Quite a Merry Gathering

By the end of February, I already had friends visiting!  My bestie, Suzy, and our friend, Chris, came for a solid two week holiday in the land down under.  Right in time for my birthday, they arrived via Sydney, and at first, it was really surreal to see them in a place that, though I was beginning to call it home, was so far away from the place where we'd become close friends.  Nonetheless, I was excited to show them by new digs, and celebrate another birthday with them.

I had met Suzy 4 years ago when I first moved to San Francisco, through an ex-boyfriend, and it so happened to be her birthday--and two weeks before mine that year--when we first shook hands.  Since then, our friendship has been a whirlwind!  Boyfriends have come and gone since we started our friendship, but we've stuck together like peas and carrots.  Suzy's the type of friend that you call on a Friday night, especially when you're in need to just sit at a quiet bar or stay in to watch a movie; or if you want to spend a quick two hours dancing at the salsa club or check out the latest food truck fest.  She's been there for me thick and thin!  Having her for my first New Zealand birthday marked our four-year anniversary as BFFs.

Their holiday started out with a big get together with my kiwi family.  We all gathered at a humongous table at a chinese restaurant at the end of Courtenay Place, sipping BYO wine of all varieties.  Chris and Suzy looked overwhelmed as they met the twenty-so-odd new faces.  In no time, we were loud with stuffed faces, laughing across the table, and running out of wine too quickly.  After dinner, we set ourselves up in a room at the nearby karaoke place, where we sang until the wee hours of the morning.  I was so glad to have everyone there together, so happy that this first birthday in some faraway place did not turn out to be lonely or difficult to get people together for.  Some last few birthdays in San Francisco--despite the good friends that did come around for dinner or a drink for a mellow celebration--had begun to feel that way...

Me and Suzy at our Beach Rd Cottage

After a raucous night out, Brandon and I took Chris and Suzy across the North Island for the weekend to Hawke's Bay.  We had rented a little cottage by the water, where we spent the evenings cooking and catching up, while watching the sunset sky turn shades of purple and orange.  The towns within the region, Napier in particular, were quite mellow, and though we caught the town on its quietest day of the week, Sunday, we still endeavored to wander the streets and admire the art deco buildings.  On our full day in Hawke's Bay, we trekked up to Te Mata Peak, enduring the warm sunshine.  I had warned Chris and Suzy about the strong New Zealand sun, and as we reached the peak, they assured me that I had not been exaggerating.  The summit provided us with a sparkling view of the region, the rolling hills behind us and the vast Pacific Ocean beyond, and like I had been since moving to New Zealand, they were also reminded of California.  The dry golden hills and the blue ocean...it's like we sat on the mirror image of California during the summer.

Our family photo

At the Te Mata Peak

Chris and the Te Mata Hills

In the evening, we (and mostly Chris the cook) cooked a delicious dinner of risotto and roasted chicken.  It felt good just to be in a home with those two in particular again.  After dinner, I introduced them to a few of New Zealand's favorite desserts, including ginger kisses, tim tams, and toffee pops, while we sipped some local NZ red wine.  They seemed to agree with New Zealand then!

Hawke's Bay, in all, was quiet and laid-back, but a great place just relax with friends.  It certainly was a region where we could concentrate on each other, rather than to be constantly distracted by the local sights and sounds.  In general, the area provided us with a pretty backdrop: the ocean, the sky, and the landscape always seemed to offer up bright hues of blue, gold, and green.  I won't mind going back there one day, but perhaps it'll be for a bike ride or a marathon, some planned event for sure.

Early Monday morning, we made our way back to Wellington with the cool, low fog hovering over the passing sheep fields.  Chris and Suzy were still in awe, while they were still awake, and the start number of sheep roaming the hills.  In Wellington, Brandon went into work for a meeting, and we let Chris wander the city at his own pace, which gave Suzy and I some time to catch up, just the girls.  She was eager to trace some hobbit footsteps on Mt. Victoria. We stayed close, knowing that it would be another uncertain year or two before we'd meet again.  I wish she could stay just another week or two at least!

In the evening, I took them down to the ferry terminal so that they could continue their New Zealand tour to South Island.  They were eager to venture on, but I lingered and held onto them until the last minute.  But they assured me that they'd be back; New Zealand was too cool to see in just 10 days.  They had to come back see more and visit again!