Chao Valdivia (Ojala)

Oh man. What an interesting few days it has been. I am not going to go into all the details of what happened yesterday when I DIDN'T go home but let's just say it started with too much ash and ended with no flight reservation. It was such a frustrating day for everyone but by that night (after many tears were shed) we got it all figured out. I will be leaving tomorrow and arriving home on Thursday. At this point I'm just happy I'm actually leaving.

At 8am I take the bus to Temuco (the planes are so backed up here that even if the flights DID go out, because I didn't have a reservation (thank you American Airlines) I couldn't get on one anyway. I arrive at 11 and I'll have a guy waiting for me with a sign that says LACEY BILES on it (I've always wanted that to happen. Except I always imagined it would be in Hawaii and the guy would be waiting with leis...but what can you do). He will drive me to the airport (for a mere $16 but lets just focus on the getting home part) and at 1:35 I will board the plane to Santiago (POR FIN). I'll get there...I dunno an hour or so after and then I have quite a few hours to get to my gate and suck down as many starbucks as possible. Then I will take a bunch of sleeping pills and be knocked out until I arrive in the United States. Yayyy U.S.! So fingers crossed that whole plan works out. Thanks to my mom and host mom for figuring all of that out. It was a huge mess.

So after a horrrible night and not sleeping much I had planned to stay in bed all day because...well...it was warm. Did I mention it's been stupid cold for the last few days? But then Gloria came in around 11 and told me I had to get up so we could go to the bus station and get a bus ticket. So after we did that the kids were basically attached to me because they didn't want to see me go (they were super happy when I couldn't leave and kept asking when I was gonna come home. "it costs money? like...50 pesos?") Anyway they left to go to their dad's which was kind of a relief because I had been getting attack hugs all morning. We said goodbye, exchanged a million hugs and kisses, took some pictures, and they left.

Gloria told me I HAD to leave because otherwise I would just sit in the house worrying. So I left and went to the mall, tried some retail therapy but seeing as how my suitcase is way too full already, I gave up on that. I bought gifts for the kids and Gloria instead. I ate a really good lunch and left to get my hair done. I know I know I've gotten my hair done like a billion times in the last few weeks (ok twice now) but I couldn't handle having my hair gross looking and ugly! So I went and got it toned down to my NATURAL color! and most of the damaged parts cut off. So now it's darker blonde and I have a cute new cut and it's waaay better than it was.

And then on the way home I got hit by a car. Not. Even. Kidding. Well okay I don't know if HIT is the right word but I definitely got bumped. I was crossing the street on one of those green means go but cars still have a free right (or left in this case) and a car came zooming around the corner (not a BLIND corner, they could see me before they turned) and totes hit me! well they more hit the big bag I was carrying. I was so shocking I just kinda pushed off the car and kept walking. I could hear them screaming inside though-it was two girls. This has ALMOST happened just about every time we go out so I'm surprised it just happened for the first time but still. What a good way for Valdivia to wish me goodbye.

Anyway, I am now 100% ready to go. Hopefully everything goes alright. If not...I'm probably somewhere lost in Chile right now.