They're Back!

And I’ve missed them so. February is vacation month, and on the morning of March 1, my fellow Santiaguinos returned from the white sand beaches, the obscure corners of Patagonia, and the bottoms of their pisco glasses to resume work, school, and to accompany me on my daily routine.

Yes, it’s great to have them all back. It is so nice to not have to set my alarm and instead be woken up by traffic noise. I appreciated the company of the other 7 swimmers in my swim lane this week at the pool. And it was so great to see every single person living within a 10 block radius of our apartment at the Lider (supermarket) after the gym while buying my lunch of chips, guac and m&m’s (after all, you can’t let a good calorie deficit go to waste).

One person in particular gave me that warm and fuzzy “it’s great to be needed” feeling when, on the Metro, they deviously reached into my purse and helped themselves to my efectivo (cash). I am so honored to have been chosen to help them out in their time of financial crisis.

So, it’s with a heavy heart that we leave overcrowded Santiago once again and head to al sur del mundo (the South of the World) this week. We might have to do Chiloe and Northern Patagonia alone, without our dark-haired, hung-over, financially ill-behaved acquaintances. I’m sure we’ll be missed.

Sisma

Ciervo desperately needs a vacation...