party in the air

Today is CPI's 20th anniversary, and that means...PARTY! Or if you want to be really Tico, "una pachanga." CPI takes any sort of party or festivity very seriously, as I just finished explaining to my co-workers. People dress up, there are various committees, food, music, presentations, it gets BIG! All of the staff received a t-shirt, but I would much prefer dressing up a little instead of just putting on a t-shirt! I think I will go straighten my hair later. The party tonight will consist of mostly free drinks and live music. All of the students and their Familia Ticas are invited, as well as the staff and some special guests. I am not a huge fan of the live band and drinks idea, as it would be inappropriate to drink in front of my boss. And not necessarily drinking heavily, but drinking at all in front of my bosses is uncomfortable. This really could be a pretty interesting subject...behavior at a work party. In any case I am sure there will be an after-party.
Last night I danced a LOT! So I am all warmed up for this evening, salsa, merengue, maybe even a little cumbia. But my favorite is salsa! I went with Royner and Clara, to celebrate Clara's last night in Monteverde. It looks like she will be spending the rest of the season (or at least most of it) in Heredia. What better way to bid farewell to Monteverde than to dance the night away together? And now we are all warmed up for the fiesta today...

This weekend I say adios to one group on Saturday and pick up another group on Sunday. I have really enjoyed my UNC Wilmington group, they have grown on me a lot and I will miss them. It was also really cool having an inside look at their education program. While I am glad that I did not become a teacher (my experience has confirmed that it was a good decision, switching to Spanish and not staying with Education), it has been really eye opening going with this group into local schools and seeing students communicate and learn in Spanish and English. I know that all of these students will be wonderful teachers...they all have it in them.

It looks like I will be spending the next week or two in Heredia with my new group. This means heading back to the big city...well, a big city in comparison to Monteverde! I hope that I will be with a familia I already know.

In the next week I hope to purchase my ticket home. I feel that buying this ticket is like signing a death warrant...that returning to the USA I face the possibility of not coming back. The real challenge will be to find a good price on the ticket. I could spend $200 with Spirit, but I would only get to Chicago. And airfare to make it the rest of the way is ridiculously expensive. Too bad Dayton's International Airport really isn't "international." The majority of flights connect to larger airports before arriving to Dayton. It would be nice if I could just teleport...I would save a lot of money on pasajes. That would be in a Harry Potter sort of world, though. I will be communicating with my parents to see what airports are options.

Tuanis....