It’s funny how when we love where we’re living, the final weeks seem to pass quickly. Isn’t that how life is anyway? As they say, “time flies when you’re having fun!”
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| The 10-acre grounds in the Taranaki Pioneer Village has much to offer. |
It’s been a great three months here in New Plymouth in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand, as our regular readers have read over and over again. We couldn’t rave about this farm and location enough.
For typical travelers on a one or two-week holiday/vacation, this lifestyle may be a little too slow and laid back. Although, this area, this island, this country has plenty to do for the most enthusiastic traveler if they have a rental car, time, and interest in getting on the road.
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| Footbridge over the lake with many ducks below. |
Many have commented how we’re missing out on not living on the South Island but for us, the cost for a long-term rental was prohibitive. Plus, we found this area so beautiful and rewarding, we could hardly have expected or wanted more.
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| As we began the walk on the paths chickens and roosters started following us, certainly used to being fed by tourists. |
It isn’t always about the “very best” location. Affordability and our interests prevail in most of our decisions. On occasion, we may falter in these priorities and when we do, we accept the inevitable…that perhaps we didn’t make the best decision at the time we booked the vacation home, cruise, or location in general.
Instead of berating ourselves for making occasional decisions for less than ideal situations, we prefer to adapt to the environment as well as we can and strive to embrace the aspects we may find appealing and engaging. Attitude is everything in this lifestyle and in any lifestyle for that matter.
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| Tom also got a kick out of how many chickens and roosters began to follow us. |
We always remind ourselves that if we have our health and our loved ones are healthy and doing well, there’s little room for complaint. Yes, in some locations there may have been bugs in the bed (not here), flies buzzing around our heads, “mozzies” dining on our blood, unbearable heat without AC, and limited amenities and food options.
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| The chickens and roosters joined us when we stopped to visit the sheep who were also baahing and begging for food. I’d seen pellets for sale in the visitors center but didn’t think of buying any. At that point, we were too far away to go back to buy a bag. |
From early on in our travels, we discovered that complaining wasn’t productive. Solving problems to the best of our abilities is productive and even then, when we get a “no, it can’t be done” we press and then press again, always attempting to keep kindness and diplomacy in mind.
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| The two sheep didn’t take their eyes off of us as they made lots of noise. |
What may seem difficult for us may be a “normal” way of life for others. It’s through living with some of those same challenges that we learn and grow. Ultimately, isn’t that what we wanted to accomplish in our travels…experience life in a manner we never knew in our old lives?
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| We felt like the Pied Piper as they continued with us on the tour. |
In this beautiful region, in this ideal home, living on these breathtaking 35 acres with nature surrounding us, we’ve experienced no hardships; not the flies that entered the house when we had no choice but to leave the screen-less doors open on warm days; not the sand fleas that required my constant use of toxic repellent (when “natural” didn’t work); not the bugs in the bedroom at night when the metal roof made the upper-level bedroom so hot we had to open the windows.
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| We stopped to see these horses but they had no interest in us. |
None of this mattered to us. We adapted. We purchased a fly swatter and used it to kill dozens of flies before sitting down to a meal, closing all the doors and windows so we could dine in peace without flies landing on our food.
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| A chicken with fluffy feet. |
As I scurried about the well-equipped kitchen each day with the final touches for the upcoming meal, Tom killed flies. He quickly learned to “swipe” as opposed to “splat” to ensure no-fly guts remained on the windows, walls, furniture, and cabinets.
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| We stopped to sit on a park bench to enjoy the scenery while the chickens waited for us to continue on. |
The rest? It’s been so easy, so pleasant and so rewarding. And now, with packing on the horizon we’ve accepted one more reality…we are leaving in 11 days, heading to Auckland (a five-hour drive) for a three-plus-hour flight to Sydney where we’ll spend one night, boarding a cruise the next day.
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| This rooster followed us during our entire walk through the grounds, up until we entered the visitors center at the end of our tour. |
It’s all good. We’re grateful for the experience and we’ll be ready to move along when the time comes.
May you find experiences that find you grateful, whether it’s in living a simple daily life, not unlike ours, or a day filled with excitement and adventure. Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2015:
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| In Kauai, one year ago, we speculated based on appearance, that there’s some sort of permanent pouch beneath the shedding skin of this Green Anole. For more Kauai photos, please click here. |