Proud owner

Picture it, 8 am, the ground damp with last night's rain, the house dark with sleeping Chilean family members, and no one out in the crisp air on a Chilean holiday morning. It's Friday. I'm awake, I'm a bit bleary eyed. I step outside, carefully closing the self locking door to let the Chilean family members sleep peacefully. I go to open our protective always unlocked gate only to realize its not unlocked, like always.

If I wasn't awake already, I was now. Self-awareness flooded me, I was quite literally trapped between a sleeping family and a metal gate. Well, my first thought was oh shit.

Then the gears start turning. Priority one, let sleeping Chilean family sleep.

Path to achieve goal: climb fence.

I'm strong, I think to myself. I'm agile. I got this.

Step 1: Proceed to throw bags for my trip to Valdivia over fence.
Step 2: utilize awkward brick step to attempt the climb.
Step 3: realize that's not happening.
Step 4: check house door and gate again. Yep, both still locked.
Step 5: Psych myself up. I'm a badass I got this.
Step 6: Use the neighbors shared gate to get leverage. Stretching my left leg, up up. I hear a snag on the spiked fence. My jacket. I continue. I'm determined. Just a bittttt higher.

And bam. I hear a big tear, that's it. I'm done letting sleeping Chileans lie. I'm officially the proud owner of a large hole in my old worn out jeans.

Finally, after pounding on the door for a few minutes, host dad shows up, looks at me with the dirt on my pants and hands, and proceeds to ask me where I'm going. I get the keys, and happily make my way to the bus station.

After it all, I barely make my bus, the new proud owner of one snag in my jacket, one dirty bleeding cut on my left hand, and a big tear in my jeans.

The trip to Valdivia has officially began.