smells like a cloud forest

Tuesday and I am back to the grind in good old Monteverde.
In the last weeks it seems like my sleeping schedule has undergone a few adjustments, and now I find myself waking up like clockwork at about 10 til 6 every morning. Really waking up that early is not a necessity, just coincidence. I am trying to go to bed a little later, to promote a deeper sleep. Though it seems like no matter how early I set my alarm Grettel still beats me to getting up in the morning!

The last few days I have been translating like crazy, and it makes me appreciate much more the ins and outs of language, and how difficult it is to express yourself. I can't imagine the job my mom has sometimes, the brainpower required to properly explain something that you comprehend in another language, using different vocabulary and expressions. All the same, I can't help but feel proud at how much I am able to do, and how well it turns out after pouring over thesaurus, dictionary and Google translate. But translating can be exhausting.

Today I was thinking about how different Monteverde and Heredia are...how I am feeling a little nostalgic for my host family there, and what makes each place unique.
Something that immediately came to mind was the sounds: here there are bellbirds, the wind, an occasional car rumbling by, and the trees rustling. In Heredia I heard traffic, airplanes coming in overhead, music blaring from shops, the radio and television. The smell is different too. The air here is heavier, moist, and it smells like earth: fresh, full of vitality. The air in Heredia is dry, with more dust, exhaust, and often trash.
Despite the seemingly negative smells and sounds I associate with Heredia, I find myself missing it. The sun is often out, its warmer, and San Joaquin is small enough that I feel at home walking the streets in the afternoon and evenings, not threatened or afraid.
On the whole, after much thought, I don't think I would enjoy living in Monteverde indefinitely. Which is to say, if I stay in Costa Rica I would settle somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, I love me some cloud forest! The environment here is unique, the community close knit, the town small and the people warm. But the weather can be pretty crappy, and travel is difficult, rent and cost of living are higher, and I look pale as, well...a gringa. If I had to choose a place to live, it would be a more central location. Not sure where that would be yet! But somewhere warmer, and easier to travel to.

Its funny to think that this time next week it will be February. Where did this month go?? If this is any indication of how fast 2011 will be, then I wish I could figure out how to hit rewind already... Life moves too fast for me sometimes. I have to run to keep up!!

Pura Vida