Not a Wasted Word

What would you do?

Posted on August 16, 2018 by noemikjames / 17 Comments

My car’s been making a noise when I drive it. I hoped it wasn’t a big deal, but we finally took it in and it is a big deal. A $4K deal.

It needs two new front axles and four new struts. Evidently this will cost us $4K (parts + labor). It is also over due for its 150K mile tune up, which will cost another $1-1.5K. Oh, and the bad axles/struts mean it needs new tires (which I just replaced!) – another $500. And the windshield is cracked, so that’s another $250 deductible to get it replaced. So we’re talking $5.5-6K to get it where it needs to be to keep driving it.

It’s a 2007 Honda Accord. It has a 160K miles on it – most of them highway miles. We expected to put another 100K miles on it in the next 4-5 years and then get something new. We planned to start putting away money for a new car this month. Now we’re not sure what to do.

What would you do? We have the money to get another car, but it will eat into our emergency fund (not demolish it, but cut it in half). We could replenish that emergency fund in the next 1-2 years using the money we were going to save for a new car.

We had been planning on getting an electric vehicle, possible a Nissan Leaf. I spend about $200 a month on gas (I have to fill up my car once a week and it’s about $50 here to get 13.5 gallons of gas), so there is that to consider.

I don’t know what to do. Is it worth putting $5-6K into a car that already has 160K miles on it and will only last me another 4-5 years at best (with my current 20K a year mileage)? I’m especially worried because the mechanic can’t determine why my front axles are bent – I was not in an accident – maybe something on the car is off and this will happen again?

Ugh. This was very much not on my radar and I’m not sure what to do. The good news is that while the bent axles and busted struts are ruining my tires, it’s not unsafe to drive the car as is, at least not for now. So we have some time to think about it. We need to make a decision in the next month.

What would you do?

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The Stress of the Start of the School Year

Posted on August 15, 2018 by noemikjames / 5 Comments

I’ve fallen into the same cycle of stress that always gets me at the start of the school year. It’s frustrating because it doesn’t seem to matter what I consciously think or feel, there is always a subconsciously current of stress running underneath everything else.

I’m not sleeping well. I wake up around 3am and toss and turn for the rest of the night. Some nights there are specific issues that keep me awake, but other nights I just can’t fall back asleep. After four nights of this I’m fairly exhausted.

I got into my room on Monday. All my stuff was gone. I freaked out. We found it in another room and someone moved it back for me. I also packed up the rest of the stuff from the teacher who left my room (she left an entire bookshelf there for me to deal with) and got a little unpacking done.

Tuesday I didn’t have much childcare so I didn’t get much done.

Today I got almost all my boxes unpacked, though some stuff is still just lying around the classroom. I think I have a layout I like (there is all new furniture in there since the last time I used it). It’s not ready, but it’s a lot better than it was on Monday.

Tomorrow I have professional development presentations all day. Friday I can get back into my room to work on it some more.

Saturday is the Back-to-School BBQ at my daughter’s school. I, of course, am in charge. We lost two board members over the summer (I just found out this past week), as their kids were finally accepted into other schools in the district (they’d been on the wait lists for a while). I don’t know how we’re going to get everything done without them.

My kids start school on Monday. I can’t get a hold of anyone in the office at my son’s school which is… concerning. His teacher did call, but I missed it, and I can’t get a hold of her again because I need someone from the office to patch me through.

I have everyone’s school clothes, backpacks, lunch boxes, and shoes ready.

God, I hate the start of a new school year.

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You’d Think I’d Know…

Posted on August 13, 2018 by noemikjames / 9 Comments

You’d think as an adult who has ADHD, who grew up with a parent who has ADHD, and also a teacher who has taught a great many children with ADHD, I would know how to parent my daughter with ADHD. But it’s not easy, and there is no one answer that works for all families. The reality is, I’m not always sure what is best for my daughter.

At this point my daughter does not have a diagnosis of ADHD, but I am sure she has it. I recognize her struggles from my own experiences with ADHD, and from my 14 years teaching. I have no doubt that she has it, but I haven’t sought a diagnosis because I didn’t feel she would benefit from one. Diagnoses are helpful when seeking medication, and/or a 504 (a specialized education plan that provides guidelines to accommodate for a medical conditions that effects learning). My daughter is a smart kid, and so far she has achieved every grade level milestone despite the challenges her condition causes. Her school also hasn’t used an disciplinary measures (like missing recess if work is not completed within a certain amount of time) that would require a 504 to circumvent. I also haven’t been interested in trying a medication. Yet.

I had ADHD, but I was not diagnosed as a child. I’m not sure if the disorder was widely recognized in the late 80’s, when I was making my way through the middle and upper elementary grades. I was a smart kid, who wanted very much to fit in and be like. I craved the positive attention of my teachers, and learning came relatively easy to me, so I developed strategies to manage the negative consequences of my symptoms, and did well in school.

{I’m sure having a mother who was also a teacher, helped – I definitely remember her making sure I got my homework done and helping me develop organizational systems that worked for me. I also remember her taking me to school on the weekends when I forgot my math workbook or something else I needed to turn in.}

So yeah, I did well enough in school, but I also internalized the message, which was communicated subtly and in myriad ways, that something was fundamentally wrong with me, and that I needed to do everything possible to do better, to make up for this fault at at the foundation of my being.

So I did pretty good in school, despite my ADHD. I even liked school, and I felt successful there. Still, I wonder what my experience would have been if I’d not had this disorder working against me. What might I have accomplished if so much energy weren’t being used to sit still, pay attention, and keep myself organized. (Or how many hours I would have spent doing productive things if I weren’t looking for all the hundreds of thousands of things, important and less so, that I lost.)

What might I have accomplished? And might I have avoided that feeling, which has followed me into adulthood, that something is fundamentally wrong with me?

Those questions about what my own life would have been like, are at the forefront of my mind now as I meditate on the next steps to take with my daughter. This year she will be in third grade. This is the grade where academics take a big leap, and she will be asked to read and write more, both in the classroom and at home. Right now reading and writing are still a real challenges for her (at least reading books she hasn’t chosen is routinely met with defiance). She hates to write, and many of her writing assignments had to come home last year (and the year before) so she could finish them with significantly more time than was allowed in the classroom (and a lot of re-direction from me). I also wrote out her homework answers the night before to provide scaffolding for her independent homework time at aftercare (she traced over the answers). Even with those supports (and others including noise cancelling headphones, a wobble disk for her chair, and chew necklaces) she was often still in the homework room working when the other kids at aftercare were outside in the playground.

My daughter is a smart kid, and I’m sure she could get by without medication, just like I did. But I also see her struggling, and I know that so many things are such a challenge for her, and that they don’t have to be. We are still managing a lot of big emotions at home, and I know it’s just as exhausting for her as it is for us. What if a medication makes a positive difference?

There is such a stigma against taking medications for mental health disorders in our culture, even someone like me who takes one of these medications and knows that it helps is unsure what to do. If, with help, she is meeting the standards, do we continue without medication? Or, with the goal of easing her burden, and giving her a better chance of meeting her full potential, do we try something and see how it goes?

I don’t know what the answer is, but I’ll be spending a lot of time this year reading up on the topic. If you have any resources or experiences to share, please send them my way. I’d really appreciate it. If you’d rather not share in the comment section, please email me at noemikjames@gmail.com.

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20 Year High School Reunion

Posted on August 11, 2018 by noemikjames / 11 Comments

Tonight is my 20 year high school reunion.

I will admit that I’m excited. I have some good friends from high school that I rarely see, and I know most of them will be there. I’m not on FB so I haven’t been watching their lives from afar. I don’t know what a lot of them have been up to, and I’m stoked to see them again.

{Events like this are, in my opinion, much more interested and exciting when you AREN’T on social media, because you actually have things to talk about with people.}

I’m also thinking a lot about my life and its progress. 20 years is a long time, and evidently I’ve been an out in the world for that long, supposedly accomplishing goals and making memories.

In the end I realize that I’m approaching this milestone having achieved my most important goals. I have a husband (that I’m quite fond of – at least most of the time 😉 ) and two children. I have gainful employment. I own a house. I’ve even been traveling recently! To a far away place! I’ve checked off pretty much every box that society presents for us (and a few that I prioritize for myself). That definitely makes approaching this whole thing easier, even exciting.

But there are other feelings down there too. I’m not thrilled to tell everyone that I’m still teaching at the same school, right across the street from the high school we all attended. Sure I live in the city, but I spent the majority of every day in the small suburb where I spent the final years of childhood. I haven’t really arrived anywhere interesting. I’m probably more connected with home than most of them.

And yes I have a job, but it’s not worth talking about. It’s not interesting, and it’s not something I’m especially proud of. Professionally I’ve achieved nothing of note, and that is depressing. I also realize I made a lot of choices to get, and stay, where I am professionally. I recognize those and am mostly at peace with them. I realize this is only my 20 year reunion and there is still time to achieve something in my professional life that I am proud of.

I also find myself eyeing my reflection a lot more. I haven’t been happy with my body since I had my surgery and had to stop working out for two months. It has been harder than ever to get back into shape after those short two months. My body just doesn’t bounce back like it used to. My metabolism is not interested in speeding back up.

Thank goodness I got a tan on my trip!

But, joking aside, I hate coming back to this same mindset about my body and how hard it is for me to accept myself when I don’t like how I look. I want so badly to be okay with how I look, at any weight, but I’m so far from there. My actual definition of “looking good” is so narrow. I may never fall within its limited confines again. There is a part of me that would rather be accepting of the new me than actually looking the way I want to, but another, very loud voice, is terrified of that reality, and has a lot of ugly things to say to me about how I look and what that means about me.

So yeah. Lots of feelz about things thing tonight. But mostly excitement, and I’m trying hard to let the voices of disappointment be drown out by the loud shrieking of the voice that is excited to see her old friends.

Travel

Getting home (and other things that sucked)

Posted on August 10, 2018 by noemikjames / 10 Comments

Well, we made it back. A 15 hour red-eye, that starts at 1am, is never going to be a positive experience, but this one was especially hard. The first challenge was where to go BEFORE the flight. We were super lucky in that our AirBnB host let us stay at the place for the day, but we couldn’t stay all night. I agreed to leave by 7pm, and which point I was hoping to take them to an indoor play place until 9pm. Except the indoor play place was closed (google maps didn’t know this) and so, with nowhere else to go with them at 7:15, we just went to the airport. It really sucks when you start a 15 hour journey with 5 hours in the airport, just because you have no where else to go.

Our first flight was okay. I told the kids they didn’t have to sleep, because last time the waking up part was brutal and I kind of wanted to avoid it. But of course my son passed out in the last hour, so no dice on avoiding a “it’s time to wake-up” melt-down.

The line for passport control was long, and arduous. They both were so tired and just wanted to sleep, but they had to keep standing up and shifting slowly forward.

It took a while for our bag to come off the conveyor and then to pass through customs. Then there was security, again. By the time we got back up to terminal we were wiped. But the gate wasn’t posted so we went to the wing I’ve always flown out of, except when the gate did post, we were in the other wing. All that walking was not well received.

Once we got some food and sat down, I told the kids we needed to go to the bathroom. Both my kids can hold it; they do not love going to the bathroom and avoid it at all costs. This is actually kind of great when we are traveling, because we never have to worry about a sudden need to find a toilet. But it’s a bitch to have to remember when they last went, and urge them to go again when it’s been a while.

Of course, my son passed out while my daughter was still eating. Then she passed out. Then it was time to board. I waited a while, until most of the zones had gone through before waking them up. My daughter was so asleep it took me a full two minutes to get her to open her eyes. Even then, she was more like a zombie than a person. I kept looking back to find her shuffling in the wrong direction. At this point I was wearing two backpacks on my back (I elongated the straps of one to fit it over the other) and carrying my 45lb son, all while keeping our passports, boarding passes and customs slips accessible.

For some reason we got flagged for additional security questions by the woman who took our boarding passes. Then we had to wait for the other woman to be ready to talk to us. All this while carrying two heavy backpacks AND my son. Finally, she starts asking my weird questions. Right as I’m assuring her that no, we did not get our electronic devices worked on while we were in Colombia, my son who is still deeply asleep, starts peeing all over me.

“Oh shit, he is peeing!” I yelled, as I glanced down at the ever growing puddling at my feet. The woman just kept asking me questions. I was incredulous, and answered each on with a scowl and a glare and as few words as possible (this is when I switched to English because WTAF!?)

Of course there was a long line on the boarding ramp, so we waited and then darted to the side by the plane to change my son’s clothes. Unfortunately I did not have clothes for myself, so I had to board with a shirt soaked in pee (luckily my pants were only a little damp at the top).

Once we were in our seats, I took of my shirt and made a kind of tunic out of an airline blanket and some hair ties. I let my shirt hang from the seat pocket to dry and put it back on a few hour later. It smelled so bad, but what else could I do?

The only saving grace was that the back of the plane, where we were seated, wasn’t entirely full, so I was able to move to the other side of our aisle, and give my son two seats to lie down. He slept for three hours on that flight, and I’m so thankful for that.

Luckily when they both woke up they were feeling better. I never did sleep on either flight, so by the time we landed I had been up for 32 hours. By the time my husband got home last night to help put the kids to bed, I had been up 38 hours and was pretty much delirious. I passed out at 7pm and didn’t wake up again until my son called for me at 6:15am the next morning.

So yeah, the whole overnight flight thing sucked. Again. I wish there were more options when flying to South America, maybe when I can spend more money on tickets…

Some other things that sucked on our trip:

– Waiting for two hours to clear passport control in Bogotá. (Thank you man who pulled us out of the line at this point and ushered us through!)

– Trying for one hour to get our bags back. (Please stop asking me why I came up here to get my bags, like I’m some kind of idiot for doing so, when THREE employees downstairs told me that is what I should do!)

– Milk bag that spilled all over the fridge at our AirBnB. WHY KEEP MILK IN BAGS ANYWAY!?!?! (It took me over an hour to clean it up, I had to take out every shelf and every drawer, wash them, dry them, and put them back in.)

– Spending 8 hours in airport for a one hour flight because our flight was cancelled and no one contacted us. (Never fly Viva Air. Ever.)

– My flip flops breaking in Tayrona. (This sucked because I loved those flip flops, walking back without them was hard and painful, and wearing my Vans the rest of the time was no fun at all.)

– Seeing the giant flying cockroach in our Tayrona cabin bathroom and not being able to sleep for the rest of the night because I was terrified it was going to come into my room and land on my face. (I have, what approaches a phobia of flying bugs, especially the really big terrifying ones that I’m pretty sure were alive in the time of the dinosaurs.)

– Paying $40 to get boarding passes printed by asshole airline. (Seriously, NEVER FLY VIVA AIR.)

– That time we were all hangry and tired trying to find McDonalds. (Because, honestly, McDonalds IS NOT WORTH THIS SHIT.)

– Using my son’s diaper when my daughter had a meltdown about leaving the house again and I couldn’t go out to buy pads. (Yep, I did that.)

– Hiking on shady mountain road in Parque Arví. (The people in Colombia drive like maniacs and that road was windy and the shoulder was non-existent AND sided with barbwire.)

What has sucked on your past vacation?

Photography/Travel

Colombia Día 14: Parque Arví

Posted on August 8, 2018 by noemikjames / 2 Comments

Today we went to Parque Arví, mostly because I wanted to check out Medellín’s metrocables. Yes, this city has gondolas as part of its metro system, which I think is so cool.

To get to the park you have to take two sets of metrocables. The first is actually part of the metro, and takes you up a hill, with three stations.

The second is technically part of the same system but costs more, because it goes way out to this park, which is in the middle of a forest.

The park itself was okay. It’s definitely nice to get away from the city, and their air is cooler and cleaner there, but there isn’t much to do if you aren’t interested in guided hikes.

We ended up hiking along he road to a picnic area along a stream. It was the only thing we could do without a guide.

The kids ended up playing on a small rock out in the stream for about an hour, which was fine by me.

Walking on the road (there was no shoulder) kind of sucked so we caught a colectivo back, then it was another breath taking trip on the metrocables. The view of Medellín from these things is breathtaking.

After the park we ran a couple errands then went home to shower and eat before heading out.

I hoped to take the kids to a play place before the airport but when we got there a security guard said it had closed. I couldn’t think of anything else to do with them at 7pm so we just went to the airport. And that is where we are now.

The nice thing is there is free WiFi here, and it’s legit. My pictures are uploading so fast! This internet it better than anything we had at any of the AirBnBs. Woot!

It’s nice to be excited about something because it’s only 9:15pm and our first flight doesn’t take off until 1:20am so we have quite a night ahead of us.

I really loved Colombia and am sad to leave, but I’m also so excited to go home.

Travel

Colombia Día 13: Jardín Botánico y Museo de Botero

Posted on August 7, 2018 by noemikjames / 3 Comments

Today we hit up the Botanical Gardens, on the first day of its Feria de las Flores exhibit. To say it was crazy there would not be doing it justice. The place was packed, but we found our way around and truly it was so, so worth it.

The Botanical Gardens in Medellín are already well regarded, and their orchid area is by the far the most famous installation (pictured above), but what they had going on for their Exposiciones de las Orquídeas was truly mind blowing. There truly are no words to describe how incredible it was, and since it takes forever to upload one picture here, I’m going to wait and post a bunch from the show when I get home. Here are just a couple of the most amazing (it’s going to be hard to pick!)

Oh, and we ran into the guy from the airport line who told me about the Feria de las Flores in the first place!

I could have stayed in the orchid exhibit for hours, but the kids got bored pretty fast. I’m glad I can relive it with pictures, which I’ll need to show my mom. She would have loved it there. I need to bring her some time.

At this point the kids were ready to leave the gardens but luckily I coaxed then over to the lake area, where the iguana situation was absolutely out of control.

There were giant iguanas everywhere, just mingling with the people. We even got to see a few swimming across the lake! Then this guy started feeding one a banana and the whole place flipped out. It climbed up on his lap and had no intention of getting down until he ate the entire thing.

The kids LOVED the iguanas and we stayed there for well over and hour, before heading out of the gardens for good.

We had a rough time when everyone was really hungry and we couldn’t find a McDonalds that was on the map, but we figured it out eventually.

Finally we hit up a museum that has a massive gallery of Botero paintings and sculptures. There are also a ton of sculptures outside in the square, which was really cool. Botero is from Colombia, but I wonder if he’s more specifically from Medellín because they have a lot of Botero stuff here.

I’m going to try to use this hand in some kind of sign in my room. Either a “raise your hand” sign, or a “talk to the hand” sign (to remind them to try to figure out an issue by themselves before asking me).

I really like Botero, so I kind of pushed the museum even though the kids weren’t super interested. We only went into the Botero rooms, though the museum had lots of other stuff. The kids did a REALLY good job speaking quietly and holding my hands (which the museum required), and I repaid them by getting in and out quickly.

Now we are back and resting for a bit before we head out later for a few things (I need to buy feminine products because of course my period couldn’t wait 2 more days).

Out flight is technically at 1am on Thursday morning, so we need to get to the airport tomorrow night. I lucked out again and our AirBnB host is letting us stay way past check out time, which will be an immense help – ending the trip just like we started it. 😉

Tomorrow I plan to take the kids to a park and then bring them home early for showers and packing and dinner before we head to the airport. Then we’re on our way back home.

Travel

Colombia Día 12: Parque Explora, Medellín

Posted on August 6, 2018 by noemikjames / 6 Comments

I think people are getting a little sick of these travel posts. And I can’t blame them.

Today was our first full day in Medellín. We flew in yesterday on a full flight, which the man in front of me in line explained was because of Feria de las Flores, which is a VERY BIG DEAL.

I had no idea it was Feria de las Flores in Medellín this week when I made my tickets. It’s just a happy coincidence. I’m not sure we’re going to do too much related to the week long event, because crowds and lines and standing in the hot sun with young kids, but tomorrow we’re checking out a special Feria exhibit at the Botanical Garden, so that is cool.

I really like Medellín. A lot. I could see myself living here. It’s a beautiful city, set in the mountains, but with a strangely coastal climate. I love the metro, which is clean and efficient. I love that it’s warm but not too hot. I love a lot about it, and I’m really glad we came to check it out. I definitely want to come here again and stay a lot longer.

Today we hit up Parque Explora, a kind of science center that was recommended by every “to do with kids” list. It was a great spot and the kids had a good time.

They are definitely a little fried after being here so long and spending so many days in transit. We are all very ready to go home, but we’re also enjoying the city while we can. (If you closely at the above photo, my son is actually trying to punch his sister in the face. Also that text was written on the ground, it just looks like it was added into the photo later.)

I have to keep this post short as my kids need my phone to listen to their audiobook before bed, and the WordPress app only crashes on my pad.

I hope you’re all having a great first week of August. Thanks for hanging in there through all these Colombia posts. I know they are a lot.

Travel

Colombia Día 10: Back to Cartagena

Posted on August 4, 2018 by noemikjames / 1 Comment

The bus ride today suuuucked. Getting to Santa Marta from Cartagena with the same bus company was great, going back was a nightmare.

I don’t want to relive it as I retell it, but suffice it to say, it was an uncertain, and unpleasant 5 hours.

Now we’re at a different AirBNB in Cartagena. It’s a very cute place inside, but our room is at the front of the apartment, facing a VERY loud and busy street. It’s a Saturday night so I don’t think things are going to quiet down anytime soon. I’m so thankful the kids are in an inside room, which is much quieter, but I don’t know how I’m going to sleep. I haven’t slept well in days.

Tomorrow my husband flies home and we fly to Medellín. I’m really sad he’s leaving, and not a little jealous that he gets to go home. A part of me is sooooo ready to go home.

I revisited the “fun things to do with kids in Medellín posts” I tagged long ago, and it’s helping to get me excited about the last leg of this trip. I keep trying to remind myself of how much fun we had in Bogotá, just the three of us.

But it’s hard, with my husband heading home. I’ve spent some moments this past week thinking about all the obligations waiting for me at home. I start work the Wednesday after I get back. I have to set my my classroom before that, I have to plan and execute the back-to-school BBQ at my daughter’s school, with a much smaller PTA, I have to attend my 20 year high school reunion (that is actually two days after I get back).

I’m writing this, after all those post filled with beautiful pictures of idyllic beaches and reefs, as a reminder that it’s not all blue skies and white sands on a trip, any trip. There can be days when you just want to go home. And that’s okay. I want to put it out there honestly, so all the people who have those kinds of days know that even the people who make it sound like their vacations are amazing have those kinds of days and it’s okay.

Wish me luck tomorrow. I’m REALLY hoping our flight out of Cartagena isn’t cancelled like the one coming in was.

Travel

Colombia Día 9: Hiking out of Parque Tayrona

Posted on August 4, 2018 by noemikjames / 2 Comments

Friday was out last day in Parque Tayrona and check out was at noon. Since walking there and back took an hour total, and breakfast also provided lunch for the kids (so we couldn’t miss it), we knew we weren’t going to have much time at the beach.

We did a good job of getting to the restaurant right when it opened and ordering quickly. Then we were out the door before by 10am. Unfortunately we got lost on the way to the beach (still not quite sure how that happened) and lost about 20 minutes finding out way back. But eventually we made it la Piscina.

We were actually all pretty sunburned (I think my “reef safe” sunscreen was not sweat proof), so we weren’t so sad to have limited time in the sun.

About 30 minutes into the morning, I saw people out at the rocks where the waves break on our side of the bay, and I wondered if maybe the snorkeling was good out there. My husband said I could swim out and see and so I did. And sure enough, it was amazing.

I swam back in as quickly as I could and asked if my husband would mind packing us up so my daughter and I could go back out. Like he had so many times before on this trip, he said yes so I could do what would make me happy, even though it caused him stress.

My daughter and I suited up and went out. The coral was incredible and we saw so many cool fish. Unfortunately I was trying to take videos on the GoPro so I could later grab still shots from the videos, and none of them came out quite as I had hoped (I really wish I’d had an opportunity to play with the GoPro more before we left). Still, I managed to grab a few good pictures from the videos I took.

We only stayed out there about 15 minutes before high tailing it back to the beach and then back to the cabaña, where my husband was struggling to pack up our stuff. I helped and we got checked out just under the wire.

I went back and rinsed off in the camping showers and changed into my grimy hiking outfit, and we were off.

The hike our was hotter and harder than the hike in (a lot more up and mush less down). Our sunburns compounded the misery. But we eventually made it out. Woot!

When we got the the entrance a cab was dropping off a couple, and since he had to drive back to Santa Marta anyway, he offered us a cheap ride. It wasn’t much more than the combo of small bus, big bus and taxi we would have had to take, and it saved us a good hour. We felt like we had won the lottery.

Back at our AirBNB at Santa Marta I took the happiest cold shower of my life. Then my son and I hit up a local aquarium (seriously weird spot but he was happy and that’s all that matters) and got cash and headed back. I appreciated the opportunity to see the beach on a weekend, when the insanity was at full steam.

I went out again later and found the bus terminal we’d need on Saturday to get back to Cartagena. I also got dinner for my husband and me.

After eating we watched a few shows on the iPad then passed out. I don’t love this cheap place we got in Santa Marta and am thankful to get out of here. Cartagena, here we come (again).