Getting here after we disembarked the cruise wasn’t easy, and that’s putting it gently. After weeks of floating predictably from port to port, we were abruptly returned to the realities of schedules, logistics, and fatigue. Two hours of flight delays set the tone almost immediately, including a long wait before we even lifted off from Brisbane Airport. By the time we landed in Auckland, we assumed the worst was behind us, only to find ourselves sitting on the tarmac for another forty-five minutes while the plane waited for a “parking gate.” It was one of those moments where you’re too tired to be annoyed and too resigned to feel anything at all. You stare out the window and wait.

Collecting the rental car took even longer, and when we finally found it, we both laughed. Tiny doesn’t quite cover it. Tom, however, turned out to be a magician, somehow coaxing an impressive number of bags into a space that looked barely capable of holding groceries. Despite his best efforts, two carry-on bags had to stay in the front seat with us. One was wedged under my feet, making comfort an ambitious goal rather than a realistic one, but at that point, practicality trumped everything else.

The drive from Auckland to Kaiwaka usually takes just under two hours, but we stretched it to three. A wrong turn onto a toll road, with no exits and no possibility of turning around, cost us a whole extra hour. It was late, dark, and the kind of mistake you only make when you’re exhausted and overconfident all at once. By the time we finally pulled up to the house at 1:00 a.m., we were running on fumes.

Dave, our landlord, incredibly kind and patient, waited outside to guide us to the house and help Tom unload the bags. That small act of generosity felt enormous at that hour. Even in the dark, we could tell the house was just as lovely as we’d hoped, and despite our exhaustion, there was a quiet thrill in knowing we had arrived. We didn’t unpack that night. We took out what we needed and collapsed, grateful to finally rest.

Morning, however, brought an entirely different kind of magic. In daylight, the location revealed itself in full glory, rolling green hills, sweeping ocean views, and, to our absolute delight, sheep and cows everywhere. There’s something deeply grounding about waking up to that kind of landscape, especially after weeks at sea and a long, trying journey. It felt like we had landed somewhere both new and oddly familiar, a place that invited us to exhale.

Sunday was devoted mainly to unpacking, though “unpacking” might be an optimistic word. With limited drawer space (but plenty of closet space and hangers, I left many of my clothes in my suitcase. Over the next few days, we’ll wash them, hang them to dry, and I’ll repack everything neatly back into the bag. Since we’re only here for a short time, I don’t mind living partially out of a suitcase. It makes repacking easier when it’s time to leave on February 12, and there’s something freeing about not fully settling in.

Yesterday, grocery shopping topped the agenda. By noon, we were out the door, heading toward the closer of the two markets. The larger supermarket, with better prices and a wider selection, was another twenty minutes beyond the small, minimally stocked (and noticeably more expensive) shop near the mini-mall. Convenience won this round.

We filled the cart carefully, doing the quiet mental math that seems to follow us everywhere these days, and walked out, having spent NZ$ 584 (about US$338.35). It felt like a lot, and it was, but the bags held enough food to last us close to two weeks comfortably. There’s a certain relief in opening a well-stocked fridge and pantry after weeks of ship meals, a feeling of being temporarily anchored.

When those shelves start to thin out, we’ll make the longer drive to the distant supermarket everyone swears by, the one with better prices and more variety. For now, though, we’re settled and grateful for small but meaningful victories as we ease into daily life here.

As if the day hadn’t already offered enough warmth and welcome, Dave and his dear wife, Eing, who live a short distance down the road, had planned a get-together with local friends and invited us to attend. After such a long and complicated arrival, that invitation felt like a gentle affirmation that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be, for now.

The friends/neighbors were delightful, and we fit right in. The conversation flowed easily, interspersed with laughter, much of it prompted by Tom’s natural gift for entertaining those around him. It was a fun time with more such gatherings to come in the future.

We’d planned to do laundry today, but it’s raining. Tomorrow’s another day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 15, 2015: