Hey there everyone,
I’m backkk… Sorry I might have seemed a little “MIA.” Children are exhausting, but that’s no excuse not to keep you all updated. Well, here is a grand update: Today was the last day of my job at the summer camp. Yesterday was the last day with kids, but today we did inventory and cleaned (and got paid! yippee!!). We definitely went out with a BANG this last week. Thursday night was the “sleepover” / “campout” and boy, was that exhausting. We worked all day on Thursday from about 8am to 6pm, took a little break, then were back at 8pm that evening when the kiddos arrived with all their camping gear! Honestly, before they arrived, I had a bit of an attitude – working all day Thursday, then all night Thursday, then all day Friday again. However, once the kids started to arrive, I started to soften. I mean, they were so excited to be spending the night and having this campout, which was complete with a bonfire and s’mores (first time for most of the kids!). For a few, this was their first night away from mommy and daddy. Awwhh… Plus, they are just so darn cute, except when it’s 2am and you are trying to sleep and they just won’t stop talking!! Haha. All in all, it was a blast for the kids and it wasn’t nearly as close to torture as I’d thought. J Friday, we even had a little performance for the parents. And then, it was goodbye. Saying goodbye to a few of the kids was kinda hard, I won’t lie. I am really going to miss them calling me “tía” or “Miss Sarah” all the time. Of course, I won’t miss the craziness and their ability to exhaust me, but we had some good times.
Sooo you’re probably thinking, “What’s next?” Well, good question. What’s next is quite the trip down to the south of Chile (i.e. the end of the world). First, however, Gaby and I are taking a mini-vacation (if this isn’t vacation enough, eh?). We are going to spend a few days at the beach learning to surf and just taking life easy. After all that, I will be departing on Thursday night to make my first stop in Pucón, Chile. Pucón is about 10-11 hours away by bus (hence, the night bus). After Pucón, I’ll be making about eight more stops until my final destination, which is Punta Arenas. It is quite the trip down to the South, especially by bus, which is why I chose to break it up with so many stops. I will also be crossing over into Argentina a few times as well. Ultimately, I should arrive in Punta Arenas on the 21st (ish) of February, where I will spend a few days seeing the sites (like penguins!). Then, on February 24th, I will be hoping on a flight back to Santiago. Whoa… it is going to be a long trip. Please keep me in your prayers – good weather, safe travels, meeting wonderful people etc. Oh, and if you all are thinking, “Wait, is she going alone?” Yup! Righty you are. I will be flying solo on this little viaje (trip). However, February is part of the “high season” for Patagonia and thus I will surely be surrounded by other backpackers like me! Don’t worry, I will be sure to keep you abreast on all I am doing via blogging etc.
Well, I am exhausted and a bit hungry so this is it for now. Next time we talk, I’ll either be at the beach or Pucón. Get excited!
¡Ciao!
PS I also failed to mention that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I have. You know, that feeling you get before you leave or someone leaves or before another big "change" occurs. I have been having a lot of that in these past six months, let alone these past four years. Change. Meeting new people. Saying goodbye. Closing the chapter to one experience and starting another one. That feeling that things will never be exactly the same. Ugh, I dislike it. Strongly dislike this feeling. But it's a part of life, or my life at least. I am a little sad, especially when it becomes time to leave the people who have been more than hospitable this past month+. I have known some of these people since October, like the family of the woman who runs the camp. They have been so accommodating and have completely opened up their homes and their lives to me. Although I hope to see those who live in Chile before I leave-leave for the States, I won't see my boss or her beautiful children again for awhile. All in all, this was such an unbelievable experience! My boss, who lives in California, also does this camp in Cali in the summer but with Spanish, so of course she mentioned that if I don't have anything to do this summer... haha. Who knows, maybe I'll spend a month in Cali doing camp again... J
That last paragraph hit a note for me. I feel the same way you do Sarah. It's exciting but nerve-wracking all at once. I, like you, have been feeling it for the past few years as well. And not knowing the future...well, combining that with the past is sometimes too hard to handle. I feel completely weird saying this because it feels out of character for me to share these feelings, but I feel that way too, and I want you to know that there is at least one more person out there going through the same stuff.
ReplyDeleteheyyyy sorry i didnt read this until now! thanks for sharing melissa. im glad im not the only one out there feeling this way. life is weird sometimes. change is hard. and often it takes a lot of effort and energy to pick up and do change all over again. but usually its worth it! love reading your blog and hope you are loving spain as much as i am loving chile
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