a difficult decision.

i mentioned in my last blog that bryan's job here will end in about a month, creating massive complications for our work permits here. after familiarizing ourselves again with the immigration nz website, it looks like it would be a long shot (not to mention a long and expensive process) for us to gain new zealand residency or any sort of work permit, and so we've decided that it's time to move again, most likely back to the states. we've just purchased tickets with air asia (reportedly worse than jetstar...uh-oh!) to london in july and plan to spend about two weeks in europe, mainly in germany to visit our friends ann-kristin and josh in berlin and hopefully duck down south to rheinland-pfalz to show bryan where we lived when my dad was stationed there with the army.

we really love christchurch, and it's difficult to imagine leaving, especially so abruptly. with much of downtown being closed to the public or demolished as a result of the earthquake, it feels like we'll be leaving without a proper goodbye...without one last chicken soho sandwich from the new york deli on new regent st, without catching one last movie at the tiny arts centre cinema, without a final visit to the central library where i've spent so many hours in the past year. i suppose that just justifies a follow-up trip in a year or so to check out the rebuild, huh? :)

i'll leave you with a glimpse just outside our flat of the gorgeous autumn weather...and also a little reminder of home. strange to imagine that we might be back in springfield, virginia by the northern fall.

-rachel