I retorted that I was moving my life to Hawaii and that Australia wasnt such hot stuff. We had had the same argument daily, pretty much, since he had found out my plan to leave my arid part of Down Under for sandy beaches and gorgeous sunsets.
What did I have to lose? I worked on a computer, virtually assisting people online. I could be anywhere and do my job.
I just wanted the opportunity to do it in flip-flops and shorts in a different cultural climate. Was that so wrong? I would be paying a fortune to get myself there, sure, but I was sure that it would be worth it in the long run.
Lets see, hire movers, get in touch with an international auto shipper, find out which documents would allow shipping to Hawaii from Australia without paying too much, pack I was less stressed about these details now that I had actually made the decision. No one was waiting for me, so I was at my leisure.
The saving grace in all this was that shipping cars to Hawaii from Australia really wasnt too big a deal. It was converting the cars steering column to the other side that would be pricey. I cringed when I discovered that.
Fortunately, the car was newer and that was the only modification that had to be made. It even passed inspection. Just pay those taxes and duties and relearn how to drive, said the international auto shipping company rep. Uh huh Just like that.
Shipping my life to Hawaii from Australia, now theres a different matter, I told the international auto shipper.
It was his turn to stare blankly. Theyre not warm fuzzies, those guys. But I continued. Shipping anything to Hawaii from Australia is just money, right? Nod. So thats the bottom line. Then, when its all said and done, Ill have a new life to explore. I cant wait. International auto shipper dude smiled wanly and who wouldnt agreed.
So I eventually got to that place.
The international auto shipper had my car and I had a piece of paper telling me when it was arriving and an extra key just in case. I threw it some good wishes and happy sailings. I hoped that it had a safe journey. I had managed to organize and ship to Hawaii from Australia my entire life that didnt need to get thrown away anyway.
