Back in New Orleans for a month

From mid-December until mid-January, I spent a month back in New Orleans (and a few days in Houston) to see my family and catch up with friends over the holidays. I brought back an obscene amount of Alapaca scarves to regalar as souveniers. How was my return to the motherland? Some highlights:

• Eating some AMAZING Mexican food with Dad on my first night back stateside in Houston: spinach enchiladas with Monterrey Jack cheese, shrimp and crabmeat, complemented by a frozen raspberry margarita and the obligatory chips and queso. Try finding that shit in Santiago.

• Bringing back some alfahores I found in the Arturo Merino Benítez airport and being greatly disappointed! These decieving cookies were beautifully packaged in a little wooden crate, complete with a "Chile" flag sticker, but do not be fooled if you find yourself on your way home and looking for a last minute souvenier. Very dry and too nutty. Ugh.

• Being a huge nerd and reading the entire Twilight series during my break at home. I saw the movie too. Being in Santiago during the height of Edward-loves-Bella mania, I saw it as an opportunity to indulge myself in a little U.S. pop culture. So don't judge me. ;)

• Accompanying Mom on all her daily errands like a good little daughter and patiently enduring all her "This is my daughter...she lives Chile!" comments. But what can I say? I'm lucky she's so proud and supportive.

• Making some book purchases for E. He's an English pedagogy student and he wanted some classic American novels that would be very expensive here. I bought them for about 2 bucks a pop at a used book store in NOLA. Cha-ching!

• Getting ridiculously drunk with my best friend from undergrad while dive-bar hopping in New Orleans.

• Eating and probably gaining at least 5 pounds from the following items: individual boxes of Nerds and Sweet Tarts leftover from Halloween, various Mardi Gras King Cakes, a box of frozen chicken-and-cheese quesadillas that I found in the freezer, and eating out almost every day. I do not regret the oyster poboys.

• Buying "professional" clothes that fit well and aren't made from 100% polyester. I hit the outlet malls for some work essentials and brought back some black pants, a gray skirt and some button-down shirts.

• Buying lots of great lingerie from T.J. Maxx. Sorry Falabella, looks like I won't be needing to make an overpriced bra purchase very soon.

• Reconnecting with my four close girlfriends from high school. No matter how much time passes, we can always get right back into our groove and talk about everything that's going on in our lives.

• Driving. And initially being scared to do so since it had been close to a year since I had last merged onto a highway.