A Bittersweet Farewell to Westport

Yesterday, we departed from Westport and began our month long journey back to Cambridge (we return August 15).  It was quite an extraordinary year for us and a special place that we got to call home for almost a year.

As part of our farewell process we wrote a short piece for the local paper (see the end of this post for a more legible version).

On Saturday, we hosted an auction party where all of our friends came to help us get rid of the stuff we accumulated over the year.  It was a great excuse to say good-bye, and to find good homes for those things that weren’t going to fit in our suitcases. We were lucky to have our good friends Lynn and Glenn to help auction off our items and we ended up raising over $600.

And, yesterday we presented the auction proceeds to a group of very surprised and delighted librarians at the Westport library.  The library had been one of the great resources for all 5 of us over the year–we checked out hundreds of books each this year (mainly Hazel, Leah and Rose), and even read a few.

Perspective:  A Farewell to Westport

By Dara Arons and Jeremy McDiarmid

We knew little about Westport when we arrived last September with our three daughters as Dara started her job as a GP at Buller Medical.   We’d heard good things about the Star Tavern and knew that it occasionally rained here.  What we didn’t know was how much we would grow to love it.  When a place is just a far-away dot on a map, it’s impossible to imagine the emotional attachment that comes from digging in and spending time there.  And so, as we prepare to head back to the United States, we say farewell and thank you to Westport and to the whole West Coast.

We’ve tried to take advantage of the stunning and varied beauty of the West Coast.  It is quite special to have so many natural wonders and resources at your doorstep.  The kids spent hours making clay sculptures at the beach below Cape Foulwind while Jeremy waded around the headlands to explore the next beaches over.  We saw the Argyle Track as a mystical land of magic factories and glowworm caves.  Armed with head torches, we sat on the beaches south of Westport and waited for the little blue penguins to waddle ashore.  Jeremy loved the luxury of an afternoon surf at North Beach before Kindy pick-up, a few minutes’ drive away.   Not to mention the magnificent Heaphy Track and Old Ghost Road which we were lucky to experience.

Beyond the physical beauty, we appreciated the many tightly knit community groups that welcomed us.  The outstanding teams at Westport Kindy and Westport North made our girls feel like part of the group from the moment they walked through the doors.  Each of them has grown and flourished under the guidance of dedicated teachers.  We spent countless hours at the Westport Library and at the Solid Energy Centre and have a deep appreciation for the wonderful resources they provide to the community.  And how could we forget our musical forays as part of the Westport Municipal Band (Jeremy) and the Buller Country Music Club (Hazel, Jeremy and even Rose). 

Dara found Buller Med to be a supportive and challenging work environment.  She liked the variety of switching from Buller Medical to Foote Ward and A and E.  She was grateful for how trusting and open the patients were with another new doctor from afar.  And she was impressed by how appreciative they were for what help she offered.  She enjoyed the support and generosity of her wonderful colleagues and coworkers.  It was a surprise and pleasure to be so thoroughly and easily embraced by patients and colleagues alike.

Above all, the people we’ve met are what we will remember best and what we will miss most as we head back to America.  When we arrived, we had no idea how we would be greeted and we approached our adventure with the comfort that, if all else failed, we would have plenty of time to spend together as a family.  As it turns out, we felt immediately welcomed by many and formed lasting friendships thanks to the overwhelming generosity and fellowship of West Coasters.  It’s parting with our friends here in Westport that will make our departure so bittersweet. 

While we are looking forward to returning to our friends and family in Cambridge and the rest of the States, we will miss the friends we made this year.