Life Lately #16

It’s been a while since my last life lately update. I checked, and the last one went up at the end of March… and now May is already halfway done somehow!

The past month has mostly been filled with little trips around New Zealand. We visited Ohakune and Whakatane (I’ve already written travel guides for both if you feel like reading them). Between travelling, work, and just life in general, it feels like everything has been happening all at once lately. By the time evenings roll around, I barely have enough energy to sit down and put my thoughts into words. Days have started blending together in that weird adult way.

Anyway, I thought I’d try a different format for this life lately update.

How’s life lately?

John and I have apparently become the type of people who randomly host dinner parties now. One of our friends was taking a week off for his birthday, so on a whim, we decided to feed everyone the Friday before. We made caldereta (the birthday boy's favorite dish), fried chicken, and, of course, rice — no Filipino gathering is complete without it. One friend baked the cake, another brought dessert, and suddenly our tiny dinner turned into one of those wholesome nights that make you feel suspiciously emotional afterwards.

From left to right: Me, Sandra, Trev, Nuha, Jackie
John, my hubby, taking the photo like a pro

How’s life lately?

The last movie we watched was Project Hail Mary, and we drove an hour to Rotorua just to see it. Good news — Taupo finally revived its old cinema in a new location. We’d been meaning to check it out for ages, but kept waiting for a movie worthy of the trip. Then I saw that Henry Cavill was starring in In the Grey, and suddenly the timing felt perfect. If you know me personally, you already know I have the biggest crush on Henry Cavill. My husband knows too — and thankfully, he’s very supportive of my extremely unrealistic aspirations.

The movie was actually really good — the credits roll and you immediately wish there was another hour left. John walked out inspired to get back into shooting as a hobby. I walked out inspired because I got to stare at my crush for 90+ uninterrupted minutes.

Dressing up to see Henry Cavill ♡

How’s life lately?

One afternoon, we planned to walk along the lakefront, but winter has started creeping in, and the wind was brutal. So instead, we drove to the Botanical Gardens and spent hours wandering around. It was our first time visiting properly during autumn, and we were caught off guard by how beautiful everything looked. The trees were glowing in shades of orange and red. Everywhere looked like a Pinterest mood board!

How’s life lately?

John’s been doing some night shifts in Hamilton lately, so I’ve had a few evenings of eating dinner and sleeping alone. By Thursday, he was finally back, and he took me out on a proper date night.

I wore my new (and only) pair of heels for the first time, along with the white cardigan John bought me back in March. We booked dinner at Ploughman's Restaurant — we’d only been there once before back in 2024, but we heard it had new owners and wanted to see what it was like now. Thank God John made a reservation because the place was packed!

We ordered salt and pepper calamari to start. John got the scotch fillet steak, while I ordered creamy mushroom fettuccine with chicken. At one point, the waitress looked genuinely surprised when we mentioned we were married because apparently we “looked like kids.” I told her we’ve been together for 12 years already. Thank you, Asian genes!

My husband looking like a highschooler 🤣

How’s life lately?

We also did our usual lake walk recently, and before tackling the uphill hike back home, we randomly decided to stop at Two Mile Bay Sailing Club. We’d only been there once before for a work Christmas event back in 2023.

We ordered pizza, rested our legs for a bit, and just sat there people-watching while the sky slowly got darker. A live band was setting up nearby, so we figured we might as well stay for one song. One song turned into the whole set.

The duo playing that night was genuinely so good that John and I ended up sharing a beer while sitting there listening to acoustic covers like the middle-aged couple we are slowly becoming.

By the time we finally left, it was freezing cold and already past 7 p.m., so naturally we speed-walked uphill back to our house, fighting for our lives against the Taupo wind.

What to look forward to?

John and I are heading to Hamilton on the first weekend of June. Well… technically, he’ll be working hard while I wander around frolicking and doing my little solo adventures around town.

I’m also debating whether to sign up for the Coastguard charity event — The Big Swim — and attempt 10 km, which honestly sounds both inspiring and slightly unhinged. We’ll see how confident I feel closer to the date.

I’m excited to start the new stack of library books I borrowed because for some reason I believe I can finish five books in one week again.

Right now, though, I’m mostly just looking forward to seeing my husband tonight after he’s been away working in Huntly the past couple of days.

Now the real question is: what do I cook? Nothing says “I missed you” quite like aggressively overfeeding your husband the second he gets home.

No Rhyme, Just Reason is a Taupō, New Zealand–based blog by Ariane about books, good food, long walks, and unapologetic naps.