Lazy Summer Days

Auckland, New Zealand: January 31, 2024

It seems crazy to talk about lazy summer days on the last day of JANUARY, right? Except we’re in Auckland, New Zealand and it’s the height of summer here.

Our life in Auckland has been leisurely and beautiful. We couldn’t have asked for more. By day, it’s mostly in the upper 70s and low 80s and almost every day has been fully or partly sunny. In the sun, it’s hot. In the shade, there’s always a lovely breeze and it’s quite comfortable.

Yesterday, we decided to head over to the Mission Bay area of Auckland. It’s a charming waterfront community with numerous restaurants and bars and shops along a beautiful waterfront park promenade. We stopped in for an ice cream at Movenpick Ice Cream and strolled to the beach. Sitting on the shady waterfront wall, we enjoyed our treats and watched the bathers. When our ice cream was gone, we took out our books and read for a while.

After a while, we realized it was already 5 pm, so we gathered our belongings and strolled back toward the street, stopping in Mama Mia for an Italian dinner and a bottle of wine sitting along the streetside. Our meals were wonderful (Mama Mia’s has been in this same location for over 50 years!) and we reveled in the joy of a warm summer day without a care in the world.

We reflected on our upcoming departure from Auckland in a couple days – we’re headed next to Wellington, and then on to the South Island, which promises a different kind of adventure and life for next three weeks. We will return twice more to Auckland before we leave New Zealand in early March. We are looking forward to both returns as we have grown fond of this quiet, lovely city.

Meanwhile, I am reveling in these lazy summer days in the middle of what would normally be a wintry Chicago work-a-day for us. Life has taken a dramatic turn for us as we transition into our retirements while exploring the world. It’s the adventure of a lifetime for us and we feel very blessed to be here. And we are dreaming of a possible return some day.