Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

As of yesterday, we are officially back in the land of Hoosiers!  We were fortunate to have the daughter of one of Pat's colleagues stay with our house and two cats, and when we walked in the door, the house was spotless, and she'd left us with a delicious chicken casserole, salad, and Christmas cookies!  Thanks, Kim!

When we left Santiago, it was sunny and the temperature was in the mid-80s, so it felt a bit strange unpacking our winter-wear in the Indy terminal just to walk to our car.  Normally it saddens me to exchange warmth and sunshine for cold and overcast, but it's Christmas time, and I've been craving the brisk air, brightly-lit evergreens, and dusting of snow that is so common and familiar in the mid-west!  Once the holidays are over, I'm sure I'll long for the climate of Santiago, but until then...

Though we're less than 10 days away from Christmas, we're in the process of unpacking and also hurriedly putting out the Christmas basics for the kids--the tree and ornaments, stockings, and few other simple items.  For those of you who we won't see before the New Year, we want to wish you a wonderful and safe holiday season!

We hope you've enjoyed reading a bit about our time in Chile.  I want to belatedly thank Katherine Nagy, because this travel blog was basically her idea.  I'm certain I never would have thought to do this if she hadn't asked if we'd be keeping a travel blog while we were gone.  So, thanks, Katherine!  This was a really fun way for us to keep track of the wonderful people we met, places we visited, and experiences we had, while simultaneously keeping in touch with friends and family back home!    

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to you all!

Pat, Amy, George & Vivian