Culture and family have always been at the heart of who I am. Even after moving to Melbourne at five, my parents made sure we stayed connected to our roots, flying us home to our farm in New Zealand so we could grow up with our cousins, who became our first best friends.
I realised I couldn’t expect my future kids to feel connected to Aotearoa if I wasn’t, so in 2017 I moved back to complete my bachelor’s degree (successfully graduated in 2020). This was my way of reconnecting with my whenua and iwi and continuing the story my parents started. New Zealand is where I was born, Melbourne is where I was raised. I call both “home.”
My husband and I just had our first baby four weeks ago, and we’re already planning to take her back to New Zealand for Christmas 2026 to show her the farm — the same place where my story began. My hope is that she grows up knowing exactly where she comes from, and that her identity is shaped by the same love, culture, and connection that shaped mine.
