Our Farewell Dinner by Zarina

  


How do you end a month of learning, exploration, personal growth, and fun? Our time in New Zealand ended with a beautiful dinner and wine tasting at the Rossendale Vineyards owned by Brent and Shirley Rawstron. We began the night walking through the vineyard with Mr. Rawstron who explained the process of growing grapes and how his vineyard has grown over the years.  We moved on to a wine tasting where we tried six of the wines made from grapes grown in the vineyards. Each wine had its own specific taste in which you could taste the time and effort that went into each type. 

The group’s bonds that were made over the past month were exemplified as we all laughed and talked between each tasting, remembering what we had done and learned about ourselves and each other. Before the dinner, our professors had given us the option to invite some of the farmers and people we had met on the trip who had been influential to us. While some of those we invited couldn’t make it due to travel reasons, Scott McFadden who was a group favorite was able to attend. He arrived during the wine tasting and the overall excitement to see him showed
just how much we had learned from him in such a short time.
 

We moved inside for dinner and while eating, a slideshow compiled by the professors, was playing in front of the room. The slideshow consisted of a slide for each student with their favorite photo and personal quotes about the trip. Being able to see what each person learned and how each person grew both personally and together was truly uplifting. We finished the night with awards and thank yous to and from the professors showing how much we appreciated each other. Tears and laughs were shared as we realized that the trip was coming to an end, but also
how much we changed for the better.

 
Overall this was a perfect end to a once in a lifetime opportunity. It brought all of us together one more time to enjoy an amazing wine tasting and dinner to reminisce and recap all we had done. I know that all of us have come out of this experience as new people and are truly grateful for this opportunity and those who worked to make it possible.

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