They gave me a reflective vest so obviously I thought I was super important!

My last weeks in New Zealand have been perfect and bitter sweet. I started off working a food truck event with out my boys for the 1st time…ever! It turned out to be super fun even with their absence. Shar, Christine and my 2 Germans were with me! The only bad part was we were working Equidays. Yep that’s right my last ever food truck event was a horse show...I literally just cannot get away from my life back in Charlotte. However it was a food truck event and we were doing kebabs so that means I got to do so much yelling. I love yelling! Christine is my absolute favorite boss ever. Because I am posted at the till, she lets me basically do what I want and organize a system the way I want, and lets me yell! She is also a bit of a loony tune but in the very best way possible! In the evening it’s just me and Christine in a truck and we get a huge line so we try to work super fast but then something happens inside Christine and she just has had enough. She was in the middle of making a nacho for a customer when she just quit and said she was going to grab a wine. She just left with 40 odd customers waiting and then it was just me there to help them. Luckily Andy, one of my Germans, came to help! This actually happened a few times at Equidays, I somehow found myself working the truck all by myself. That meant I worked the till, the hot plate, the fryers, and the kebabs…all at once. And really if these people knew my track record in the kitchen I don’t think they would have left me alone for a second. But luckily nothing burnt down. The kiwis loved that I had an American accent and was selling American hot dogs; apparently it was like an extra bonus. I started getting people asking me if I was the American before they even ordered anything.

CABBAGE. I hate cabbage. Apparently here you call someone a cabbage as an insult and now I know why. I had to cut 3 cabbages and what a useless vegetable. It takes an unbelievable amount of effort to cut for something that has very little nutritional value and basically tastes like lettuce. Just eat the lettuce people.

After the very long weekend of food trucking I ended up getting sick and losing my voice. So I guess everyone else got a rest from my incessant talking, yes I know I’m exhausting and I have fully embraced it. But it is all ok because the very next day I was staying with Mama Trudy! And really all it takes is a mom to know how to make you feel better! I absolutely love the Neave’s and will never be able to thank them enough for everything they have done for us! They are some of the kindest, most generous, funny people I have every met. It turned out Ryan, Mama Trudy’s son, had come home from China so of course I gave him the annoying sister experience. I had him asking when I was leaving within the day! If only he knew that there were 3 of me back in the States. My poor poor parents they put up with a lot! At the Neave’s I stayed in a room all by myself. I haven’t done that in a very long time, it was actually a bit scary; I’m such a weeny.

After my short visit of 3 days (the Neave’s probably thought that was more than enough Paris time!) I was healthy and had my full voice back! Saeed came to pick me up and it was back to life with the boys! It was so nice to be sharing rooms again (I’m going to need a roommate when I get home) We ended up having a goodbye party and then of course a birthday party (I love Ashtober).

I started getting in my “lasts” of New Zealand. I touched my last lamb, ate my last real fruit ice cream, drove on the left side of the road for the last time, had my last pokeno ice cream, had my last L&P, was made my last amazing Bangladeshi meal, had to get my last hugs in and final goodbyes, sent out my last thank you cards, and had my last drinks of New Zealand. It is all so sad, I don’t wanna leave. I hugged my boys goodbye and told them I would see them in Bangladesh, we have already started making plans to go see them, and Christine took me to the airport. Now I just have to hope Tyler doesn’t forget me at the airport in San Francisco.

End Notes

The Sandflies have ruined my face a little. I keep waiting to see if the scars and marks will go away but so far no such luck. The bites led to some of my ear piercings to close. But hey no worries this rando said she could just stick a needle trough my ear to fix that. She apparently had done it multiple times…so that what I did. I let a rando pierce my ears with a needle. Lots of liquor was involved and hopefully nothing bad happens. But so far so good, they don’t even hurt!

I have a blister on the tip of my thumb and I don’t even understand how that happens but it is really interfering with my flossing.

Apparently the Bangladeshis don’t think I talk too much and don’t find me exhausting at all, useless maybe but not exhausting. I think that’s why I will miss them most! Either they talk as much as I do in their home country or they are just so good a tuning me out.

I obviously don't speak Bengali but somehow after living with the boys I can respond in english to somethings they say to me in Bengali. Is this what people are talking about when they talk about immersive language experince. Because honestly it's a little freaky.

My phone plan ended up being just enough. My plan runs out at midnight the day I get on the plane!

I get to see Maggie so soon!! She has had almost a months break from me to rejuvenate and to have some silence so she better be prepared!

I’ve only had tears three times.

Thanks to everyone who remembered Ashtober!