The End is Near...

Hanmer Springs...
Our city at sunset...














Cathedral Square











(below) Our home...(64 Scruttons)
and... Girls at All Blacks game










Hanmer Springs...



Hi All :) Well, here we are with only 2 months remaining in our visas. Wow! Where in the HECK has the time gone? The last few weeks have been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster--thinking about leaving this place behind is such a weird feeling. I'm excited to see everyone at home but I know leaving here is going to be a very sad day. But I know this is just the beginning---so much to explore! Perhaps even starting with my own backyard (there has been talk of a big road trip across the US of A!). Other then the emotional-ness of "where do we go from here", things have been great. I think I left off with the All Blacks rugby match. Me and a few friends went and it was great! Our seats might as well been on top of a freakin mountain but we had a clear view of the entire pitch. The coolest thing may have been seeing the Haka live---it was incredible. The next weekend, we had an international dessert night at the hostel with a RIDICULOUS amount of food! It was all so delicious and I think we were all stuffed for about 2 days after! Molly got back safe and sound (and tan--no fair!) even though she missed her connecting flight in LA and had to wait a full day to get to NZ. Very unfortunate circumstances all around---poor thing. But, she had a great time at home and in cape cod for her cousins wedding. The weekend she got back, we drove to Hanmer Springs and enjoyed a day in the natural springs hot pools---it was perfect! It wasn't too crowded at all and it snowed LOTS the entire time we were sitting in the hot pools. Couldn't have asked for a better day to be there! The next day was fine (clear as...) and we took a little walk up to an overlook and got to play in the snow a bit (even made an itty bitty snowman). Then, that night, we had an international Christmas night (I think this winter weather makes us all think of x-mas) with lots of food yet again! But sadly, it was probably our last international food night b/c all our friends that we met at the hostel have started going their separate ways! But it was great while it lasted! Other then that, it's been work and soccer as normal--both of which have been great. My last day of work is on 1 Sept and then we'll be packing up Mills (and getting chains for her little tires!) and traveling around the south island for about a month. Our goal was to have tickets bought by this weekend--but we failed! But we should have tickets and a final plan worked out REALLY soon. As of now, it looks like a trip around the south island, a stop in Wellington, a few nights in Fiji, a few nights in Cali (Christel, Mike, Ronnie...what's your schedule looking like in Oct.?), and then it all gets fuzzy. NY, PA, GA, TX, FL--all necessary stops sometime soon! Hopefully I still get airline benefits. I think I might of gotten a year older since I left--who knew?! :) Hope eveything is going well on the home front--Miss you all!

PS. Ry, you may like to know that Molly came back with the first 2 seasons of 24!! OH BOY!! haha :) I may be able to appreciate your obsession sometime soon!

An Update (for the mother!)

OKAY! Here I am! My mother has been hinting at me that she's ready for an update and I suppose it's over-due.
Since the last time, Phil came to Christchurch to run the half-marathon (he needed a break from the full ones!) and we finally got to see his race. We had a blast chasing him around (in our car), with map in hand trying to beat him to any given point. We may have been in a car, but damn it was tough keeping up with him! He came 22nd overall---way to go Phil! Just being at the event was amazing and so motivating. I'm really looking forward to running one someday--perhaps I'll talk the big bro, aunt and uncle into it! The weekend after Phil's visit, me and molly took a trip back to Wellington to have one last horray before Phil left us for good. The plane ride over was beautiful! So much snow! It was great being back at the flat (though there were lots of new faces!) and the first night we managed to stay up for 3 world cup games (1am, 4am, 7am)--needless to say, we were sleeping until about 5pm. It was a bit emotional when the crew dropped us off at the airport--we're missing our little Pom already :(. Life in Christchurch is going well. It's been freezing and we actually had a really great snow a few weeks ago. The city was white as and I was like a little kid while we were driving to work. We have a great view of the mountains on our way to work and it seems to make me say "ahhh" everyday. The job itself is pretty good. The days typically fly by, the people are cool, and I actually have to use my brain--so all in all, it's good stuff. Soccer is great and I'm so excited to be playing again! One of the teams I play for is full of 15-16 year olds so it's a bit painful playing for them---I just can't relate to that age anymore!! But the other team is a bit older and sweet as. The flat is great--but as of today, we no longer have a kitty. Aaron's ex girlfriend took her in the "divorce" and I couldn't be sadder. But other then that, it's great. Last week, a Sarah F and a Connor P came to visit and we had a great few days with them. I think me and sarah are offically addicted to the casino after our night there (I played blackjack for hours and broke even. It was too fun!)! Aaron introduced us one drunken night to the Eye-Toy on his playstation and that entertained us for hours!! I think we were all SUPER sore the next day! I would highly suggest playing this any time you are drunk! Molly went home on saturday for her wedding and she'll be gone for about 3 weeks. So, I'm left to fend for myself for a few weeks---can't wait to hear all about the wedding and see my beanie in her dress. I'm sure she's just stunning. After we dropped molly at the airport, me, sarah and connor took a drive towards the mountains until we were surrounded by snow! It was fabulous!! We even got out and had a bit of a play in it---though it wasn't quite wet enough to make a snowman. I've been doing my best to follow the worldcup--even if it means waking up at crazy hours. Kind of like how it was 4 years ago! This morning me and Cristina (the German girl we met at the hostel) met up at 6:45 and went to a German cafe for the game. Tough loss. Events that are yet to come---I think friday I may be going out with some girls from the soccer team, then saturday me and the girls from the hostel are off to the ALL BLACKS game!! WHOO!! Super excited about that one! Then, who knows after that. Another week of work and then maybe a little weekend trip to somewhere with snow. I'll try to do better about keeping this up to date!

Johnny, congrats on graduation! I can't believe you're graduating! It seems like yesterday when we were were all in the back seat driving to our next summer destination---and you're feet weren't able to touch the ground (come to think of it, neither were mine!). Hope all is well on the homefront!

(It's killing me to not mention the most exciting news of all!! Can someone please let me know if the secret is out to everyone yet so I can spill it all!!!!!!?????)