Yesterday I got a cool stamp on my plane ticket which allowed me into the VIP waiting area for Copa Airlines. Cool, I thought. So I chilled there for many hours. Then when it came time to go and thinking nothing more of my VIP luck, I waited til the end to board, as usual, because I'm never in a hurry to get to my seat in an airplane.

My seat was 3A. I thought, must be a small plane. Nope. As I boarded I realized the first several rows were 1st class. What!? This must be a mistake, I thought. I stared at my ticket and sorta panicked. I walked toward the regular cabin to see if the numbers started over. They must start over!

But no! All of a sudden I felt like I had gotten away with something. I was gonna sit in 1st class! In disbelief, I sat down still clutching my ticket stub in case I had to prove this was my seat. In my many-days-old smelly clothes, Chacos, barf-smelling backpack, I was in 1st class company with business men including one that had 2 Blackberry phones! I wished I were flying longer (which I never want) or at least boarded earlier to sit there longer.

I got served food on plates! Water in a glass! A blanket! A pillow! The steward-man told me to have a nice day. It was amazing! Apparently Dragons purchased my return flight as a 1st class ticket. Amazing!

I flew into Guatemala feeling like a princess arriving home. Guatemala looked so beautiful from the sky with its volcanoes and green, green rolling terrain.

Since arriving I've given Norma innumerable hugs, eaten 2 bagels, many cups of real juice, lasagna, got a massage, and showered with hot water. It has been incredible! I'm going to spend another day doing restful things, then head back up to Xela.