Working at the Airport

Its been about eight years since Ive visited Auckland, and stepping back into it felt like returning to a place that kept moving while I was away.

Theres a buzz that hits you straight away. A short walk around the viaduct and the city becomes a chorus, snippets of conversation in different tongues, laughter from patios, the soft clink of cups and cutlery, all of it layered into something lively and unforced.

In summer the sun hangs on late, and the humidity lingers in the air. The evenings have that slow, warm stretch where time feels a little less strict, and the waterfront seems to glow longer than it should.

Ive always thought Auckland gets a bad rap from the rest of New Zealand. Up close it feels open, energetic, and quietly confident, a place that makes room for people passing through and people building a life, often at the same time.