The 27-year-old, who holds a marketing and finance degree, had plenty of opportunities to play overseas, but he decided from an early age he was determined to be an All Black.
Now, after being called in from the Barbarians as injury cover for Nathan Harris, he has achieved his dream.
"You always hold on to the hope," he said. "I knew the Baabaas game [against the Wallabies at Twickenham] was an opportunity to show what I've got at an international level.
"I felt I did that and obviously with Nathan's injury it gave me a chance."
Asked about whether he was tempted to give his dream away, Parsons said: "I've had opportunities but my heart always belonged in New Zealand.
"This is the dream and this is what I've always believed I'm capable of. I've held on to that dream when others might have not believed I can do it but I'm here now and am relishing the opportunity."
Parsons, who admitted to extreme nerves when travelling by train to the All Blacks camp in London last week from Baabaas duty in Leicester, said rooming with Mealamu had been a great help in allowing him to settle.
After waiting so long for his chance, Parsons, who made his Blues debut in 2012, might be around for a while.
The All Blacks want to build depth at hooker, with Mealamu and Dane Coles, who is on the bench on Sunday, way out on their own in New Zealand following Andrew Hore's retirement.
It could just be that the North Harbour stalwart and Takapuna club man is in the right place at the right time.
Hansen said: "We can't keep playing Kevvy and Dane Coles in test matches.
"We have to find out about our hookers and we always planned to use this game to give Nathan a run and we felt the same way [about Parsons]."
