As I'm someone who began to think of herself as comfortably wealthy once I got to the point in my life that I could order extra guacamole on my Chipotle burritos without a second thought, it felt like the Kenny family lived next to a goldmine since their home neighbored an avocado orchard.

Equipped with mini tractors and a big bucket, Amanda, Carlos, Archie and I had a successful afternoon of avocado picking one sunny day in Te Puna.

Now I grew up in the rural suburbs but the homegrown fruits and vegetables in New Zealand amaze me. Not only did they live next to an avocado orchard, but the Kenny family grew strawberries, lettuce, peaches, watermelons, beetroot, beans, tomatoes... everything! And they're not farmers either, they both work in marketing but just grow all of that right in their own yard. Apparently this is fairly common in New Zealand as the soil is super rich but I had no idea it was even possible.

To make salads at night, they would just go out and grab some vegetables, wash them off, chop them up and prepare the freshest and most delicious salad I've ever encountered. In the morning, I would just grab a handful of strawberries from the garden to have with my coffee. I used to be quite satisfied with myself eating "local and organic" when I would buy veggies from the farmers market in the parking lot behind Bank of America in Jamaica Plain so THIS just absolutely blew my mind.