Zipline, Volcanoes, and White Water Rafting, Oh My! (Saying Goodbye to Wild and Beautiful New Zealand)

"Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go..."

It seems appropriate to begin this post with the lyrics from a song. Kathy and Tony (my New Zealand host family) sing constantly. Tonight, on our way over to their son's house for our last "tea" (dinner) together, they sang a duet in the car and I almost started crying. I'm going to miss them so much. What a blessing they've been - and will continue to be - in my life. We have made a life-long connection.

This exchange experience has impacted my life in so many ways, and at so many levels. I have a notebook full of insights and inspirations and as I return home and take time for reflection, I look forward to soaking in a new perspective, and blogging about it.

For now, I'm going to bed for the last time in New Zealand. Tomorrow, I'll step back on to a plane and fly backwards in time... leaving winter behind... returning to summer... through the wonder of a 21 hour international flight experience. Until I'm back online, I leave you with a sampling of pictures from the experience of a lifetime.

Me with my New Zealand forever friend - Kathy

Exchange "Sisters" - Kathy, Janice, Crissi, Anne-Marie

At the Mayor's Ceremony - Janice, the Mayor, the Mayoress, Crissi, the American Ambassador to New Zealand

• We were invited on a field trip to Parliament with one of the schools we visited

My host and school principal, Kathy, surrounded by all of the children at her school on the night of their production

Our Host Families: Tony, Kathy, Janice  AND  Crissi, Anne-Marie, Kerry

Family, friends, great food and wine, and celebration with my host family

Wine Tasting!!! New Zealand has GREAT wine!

Anne-Marie and Kathy making sure our "American Independence Day" was celebrated in ?style?

Snapshots from Wild and Beautiful New Zealand

Zipline! (Yes, we started up at the top, "flew" down at 100 mph, and ended up down under that bridge!)

Volcanoes!

White Water Rafting!

P.S. Watch out for eels! (They are actually quite cute... Here we are feeding them...)

All Things Beautiful...

... And a Few Random Shots...

I tried every food offered... This is "White Bait Fish in Eggs"... Look closely for the eyeballs

New Zealand Gumboots!

New Zealand Rugby! I love it!

Shopping!

I LOVE the Maori culture... I'll be blogging about it!

Our Message in the sand to Sister Cities... 

"We Love Sister Cities!"

        CHEERS!