Its been forever, so let's catch up!

**I'm to tried to proof read this so sorry for the mistakes**
Where to start, I have no idea! Well, last May my mom and I decided that we were going to finally go to South Africa to visit our wonderful friends the Standers. So at the last minute we bought some tickets and went. Okay, so it wasn't that simple. I told my mom it was pointless to go for 2 weeks and get nothing done and barely know what was going on. So the plan was that she was going to stay for 3 weeks, and I for 7. Yea I know its crazy, but so worth it! Without boring you to death and telling you day by day, I will just tell the highlights!

Plane: packed like mad women, we beasted. watched the sun rise from the plane, so beautiful!

Lay over in Amsterdam: explored the City, red light district, left the city :0 to go to the Cory Tinboom house, eat good food, saw men in short shorts, meet people who lived closed to quincy! Haarlem cannabis paraphernalia was everywhere!

The beginning:

Let me just tell you that I loved finally getting there, Barry and Phil picked us up from the air port. Before I ever got there I decided I was going to be a big girl and go through immigration all by myself. Long story short the guy told me he was putting me back on the plane if I didn't get proof I was leaving the country at the end of my stay! Thankfully my mother saved by butt! After we all got packed in a very little car we started the 6 hour drive home. Bathroom stop! I got a very eerie feeling as a got out of the car late at night, I had to walk thought the gas station to the outside restrooms. This was South Africa! We got there and found chocolates on our pillows, sweet sweet Abia gave us her room!

First day at Church:

Oh man thinking back about this day brings nothing but smiles! I got to meet all the people that made up God's church! :) They were the sweetest, kindest people I have ever met, they hugged me and embraced me into the family!

Afternoon trips:

We went to a restaurant that is beside a train track! We played at ate!

WORLD CUP!

First game of the world cup, South Africa was playing. We took a TV to a local township and had a party! Loved of little children!

Fish and chips! :)

Then the craziness started:

Holiday club: AKA Vbs. For 4 weeks, 5 days a week! I loved it and it was so much fun! We did a skit everyday! And loved on kids! Did praise and worship, I had to pretend I new the songs that were not in english. People laughed for me, but it was for God so I just had to laugh also!

Before my mom left we went shark cage diving! My mother actually got in the cage, shocking, I know! And the day we left we real quick went to the hospital to visit people and give them stuff! We got to hold lots of babies and we also visited the children's ward. This was so awesome for both my mom and I! :) Then she had to leave! We all took her to the airport, in Cape Town. We went and looked at the stadium and saw all the crazy people! I was alone in Africa! ;) well, just without my mommy!

We went to the strawberry patch in the next town, we were going to see toy store 3 but it wasn't there yet!

I tried curry, not fun! Painful!

I had a sleep over with my girls!

Lots of people got baptized in the ocean! PTL

Barry's Parent:

We drove through the most beautiful, mountains ever! I would live there if I could, I have never see anything so magnificent I don't expect to see anything like it again! While there I shot a springbuck! Expect the unexpected! ;)

So I few days before I left I went to South Africa school! Oh my goodness it was an experience! I was the only one not in school clothes. So I was stared at, and talked about! But again I just laughed through it all! Right before the day ended someone threw a rock at me! Gosh, hate on Americans. I like to think I was talk of the school at least for that day "hey, did you see the american?"

Then it was my time to say goodbye! :(

The girls decided that they wanted to throw me a going away party! It was fun, we ate, we danced, we cried! I hated it! So then I got back home and started packing! Didn't get much done! So I started again the next day, the day I was leaving! So I was still packing and someone said there were whales down at the point! Of course I stopped packing to go see them, by the time I got back we really needed to leave for the airport, so I was just throwing stuff in my suitcases. I barely had time for more sad goodbyes! So... I forgot a few thing, my winter coat, and my cell phone! Oh the troubles that caused! But now I have stories!

Homebound:

Half way to the air port realized that I didn't have my phone. I really wanted to cry!

So we got to the airport, and found out that the plane was delayed "because the captain was sick" mhmm Barry's said he was hung over. Probably. So I called my mom on skype to tell her I didn't not have a phone and my flight was delayed. So Barry and I sat there talking on skype to different people! All the while my computer was dying, when I finally realized it and went and bought a converter to charger, I only had like 15 mins to charge it! I was suppose to pay for an escort so I didn't have to fly across the world by myself! They were bad at their job because one person said I need to pay for it ahead of time another said I could now! So after like a 6 hour delay I finally got on a plane with a kinda "mall cop" person only helping me at the beginning. Someone who was pretending they knew what they were doing! I was better off alone! So I got on the plane, and was seated next to an old drunk couple, for 12 hours! Oh joy! About 10 hours in the flight, a flight attendant came to me and asked "are you Kim Dettmer" I asked "yes" She then told me that I was a "meet and assist" but that I couldn't be because I was not handicapped. She told me she would see what she could do! She came back and told me that there was nothing she could so and I was going to miss my flight and I would have to go to the transfer desk and get the next flight out... tomorrow! So I kind of panic, "ok Kimberly you can do, all you have to do is walk through the Amsterdam airport by yourself and find the transfer desk and hope for the best, and pray you don't get kidnapped sitting in the airport all night without even a cell phone, you can do this" that was my pep talk to myself. So the plane landed and I got up, and I happened to get off the plane next to this girl, and we started talking. She was sent from heaven because she was scared too, also going to America! She got a soccer scholarship to a school down south. She also had to go to the transfer desk. So we walked together! :) Never got a name or a picture, and forgot the school! But she made an impression! So as we are standing there together in this forever long line this lady starts yelling my name and I'm thinking "oh gosh this is weird what do I do" and I shyly said "that me" she said "follow me" uhh lady, "why?" She told me that my next flight had been delayed too, and it was on the other side of the hall, literally, 100 feet from where I was standing! I don't think I've ever been so excited in my life. Oh and my the way if I had missed that flight the next on was the next day, so I would have asked for a hotel, but I wouldn't have been allowed to get one because I was not 18! So I was asked a million question and "who helped you pack?" So there I was praising God for this and I thought I better tell my mom that I was going to make that flight. She thought I wasn't going to make it, and I should not have. There are no seats and I don't want my stuff stolen, so I pull out my computer while standing, as I feeling every eye looking at me! So of course I update facebook before messaging my mom on skype! So stupid! Just before I hit send on skype my computer dies, with no way to charge it. Wonderful, so my mom now thinks I missed my flight! I'm now board, what else is there to do but eves drop on the people next to me. From what I could gather I think it was a school trip. There is a teenage guy and a teenage girl both with southern accents, and all I can remember now is, there was some Major churching going on there, and me laughing to myself! hahaha It was kind of pathetic! And now we board plane #2 of 3 and guess what? I'm in the exit row seat next to the window/door! That was not where I picked my seat to be! And Guess what else, next to another old creep. I had to sign I paper saying I was able to assist people if the plane went down! (Later I read the card thing and in a water landing which was 90% of the flight my exit would not be used, smart people I tell you) And you know what those exit rows are cold, I wanted to cry half of the flight I was so cold! Then we got a customs forms, and I was asked the drunk next to me what to do because I wanted to get through with my biltounge (jerky) but I was scared of the dogs. So I went back and forth on weather to lie or not! I told the truth! So therefore they made me get an extra search! After customs! Woohoo! Those people are scary! They found my jerky and put it in the trash! But I'm still proud of myself that I got it out of South Africa, I was told it couldn't be done! ;) When they found that they also found the alcohol I brought back for people! I didn't even think that I was not allowed to have it. Opps! The lady said "its for your dad right?" I said "yep" and she let me keep both bottles! So I'm back in America and I'm good going to my 3rd and last plane. I had to make a starbucks stop though! :) and I got there! I tried to charge my computer but then it was boarding! That was a no go and my mother sill had no idea what was going on even thought she had been up all night trying to get information, they said I was not on an international flight! Dumb! This plane had 3 seats all the way across, it was small! And the flight was only 40 mins! I was happy, but tired! We had a trainee flight attendant that took half the flight to say the safety stuff! And they she walks back and asks if I'm Kim Dettmer. I said yes. Mind you not one flight attend said a word to be on plane #2! This lady asked me if I needed help! It was not her fault her but I was tired and annoyed I said "umm no, I think I'm good, my mom was just worried about Amsterdam, all I have to do is get my luggage and find my mom, but thanks I think I'll be okay " So we landed and got off the plane! As I was walking to the luggage part, I thought I saw my mom but I told myself "no its can't be her, only people with tickets for a flight can get back here" I carry on to get my bags, I walked passed all the other families, no mom! 10 at night and I feel alone in the St. louis airport! I had no idea where to go, so I go to a help desk and ask if there is a pay phone, HA! So I asked where there was an outlet, she told me! So here I was sitting in a dark corner of the airport with a Mac on my lap and 4 bags! Prime target much! So I called my mama from skype... "Hi mom, where are you?" "Sitting at your terminal, waiting for you" "what the heck, I thought that was a secure area, well keeping walking to me" To this day I still don't know how she got through! So we hugged, and I think she cried! Now HOME! As I walked closer to the doors I felt it getting hotter and hotter! I just came form cold weather, and BAM heat wave, it was so hot! Like in the 100s! I slept on the way home and for the next few days. I Loved getting all the welcome back hugs, smiles, and texts! Even though I had to ask everyone who they were because "I left my phone in South Africa" Loved every moment of my trip!

Sorry, I know I said I would trying and keep it short.