left and leaving

The past week has been a bit of a whirlwind, spent eating and drinking with a lot of great people. The ladies in my office threw me an amazing going away party, complete with a gift of everything essential for a flight to Australia (I've already played a couple of games of sudoku). Friday the 19th was my last day of work and of course it's all bittersweet. I'm excited to move on to new adventures in my life, but I'm leaving some amazing people behind. Valley City State University has played a very great and positive role in my life and I'm so thankful that coincidence or fate or whoever makes the master plans led me to end up there six years ago.

I am currently sitting in the Air New Zealand terminal at LAX after using my problem solving skills to figure out how the heck to get here. Walking seemed logical, but when I asked a gate agent how to walk to Terminal 2 he said, "you want to walk to Terminal 2 *surprised face*?". I said yes, he gave me directions and now I sit pondering my next move. It doesn't look like you can check into a flight 11 hours early since no one is here, so I may try to tackle getting out to see something.

I had two seats to myself the first flight from Fargo to Salt Lake City and the exit row to LAX, so far so good *knock on wood*. Mom and Dad / Lorraine and Wray drove down to see me off and I'm glad they did, it was great to get to hang out with them and see them again before I left. I swear they (yes, you guys) are more awesome every time I see them. I'd also like to give an extra special shout out to Alecia and David (and Abigail and Ali) for giving me a home for the last two months and holding on to my belongings and to Jerry and Kelly Bennefeld for watching over my vehicle while I'm away.

I leave LAX at 9pm tonight and arrive in Sydney, Australia at 8:30am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. I will sight see by myself the first day and stay in a Hostel on Bondi Beach that night, I will sight see some more on the 25th, then catch a flight in the late afternoon to Gold Coast where Miss Mardee Lander will (hopefully) pick me up in her sweet ride/our new home. From there the adventure begins!!

The pictures below are:
Me in my empty office with my box of belongings.
The going away party my office threw.
The scholarship auction "Get Wild in the VCSU Jungle" Friday night (I know, I know, mirror picture but I had to!)
Mom and Dad from a distance as I waited in line to I through security.
Mard's van and our new home.

- Sabrina, Bina, Wood