Good Byes SUCK, but They Make For Good Parties

So the official "Good Byes" have begun. I have done really good with being excited to come home but not connecting to the fact that I have to leave my friends and life here....until Saturday. I woke up sad on Saturday realizing that I was going back to the States in a week. It all began hitting me. I rolled through my day in a bit of a fog because there was just so much emotion finally coming to the surface. It was J's birthday (and Michelle's on Thursday) so I went for their family birthday lunch and just sat there trying to take it all in. Sitting in a cafe with best friends, enjoying laughing, and wondering how I will explain all this back home...



As the day progressed I felt the memories that were being made before my eyes and the memories that have already been made flooding my mind and my heart. One of my most favorite memories in NZ is sitting in the kitchen talking to Ali, so before the party started I had to take a picture to capture a memory that really, no picture can fully capture.



The Good Bye party was fun from the moment people got there until the last person left. Right before everyone arrived I was sitting in the kitchen and I looked up at the clock and it was 7:15...I was so sad as I realized in one week I would be sitting on a plane and not in the kitchen...but enough about that...let's look at how much fun the party was...

(here is a picture of me and Mackenzie...he thought it would be funny to come as a girl from Redding....not sure if this is how we look in Redding but man he made me laugh hard!




Then of course there were the super fun friend shots:

(Me and Mich)


(Me and Sally)


(Me and my American Friend Jen--who brought 7 Layer Dip for me!!!! I was SOOOO excited I couldn't even stand it. It was the HIT of the party, with every Kiwi asking for the recipe, which just made me and Jen laugh. It is just the dip that is at every party....so easy yet so yummy!!! And I do have to say that two of my friends said..."you get kind of loud when you are with Jen." Apparently my Americanness comes out with her, I keep my voice level low here I realized (I know shocking to believe for some of you huh?)because when me and Jen are together I think we are talking normal but really we are talking "american" normal, which is SUPER loud for a Kiwi.)



(Me and Rebekah)


(My friends Mark and Hayley)



(My good friend Merryn with Greg sneaking in the back!)

(Greg and Mich)


All in all it was a great party! I had SO much fun!! Ali always throws a GREAT party and she did not disappoint this time!! It was bittersweet to realize all this fun was for me leaving. I really have lost my heart in NZ and realized how hard next Saturday at 7:15 is going to be. I am excited to see everyone in LA and at home, but my heart is beyond full of memories here I am just not sure how to express once I am back. For now we will focus on the fun photos and the fun memories I am still making!!