Moving countries is never just about geography. It’s about identity, change, and the messy in-between of leaving one world while stepping into another.
This July, my husband, our two teenagers, and I packed up our lives in the Netherlands after three years abroad. We closed the door on Europe, said bittersweet goodbyes, and boarded a flight back to New Zealand.
And here’s the twist: we’re not originally from New Zealand. We’re Argentinians and Italian citizens, and we’ve built chapters of our story across different continents. This time, moving to Aotearoa wasn’t just about opportunity or circumstance; it was a family decision that the four of us chose together. That makes this “homecoming” feel strange and profound: it’s not a return to where we come from, but a step toward the life we want to build.
Continue reading or listen to the full Almost Local Podcast episode #4 here:
A Moment of Transition
At Amsterdam Airport, passports in hand, I kept asking myself: Are we really doing this? The departure boards confirmed it—Doha first, then Auckland. I saw “Auckland” glowing on a screen for the first time in years and simultaneously felt joy, disbelief, and nervous energy.
Somewhere along the way, a group of men in shorts strolled past in the terminal. It made me laugh, but it also felt like a sign: we were on our way to a new Kiwi chapter.
The Journey Home
Coming “home” after years abroad is complicated—especially when home itself is plural. Argentina is our origin, Italy is part of our inheritance, and the our life in the Netherlands is part of our recent story. Now, New Zealand becomes the latest piece of that mosaic. Is this our final destination? I’m sensing it’s not, but we will have to wait and see; that is the beauty of the life we chose to live. Because once you open up to new places, it is always tempting to keep exploring, but for now, home is New Zealand.
The streets here feel familiar, but we walk them differently. The four of us are busy creating new routines; we have become experts in the subject! It’s the early coffee in the kitchen, so I can still connect with my team in South America. I have a lovely co-working space with ocean views (I found one I can easily bike from home, lucky me!); this has become my space to work, write this blog, and record my podcast. Sunday yoga and coffee with friends after; For us, New Zealand is now both a return and a beginning, chosen as a family, and that choice makes it even more meaningful.
Why This Story Matters
This episode of Almost Local is about that tension, it is about the joyful shivers at the boarding gate, the contradiction of feeling both at home and foreign, and the process of turning a place into “ours” once more.
In this new season of Almost Local the Podcast about navigating life abroad, I’ll be sharing my story and the voices of others navigating similar challenges: expats, immigrants, and locals-turned-global. Because “home” is never one thing. Home is a place, a person, a memory, and sometimes all at once.
Listen to the Episode of Almost Local the Podcast
🎙 Episode 4: Coming Home: A New Edge of Place is live now. You can listen on Spotify and Apple or here:
👉 I’d love to hear from you: What does “coming home” mean for you?
xx maria.
