I now speak Parcel Tongue.

 Getting back home, everything felt like we just had to coast through the rest of the school year  - smooth sailing and all that. Nature had other plans for us, starting with my 5th grade school trip to Yosemite. It was meant to be our first real trip as a class together. The fires had really thrown a wrench in a lot of our other field trip plans so we wee all excited to take the multi-hour bus ride, go backpacking, sleep in the musty cabins & wear in our new hiking boots. My mom even went to STL after I headed out so Dad and MO could have some solo dude time together. 

Best laid plans as they say....

About 24 hours into my Mom's STL visit, she was in Mrs Frisellie's kitchen when she got a call from the Dean of Curriculm, Carter, at MPMS who was on the trip with me. She quickly informed my Mom that I was at a Yosemite Urgent care facility as I had been bitten by a snake while climbing on some rocks with friends. She quickly told my mom that it was probably a small snake - probably not poisonous as the class was at the basin and it was too cold for snakes down there to be moving around very much and there is only one venomous snake in Northern California (Rattle Snake) and it has never been seen in that area. She was told not to worry and that everything was going smoothly. 

I on the other hand did NOT feel this way. I talked to my Mom quickly and of course burst into tears!!! (Obviously) Cartner tried to calm me down and then we had to do some tests so we had to call my mom back later. 

About 20 minutes later my Mom got another call from Carter saying "Can you pack a bag?" 

Thats NOT the words you want to hear when an emergency is going on - Remember, My Mom was in Missouri and my Dad was with Morty in Marin! (7 hours away!)

Turns out that rattlesnakes now live in the basin at Yosemite and my freind Sadie and I can attest to that. 

Did I tell you that Sadie was bitten first, thought it was a bee sting and when I climbed down the rocks to see if she was okay - the snake then bit me too. I saw it!! - It was a tony, Moody Teenager Rattle Snake. 

Sooooooo much happened that day, things that will make me stringer but also things that have made me feel pretty vulnerable. 

Spoiler Alert!! - we both survived!

After having panic attack, being air lifted out of Yosemite together, landing at Madera Childrens Hospital (Best kids hospital ever!) and then spending the next 36 hours getting TWELVE vials of antivenom I can officially tell you that we are lucky to be alive!!

Everyone worked well together. Everyone communicated, rallied for us and the teachers drove all the way to the hospital (no room on the whirly bird) to make sure we were taken care of. 

Dad dropped everything he was doing and hit the road to be by my side (literally slept on the floor by my side) Mom got Morty coverage with the amazing Perskey family and then Stephanie came to scoop him up and stay the night with him. Dad & Patrick (Sadie's Dad) had a Dad's bonding night of worrying and asking all the questions. 

Mom got on the first flight out and drove straight to me and then when we were finally discharged - she drove me back from Fresno and didn't sleep for TWO days through the whole thing. It was pretty great to see that my adults were going to make it to me no matter what. 

WE are STILL known as the snake sisters in Marin. The story spread like wildfire and while it was all very scary - in the end, we are totally fine and we have a pretty great story to tell.