Life Lately #5

20th  September 

Sometimes the best days are the ones that aren’t planned. On a whim, AJ and I drove down to Rotorua for an unplanned date. We watched The Conjuring: Last Rites—the ninth and final film in the series—at Reading Cinemas. Horror movies hit differently in theatres; the jump scares, the collective gasps, the buttery popcorn. Speaking of which, we got a large one and mixed in a packet of M&M’s (if you haven’t tried that combo, you’re missing out).

After the movie, we made our way to our all-time favourite spot in Rotorua—El Mexicano Zapata Cantina. Honestly, we’d happily drive 45 minutes just for their food. We ordered our usual tacos, added a quesadilla and paella, and left with happy bellies. What a great spotaneous day!

25th September 

A few days later, I had a girls’ night out with Mia, my Filipina friend. She’s the wife of one of my coworkers, and over the past few months, we’ve gotten pretty close. She invited me to dinner at Waterside, a fancy restaurant by the lake side. I ordered fish and chips with a piña colada. She went for pork ribs, coffee, and date pudding. The servings were huge, so of course we shared and still ended up bringing leftovers home.

I always feel so at ease around her. We can switch off our mental grammar checker and just speak in Filipino—fast, expressive, unfiltered. There’s comfort in that, especially when you’re away from home.

When I got home, there was a bouquet of flowers and chocolates waiting for me and AJ—sent by a good friend and coworker who was away caring for her husband. It made my day! I just stood there smiling, thinking how lucky I am to cross paths with such kind people. Finding genuine friends in your 30s is rare, and it’s something I’ll never take for granted.

27th September

Off to our usual weekly date. We started with brunch at Robert Harris—his go-to big breakfast and my slightly random choice of mac and cheese (I was craving for cheese!). After eating, we took a slow walk by the lake, then parked near the marina, cracked open our books, and ended up napping in the car while the waves lapped nearby.

It’s funny how peace sneaks up on you like that. Just sitting there, sun filtering through the windshield, birds chirping, no rush to be anywhere else. Every so often, I look around and realize how lucky we are to live in a place where rest comes naturally.

It’s these kinds of days that remind me how full life already is. Blessed to afford good food, even better company, and the calm that comes from knowing you’re right where you’re meant to be.