Goodbye To Christchurch

I'm sitting at the gate for my flight back to Auckland. So many thoughts and feelings.

I love Christchurch. Whenever I spend time here (or in Wellington), I'm always reminded of why I wanted to live in New Zealand in the first place. To be honest, I've never felt the same way about Auckland as I do Christchurch and Welly.

Yesterday, I took Bobby back to the Botanical Gardens, the place he called his Favorite Place on Earth. Now there will always be a part of him in the place he loved. After I laid him to rest, I had a really good cry. It was saying goodbye all over again. I took enough photos to help me remember exactly where he is, if I ever make it here again.

This morning, I was dreading leaving the city. I was feeling I was leaving him behind. But, in the taxi on the way to the airport, we drove by the park that adjoins the Gardens. And it was so pretty and green. And I knew it was where he loved being. And I felt a brief moment of peace.

Now back to my life in Auckland, to start wrapping things up over the next few weeks.

I have a flight booked to LA on August 22.