On Friday, I am traveling with my family to the Dominican Republic to see our family and friends. My older brother, Michael, my sister, Sarah, and my own passports were expired so last Thursday my dad came to my house to sign documents that would allow us to get new passports. I had a genius idea of how he should take us to Six Flags that Saturday because we hadn't gone all summer and I had some friends dying to go. He agreed, so on Friday my mom bought the tickets online. My printer wasn't working, and Michael along with my best friend, Julio had to stay up and try to fix it. Of course I wasn't going to leave them alone, and this "simple" task kept us awake until 3 AM. Keep in mind we had to wake up at 8 AM because the amusement park opens at 10 AM and is around 2 hours away from where I live. After my dad arrived to pick us up and tells my mom he needs to use her van because we were 7 people and wouldn't be able to fit comfortably in his little 5 person car, she explains how she thought we would all go in his little car and that her van needs gas and an oil change. This is where everything starts. Before leaving to get the oil change, my mom made egg omelets for everyone knowing at the park we wouldn't end up eating until 8 PM. Finally after eating we got the oil change at some cheap gas station and the guy barely knew what he was doing because we had to end up taking the van to another oil change place. Soon after, my dad drove us to Six Flags. We got there around 3 PM because of a traffic jam. Whatever, we had a lot of fun, got on a ton of roller coasters (I'm an adrenaline junkie), and ate around 9 PM. My dad, my brother, my best friend Julie, and me decided to get on a roller coaster right after eating and luckily we didn't throw up or anything. On our way back to our van (which was a pretty long walk through 3 huge parking lots to the very end) we had various conversations with random strangers, and yelled happily. Little did we know at 11 PM the night was just beginning.

Earlier that day, while parking we realized the car could not reverse. Now not only could the car not reverse, but it made some weird, loud noise while on park. We called a ton of mechanics we knew, and my mom, and everyone said not to drive the car. The problem? It's by now 11:30 PM, we're 2 hours away from our houses, and have barely any money for a cab all the way back. My little brother fell asleep in the car until he woke up suddenly and threw up in the car. Seconds after, my sister throws up on the parking lot floor. This was the second time both of them threw up that day. Now not only are we stranded alone, (the park closes at 10 PM so we're alone in the parking lot) but now everything smells like puke. I have a something close to emetophobia, the fear of vomit. I had to suck it up, block my nose, and clean the vomit, with many pauses due to gagging. For the next hour and a half, the five people that had cell phones including myself were dialing all transportation centers, hotels, mechanics, etc. Gratefully my friend's parents were understanding and didn't make the situation more stressing than it already was. Finally my mom called at around 1 AM saying she found a cab driver willing to drive us to a hotel she made reservations at. Minutes after that, a security guard drove by telling us that the lights in the parking lot were shutting off in half an hour. There we were, praying the cab driver would arrive already. Finally he did and when we went into the car there was the biggest smell of marijuana. The driver was high! He even went the wrong way and had to turn back. With luck we got to the hotel without any accidents. He ended up charging us $25 for a 5 mile drive. We were absolutely ripped off, but we weren't thinking much of it at the time. Finally at the hotel we crashed around 3:30 AM.

The next morning we had to wake up at 8 AM for breakfast at the hotel. After EVERYTHING, we towed the van to the ONLY mechanic shop open on Sunday and found out we could drive the van home. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME. Of course, we didn't want to risk driving with the car so messed up and 7 people in case we broke down on the highway. I took a short nap when we got home, but it was very troubled sleep so I didn't get much rest. Last night I ended up sleeping at around 1 AM and had to wake up at 7 AM for my siblings and I to take our passport photos and arrive at our appointment with the passport agency on time. I was obliged to go to a family friend's pool this afternoon, and got back a couple hours ago. I wish I could sleep, but my cousin is going to the Dominican Republic at 3 AM and I'm accompanying my mom who is taking him to the airport.

My week will be so busy until my trip too. I have to go shopping tomorrow. Wednesday my dad is traveling to California, so we have to take him to the airport. Also, we have to pick up our passports that day, then take the van to the mechanic. Thursday there is a party, and my family has to pack for our early morning flight the next day. I will not be blogging for at least this week. I actually don't know the next time I can, but I'll try to fit it in somewhere seeing as how I'll be in the Dominican Republic for three weeks. Anyways, this post has been WAYYYY too long.

P.S. Both roller coasters in the picture are two of the ones I went on :D

Signing off,

Sophia