It’s early morning as Larsen and I sit together at our small Airbnb in Rothesay Bay, listening to “Cozy Jazz” on Spotify, Austin still snoozing in bed. The Tui birds can be heard chirping outside, a small reminder that we are half a world away from our family, friends and former lives.

We arrived in Auckland on Saturday, August 30^th with twelve suitcases and bags carrying the remaining pieces of our lives back in the States. We made it through customs without waiting in a single line, no fewer than six friendly service dogs sniffing our bags to ensure we didn’t bring anything illegal into this well-protected country. The kindhearted Kiwi-spirit we heard so much about evident in every interaction we had.

I’ve been struggling to find the words to describe the feeling of landing in a foreign country on zero sleep without a car, home, job or reliable cell service. But last night, after Larsen went to bed, Austin and I began watching a newly discovered season of Alone – a documentary series that follows 10 expert survivalists vying for $500,000 by living alone in the wild for as long as possible with only a limited amount of survival equipment.

There’s a term they use in the show – “drop shock” – referencing the emotional and psychological impact contestants feel after being dropped off in a remote wilderness location and left alone. The reaction of contestants as they watch the helicopter fly away is always mixed. Some grow emotional, fear and uncertainty written across their faces. Others whoop and holler with excitement, finally getting their chance to show the world what they are capable of.

As we prepared for our move the last few months, the phrase I heard most often from others was “You’re so brave.” I struggled to accept that what we were doing was brave or courageous or admirable. I’ve never accepted compliments well, always assuming people were saying these things just to be nice. But as I broke down one afternoon, feeling exhausted from navigating this wild unknown with limited supplies, I turned to Austin and said “Oh – that’s why people kept calling us brave. Because this is incredibly hard, and we really are quite brave.” The term “drop shock” perfectly describes the uncertainty and anxiety swimming inside us these past few days.

Unlike the contestants of Alone, however, there’s one thing I can say with certainty – WE are not alone. Despite the ocean between us, the support we have received from our loved ones back home has strengthened our resolve and given us the courage to continue on for one more day. And while we are not alone in the wilderness, building our own shelter, hunting for food, and fighting to survive, we are building a new home, hunting for new adventures and fighting for our chance to not only survive – but thrive.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates on our latest adventures visiting the Sky Tower, Auckland Zoo and Takapuna Beach!