After living here for nearly 7 years (yikes!), the initial charm has worn off and New Zealand is just where I live. I still get asked where I am from, and occasionally enjoy the odd looks I get if I say 'New Plymouth.' I still forget that I have the accent but also do not find the New Zealand accent to be foreign anymore. In saying that, I do remember how the first few months here were full of encounters where the laid-back nature of New Zealand felt starkly illuminated.
I got to enjoy re-experiencing one of those moments recently. A friend and I were out adventuring and decided to get a coffee to take with us. We found a coffee cart, which seemed the perfect option as they are usually take-away only. We put in our orders but then realized the barista had picked up lovely china cups to fill with our brew. We told her we were heading out for a hike and requested she use take-away cups instead. She explained that she did not use take-away cups, but was more than happy for us to just take the cups with us and return them later in the day. When we shared that we did not think we could be back before she closed for the day she said 'No problem, just drop them off at the library and I can pick them up tomorrow.' We weren't confident of getting back before the library closed either, so decided we had nothing to lose by enjoying some sunshine for a few minutes and caffeinating right there. In light of how crazy the world feels right now, it was a simple thing that felt like a reminder to slow down and maintain faith in humanity.
On the note of generosity, a friend gave me a fabulous sewing machine awhile back. It is much fancier than any I had used before, so I have enjoyed learning to use it. My recent conquest with it is getting a walking foot to use on quilting projects. I got to try it out on a baby blanket for a friend and it is already worth the money!
Finally, there is a new addition to our family. Our landlord used to live next door to us, and their cat chose to live in our house instead of theirs. When they sold their house and moved across town they took the cat with them. We missed having one around so got permission to acquire one of our own. Early December we were in town and stumbled on a pop-up shop that was a temporary thrift store and cat adoption place! It had been set up by the local animal trust (think Humane Society) and they were hoping the temporary central location would get the word out so they could find homes for cats and kittens. We adopted a one-year sweetie that we named Dotty. She had been dumped on someone's property and they took her in so she could find a home. She is a happy and well-mannered house cat, albeit a bit shy about being on anyone's lap and loud noises so we think she might have been a lockdown adoption that did not end so well. She is now happily settled in and seems to think she owns the place!
