I'm a lobstaaaaa!

Hello there!!

Sorry it has been a while since I’ve written… This week was midterms, and I was a little busy studying. J I hope it paid off! Anywho, this past weekend, we went to THE BEACH on Saturday! We went to Puntarenas.  According to Rebecca (a girl who lives in my town), it’s the ugliest beach in Costa Rica. If that’s the truth, then I could totally handle any beach this country has to throw at me.  It was gorgeous!! It had black sand and a ton of swing sets and basketball courts.  Basically, I was in heaven (as you can tell from the pic below). 

On Sunday, nothing was planned.  It happened to be my “nephew’s” birthday here who lives next door.  This gringo: not invited…unless she wanted to awkwardly sit in the corner.  Luckily, my padre came over and gave me a “salchicarron” which is grilled sausage on a tortilla with pico de gallo. It was wonderful! Also, he gave me another one of the same but with steak instead of the grilled sausage.  They were amazing.  Then, he told me I could go back home if I was feeling weird because he could understand me feeling uncomfortable.  I thanked him about a billion times and then left. I then heard the doorbell ring and it was Brittany (a girl who lives across the street).  She wanted to go check out this café and study.   They had free wifi and wonderful cinnamon rolls.  I got to skype with my parents, Jared, Karen, Nathan, Noah, and Joely! It was the best because beforehand, I was feeling very homesick for really the first time here.  It think it was because nothing was planned and I wasn’t feeling the most welcome at my own house here.  All in all, it turned out to be a pretty successful day!

On Monday, we had normal classes which were basically used to review.  Then after class, we had dancing lessons!  If I didn’t think I was awful at dancing before, I know it now.  Thankfully, I think I am learning a thing or two about dance in Costa Rica, and it has been so fun! At the going away party, we are supposed to dance “classic Costa Rican dance” with our families.  That will be very interesting!  

Yesterday, we had our first two midterms.  They were in culture (which I think I rocked!) and literature.  Culture is so interesting because we are learning so much about Costa Rica.  I absolutely love learning about it, which is weird since I never really liked history when I took it at home.  And literature was SO DIFFICULT. We read a story that is written in old Costa Rican Spanish.  Most words aren’t even in our dictionaries.  So, you can only imagine how the test went.  Everyone in both classes felt like the exam was way over their heads.  Hopefully, the teacher will see that we all didn’t understand and give us another shot…but who knows.  After school, we went to my favorite gelato place.  Which apparently has free wifi as well (they just don’t advertise it!). So I got some lovely vanilla and oreo gelato and got to skype with bri bri! After, I just went home and studied all night for my midterms.

Which brings us to today.  Finally, grammar, composition and conversation are over! All I have to worry about now is packing for Bri Bri!! I am totally stoaked for this five day trip.  I know that it will be the experience of a lifetime and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

And now, I’m off on another adventure to the Centro. Love you all very much! J

Adventure is out there!!!!

Sunday night, we got back from Monteverde.  In all honesty, it was WAY better than expected.  We left super early on Saturday morning and we got there around noon.  We immediately started hiking through the CLOUD FOREST!! We did not even go to the room first! We were hiking for about 2 and a half hours and finally made it back to the bus.  The hike was perfect. We got to see such cool trees and plants.  At the top of the hike, there was a GORGEOUS view of mountains.It was gorgeous up there and the temperature was wonderful.  It was a little windy, but it felt so good after hiking.  After the hike, we took the bus to our CABINS! We also got to cook spaghetti for dinner.  It was a delight! Then on Sunday, we had to wake up bright and early for another hike! It was awesomeeeee. We hiked for like 2 miles and saw 13 bridges over the cloud forest.  I can't wait to show you all pics!

On Monday, we all decided to go to the Casino, and it was SUPER fun.  We danced A TON!! I absoultely love dancing here, and I'm not sure why.  I hope I am picking up some sweet moves to show to you guys.

Today was WONDERFUL!!! My mom made me pancakes for breakfast and rice and chicken for lunch.  It was delicious!  School was perfect  Vera got us all cake and cancelled conversation class so we could celebrate...aka we had to learn three different birthday songs and sing and dance.  It was a hooot! Tonight, basically the entire class is going to Pizza Hut to celebrate.  After, we are going out in the Centre to a bar called Al Cielo (apparently it is where all the cool kids go according to my dad!).  Some day, I will go to an internet cafe with my computer to put up pics, but until then...you will just have to envision what I am doing through my words. :)

Love you alll!!!

Soy Americana.

I am totally an American. Yesterday, we went to school like normal and after, we took a little field trip to the National Museum. It wasn't exactly my favorite place in the whole world, but we got to go to San Jose! The town was pretty neat and after we got to stop at a mall! I know it's weird to be so excited, but I got to eat some American food...aka McDonalds.  It's nuts how happy that cheeseburger, french fries, and coke made me!! Afterwards, we got to go into the shops and I bought a pretty wallet! It says Costa Rica on it (Yes, I am a tourist), and is woven out of bright material.  I absolutely love it! Then I went back home and did a lot of homework, watched tv with my parents, and went to bed.

Today has been pretty good. School was okay, nothing special.  And afterwards, I got dropped off at the Centre with Bethany and Annie. We are currently at a cafe using our computers, so I got to skype with my parents! It was lovely to see them for a bit and hear their voices!

I absolutely cannot wait for this weekend.  We are going to Monteverde! Apparently, it's pretty chilly there and rains a lot, but I am so excited to see something new again! I will be sure to tell you all about it and try to put pictures on here as much as possible.  Although I've only been here about a week and a half, I think I can totally make it through this nine weeks and look back on it fondly.  The weekend trips make the school part worth it! I miss you and will be writing on here as soon as I can! Love you all :)

My life is too goooooood!

I am not sure where to begin...

How about with last Thursday?! We had class on Thursday and afterwards I went to the Centre with some friends from class. It was great to get to explore the town with them and see what shops would be our favorites. Then I came home and had to get ready for our party. It was literally one of the best nights of my life.  I finally felt that my family could get to know the real me because everyone was there with their families.  We danced ALL NIGHT. Holy cow, the next day my calves hurt so badly!! We did not leave there until 11:30, which is by far the latest that I have gone to bed thus far. The next morning I woke up at 6:30 and was on the bus to San Carlos by 7:30.

On Friday, we got to San Carlos around 1:30.  The hotel was BEAUTIFUL!!! We could literally see the volcano from our windows.  There were even two nice rocking chairs on the patio to enjoy the view.  The hotel had a wonderful pool area and amazing hot springs (these were my favorite!!). It had such beautiful nature and really good meals!! On Friday, the whole group pretty much just stayed together and swam and enjoyed the hotel.  On Saturday, we had a class trip to a waterfall.  It was seriously the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  We had to walk down more than 200 stairs (someone counted) to get there, and even the walk down was so pretty. Once we got down there, we were able to swim and climb on rocks to the other pool areas filled with natural water from the falls.  I cannot wait to show you all pictures from there.  After that, we hiked back up the stairs and went to the hotel.  We again swam and got to know one another.  On Sunday, I went to mass with Vera.  Let me tell you, the services here are waaaay different.  It was nearly 2 hours long and communion was a sight to see. Everyone flocks to the front who is getting communion instead of going by each row.  The church was beautiful!! Afterwards, I quickly ate my lunch so I could get to ziplining on time.  I am not sure what came over me to try this, but I am SO GLAD I did.  At the first platform, I was not sure I could make it, but it got better with each try.  I got to see some gorgeous views that I would not have if I did not jump to my death about 11 times... :) Then we went back to the hot springs and it was pouring, but somehow, seeing a volcano from a hot spring is totally worth staying in the rain for.  We tried Imperial (the beer of Costa Rica: sorry mom!) and it was soooo good! I was shocked. :) And on Monday, it was the first day with some GOOD sun, so all of us lounged around the pool to catch some rays before we left.

When I got home, my mom actually jumped with excitement when she saw me! She gave me a huge hug and immediately asked if I was hungry (surprise, surprise!).  Then I unpacked and did TONS of homework.  All in all, I can say that this was one of the best weekends of my life.  I got to really get to know the people on the trip and see AMAZING sites.

School is better already. I am understanding the teachers so much better and feel so much more comfortable talking.  If everything keeps going in this direction, I could really get used to this place.  Miss you all still so much! Love you! :)

I am ALIVE!

HOLAAA!!!

I made it on time and safe! I just cannot believe I am here... It has been the most surreal days of my life.  When we landed in Costa Rica, our families were waiting with our names on signs for us.  Then we took a bus to our homes.  Only my mom and brother came to pick me up.  When I got home, my dad was sitting on the couch.  So far, he is my favorite.  He is so nice and speaks slowly and always reminds me to tell him when I do not understand him.  He rides motorcycles for fun and has a bunch of birds and fish.  I feel like my mom has been frustrated with me...and I feel terrible.  I get up and breakfast is made for me.  Then I can NEVER finish what she gives me.  Then she makes my lunch and dinner. She always tells me I do not eat enough, but she gives me SO MUCH. I hope she likes me.  My brother is very nice.  He is always making sure everything is going well. My sister is kinda MIA. Shes never home, but the computer is in her room, so I have a feeling I will be her best friend.

Schoool is nuts. The teachers speak so quickly and we already have lots to do.  But, I can already tell that I am getting better. Yesterday we went to In Bio which is a museum about biodiversity.  It was really neat because they had tons of different wildlife. We saw lots of cool trees, bugs, birds, sloths, and my personal favorite, butterflies.  They had the coolest butterfly house.  Lots of them kept landing on me and everyone making me stop so they could take pictures.

This weekend we go to San Carlos. Vera said that we can go zipling and horseback riding. We are going to see Arenal Volcano too.  Afterwards, I am positive that I will have some cool pictures to put up.

I miss you all so much.  I cannot wait until I hear from you. Wish me luck! Love you!

Today's the day :)

Today's the day everyone...I'm off to Costa Rica in just a few short hours.  To be honest, I'm pretty torn up on how  to feel.  I'm nervous about the flight, about my spanish speaking abilities, and whether or not my host family will think I'm a total moron or not. I'm sad about leaving people I love for a while without being able to have contact with them whenever I want. But on the flip side, I'm so excited to set out on this adventure.  

So on this day, I hope that you pray that I forget about all the negative feelings that I have and simply realize that this trip will be a once in a lifetime opportunity and something that I have been wanting to do for a while.  I hope that I embrace every opportunity I have to try something new and realize that everything I have temporarily said goodbye to will still be here in 9 weeks.  And although 9 weeks seems like a long time now, it will fly by, and I probably won't want to leave Costa Rica in about 8. 

I love you guys very much.  Thanks for being there for me as I take this trip.  I can't wait to see you all in 9 weeks. Until then, I'll be sure to post as many pictures as I can, send emails and postcards, and call as much as I can; I hope you do the same.   

Goodbye Ameeeericaaaa, see ya in 9 weeks! :)

"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for

 very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new

 doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps 

leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney

Schoooool's out for SUMMA!

Helllllooooo!!

It's a good day everyone; the sun is shining, and school is OVER. Another year is completed, and I could not be happier.  Now is when the real fun begins: the frantic packing and trying to decide what stays here and what will go home with me, the search for things that I still want for Costa Rica, the anticipation of leaving, and the hopeless search for more time to spend with my family and friends before I leave..

I realize that I am only hoping to find that time so I don't have to leave, which is funny since I am so excited to go. I am excited to fly on a plane to a far away place. I am excited to be DRENCHED in sweat instead of still shivering in my house in May.  I'm excited to be on an adventure that is all my own.  I also realize that this summer will be a summer that I will probably remember forever.  I know that when I come back, I will be a totally different person because I will have had the chance to truly experience something on my own.  You may be asking yourself, isn't that what college is for? And honestly, I thought the same thing.  But as I think of all the changes that I will be making this summer, I know that it will be a life altering experience.  I will not have a phone for constant and immediate contact at all times.  I will not have air conditioning (most likely).  I will have a new "family" to call my own.  I will see things that I have never seen before like volcanoes and the rain forest! There are so many things that I can't even fathom...which is what scares me the most.  Even though so many things are planned out, I have also have many more things that I can't understand until I have experienced this trip. I have no idea how my new siblings will like me. I have no idea how strict my new parents will be.  I don't know what to expect about going "out on the town".  I don't know how stressful school will be.  I have no idea if I will get along with the other 29 people going on the trip with me.  And yet, this is exactly why I am going.  I am SO EXCITED to experience something brand new. And so, here's to a great and memorable summer (for better or for worse).  It's going to be SO worth it. :)