Welcome Back
I’m Maria, your host here at Almost Local. Today I want to share a deeply personal and universal story—the experience of relocating to New Zealand and rediscovering what home really means.
If this is your first time here, welcome! Almost Local isn’t just a blog and a podcast; it’s a space for anyone moving abroad, navigating the ups and downs of starting over, or searching for a sense of belonging in a new place.
👉 If you’d prefer to listen to this story, you can catch the full episode on the Almost Local Podcast (Episode 7).
A Winter Welcome
It was July—winter in New Zealand—and I found myself standing on Kohimarama Beach, gazing out at Rangitoto. The scene was surreal: swimmers in the sea, kids playing football under the sun, paddleboarders sliding across the water. The café was buzzing, and there I was, holding my first coffee back on Kiwi soil.
Kohimarama Beach, New Zealand.
It wasn’t fancy. Just a simple flat white. But it was magic.
One sip, and I was back in this sunlit, barefoot country at the bottom of the world. I had forgotten that life in New Zealand has its own rhythm: winters that smell like sunscreen, seas that sparkle, and the ever-present jandals and sunglasses.
That coffee anchored me. I thought I might feel like an outsider returning, but I felt something deeply familiar—how a place imprints on your senses in ways you only recognize when you return.
Reconnecting with Community
Since that day in July, I’ve been reconnecting with so many people—old friends and familiar faces from school drop-offs, football games, and the beach. It’s amazing to realize how much community in New Zealand was already here, waiting for me to step back in.
Of course, coming back also carries a bittersweet weight. Every hello here reminds me of the goodbyes I said in the Netherlands—the friends, rituals, and life we built there. That chapter still feels close, even as we begin this new one.
Nature’s Embrace
Now, as September unfolds, life in New Zealand feels both familiar and brand new. The sun is stronger than in Northern Europe, and the birds feel louder, more alive. From my window, cows graze in the fields, the hills roll into the horizon, and New Zealand’s nature is everywhere.
I’m focusing on the gifts this country offers us in this season: the coffee, the sunlight, the birdsong, and the green fields. Each detail helps me find my way back, reminding me that this is home again.
Closing
Episode 7 of Almost Local is about more than coffee or beaches—it’s about returning to New Zealand and realizing that you and the place you call home have changed.
If this story resonates with you, I’d love for you to join our community. You can find more stories on the Blog or connect with me on Instagram @almostlocal.
And don’t forget—you can also listen to the full story in Episode 7 of the Almost Local Podcast.
Thanks for being here, and for walking this journey with me.
Maria
