We are officially halfway through our time in New Zealand. There are moments where it feels like this has flown by and other moments where I feel like we’ve been doing this a while. Crazy how time can play tricks on you.
We are wrapping up on our time on the South Island with a cabin stay with no WiFi in the middle of Abel Tasman National Park. (How cool is technology that I can just schedule this?) I can’t think of a better way to leave this magical island.
Some Quick Notes on Life
Justin has officially mastered driving on the other side of the road. It is so normal now that when we watched a movie the other night, it looked weird being on the right side of the road.
We have done laundry three times and it has worked out perfectly. We have used everything we’ve brought other than the hot weather clothes. I repeat, I have worn everything which feels amazing.
Game of Thrones is being watched on Mondays when it gets dark. It works out to be a few hours after our friends in Minnesota. Thank you to the group texts we are on for not spoiling it. Also, please comment if you have any theories because I love reading them.
I still cannot figure out the time difference with the US or the metric system. But Justin has become a pretty good translator for me.
We love the grocery stores. We even have the discount card. There are so many fun new things in each aisle. We have eaten one TimTam everyday as our dessert and I’m not mad about it. It is weird that vegetables have different names here. I love it all.
In general, there has been more sleep, more exercise, more reading and more time outside than our “previous life.” We have gotten less social interaction, less TV time, less eating out and less showering. I’m sure this will all change over time and place, but it’s worth noting.
So What is Next?
We are getting on a ferry with our rental car, Yara Greyjoy, and heading to Wellington to start our North Island adventure. Yes, we named our rental car.
We have time planned in Wellington, Lake Taupo, Rotorua, the Coromandel Peninsula, Russell and Auckland. There is a special day trip planned for Hobbiton thanks to an amazingly kind friend & old co-worker.
Indonesia is our next country. We are spending a month (including our birthdays in Bali.) There is a craving for a slower pace with our next destination.
We are finalizing dates with some volunteer projects which will help us plot out the rest of the summer. Friends are meeting us in Vietnam and my mom is celebrating her birthday with us in Australia.
It’s crazy to have a conversation over dinner about a 3 night stop in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, but we will embrace this current moment. It won’t last long.
Things for You (the readers)
We understand that there are people who don’t have the time or desire to read every post we share on this website. BUT, maybe you’re still interested in where we’ve been, our highlights or you just want a picture in your inbox every once in a while. Good news! We are going to send a monthly update (like a postcard). Just fill out the form below and you will be on the list.
Thank you to everyone that has commented, responded to our ridiculous questions, connected us with others abroad or given us recommendations. We are so grateful.
Lastly, make sure you let us know what questions you have. We got some via Instagram the other day and we are working them into one post, but always feel free to fire away. They will stay anonymous (except to us) if we share the answers on this blog. We have lots of updates we want to make to this space and your input helps us a ton. You can click here to contact us or email us at thetumblingnomads@gmail.com.
