For someone who is unemployed with an abundance of free time, you’d think I’d be better at keeping up on writing new blog posts. Alas, Kiwi summer is here and the joy of feeling settled in our new home has had an alluring effect on me. I’ve let go of the expectations of what I “should” be doing and instead embraced the art of doing whatever the hell I want. And let me tell you – It. Is. Glorious.

Of course, I’m keeping my eyes open for job opportunities and have continued to network and meet up with people in my industry. I’ve been applying to jobs, keeping the house in order, packing and re-packing Larsen’s lunch (maybe she’ll eat the carrots tomorrow?) and getting her to/from school. I keep myself busy and make sure that while Austin commutes in and out of the city and sustains us financially, I pull my weight as his equal and stay motivated to secure a job myself. But I’ve never in my life had this type of space and security to just slow down and breathe. We’ve been through a lot, and I am grateful for this time to just…be.

I got my first job when I was 14, bagging groceries at HyVee while nanny-ing for two kids in the summer. Since then, I have consistently worked as much as I could, holding up to four jobs in one year while I was in grad school. I’ve served coffee, scooped ice cream, waited tables, cleaned construction sites, graded papers, tutored students, organized farmer’s markets, managed projects, analyzed surveys, built an obscene about of visual presentations, created strategy and even taste-tested Tacos (no joke!). Outside of maternity leave and the occasional week or two between roles, I have never been unemployed. I imagine nearly everyone reading this can relate. We go to school, we get jobs, we work, and we retire. It’s the true American Dream, right? But, we’re not in America anymore!

With Larsen in school and Austin at work, my days have been wide open for me to cross off the random things from my “Whenever I Have Time” list. This has included binge-watching various TV shows, devouring books on my Kindle, calling friends and family back home while taking long and scenic walks along the coast, meandering through the new IKEA and getting all my Christmas shopping done in the first week of December. I feel as though I’ve accomplished so little, but yet so much at the same time. After two very difficult months of navigating the biggest change of our lives, I was left feeling empty and exhausted. But over the last month or so, my cup runneth over.

November and December have been a period of “settling” for us. Austin settling into his new job. Larsen settling into school and new friendships. Me settling into a life where I don’t feel like I’m in a constant state of “fight or flight.” Slowly but surely, we are finding ourselves more at ease and a part of this new community. We are discovering our favorite restaurants and go to spots. For burgers, Good Town Burger is a must. Craving some dumplings? Barilla Dumpling’s pork and cabbage fried dumplings are unmatched. Bakers Delight has the best bread and delicious sweet buns. Craving some ice cream? Scrunchy Millers has got you covered. And from what we’ve heard, the taco shop in Milford is the best Mexican food in all of Auckland. We haven’t yet been, but we’ll report back with our review. As for making friends, Larsen is a true social butterfly. Her connections at school were instantaneous and within a week of starting, she had already been invited to a birthday party.

As for Austin and I, we were finding it difficult to meet other adults. Kiwis are friendly, but also a bit reserved. But one weekend, while visiting our favorite Sunday market in Takapuna, I overheard a woman speaking in an American accent to another couple. She was talking about having just moved and arriving in New Zealand a week ago. My ears instantly perked up and I began eavesdropping more intently. Having made few connections at this point, and feeling a bit lonely and isolated yet, I decided to be brave and go over to say hello. I awkwardly walked over, tried to interrupt their conversation as politely as I could and asked if they were American. The woman responded that yes, they are American, and they were at the market with two other American couples, whom she instantly brought us over to meet.

Turns out, we aren’t the only crazy Americans to make the jaunt to New Zealand. That morning we met three incredibly lovely families from Texas and Missouri, all of whom had young children aged 3-5, that decided to relocate for a safer, more value-driven life. There was an instant relief and easing of tension I felt that day, meeting people from “our world” who were experiencing the same feelings and navigating the same challenges. Numbers were exchanged, invitations to an Expat Thanksgiving were extended, and the beginnings of a community were made. It’s amazing what a small amount of bravery can offer you if you’re just willing to try. Was I embarrassed to admit to a random stranger that I was eavesdropping and heard them talk about moving? Yes. Was it worth it in the long run? Hell Yes.

When we left the States and arrived in NZ, a lot of people that reached out asked us what the hardest part of the change was. Without a doubt I would always say it was the loss of our community. Whether it be friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, or just the familiar faces I’d see at my favorite coffee shop or grocery store, leaving the entirety of our community behind was gut-wrenching and more painful than I imagined. But one thing I told myself (and Larsen) over and over again was this – “We haven’t met everyone who is going to love us yet.”

A few weeks later we joined our new Expat friends for a Kiwi Thanksgiving potluck, where we met yet another family that had relocated from America. What I thought would be a potentially awkward dinner where I’d have to gently prod Larsen to play with kids she didn’t know, turned into a five-hour gathering of newly formed friends where the kids had a blast playing together, the adults chatted incessantly, and all the delicious Thanksgiving favorites were devoured and then split evenly for late night leftovers. Our first holiday in NZ turned out to be pretty great thanks to the kindness and welcoming nature of strangers. Though Austin unfortunately couldn’t attend thanks to his first solo month-end at the bank (it’s not a Kiwi holiday after all!), Larsen and I made sure to bring him home some turkey and pie.

Larsen has continued to thrive at school, making friends, attending birthday parties, and participating in the Festival of Songs, the school’s annual Christmas concert. Last Friday, family and friends gathered on picnic blankets across the school’s large grassy area and listened to a variety of both familiar and Kiwi holiday songs. Though it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas to us without the chilly temperatures and snow, it was fun to be part of something that would become a new tradition for our family. I can now say that I might prefer experiencing a kids concert while spread out on a picnic blanket, soaking up the beautiful sun and enjoying a basket of snacks versus sitting on a hard metal folding chair in a cramped school auditorium. (New Zealand-1, US – 0).

This week we not only head into the Christmas holiday, but summer break as well. Larsen is officially off school for the next two months. Austin is planning to take off some time as well, giving us the opportunity to be together to explore some of the beaches along the coast. It’s typical for locals to take a few weeks to a month off during the holidays to travel or go camping. And while we plan to explore some of the beaches and hiking spots North of us, we plan to stick close to Auckland and enjoy the local beaches that are often much quieter while everyone travels. While we might traditionally plan a big meal for our Christmas together, we don’t exactly want to be in our kitchen cooking over a hot stove during the gorgeous summer weather. Instead, we intend to embrace a Kiwi-Christmas by having a sausage sizzle (aka BBQ) and spending the day boogie boarding at the beach in our togs and jandals (swimsuits and flip flops).

It’s definitely harder getting into the Christmas Spirit when it’s a sunny 25* Celsius (or ~77* Fahrenheit), but that hasn’t stopped us from creating a little holiday magic by putting up lights on the patio, getting a freshly cut tree, and baking some classic treats that remind us of home. At night you can find us watching a Christmas classic, like Home Alone or The Grinch, laughing at how odd it feels to be heading into the second summer of 2025 instead of bundling up to shovel snow. Though the traditions may be a bit different this year, we’re feeling that same sense of gratitude for the journey we survived in 2025 and the adventures we’ll get in 2026. Happy Holidays everyone!

The Pōhutukawa trees can be found all over the area. They’re often called the “New Zealand Christmas Tree” because they bloom around Christmas. They pair well with our sun burns, don’t you think?