Return to Civilization

Well folks, I have officially completed the 2010 field season in Central Chile.

I spent a full month holed up in the mountains of the Andes (not complaining) with no internet access, so I kept up with a word document to chronicle my stay in one of the most incredible places I will ever see in my life. I will likely not have time to edit and get the posts up until after Christmas day to complete the post, pics included.

I am very ready to go home. It has been six months and eight days since I arrived in this country last June. My flight leaves Wednesday night and I will finally be in the arms of my loved ones Thursday morning. I truly look forward to being on familiar soil and in loving arms.

Today, I did some last minute shopping for my family. (Lizzy, I bought you something absolutely beautiful. You'll just love it.) Tomorrow, I clean and return equipment to it's proper owners, prep all the samples with DMSO and confirm all the paperwork to travel with on the plane ride home is good to go.

I'll meet with Dr. Mauricio Soto-Gamboa to discuss data analysis, and then take everyone who assisted me in my research this past month to Tiramisu Pizzarea (http://www.tiramisu.cl/) around 8 pm. Tuesday, I hope to finish up with all my obligations and pack everything so that on Wednesday I can relax before I take a taxi to the Santiago airport at around 6 pm- giving me plenty of time to get through security and maybe grab a bite to eat- before my plane leaves just after 22:00 (it is an overnight flight to Atlanta that looks packed! What fun...). Hopefully customs won't give me too much trouble about the samples and I can pass them off to Rachel who will take them to Berkeley for me on her way home to California.

Once I get home, work will get put on the back burner until school starts again in January. Yay for vacations.