New Zealand or Bust!: Goodbye Wanganui

Cec and I have been social butterflies since our trips. Is so moving to have so many people want "one last night" before you leave. We are truly blessed to have met all these wonderful people and experienced such a wonderful "family" here. I feel like we are the first of the children to leave home in a way and it's sad. Granted, we are super excited for our South Island, China and Europe trip but it's bittersweet to leave. Today as I write this Cec is working his last shift and We moved out of our rental house. Our hearts are heavy but that bitter pill is made easy to swallow for future things. Anyway, this week has been both about CELEBRATION and moving.

We will miss our expat family!

After Cec got back from San Fran we really moved into packing mode. This sounds like it would be easy but we had a lot to do. We met with our travel agent, Carla, and got the fun but unfun job of going through all of the paperwork and figuring out to get all the stuff you need for 2 continents and 3 seasons worth of places in two suitcases and 23kg/50 lbs! We had a lot to go over and unfortunately not a lot of time to do it in. It got done but there were quite a few days of having fun then coming back to pack. We sold our car back to the dealer on Tuesday and celebrated by going to go get pancakes at the Windamere berry farm. The strangest thing about it was it was literally over a handshake! We didn't sign over a title, or even sign a single paper. It was streamlined because we sold it back to the dealer. There were some amazing Berry pancakes at the berry farm. Somehow they make berry pancake and bacon work and it is great. If you are wondering how we got there Cec rented a car from the hospital.

Tasty is an understatement.

Selfie with Carla, our amazing travel agent

Wednesday was the usa election which is bug news here in NZ. I'll say most New Zealanders don't understand how the US system works and how Trump go elected. I'm not looking for a political debate here but stating a fact. Cec and I have done nothing since the election but try to explain how this could happen to everyone who hears our accent. Luckily that night Brenna saved me from that by deciding drinks at the local Rutland Pub and movie (Dr Strange) was a good idea. I very much enjoyed this movie while Cec had a very very long night shift that day (his last night shift that lasted until 3am) On a side note, we also had to stop into the small mall they have and there were Christmas decorations out already! We couldn't help but buy one of the Christmas crackers that they sell for charity(see photo below).

Christmas stuff out before thanksgiving!!

You pull to see if you win

Thursday was a big day. Cec worked morning but that night we had a combination going away party with Shun and Charollette. We were competing with some food trucks that had been brought down from Auckland so I was surprised 20+ people showed up! We ate at the Thai place and chatted. Originally we planned on going to the food trucks but the lines were apparently like super long so we all just sat and chatted. Looking back I don't remember much of what was discussed just a lot of laughing and smiling. After that, we headed to the Rutland for drinks and met some junior docs and were out well past midnight (yes a rarity for us wussy folks). I'll remember this night fondly as a highlight of our time in Wanganui.

Food and friends = fun

So many people came out! Thanks again will, Emma and Alice!

Speaking of baby's Red and Ray showed up too! Dragging babies around is lots of work!

Take pictures when we are dressed up!

More people

Brenna keeping the mood light

Some of the hardest working RMO's in New Zealand

Monica and Shandon, straight from Belfast

Friday was a little rough on the wake up from all the partying so we slept in. I spent that day packing until I walked in for Crossfit at 4:45pm. After that sweat inducing fun times we got s group photo with some of the people who we are friends with in the afternoon classes as it would be the last time we saw them. Cec and I keep saying it, one of the things we will miss the most about Nz. Our box is so so much more than just a place to sweat it is another family. After that we ran home to shower and went out to the Whanganui dog race track. We hadn't ever made it a priority to go see the dogs and wanted to at least experience a race or two. We bet on a couple of dogs (Americano, and Absinthe minded). We spent $7 and won $14. It was kinda lack luster. I'm glad we went but it wasn't that exciting.

Miss ya guys! Good workout!

The dog park, unfortunately they don't allow you pics inside

On Saturday I went into Crossfit and experienced a new thing to me: double wod. Two workouts in a row was something else. It took all morning in heats. It was so hard I was proud to just finish! I was so grateful to James for giving me a ride home and not having to walk up our uphill to our house! That afternoon Cec worked and I still worked on boring stuff until evening. That evening we wine government to Jess and Jame's place for halumi and paella and games. We laughed, drank and played all night. Another perfect night.

We apparently didn't take photos! But these guys are some awesome tazzys!

Sunday I was very sore. Let me tell you what, getting up and down was a challenge (from Crossfit the day before). I slept in and spent the afternoon doing boring trip stuff. However, that evening we had another fun time planned. We got to go to Matt and Kari's house to watch some MMA and eat some steaks on the bbq. It was a great low key evening with lots of laughs, funny YouTube video watching and noise from kids playing in the background. We learned how they teach north- south- east - west which is "never eat soggy wheatbix"!

Sunday bbq!

Monday was a tiring day! We stayed up doing packing after being at the bbq, then were woken up around midnight by our house literally shaking. Don't get me wrong we've felt a couple earthquakes here before, they are very common here. What was uncommon was the intensity (7.8). I was sleeping (Cec was still up) and the bed literally shook and the lights were clanking and swinging. It lasted a good five minutes. The hardest part was feeling like your in a boat and huge waves but not having any horizon to center yourself. It made me quite seasick and took a long time to fall back alseep. This was unfortunate as our last Crossfit was booked at 5:30am the next morning and since it was the last one you know we got up and did it. The talk of the morning was the quake. It killed a few people on the South Island where it originated. Tremors continued all day. Jess and James had us over for Tasmanian burgers which is a Tasmanian dish, basically a ground meat burger with carrot and onion inside. Very very tasty. We played caverna and had brought some American candy with us. The highlight of the evening was watching James try Poprocks for the first time. He had no idea what was going on.

earthquake!

5:30 Crossfit goodbye! It was a hard wod too! Some sweat Angels were left

James has no idea what's going on when trying Poprocks for the first time

Tuesday was s big day. I spent all morning doing laundry and cleaning as this was moving day. We moved out after an awkward walk out. Our landlord is kinda odd, and he didn't bring all appropriate papers. Rather than walking through the house like you would expect we spent most of the time printing and filling out forms. Regardless, I'm just happy to be done packing/ cleaning/ moving. We headed to cancel our internet/cell phone service and then headed to stay at a friends house. They were kind enough to let us stay instead of needing a hotel. It was a quick turn around to us heading to el cuatro for dinner with joe and Lina. They missed the big dinner because they were traveling (terrible right, lol?). We had lots of good laughs and decent food. It's funny we all talked about trips and the earthquake but other than that it's another night that I donTo remember so much what was said as much as the general warm feeling the memory of the evening brings. Such good good people.

We had a great time eating kwexican (kiwi-Mexican)

Wensday was Cecils last shift and I spent the morning with Lina and Molly getting mani and pedis. The afternoon was low key as Marc and Molly were packing and then leaving for Hawaii for Marc's written EM boards (poor them right?). I worked on the blog. The original plan was to drive to Wellington after and fly in to queenstown the next morning. However with the continued aftershocks (yes we are still feeling them almost two days later) and being pounded by rain there was flooding on the only two roads into Wellington. Yes, effectively Wellington was cut off from the rest of New Zealand! This means that we can't drive there and fly out the next morning. Luckily, we had booked this with the travel agent and I called the agency and less than an hour later they called me back and had transferred our flights through Auckland. We would have a layover now but still would get there when we wanted to. Two things about that: 1. How can the travel agency work that fast?? If I called you know I'd be on hold for 45 minutes not just done and 2. It worked out in that it's less driving for us and if we had booked it that way ourselves it would have cost more. Happy endings all around. So, as an inpromptu night in Wanganui, we got dinner with mo and shared some laughs and then caught a movie with Lina. I'm writing this in Molly and Marc's house (who kindly let us stay even though they are in Hawaii and Marc is kicking butt on his boards) after getting home. My heart is heavy and I'm emotionally spent. Whanganui, you have been good to us, thank you.