I Graduated! .. Now What?

My convocation was on November 16. It was nice to have an 'official' end to my degree that encouraged me to look back and reflect on all of the hard work I have put in to the last four years. Despite all the hardships, the biggest feeling I have is accomplishment. The natural question that comes from graduation is “what comes next?” Like the majority of grads, I have absolutely no idea what comes next. I don't want to go back to school (at least yet) and I can't imagine having a 9-5 job with two weeks of vacation a year when one of my favourite things to do is travel.

Travel.

Where to go? What to do? I want to go far far away from Edmonton where it isn't feasible to leave for two weeks and return to a job that I don't see having long term potential anyways. France was my last trip abroad, and I found the language barrier a bit intimidating (although it got better as I learned the language, and helped that almost everyone spoke just enough English to get by). I just don't feel like I'm ready to learn another language at this point. I am craving an English speaking country.

I have already been to Australia, the economy in Ireland has all the Irish people running to other countries for work, the USA isn't far enough away to feel like a real trip, and I am eligible for a 5 year work visa in the UK which I don't want to take advantage of until I am sure I can handle being away from everyone I know for longer than a few months.

What's this? A cheap seat to New Zealand two days after Convocation? A Working Holiday Visa that was accepted in two days? Good enough reason for me. Let's do this.