Wide awake with no place to go, well, at least not for a couple of hours. 🙂

This morning, I was greeted by Catherine’s cat, Nadia, looking to wrestle a bit. Fortunately, I was warned that she plays rough, though not enough warning that I didn’t get scratched.

Tim arrived around 10 AM, and the trailer was unloaded one last time.

Jane and I picked up fish and chips for lunch. As promised, they were far superior to the ones we had last week. You could tell that they would be good from this fish shop – one of those authentic fresh seafood places.

After lunch, I helped Callum and Devon setup their event for Sunday in OE and finished packing.

Then it was off to the airport. I am used to being dropped off, so I initially felt uncomfortable that Jane and Phillip were going to spend part of their busy day sitting with me at the airport. But, it helped that they did, making the time pass quicker.

I boarded the plane, and I was able to move over to the side facing the terminal. As we taxied off, we waved at each other, and it brought tears to my eyes. I can’t begin to express how much it meant to me to spend the last two+ weeks with the Herries family. It will be a memory that I always cherish.

A last look at New Zealand on the way into Auckland.

The plane to Los Angeles all decked out in Hobbitt.

The flights home went fairly smoothly, a blessedly anti-climatic end to the trip.