Tomorrow morning I leave bright and early for the airport, to begin my journey back to Dayton, Ohio.
Right now I am in Esparza, and the weather is humid and overcast which reflects my mood.
Thanks to poor planning on my part, I won't be spending the last night with Elliott and I am kicking myself for it. Today Muni is having a surprise baby shower, and feeling obligated to help I volunteered and later repented, thus changing plans and leaving things undone and making it difficult to spend this last bit of time with my esposo. Why, why???? I should not have felt obligated to go, and should have prioritized better...my relationship with my spouse should have taken precedence. Getting used to married life will be a challenge in many ways, I expect. More so since I am going back to the USA for a time.
Why am I going, anyway? This ticket I bought during full on high season, before we tied the knot, before I had any plans. Because I wanted to make a plan. Now when I think of what I am going to do it has to be in the context of "we," what are WE going to do? Because I am no longer alone. That requires a change in how I think, in how I plan, in how I live my life.
In these final hours I am more and more aware of it, and regretting (yes, regretting) that I decided to leave.
Later this afternoon I will head to Heredia, pack my bag, and soon be on my way.
The consolation is that I am coming back, and that I am staying. Hopefuly it will be a quick three months.
Read about it here: my new blog
Pura Vida.
Adios, mi querido Costa Rica.
beach babe
In the last two weeks of freedom from schedules and itineraries, I have gone to the beach numerous times. Many people, when thinking of Costa Rica, automatically think that all there is to see or do is go to the beach. FALSE! There is so much natural beauty here that to see it all you will need a lifetime. And while I like the mountains, I like the beach a lot too. Right now Elliott and I are in Playa Santa Teresa, which is absolutely breathtaking....
Also note that I have an amazing tan going on right now!!! I think everyone looks better with a little color. Just remember sunscreen, haha!
More later.
Pura Vida
Also note that I have an amazing tan going on right now!!! I think everyone looks better with a little color. Just remember sunscreen, haha!
More later.
Pura Vida
something like normal
(from September 19th)
So the last couple days have been pretty slow, and at the same time extremely fast.
I have been living in Esparza with Elliott, and the small-town feel and my husband's constant presence have grown on me. Little things like how much a carrot is at the super market, the price of bus fare to Puntarenas, the bulidings we pass coming to and from El Puerto...I have gotten used to them. They are part of what is normal to me here, in the life I have been living.
Today we even checked on an apartment we saw the other day, and while they are all occupied Elliott knew the guy who owns them so we might have an in...
Sometimes I still don't feel married. Still looking forward to having our own place, a house, and all the acoutrements. Soon, although December cannot come soon enough.
Pura Vida.
So the last couple days have been pretty slow, and at the same time extremely fast.
I have been living in Esparza with Elliott, and the small-town feel and my husband's constant presence have grown on me. Little things like how much a carrot is at the super market, the price of bus fare to Puntarenas, the bulidings we pass coming to and from El Puerto...I have gotten used to them. They are part of what is normal to me here, in the life I have been living.
Today we even checked on an apartment we saw the other day, and while they are all occupied Elliott knew the guy who owns them so we might have an in...
Sometimes I still don't feel married. Still looking forward to having our own place, a house, and all the acoutrements. Soon, although December cannot come soon enough.
Pura Vida.
faroles! fireworks!
(From September 15th)
Independence Day is quite a show in any country... it was great this year in Costa Rica!
Yesterday night Elliott and I joined the local parade of "faroles," walking through an unknown part of Esparza and admiring all of the unique and colorful faroles. 2589 The 25899700 walk ended at a local school, and then we headed back to the central park of Esparza, where there were many people walking around, selling food and just hanging out...at 8pm there was a fireworks show in the paza, so we headed down to watch. It was nothing like what I have seen on the 4th of July...a much smaller display, and people allowed to get much closer. We stayed all the way through the end, and afterwards walked home to watch a movie.
Today we got up early and made breakfast (pancakes a la Meggie) and then headed to Puntarenas to see the parades. There were lots of good local bands and cool costumes, and it was hilarious people watching. We also jotted down several numbers of apartments or houses for rent...just to check out prices. I got sunburned and on the way back to Esparza it started pouring rain, by the time we arrived people had taken cover everywhere...under awnings, in the bank, the supermarket. We also arrived just in time to see a commotion going on in the central park, where two people got taken away in a police car. Crazy! We bought a few items and made an excellent dinner of pasta pomodoro, and opened a bottle of cabernet. I told Elliott we should have eaten some arroz con pollo...much more patriotic! All the same it was a great day, and I loved hanging out with my esposo.
We are thinking of visiting Santa Teresa in the next few days, to visit and possibly stay with a friend of Elliott's. Too bad I left all my favorite swim suits in Heredia...but either way I wil be working on my tan.
Pura Vida
Independence Day is quite a show in any country... it was great this year in Costa Rica!
Yesterday night Elliott and I joined the local parade of "faroles," walking through an unknown part of Esparza and admiring all of the unique and colorful faroles. 2589 The 25899700 walk ended at a local school, and then we headed back to the central park of Esparza, where there were many people walking around, selling food and just hanging out...at 8pm there was a fireworks show in the paza, so we headed down to watch. It was nothing like what I have seen on the 4th of July...a much smaller display, and people allowed to get much closer. We stayed all the way through the end, and afterwards walked home to watch a movie.
Today we got up early and made breakfast (pancakes a la Meggie) and then headed to Puntarenas to see the parades. There were lots of good local bands and cool costumes, and it was hilarious people watching. We also jotted down several numbers of apartments or houses for rent...just to check out prices. I got sunburned and on the way back to Esparza it started pouring rain, by the time we arrived people had taken cover everywhere...under awnings, in the bank, the supermarket. We also arrived just in time to see a commotion going on in the central park, where two people got taken away in a police car. Crazy! We bought a few items and made an excellent dinner of pasta pomodoro, and opened a bottle of cabernet. I told Elliott we should have eaten some arroz con pollo...much more patriotic! All the same it was a great day, and I loved hanging out with my esposo.
We are thinking of visiting Santa Teresa in the next few days, to visit and possibly stay with a friend of Elliott's. Too bad I left all my favorite swim suits in Heredia...but either way I wil be working on my tan.
Pura Vida
chao, CPI
I am officially done with my work at CPI. Last Sunday I dropped a group off at the airport, after explaining to the professor for a third time how to pay the exit tax and where to go to check in for the flight. At 6am I wasn't feeling very friendly, but many of the students gave me hugs and from there I went back to my familia's house and slept another 45 minutes, before showering and going to drop off my iPhone with the girl I sold it too. We chatted for a while and I hope to see her again when I go back to Heredia!
Sunday morning around 10am Muni, Nidia, Miguel (Nidia and Miguel are my "papas") got picked up to run errands for Muni. We went looking for furniture for her house, and ended up getting a couch, a coffee table and a small shelf along with a variety of other items...It was a TON of fun just joking around, being toegether and helping Muni, who is very pregnant at 36 weeks.
Speaking of Muni being prego...on Saturday I accompanied her to a prenatal class at CIMA, the hospital where she will give birth. Jonle couldn't go, Nidia wasn't up for it, and her sister-in-law never called her back...so I went. There were many couples, all of them having their first kid (Muni joked that we should have said we were lesbians, just to see how people would react haha) and it was an all day thing, with snacks and lunch included. We covered all kinds of topics, from how to bathe a baby, what happens at birth, epiderals, how to care for baby's skin, breast feeding...the whole thing really convinced me that Elliott and I will be waiting to have kids for a good while. It was really great info, I was impressed. Muni fell asleep twice while practicing breathing techniques, haha! Good thing she can relax.
I have spent the last two days in Monteverde at Muni's with Nidia, cleaning house and helping with cooking and laundry etc. The trip was also my chance to pick up my bag that I had in storage there with winter clothes, which I will be needing in Ohio. Also a chance to say goodbye to many people, especially those at CPI Monteverde. I had a GREAT time, going out one evening with just the girls (Muni, Nidia, Arelys and myself) and doing some errands like paying my exit tax and picking up some small gifts. I spent the last evening with Grettel and then with Royner, and we had sooooooo much fun!! This morning I barely woke up in time to catch the 6:30am bus (my alarm didn't go off at 5:30 like I thought it would), and Nidia and I headed down the mountain. I will very much miss Monteverde, and all the wonderful people there. That small mountain village in all of it's natural beauty will always be my first home here, where I truly started to fall in love with Costa Rica. The cloud forest won my heart.
My stop was Esparza, where Elliott was waiting for me and we went home and ate a real breakfast! Tomorrow is independance day, so this afternoon we will be going to watch the parades and "faraloes," which are handmade lanterns that were historically used to alert the country of it's independence, the light representing the torch of freedom in Central America (and Costa Rica). On independence day there are lots of parades, red white and blue, and almost everything is closed. Last year I watched the parades in Monteverde, and it was really cool!! Looking forward to this year.
The rest of my time here I will be with Elliott, and we have a lot to do before my time here is up. Making the most of every moment!!
Pura Vida.
Sunday morning around 10am Muni, Nidia, Miguel (Nidia and Miguel are my "papas") got picked up to run errands for Muni. We went looking for furniture for her house, and ended up getting a couch, a coffee table and a small shelf along with a variety of other items...It was a TON of fun just joking around, being toegether and helping Muni, who is very pregnant at 36 weeks.
Speaking of Muni being prego...on Saturday I accompanied her to a prenatal class at CIMA, the hospital where she will give birth. Jonle couldn't go, Nidia wasn't up for it, and her sister-in-law never called her back...so I went. There were many couples, all of them having their first kid (Muni joked that we should have said we were lesbians, just to see how people would react haha) and it was an all day thing, with snacks and lunch included. We covered all kinds of topics, from how to bathe a baby, what happens at birth, epiderals, how to care for baby's skin, breast feeding...the whole thing really convinced me that Elliott and I will be waiting to have kids for a good while. It was really great info, I was impressed. Muni fell asleep twice while practicing breathing techniques, haha! Good thing she can relax.
I have spent the last two days in Monteverde at Muni's with Nidia, cleaning house and helping with cooking and laundry etc. The trip was also my chance to pick up my bag that I had in storage there with winter clothes, which I will be needing in Ohio. Also a chance to say goodbye to many people, especially those at CPI Monteverde. I had a GREAT time, going out one evening with just the girls (Muni, Nidia, Arelys and myself) and doing some errands like paying my exit tax and picking up some small gifts. I spent the last evening with Grettel and then with Royner, and we had sooooooo much fun!! This morning I barely woke up in time to catch the 6:30am bus (my alarm didn't go off at 5:30 like I thought it would), and Nidia and I headed down the mountain. I will very much miss Monteverde, and all the wonderful people there. That small mountain village in all of it's natural beauty will always be my first home here, where I truly started to fall in love with Costa Rica. The cloud forest won my heart.
My stop was Esparza, where Elliott was waiting for me and we went home and ate a real breakfast! Tomorrow is independance day, so this afternoon we will be going to watch the parades and "faraloes," which are handmade lanterns that were historically used to alert the country of it's independence, the light representing the torch of freedom in Central America (and Costa Rica). On independence day there are lots of parades, red white and blue, and almost everything is closed. Last year I watched the parades in Monteverde, and it was really cool!! Looking forward to this year.
The rest of my time here I will be with Elliott, and we have a lot to do before my time here is up. Making the most of every moment!!
Pura Vida.
last day!
Today is my last day working at CPI Heredia.
How crazy is it that 16 months have come and gone so quickly?! I am elated but sad, having to say adios to so many good people! This campus has truly become like my second home (after Monteverde) and I will miss it very much.
Tomorrow I have a free day, as the group will head out on a tour with a real guide. Most likely I will head to Puntarenas to visit with Elliott for the day. On Sunday I get up extra early and drop my group off at the airport and...I am done!
This next week I will be spending a few days in Monteverde, saying good-bye to folks there (and picking up my suitcase). It turns out that my Mama Tica and I will not be able to go to the beach, as my hermano wants to go with some friends for his birthday, which definitely trumps our plans. If Elliott isn't too busy working I will with him those extra days, which will be nice. We want to start house hunting and try to get moving plans going before I head back to the USA.
I feel like there is so much to do before I leave, and time seems simultaneously long and stretched out, yet life seems to be moving in fast forward...I think, "oh I have two whole weeks left!" But I know that each day will go quicker than the last.
Enjoy the little moments.
Pura Vida.
How crazy is it that 16 months have come and gone so quickly?! I am elated but sad, having to say adios to so many good people! This campus has truly become like my second home (after Monteverde) and I will miss it very much.
Tomorrow I have a free day, as the group will head out on a tour with a real guide. Most likely I will head to Puntarenas to visit with Elliott for the day. On Sunday I get up extra early and drop my group off at the airport and...I am done!
This next week I will be spending a few days in Monteverde, saying good-bye to folks there (and picking up my suitcase). It turns out that my Mama Tica and I will not be able to go to the beach, as my hermano wants to go with some friends for his birthday, which definitely trumps our plans. If Elliott isn't too busy working I will with him those extra days, which will be nice. We want to start house hunting and try to get moving plans going before I head back to the USA.
I feel like there is so much to do before I leave, and time seems simultaneously long and stretched out, yet life seems to be moving in fast forward...I think, "oh I have two whole weeks left!" But I know that each day will go quicker than the last.
Enjoy the little moments.
Pura Vida.
new tours.
The other day the group went on a Canopy Tour in Heredia, close to the Barva Volcano. Man, this tour blew Canopy Zurqui out of the water!!!!!! I hope we send more groups here, it was awesome! The guides were super knowledgeable, the location was gorgeous and the ziplines were fun! I went and posted a review on Trip Advisor. (attempted to post video...check it out!)
My parents are in Europe right now. I am simultaneously thrilled, sentimental and very jealous. I know they are having a great time! I miss my family in Spain.
Today was our last day of service in La Carpio. I went back to a construction site that I visited a month ago, and they have come a long way on completing this home. I worked again with Freddy, who the kids loved when I was last there.
This group of students has been highly motivated and positive, really putting their best efforts into doing service work. I have been impressed...they are not afraid to get dirty.
In conversation with Fatima and Marlenny today, I am sad that I will not be going back for a while. Going to La Carpio is always eye opening and humbling. Today I flinched when I saw food go uneaten on my students' plates, thinking of those in the community who do not have food. When clearing out the construction site to mix concrete, I was annoyed at how much trash there was...until I realized that there is nowhere else to put it when there is no regular pick-up. My shoes and jeans stink right now, and I can't help but be grateful that I have somewhere to shower, and clean clothes to put on.
Don't take for granted the blessings you have all around you.
Pura Vida.
My parents are in Europe right now. I am simultaneously thrilled, sentimental and very jealous. I know they are having a great time! I miss my family in Spain.
Today was our last day of service in La Carpio. I went back to a construction site that I visited a month ago, and they have come a long way on completing this home. I worked again with Freddy, who the kids loved when I was last there.
This group of students has been highly motivated and positive, really putting their best efforts into doing service work. I have been impressed...they are not afraid to get dirty.
In conversation with Fatima and Marlenny today, I am sad that I will not be going back for a while. Going to La Carpio is always eye opening and humbling. Today I flinched when I saw food go uneaten on my students' plates, thinking of those in the community who do not have food. When clearing out the construction site to mix concrete, I was annoyed at how much trash there was...until I realized that there is nowhere else to put it when there is no regular pick-up. My shoes and jeans stink right now, and I can't help but be grateful that I have somewhere to shower, and clean clothes to put on.
Don't take for granted the blessings you have all around you.