I am sitting in a lovely “bach” (second home, cottage, beach house) about a block or two from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Whangamata near the base of the Coromandel Peninsula. Feeling blessed.

It is raining outside, much needed rain for the whole countryside which has experienced a long drought. It has rained nearly every day of our post-wedding stay, but the patches of sunshine and the greening of the land have made it worth the clouds and rain. I was so happy with the weather on the wedding weekend, I cannot complain about rain during this time. In between the showers, we managed a trip to Anne’s favorite beach (Waihi), a morning in Hobbiton, and the fanfare of Will & Kate’s visit to the town of Cambridge yesterday. (I got a brief glimpse of Wills.)

We also spent part of an afternoon at Anne & James’ farmhouse, watching them open their wedding gifts and shared a couple of suppers with them and other friends. They spent the first five days of their honeymoon at a bach in Mt. Mangaunuia and will go to another bach in Taupo tomorrow for the rest of this week before meeting the family in Raglan for Easter weekend (at yet another bach.)

In the original plan for a November wedding, I’d hoped to come 6-8 weeks early and rent a bach near the ocean so that I could help prepare for the wedding without being in Anne’s space all the time. I’d hoped that some of the family would join me for a week or so of relaxing fun before the wedding. I still have no idea if that was a realistic dream or wildly unattainable, but it is kind of cool to be sitting here, enjoying my first bach experience.

As in the States, baches (not sure what the plural of bach is) run the gamut from small and rustic to very, very nice. We’re starting our experience with very nice*.

Our time in New Zealand has been good but very different from what I expected. The week prior to the wedding was harder than I imagined and the week following was just a bit better. (I did really enjoy the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner and the whole wedding day. I also am deeply grateful for the generosity of Anne & James’ friends who have provided food and lodging, friendship and wheels during our stay.) But I’ve continued to struggle with conversations, with left-sided driving, and with finding my way. I’ve made some progress but I’m not nearly as comfortable as I expected to be. Connecting with folks back home is more difficult too. All of which is highlighting the separation that I will face when I go home. I keep telling myself that I’m not “losing a daughter; but gaining a son” but it doesn’t feel much like that from this vantage point.

I am grateful for the chance to be in Anne’s world and I hope to come back lots of times, but I know now that the transitions will challenge me and that the distance will be hard.

But tonight, here at my first bach, I’m kind of living the dream.

 

 

 

 

 

(Written April 13 but not posted until April 15 due to lack of Internet connections, one of my challenging issues here in New Zealand.)

 

*This place has the world’s best bathtub! Its shape makes it the perfect length for everyone, whether short or tall. Ingenious. I also love kiwi bathrooms in general. They almost always have separate toilets, great showers and two options for flushing.