Goodbye New Orleans...hello.........?

Soo..most people have probably heard by now that Brian and I are moving out and moving to the Big Island of hawaii, so that I can follow my heart and a dream job of being a wilderness therapist, working with troubled youth. We are flying out at the end of August, so now we are packin' up, and heading up to NY to store our things at Bri's parents' house, and then will drive to Minnesota, and fly out from there to Hawaii. We should be in NY for 2 weeks and MN for 2 weeks. Here are our pictures of sad goodbyes to this amazing city.....
My good good friend and old co-worker Ellen and her husband. We have house sit for them and just hung out with them a ton. She is like a friend/aunt figure and who would know she'd be one of my best friends here...even with the age difference!
They took us out for a great goodbye dinner, at a French restaurant...here's delicious French Onion Soup.
Our amazing amazing church.... a white congregation of Methodists and a black congregation of Methodists mixed after the storm to form and incredibly diverse and awesome place. Most everything here is so segregated-schools, hang-outs, churches, neighborhoods--that it was so refreshing to be a part of such a diverse congregation.


Ended the night of our going away party with fried chicken from the Mexican gas station (trust me, it's amazing).
Here's the 'ol Mexican gas station.
Bri's buddies...a lot of Urban planners at our going away partaaa!

Our humble abode for rent. This was the best experience of community we have ever had, and we just love our block. I know we will not be able to recreate this wherever we go.
Sleepin on the blow-up while we pack.
Bri and the kids I babysit made our names permanent on the sidewalk of our block.
Bri's homemade deliciousness.
Last Snowball! Apparently in Hawaii, they are called "ice shaved" so we will be changing our lingo up.
Here is our landlord/husband/and Roxie...we will miss them soooo much. She is my long lost soul sister.
The kiddos I babysit.
More awesome neighbors at teh going away party they threw for us. The whole block came!
Jasin made some incredible watermelon/balsamic vinegar/feta appetizer...so good on these hot and sticky days!
Hmm....our car got smashed into by the recycling truck this week. Worst part is our neighbor ran after them, and they saw him flaggin them down and they just kept driving. hit and run. But bri called em up and now we're gettin the damages covered...woohoo!
Jose, our Honduran buddy who works for our landlord on their repairs and stuff.

June and July

These pics are completely out of order! oh well! Bri and I flew to Columbus Ohio last weekend for my Peace Corps site mates and one of my best friends, Steve wedding to a wonderful Korean girl, named Nara. There were 4 of us living at our site in Panzhihua, Sichuan and it was the first time the Panzhihua family was back together in over 4 years! Here is Amanda and I--Amanda came to my bachelorette party two-some years ago, and bought me cool sandals from a global import store...well, sadly they broke! Now, Amanda lives in Myanmar and traveled to Thailand and was able to find the EXACT same sandals for me! What a great friend!!!
Post-wedding brunch.
The PEace Corps crew stayed across the street, with one of Steve's mom's good friends. Here we are posing with "the Lodge", which is the 4 women who are the equivalent of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. They were so wonderful to spend time with and help out with the brunch they threw for Steve and Nara.
Settin' up
Steve's nieces on both sides now :)
What was so cute-was this was the first day they met, and the house was filled with Korean and English. Niether of these two could understand each other, but they played together just like they could.
Here are the exchanging of gifts from Korea between families. Again, huge cross-cultural divide, but Steve's family is so welcoming and kind and culturally sensitive, that it went well. (along w/Nara translating)

Making centerpieces w/the fam.
(As I said,these are out of order-here is Bri entertaining the kids down the street I babysat for a weekend w/old school Nintendo)
Sooo.... There had been some past problems w/NAra's father accepting STeve into his Korean family, and he almost did not even come to the wedding. There was definitely tension a bit, and concern throughout the weekend that things would go okay. My duty before arrival-was to entertain Steve's new father-in-law. TRanslation in Binzer language-pull him up on the dancefloor and get him grooving. Everyone was shocked, absolutely shocked, (as was I) when Mr. Choi started hard core BUSTING a move w/me. The families all came out then to dance together, and it was a really neat moment, where all the tension was gone, and everyone was celebrating.

LEt's just say, after, I was appointed the Dancing Ambassador. :)

My friend got engaged on the way to Steve's wedding! Here we are dancing to Beyonce's Put a Ring On it.
Peace Corps folk!!! THe two on the left were Steve's sitemates in Peace Corps Nepal, and they actually traveled to Lake Vermilion to stay w/us 4 years ago!!! It was so great to see them and have a reunion!!

Steve's pre-wedding B-ball tournament.
The Panzhihua family reunited. Until next time...maybe Amanda's wedding next summer?!?!