Settling into normal life

During our first week here in Cambridge, New Zealand, when everything felt unfamiliar, Bernard and I guessed at what signs might eventually reveal to us that we were finally settling in. We were walking through our local farmer's market at the time, and I thought to myself that maybe when I had a vase that I could put flowers in that I had bought at the market, maybe that would be a sign...

It's been a rollercoaster since we've arrived. The fun excitement of exploring new places and awesome experiences superimposed with isolation, missing dear friends and family, and the exhausting overwhelm of everything being new has been challenging. This adventure is a strange hybrid of feeling the excitement of traveling and finding routines in daily life. In this hybrid experience, the two dance with each other, so that we're beginning to experience traveling and discovering New Zealand more intimately that we would on just a vacation, and we're discovering routines of life as novel and full of discoveries.

Last week, I had 7 boys in our house, two of Kobe's classmates and three of Ike's (plus Bernard)! With bikes scattered across the lawn and driveway, kids coming and going like in The Goonies, and plans emerging for a big sleepover, I felt a deep feeling of motherly content; the boys were settling in. As kids came and went to and from candy runs to the Dairy (the local grocer), the skatepark, or the little bike jump down the way, I delighted in observing new friendships emerge. We spent the weekend watching soccer (football) games, Bernard and I trading off on runs swims and other errands, and I dare say I started to feel a wee bit more at home.

We've scattered in lots of exploratory fun throughout the routines of daily life as well. Mt. Manganui is an awesome beach town just over an hour away, so we spent a sunny day there surfing, swimming, tidepooling, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the bustling town and delicious food.

Just this weekend, the NZ national football team the All Whites played a friendly game against Finland, so the boys and I drove the 1 1/2 hours to Auckland to watch and have some fun being tourists in the city for a day. While Ike met up with a crew of his friends from school who were also there, Kobe played in the field-side kids area where they had set up a few bouncy house challenges while we parents could watch the game. New Zealand is the most kid friendly country I've every visited, and this game was no exception. The kids zone was free, supervised, and awesome, so Kobe had a blast while I could watch the game with ease.

We checked out the Auckland Art Gallery which was really great and had so many ways for kids to interact with the exhibits as well as explore making art. The strong emphasis on Maori art and Oceania's artistic responses to our changing world were powerful. And it's free! I'd recommend a visit for sure.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/0d56da_66ef0c3c7205450b84649b5355a49929/360p/mp4/file.mp4

The Sky Tower on the other hand.... meh.... Every now and then I think I should do more "touristy" things, and I was curious. While it was definitely cool to see Auckland from up high, point out places we've been, and get inspired to check out some other areas, overall it was a tourist trap.

Auckland's a really fun city to eat in and there's no end to absolutely delicious hole-in-the-wall asian food joints where you can get everything from dim sum, to sushi, to make-your-own hot pots, ramens, and noodle bowls, to pearl teas.

The boys can't go a day without getting their wiggles out and were about to burst, so I took them to an indoor skate park. How cool! There are so many fun things to do in that city - we can't wait to go back to try more.

Back at home with another day left of the weekend, the kids didn't waste a minute in getting friends over here on their bikes and go Goonies style once again between the Dairy for candy and the football fields to kick the ball around.

And I finally got some Lillies to put in a vase.