Saturday

We were just thrilled to hangout and to be stationary, not on an airplane. We made it as far as the grocery store and for a walk along the lake. The boys made their first friend, Cameron from across the street. They spent the afternoon playing on Cameron’s trampoline. We could see all three heads bobbing up and down beyond the fence. Seeing how happy the boys were to have a friend, Doug and I decided that it would be better to enroll the boys in school sooner than later. Originally, our plan had been to postpone the boys starting school until we were certain where we were going to live for fear of having to switch schools. We ended our first full day having drinks on Suzi and Steve Bunting’s patio, our hosts who live in the main house upstairs from our apartment. Suzi and Steve immigrated to New Zealand two years ago. We really enjoyed hearing their story and how they have adjusted to New Zealand life. Doug was particularly interested because Suzi was an airline pilot and Steve is an avionics engineer. We don’t know any one from the States who has made an across the world move like we have. Talking with the Buntings made me feel that maybe what we have done with this move is not so crazy. Their motivations were so similar to ours. They came for vacation and fell in love with the amazing beauty of the land and the friendly people. They too are parents and decided New Zealand, and particularly Wanaka, would be a wonderful place to raise their daughter. We have so many questions, like recommendations for doctors or a medical centre, or do we need supplemental medical insurance beyond the national healthcare system. We became eligible for national healthcare once we arrived in NZ and received our residence permits.

One thing I forgot to mention was how anti-climatic our entry into New Zealand was. I had in my mind there would be pomp and circumstance or at lease a huge certificate handed to each of us to signify and document our New Zealand residence status as we arrived in Auckland. In fact, absolutely no acknowledgement was made except for a tiny stamp in our passport. The immigration officer did not even say, “welcome to New Zealand.” But that was okay, all four of us cheered and gave each other high-fives as we crossed over into baggage claim.