I'm officially home...

I apologize for the lack of posts in my last two weeks, but without the internet at my apartment and the long list of things I wanted to do, I had very little spare time (not to mention I wasn't particularly keen on spending my last two weeks in starbucks). I didn't actually get around to doing a lot of the things on my list, but I'm surprisingly okay with that, because I spent my last week actually living in the city. I met new people, who I somehow still feel unimaginably close to even given the sort amount of time I was able to spend with thme, and I living like a citizen in the city. And all in all, I have to say that my last week, goodbyes inluded, was probably one of the better weeks of my entire stay. I was stress free, worry free, and simply living how and when I wanted --i suggest you try it. It does wonders. I'll try my best to post some pictures in the next couple of days, but for now here are some thoughts I had while in the Atlanta airport this morning.


I just got off my first flight from Santiago, Chile to Atlanta, Georgia, and I now find myself sitting in the airport, both dazed and fascinated. My first thoughts are something like what follows…

Christmas music playing, but not traditional music, the Nsync, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey remixes. I saw an Atlanta Bread Company…wow does that sound good. When you bump into someone, they say excuse me; and not in Spanish. It’s now assumed that I speak English.

I was putting back on my shoes after passing through the security gate here in Atlanta when a girl next to me attempted to ask the security guard where she was supposed to next. But she didn’t speak English, and he didn’t speak Spanish. I smiled to myself, remembering how I felt when I was wandering aimlessly through the Santiago airport, and translated for them both.

I made a quick stop at the bathroom at both airports (I was waiting for about 8 hours in Santiago…) and thought nothing odd about the one in Santiago until I got here. I walked in and found a counter with sinks and mirrors and then a completely separate counter with just mirrors where women were re-touching their make-up and hair. I also found everything automatic from the toilets, to the sinks, to the soap, to the paper towel dispenser. I’ve also found that everyone here has been on their cell phone. Which oddly enough, I turned on my American cell phone for the first time in 6 months to find that I had voice mails, but couldn’t remember my password to access them…go figure.

As I sit here now, waiting for my flight, I find that I still don’t feel as though this journey has come to an end. I still have the feeling as though I’m going to be returning to my apartment in a few days or so to find Mark in his “hole,” Sarah lounging with her laptop, and Paula perched on the sofa armrest in front of the television, watching her telenovela. But I’m not. I had a moment on the plane when I thought about how I needed to call my parents when I got to Atlanta to tell them that I was in the United States again and it wasn’t until then that I seriously thought about the fact that I’ve been away from home for five months. I’ll admit, I got a bit misty. But in reality, I don’t think that it’s hit me yet. And with all of today’s technology, keeping in touch shouldn’t prove to be much of a problem. So all in all, I think I just don’t feel like I could or would ever lose contact with these people. How could I??? They’re my second family. I sometimes think I know them better than anyone else.

To sum up…seeing as how my laptop is about to die, I’m home –well almost. I’ve come home the same person, and yet completely different. I have no regrets, no unfulfilled wishes, and I’m as pleased with my time in Chile as I could have ever hoped to be. To all of my new friends and family…we’ll talk soon. I shall miss you all more than anyone could imagine.

R.I.P. Michelle