximity of New Zealand to Asia presents an opportunity for exploration of a diverse and unique continent I have seen very little of. I am planning on taking advantage of this opportunity in the coming year. Additionally, I am also planning on doing an Ironman in Africa, Europe, or Asia. Three continents down, three to go. Then maybe a marathon in Antarctica for balance.

If things settle down, I will make it a focus to get some pictures or other media of recent Australian experiences on the blog.

It’s been one year since leaving the States! In one month it will be one year in Australia! To celebrate I’m going to work! See you guys later!

With just over 4 weeks left on my current visa I am getting close to needing to get another visa for somewhere else. The plan was to secure a residency permit for New Zealand. Unfortunately, I took a little too much time collecting all of the application materials and now it has come down to the line. The typical processing time for a New Zealand residency application(6-8 weeks) coincides with the same time my Australian visa expires. As a backup, I can always get a tourist visa. This might be nice in forcing me to take a vacation from my vacation, but means I will probably not be able to buy as nice of race bike. Below is a screenshot of my current NZ Visa status.

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