Back in South America

 And it feels so good! I had a really wonderful time in the Bay catching up with friends and running around trying to see everyone at least once. The food was amazing, but my time spent with friends and family was even better. Luckily, my mom and Dillon got to come back down to Santiago with me! Getting here was the longest travel day of my life, but it was totally worth it. We had two layovers, one in San Salvador and one in Lima, before we finally touched down in Chile, but we got a little extra exploring in. First stop: El Salvador. With 7 hours to spare before our next flight we decided to vacate the airport instead of spending the entire time wandering through Duty Free shops, spraying copious amounts of perfume and cologne. First impression of El Salvador was a positive one. It was hot and humid, but SO GREEN! I mean, obviously, it's a tropical country, but it still took me by surprise. All we did was drive through the outskirts and to the beach, but the scenery was gorgeous. (Pictures are to come, but I am currently without the cord for my camera, bummer). We decided to eat at this little, locally owned "restaurant" with an awesome view of the ocean. Our bodies were really out of wack with the actual time so at 10a.m. we decided to eat shrimp coctails and beer, breakfast of champions. After a relaxing meal, soacking up the Costa del Sol breeze, we walked along the beach wishing we could go swimming in what had to be 75 degree water. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport and board the plane to Lima.

The rest of the voyage was pretty uneventful, lots of sitting in airports and on planes, waiting, and occasionally sleeping. The last two flights were relatively empty, so I took it upon myself to leave my seat, search for a row near the back that was completely empty, and lay down across the seats to try to catch some z's. Best decision ever. Lying down really is the best sleeping position. In the end, we made it, none of our bags got lost, customs was a breeze, and there were no major issues! Now it's time to show my Mom and Dillon around Santiago, my other home.

HAPPY 2012! The world isn't going to end, but in case you're worried about only having 12 months left, make sure you're having the time of your life. Don't worry, be happy, it makes the world a better place.