Five Years in New Zealand

Hello there! I’ve been MIA for awhile. Thank you for the notes and messages, and to answer the one big question: yes, I’m okay. Everything is okay. In fact, things are so okay that I haven’t been inspired to write much. When I started this blog, I needed an outlet to process the huge shift in life from Austin to Auckland. Five years (!!!!) beyond the move, I realize that my life now feels mundane. Not in a bad way - more in a “I’ve found a groove” way that is predictable, comfortable, and not as anxiety producing as things were when I showed up in June of 2018 with two little kids and a few suitcases expecting to stay for ninety days before heading home.

Now home feels more like New Zealand than the US. I’ve got people in my village here; friends to meet for coffee and vino; neighbours that play with my kids; and I know where to get a ironing board from without paying $300. I feel settled, and my moving experience feels life a lifetime ago. I’m not sure how much the immigration experience has changed since we went through it. Covid certainly changed things and I can’t speak to the experience of moving in a post-covid world. As a result, I’m not entirely sure what direction this blog is going to take. So all I can say to those of you thinking about moving or who have just made the move: the process of settling takes years. And sometimes there are painfully hard moments., but right now I’m sitting back and enjoying the ride… and bumbling along.