@kquin238

Saying goodbye isn’t easy; especially when you have the most amazing friends and family. But how lucky am I that I have something (and multiple someone’s) that make saying goodbye so hard?

Here I am; sitting in a café on the other side of the world writing my very first blog post on my first day in Abu Dhabi. I decided to make my first post about the most important people in my life, because truthfully, I wouldn’t be here without them. The support and love I felt in the last month leading up to my move was the most overwhelming feeling, in the best way possible. Anyone who knows me well, knows I have the hardest time making decisions (my bestie, as a joke, even gave me “fortune telling cards” as a going away gift). But with all the kind words of encouragement and excitement, I knew I was making the right decision.

Which brings me to this post! THE FAREWELL PARTY. I love a good party, and I love a good planning of a party. So obviously I needed to make it over the top and make everything perfect. This was really only possible because of my mom and best friend too; I’m probably going to start a party planning business and hire them – just saying.

DECORATIONS:
I printed out vintage maps (free templates on Pinterest and google search), and then cut them up and made a banner. We then printed “Goodbye” in Arabic (مع السلامة) and pasted it on! I also printed out smaller pink vintage maps, rolled them up and stuck them in vases with some roses. It turned out SO CUTE.

FOOD:
This is where everything excelled. My best friend made the most amazing charcuterie board for me (@louiseantonette if anyone wants to hire her), and my mom did the cutest veggie platters with light-coloured vegetables and pink hummus to match my theme, as well as bruschetta appetizers (you can hire her too, but she doesn’t have social media so just drop a comment). We ordered specialized cookies from Nookies Bakeshop (Nookiesbakeshop.ca) which turned out absolutely adorable and were so yummy, and of course ordered pink cupcakes from Crave Cupcakes!

DRINKS:
I decided to do a Bubbly bar because I love Prosecco! I had regular Prosecco and Rosé Prosecco, three juices, and fruit to add in! In addition to this, I had a white and red wine. I found two brands that had flower labels to match my decorations and they fit so perfect! The white wine was Black Tower Fruity White (they didn’t have the pink Rosé bottle in stock, so I just got the white instead!) and the Red was Protea Cabernet Sauvignon.

Even though my decorations, food, and drinks were all stunning, the most important part of my send-off were my friends and family. Thank so much to everyone who was a part of my send-off, who made an effort to say good-bye, and to everyone supporting me on this journey. Here we go!

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” 
-Paulo Coelho