All packed!! Peace out, America...

It’s 5:15am, and we’re sitting at gate D13 at BWI at the beginning of our journey to Dunedin, New Zealand for our year abroad. We promise to update this blog regularly now that our adventure has begun. Check out the pic – this is what a year of luggage looks like. Two 50 lb. duffle bags each plus one 15 lb. carry-on and one piece of extra baggage (curling brooms). Thank you LLBean for meeting all our luggage (and outerwear) needs!

We finished packing up and cleaning the house last night at 11:30pm and crashed at Todd’s parents’ house for a quick nap before heading to the airport at 3:30 this morning. Once we get to LAX, we’ll be spending our 12 hour layover with friends from our UCI days – CrystalRae and Karyn – who we haven’t seen in three years.

Before I sign off from our last post on US soil, I’ve got to thank the people that I didn’t have a chance to write thank-you notes to - the SEE gang for the beautiful scrapbook, Mom & Dad Barrantes for babysitting Firebolt, Mom & Dad Humora for babysitting our dining room table, goalie equipment, and wedding album, Katie, Elizabeth & Jim for bringing us dinner and beer last night, and KSo, Ketch & Greg, and Mem & Pep for the birthday gifts.

Nuevo the Thunder Chicken, our mascot, snuck into the luggage picture and my backpack, so we plan to make him our own little Travelocity gnome and put him in crazy pictures in crazy places. Nuevo in New Zealand coffee table books will be available in June 2011. SEE you in New Zealand!!!

OK, so now it's 7:10pm local time and we're sitting at the gate waiting to board our flight to Auckland!!! We had breakfast with CrystalRae, Doug, and Karyn and laughed our asses off just like old times. CR then took us to her parents' house in El Segundo (about 5 minutes from LAX) for our 12 hour layover. They fed us, made us margaritas and let us take naps!

We're now at the gate, ready to go!  SEE you next as Kiwis!