MIAMI

I am home! Although, not for the reason I would have liked.

As you know, I have been sick for the last few weeks. So dad said, Enough was enough. I talked to Brett and Andrea, and they of course sent me off with their blessing. "Health is our top priority." And so I went. But it of course wasn't going to be that easy. My flight was at 10:25 am from Denver, so we had to leave around 7 am. Well of course, I wake up at around 4 am, with a splitting headache. I knew what was coming. Then the vomitting followed. I had to wake up sweet Audrey, and she took me to the hospital in Granby. They all know me there by now, for this time was my 4th trip to the ER. I told them I had a flight to catch at 10:25 am, and they said we will get you feeling good enough to make it home. I was seriously doubting them. But sure enough they made me feel good, only because they drugged me up. I couldn't even function. I really didn't know how I was going to go through all the steps in the airport. Corinne, property staff, took me to the airport and she was a huge help too. She got someone to take me on a wheelchair and help me with my bag. I put my hoodie on, because I looked like a hot mess. Luckily, with everyone's help I made it on the airplane. I knocked out the second I got on the plane, and woke up to a little girl trying to move me out of her sit. Quite embarassing. My dad was waiting for me in the airport lobby, and the second I saw him I just started crying. I think it was a combination of happy to see him, and being sick. He reassured me I would be okay, and I believe him. All day yesterday, I was still under the influence of whatever drug they had me on so I had no time to realize I was home. I just watched TV and went to bed.

But today, I am happy I am home. There is truly no place like home. And although I have to go to a ton of doctors appointments, and get this body back to normal...I am filled with excitement that I am home and with my family.

Sick Baby

So after New York, I was back in Colorado for a week and than back off for another adventure to San Francisco with Casey. We were only there for 3 days but it was so good to be in an actual home, and get to hang out with Casey's parents. I visited Berkeley, which is such a hipster town. And I got to eat at a Raw restaurant! YUM!

Then we came back and that is when it hit! I have been sick ever since. I had 3 visits to the Emergency Room in a week, and my mom made a last minute trip to Colorado. It was the best thing to have her here. Everyone loved her and she cooked for us and I just needed her here. I was going to the hospital because I was waking up with a terrible headache, vomiting, and diarreah. The doctor says it is either the parasite I got when I went to Peru that has come back. Or Gallbladder disease. Either way, it sucks. And now I am getting the flu with a sore throat and achey.

Hopefully, I will be better soon, cause this has just gone on too long.

And even though, I have been feeling bad, I had said I was going to cook for my roomates. So yesterday, I made a Cuban meal for my roomies. I made a pork with mojo, black beans and rice, salad, bread and butter, and flan. Everyone loved it. I also made a short power point on Cuba, with You Tube videos. I loved being able to share that all with them.

Anyway, Thanks for coming up here mom! That was the best medicine.

I'm still alive.

It has been so long since I last wrote. I knew it would be harder for me to keep up with my blog as the year went on.

Here is a quick update on what has happened since we last talked--nothing.

Well not exactly, but as far as Colorado goes nothing really new and exciting here except for the fact that I am dying for the summer to get here. I am so over the snow. Remind me to never live in a place with snow--but if I do, make sure there is someone there to shovel for me.

Since New Staff Training, it has been difficult to get back to the swing of things. I have just been getting more and more homesick as the days go on, and more and more ready for summer.

We did start our new rotation. Guest Services is good--we just do a lot of running around and lifting heavy things, which to get through the day, I just view it as a long work out. That always makes the experience a little more positive.

The highlight of the month has been going to New York City. I got to go visit Bones and Vero, and Nathaniel was there at the same time too. Luckily, I got to see Becca for a few hours because she was on a business trip in Las Vegas.

My time in New York just felt so normal and I never felt like a visitor. So much of me wants to go live out there. I love the noise. I love the diversity of people. I love that there is always something somewhere. I love the diversity of food. I love the business. I love the public transportation. I love the smog. I love the clothes. There is just so much to love about the city. And hopefully, maybe one day I will make it out there.

After my trip to the City, I have been thinking a lot about next year. At this point, I really have absolutely no idea. I would love to say that I am just going to get up and move to NY, but it is not that easy. I think I have commitment issues. Something I am trying to work through.

Vero's and Bones' apartment in the Financial District

My time in NY was perfect. We didn't do anything crazy. I just got to spend time with good friends and just see how they live their life in the city. I got to go the school Veronica works at which is in Spanish Harlem, and then to top of the day we ate at a Cuban restaurant there.

The kids at her school were adorable, and some of them were definitely a hand full.

I also got to eat at the restaurant that Bones works at, and I spotted a Reality TV star...well, kind of. It was Rachel Zoe's husband.

The trip was just what I needed--a break from Colorado and time with best friends and the city.

Don't get me wrong, it has been great here. I am learning a lot--learning about work, learning how to live with people with different personalities, learning patience, learning about myself, and learning how to manage money... sort of.

There has just been some difficult things about being here. I think not having a car has turned out to be MUCH more difficult than I thought. I didn't realize how dependent I was of a car. I think too, I am so used to being in a city--that when I was put in a place that is so culturally different from a city I feel out of place. I am also living with 9 other people, which I had a hard time just living with 1 other person, so you can imagine. Also without a car, and working so much--it is difficult to have a life outside of camp. So camp becomes our life.

To make a long story short, I am excited to get home in April.

New Staff Training

So it is Day 6 of New Staff Training. I have been actually enjoying it, although it has been really long days.

It is fun to see the same faces, and actually doing my job instead of just doing housekeeping or maintenance. I can't believe we are almost half way done though with it.

I have been coming home around 11:30 pm every night cause I have been working the snack bar and coffee shop and having to wake up at 7 am to serve breakfast but yesterday I got off at 5:30 pm and don't have to go to work until noon today. I probably fell asleep last night at 8 pm last night. I fell asleep watching a documentary called, "Buena Vista Social Club," which is a famous Cuban band that's album won a Grammy Award.

Dad, I hope you're planning...

Today I will be working at the front desk, and then serving dinner and doing PITTS--which is doing the dishes. But it isn't just your typical scrubbing of a dish under a sink. It is an assembly line and we look like we are in a factory.

Not really much new and exciting, we have been keeping really busy these weeks with NST, but luckily we have a few days off after NST.

Days Off

So last week before New Staff Training, we had 4 days off to "rest" before we started a long 2 weeks.

New Staff Training is all those that are new to field staff, and it will be fun to see the same faces for 2 weeks.

Anyways on our days off, I went skiing two out of the four days. And then went to Denver one day with Jena, Alyse and Casey. We spent a day of shopping and then went to the Nuggets game, which the Nuggets barely one by one point against the Golden State Warriors. Pretty pathetic. They didn't even have there 3 star players, which was a bummer. But we all still had a great time.

One of the days of skiing, Alyse took me on Mary Jane and on some really bumpy runs, which was so awesome. I had so much fun. And then the next time we went skiing, it was Alyse, Jena and I. It was Jena's first day on the Mountain and she was a superstar!

Then on my last day off, I just relaxed, went to the gym and we had FOB.

Jena and I worked the coffee shop "The Lift" and the snack bar "The Honeycomb" for the first day of New Staff Training, which I am really starting to love working at the coffee shop. At first, it was really nerve-wracking, because I didn't know what I was doing. I was just a frantic mess, but now that I am comfortable "pulling shots" and making lattes, I love it!

Yesterday, Audrey and I had our day off, and we took a mini road trip to Boulder. Have I mentioned I love Boulder. Probably have.

Anyways, our first stop was a vegetarian restaurant.

That is Audrey at Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant in Boulder

Oh, by the way I went "raw" for about 40 days. Not completely raw but 70% raw 30% not raw. And I love it. Audrey's mom is raw and she has an incredibly story. I probably don't say it as well. But she was diagnosed with Lymphatic Cancer--the same cancer her brother was diagnosed with 9 years ago. He went through Chemo and radiation, but the Chemo didn't kill it and he passed away. About 8ish years later, Audrey's mom was diagnosed with the same cancer, but this time she went to an Alternative Medicine facility in Atlanta. They put her on a raw food diet, and had her do other alternative medicine stuff and well she is in remission and has been for a couple of years. I just love this story, because Audrey's mom is a perfect example that so much of our diseases is caused by the way we treat our bodies and what we put in them. We are poisoning our bodies on a daily basis. So maybe its not all genetic. So Audrey picked up all the food and cooked for the 4 days and we went raw. And I love it. We are going to continue to try and do the best we can atleast do 70/30 or 60/40. If not raw, I am definitely going vegetarian. I have been reading and I watched "Food, Inc." and it is absolutely frightening the way the meat industry and even food industry treats its animals and products, its employees and its consumers. Food has become a science project and instead of growing it, they are engineering it. And the scariest part about it is that our government knows exactly what is going on, and continues to allow it. So that is my little two-sense for the day. So yea, I am a vegetarian--unless of course I see Farmer Joe killing his cattle that he has raised and grass-fed himself. I will definitely have to do more research and just make sure I am doing this the right and healthy way.

Guest Services

So we found out our job for the next rotation, and I will be doing Guest Services! I am super excited.. except for the fact that I will be outside a lot in the bitter cold. I'll just have to layer up.

Today, we have our second Ski Trip Group here, which has been a lot of fun.

Not a lot of new news over here.

Back to Below Zero.

Nothing says "Welcome Back" like a cold, below zero night. It might not have been below zero, but coming from home it might has well been that cold.

To be honest, I was a bit anxious about coming back. I don't think I was ready to leave home yet. I had just started spending time with everyone, and one week just isn't enough. But what are you gonna do. Another day, another dollar..right? Welcome to the real world, Gabi.

It was a long day of traveling, but I actually enjoy being in airports. I can just sit and stare at people for hours.

I was able to think a lot about my time at home, and it was just so great to be with family and friends. I got to hang out with my cousins a lot, which is always enough for me. They truly are my best friends. I love each one differently and in special ways. My brother and his girlfriend also made dinner for me and two of my cousins, which was so nice of them. We took our family portrait, with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandkids--the whole shabang. It was quite an event, but there is always laughter when we are together.

I even got to record my abuela, and have her just share some of her wisdom and advice. I wanted her to write me a letter, but it is kind of neat that now I can have her voice and it is something I can have forever.

I even got to go to the beach while I was home, but it was a freezing 68 degrees though. At least freezing for Miami. I got to see most everyone that I wanted to see, although I would have liked more time with them.

I had good conversation with my dad, and only wished I had more time with my mom. I can't wait for them to come out here.

Santa also brought me really great stuff, that was well needed. So even though, I miss home and being with family and friends, I am happy to be back with my friends. They are all so great, and I adore them.

The first person I saw was Audrey, in my lay over in Atlanta. And then it was Jena at the Denver Airport, and we were able to catch up on our time at home. Then Casey got there and finally Audrey got in. Alyse picked us all up and then we got to have dinner with her family, which was so great! It's so cool to meet family, and be able to see everyone in their element. I loved it. Thanks again for dinner Mama Cos and Papa Cos!

Well, we are back to the grind today, and a group is coming in. It is our first Ski trip of the season, and we have a busy busy month ahead of us, but we are all pretty excited.

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas, and it was full of laughter and family and friends!