¡Hola mis amores!
It's been a while since I've last blogged; mainly because I haven't traveled, so I feel like I don't have too much to tell you all about. But, I've come up with a few things. So here it goes...
--Classes. Aren't that bad, actually. I have to write a paper in Spanish for my Historia de Costa Rica class. But so far, things are going well with school. I like the classes I'm taking and I only have class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Which is amazing. I start my weekend on Wednesday at about 3 pm. :) I'm excited to start my tutoring program next week. I will have a Spanish tutor that I meet with 2 times a week. It will be me, my tutor, and one other American girl. I'm excited to get some personalized help.
--Speaking Spanish. Is going well. I have really high expectations for myself, so of course I'm feeling like I'm doing doing great. But I'm constantly getting encouragement from my family and other classmates/friends. I can pretty much always get the gist of what someone is saying, but often miss the particulars. I'm also learning lots of local slang. The language here in CR is very informal, and there is a lot of slang that is used with everyone.
--Walking. I do a lot of it everyday. My walk to school is 25 solid minutes, so I'm definitely getting my exercise in. Today my mom saw me walking home because she was coming home from the grocery store, and she commented on how fast I walk. She then continued by saying what good exercise walking is, and that pretty soon I'm going to look like..... "a Barbie." I said, I doubt it, but I sure hope so. Haha
--Dancing. I haven't done as much of this as I'd like. But I did go to my host parents' surprise 40th anniversary party and got to dance there. The next day my mom told me that everyone was talking about it. Of course, I assume it's just because I was the only NOT Costa Rican person at the party. But, apparently, not only was I the only white girl, but I was the first white girl that they had seen that knew how dance the Latin dances that they do here. Needless to say, I'm incredibly grateful for my Social Dance class teachers from last year at UT.
Well, I think those are a few highlights. I really have just been going to class and hanging out in Heredia for the past few weeks, so I don't have many exciting stories. But, I definitely love being here. Even the small things like going to school are so different, and I am so grateful for every mundane experience here. Because it's here. I'm in Costa Rica. And I'm being immersed in another culture. How amazing is that? The little mundane things aren't really mundane because they're done in a new place with new sounds, new smells (not always good, but Knoxville doesn't always smell great either, ya know.), and with new people.
I'm learning to truly appreciate God's handiwork. I live in a very urban setting, but basically every time I stop to wait for cars to pass so that I can cross the road, I look up and see these gorgeous mountains. It's incredible. Every time I see them, it hits me that I'm in Costa Rica. That I'm in a lush, tropical part of Central America. That's ridiculous. I'm very blessed, and very grateful.
Thanks for reading. Sorry I wasn't a very organized writer today, but I've been up since 530 (yes, I have to be at class at 7 am. eek!), and so I'm feeling lazy. Hope you all are well and keep the prayers coming, please! :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
blog from the beach!
I am currently covered in sand, repping UT in my Tennessee hat, and listening to my new favorite dance song, which is in Portuguese, all while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, I have asked myself and mis amgios, "Is this real life?" about 10 times in the past 2 days. I am incredibly blessed to be spending the weekend in Manuel Antonio, which is a small town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. I want to give you all a few of the amazing details of this weekend....
--A 3 hour bus ride is all that stood between us and the beach. It could've been a terrible ride, but overall is was very painless. I slept for most of the time, and the other part I spent squealing with mis chicas about how excited we were for the beach.
--Vista Serena Hostel is our home for the weekend. We each paid 20 US Dollars for 2 nights. This 20 paid for a nice bunk bed, 1 shower to split between 14 people, amazing ocean views, plenty of hammocks, and free pan, mantequilla, y marmalada, y cafe for breakfast. This is my first hostel experience and I love it. Everyone here is just here to experience the landscape and culture, and unconcerned with having all the bells and whistles that we require from our hotels in the states.
--We spent the night hanging out and playing cards at the hostel. Oh, and dancing with a group of 9 Argentine guys and girls. If you know me well, you know that one of the most exciting parts of being in Latin America is the dancing aspect of the culture. So for about an hour, I sat and played cards and watched this group of free loving Argentines dance to their music (all in Spanish). Until FINALLY one of them told all of us to come over. After that we showed them some American movies, aka Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and they shared some of their skills as well. It was a surreal night for all of us. Only I was very disappointed to find that none of them could dance the Tango. Seriously?
--We spent the entire day at the Manuel Antonio National Park. It is an incredible beach that inside a cove, so there aren't huge waves, but the water is perfect for swimming. We arrived about 930 and stayed till 330. I slept and swam and explored. So incredible. If I looked out over the ocean, I felt like I was in a scene for Pirates of the Caribbean and if I looked back towards the beach, I felt like I had just crashed into the island from LOST. There were also some pretty incredible animal sightings. We saw monkeys up super close, and a raccoon, yes a raccoon, stole some of our food. Ridiculous, right? Am I in Tennessee or at the beach in Costa Rica?
Anyway, that's about all for now! Thanks for reading, and keep praying for me! Love you all!
Pura Vida!
--A 3 hour bus ride is all that stood between us and the beach. It could've been a terrible ride, but overall is was very painless. I slept for most of the time, and the other part I spent squealing with mis chicas about how excited we were for the beach.
--Vista Serena Hostel is our home for the weekend. We each paid 20 US Dollars for 2 nights. This 20 paid for a nice bunk bed, 1 shower to split between 14 people, amazing ocean views, plenty of hammocks, and free pan, mantequilla, y marmalada, y cafe for breakfast. This is my first hostel experience and I love it. Everyone here is just here to experience the landscape and culture, and unconcerned with having all the bells and whistles that we require from our hotels in the states.
--We spent the night hanging out and playing cards at the hostel. Oh, and dancing with a group of 9 Argentine guys and girls. If you know me well, you know that one of the most exciting parts of being in Latin America is the dancing aspect of the culture. So for about an hour, I sat and played cards and watched this group of free loving Argentines dance to their music (all in Spanish). Until FINALLY one of them told all of us to come over. After that we showed them some American movies, aka Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and they shared some of their skills as well. It was a surreal night for all of us. Only I was very disappointed to find that none of them could dance the Tango. Seriously?
--We spent the entire day at the Manuel Antonio National Park. It is an incredible beach that inside a cove, so there aren't huge waves, but the water is perfect for swimming. We arrived about 930 and stayed till 330. I slept and swam and explored. So incredible. If I looked out over the ocean, I felt like I was in a scene for Pirates of the Caribbean and if I looked back towards the beach, I felt like I had just crashed into the island from LOST. There were also some pretty incredible animal sightings. We saw monkeys up super close, and a raccoon, yes a raccoon, stole some of our food. Ridiculous, right? Am I in Tennessee or at the beach in Costa Rica?
Anyway, that's about all for now! Thanks for reading, and keep praying for me! Love you all!
Pura Vida!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Update, Update!
Okay, its been about 9 days since I last blogged. ALOT has happened in these past 9 days, so I'm just going to start rattling off major events since there's too many things to mention. And I'm lazy.
*Orientation- Monday-Wednesday of last week was spent at the University with the other exchange students in my program. It was mainly boring meetings and signing up for classes. It was such a blessing to have this week to meet and get to know the other students that are in the same situation that I'm in. It was also great to have Ivelina, José, and Luis as our guides. These 3 "Ticos" (Tico is another way to say Costa Rican) work for the program and are basically here to help us with whatever we need.
*Southern Accent- The other Americans in my program are from all over the states. California, Nebraska, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Iowa, Washington, and I think that's all. I was always aware that I have a southern accent, but because I've lived in TN my whole life, it has never been an issue. However, on this trip it has been a topic of conversation. Apparently, my accent it the thickest, or I'm just an easy target. Anyway, I am always aware when I use the word, y'all because at least one Californian or Nebraskan or Washingtonian points it out. At first I was offended and embarrassed. I am very self conscious of this accent as it is often equated with... well, stupidity or ignorance. Neither of which I consider myself. However, after some reassurances from my comrades, I have come to understand it as more endearing to them, and that I am not considered either of the aforementioned characteristics.
*Piña Farm- If you know me very well, you know that Piña, or Pineapple, is my favorite fruit. So when the first stop on our 4 day excursion to the rainforest was a Pineapple plantation, I was stoked. And my expectations were blown out the water. Our tour guide was hilarious and our tour of the totally organic farm was great. We ate lots of Piña, and I was lucky enough to get a "Pineapple Lollipop", see pictures on facebook. The tour ended with more pineapple, pineapple cake, and Piña Coladas in real carved out pineapples. Amazing. Best Piña Colada I've ever had. Oh, and I also won a Piña for answering a question correctly. When pineapple's involved, I'm all ears.... Oh, and it was neat to be on the opposite end of a tour, as I'm usually the one giving the tours. (I'm a tour guide at UT.) It was funny to recognize the cheesy jokes that are told every tour. Not that I tell the same cheesy jokes ever tour or anything...
*Reforestation Project- Friday morning we had the privilege of working with the Saripiqui Learning Center in their Reforestation division. They are a local non-profit working to improve the local rural community. Their reforestation project is trying to connect biological corridors in the area, and therefore, improve the ecological environment. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but i know that we were able to plant about 150 trees in a little over an hour or so. It was such a surreal experience. My planting partner, Anna, is an Environmental Science major, so this was particularly incredible for her. We both just kept saying, "Um, we're planting trees in Costa Rica. How amazing is our life right now." I'm so very grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.
*4-Star Banana Bank- This one will really only have significance for those friends of mine who have been on the Belize trip. We stayed at the Selva Verde Lodge and its basically the same concept as Banana Bank, only bigger, nicer, and cooler. It was incredible to have no AC and still get cold at night. Thank you elevation! We had a lot of free time in the afternoons, so I laid in the hammock and listened to the rain fall while I rested. It was amazing to be in such a beautiful place and have God's creation surrounding you with little man-made constructions blocking it out. It was incredible dark, and loud at night thanks to all the creatures. And the stars were incredible.
I think those are the main events of my time here, thus far. So much more has happened, but I don't want to bore you all, so I will stop here. Thanks so much for all your prayers and words of encouragement. I know that these things are what has made my trip so great thus far. I couldn't do this without knowing the incredible support that I have back home.
Also, I want to thank Mom, Dad, Abby, and Nanny specifically for helping me make this possible. Your love and support and generosity is the only reason I am here, and doing so well. Love you all.
Okey, Hasta Luego! Que tengan una buena semana!
*Orientation- Monday-Wednesday of last week was spent at the University with the other exchange students in my program. It was mainly boring meetings and signing up for classes. It was such a blessing to have this week to meet and get to know the other students that are in the same situation that I'm in. It was also great to have Ivelina, José, and Luis as our guides. These 3 "Ticos" (Tico is another way to say Costa Rican) work for the program and are basically here to help us with whatever we need.
*Southern Accent- The other Americans in my program are from all over the states. California, Nebraska, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Iowa, Washington, and I think that's all. I was always aware that I have a southern accent, but because I've lived in TN my whole life, it has never been an issue. However, on this trip it has been a topic of conversation. Apparently, my accent it the thickest, or I'm just an easy target. Anyway, I am always aware when I use the word, y'all because at least one Californian or Nebraskan or Washingtonian points it out. At first I was offended and embarrassed. I am very self conscious of this accent as it is often equated with... well, stupidity or ignorance. Neither of which I consider myself. However, after some reassurances from my comrades, I have come to understand it as more endearing to them, and that I am not considered either of the aforementioned characteristics.
*Piña Farm- If you know me very well, you know that Piña, or Pineapple, is my favorite fruit. So when the first stop on our 4 day excursion to the rainforest was a Pineapple plantation, I was stoked. And my expectations were blown out the water. Our tour guide was hilarious and our tour of the totally organic farm was great. We ate lots of Piña, and I was lucky enough to get a "Pineapple Lollipop", see pictures on facebook. The tour ended with more pineapple, pineapple cake, and Piña Coladas in real carved out pineapples. Amazing. Best Piña Colada I've ever had. Oh, and I also won a Piña for answering a question correctly. When pineapple's involved, I'm all ears.... Oh, and it was neat to be on the opposite end of a tour, as I'm usually the one giving the tours. (I'm a tour guide at UT.) It was funny to recognize the cheesy jokes that are told every tour. Not that I tell the same cheesy jokes ever tour or anything...
*Reforestation Project- Friday morning we had the privilege of working with the Saripiqui Learning Center in their Reforestation division. They are a local non-profit working to improve the local rural community. Their reforestation project is trying to connect biological corridors in the area, and therefore, improve the ecological environment. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but i know that we were able to plant about 150 trees in a little over an hour or so. It was such a surreal experience. My planting partner, Anna, is an Environmental Science major, so this was particularly incredible for her. We both just kept saying, "Um, we're planting trees in Costa Rica. How amazing is our life right now." I'm so very grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.
*4-Star Banana Bank- This one will really only have significance for those friends of mine who have been on the Belize trip. We stayed at the Selva Verde Lodge and its basically the same concept as Banana Bank, only bigger, nicer, and cooler. It was incredible to have no AC and still get cold at night. Thank you elevation! We had a lot of free time in the afternoons, so I laid in the hammock and listened to the rain fall while I rested. It was amazing to be in such a beautiful place and have God's creation surrounding you with little man-made constructions blocking it out. It was incredible dark, and loud at night thanks to all the creatures. And the stars were incredible.
I think those are the main events of my time here, thus far. So much more has happened, but I don't want to bore you all, so I will stop here. Thanks so much for all your prayers and words of encouragement. I know that these things are what has made my trip so great thus far. I couldn't do this without knowing the incredible support that I have back home.
Also, I want to thank Mom, Dad, Abby, and Nanny specifically for helping me make this possible. Your love and support and generosity is the only reason I am here, and doing so well. Love you all.
Okey, Hasta Luego! Que tengan una buena semana!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Estoy en Costa Rica
I arrived safely in Costa Rica at about 2 pm local time. (Which conveniently is the same as Columbia.) As I was flying out of Charlotte, all I could think was, "Goodbye America. For FIVE whole months." And as I was landing in Costa Rica, I was thinking, "Welcome home for the next FIVE whole months." But despite these concerns and the anxiety that goes with flying and getting through customs, I was at peace. And very excited as I exited the airport to find lots of people holding up signs with names on them. Excited, that is, until I didn't see one with my name. The next 8-10 minutes were not fun. I realized after about 3 minutes that I had memorized the address of my host family, but not their names. So if I needed to ask about them, I wouldn't know their names, great. I had to continually reassure myself that they were going to show, and I wouldn't be stuck outside the airport all night. And of course, they did. I'm very grateful that I only had to spend a mere 8-10 minutes worrying.
Since I met Odilie and Elias, I have felt extremely welcomed and comfortable. Of course, there have been many awkward pauses in conversations as I try to understand them, think of the word I'm trying to say, and then form the rest of my sentence, but they are extremely patient and willing to help me learn. Which is amazing and much more than, I believe, many of us would be, were the roles reversed.
The first stop we made was for food. Actually, one of the first questions they asked me was if I was hungry. I knew from that point on that I was in the right family. We had a little afternoon snack at a local Chinese restaurant. (Although we passed Taco Bell and McDonalds before we arrived at said restaurant.) I had told them that I wasn't extremely hungry, so they pointed out 'helado' on the menu. Helado means ice cream. And if you know me at all, you know that helado is my favorite food. Once again, I'm in the right family.
Their house is adorable. Small, but very nice and well kept up. I have my own room off the laundry room, and my own bathroom connected to my room. It is small, and I have never felt so materialistic in my life as I did when I tried to stuff all my clothing in the small closet. But it was a successful venture, and everything has its place. I plan on adding a picture or two of my room to this blog eventually, but I don't have time now.
My plans for the evening include a 31st birthday party for my parent's daughter, so my sister, I suppose. I guess I should get ready for said party. I believe we are leaving soon. I'm excited and nervous to meet the rest of the family. Hope they are as patient with my broken Spanish as my parents are.
Oh, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have Wi-Fi in my house. Amazing, right? So that means you'll be hearing from me a lot. Decide for yourself if that is good or bad. I'm very glad I have it because I have already skyped with my family. So good to know I can see their faces so often.
I think that's all for now. ¡Pura Vida!
Since I met Odilie and Elias, I have felt extremely welcomed and comfortable. Of course, there have been many awkward pauses in conversations as I try to understand them, think of the word I'm trying to say, and then form the rest of my sentence, but they are extremely patient and willing to help me learn. Which is amazing and much more than, I believe, many of us would be, were the roles reversed.
The first stop we made was for food. Actually, one of the first questions they asked me was if I was hungry. I knew from that point on that I was in the right family. We had a little afternoon snack at a local Chinese restaurant. (Although we passed Taco Bell and McDonalds before we arrived at said restaurant.) I had told them that I wasn't extremely hungry, so they pointed out 'helado' on the menu. Helado means ice cream. And if you know me at all, you know that helado is my favorite food. Once again, I'm in the right family.
Their house is adorable. Small, but very nice and well kept up. I have my own room off the laundry room, and my own bathroom connected to my room. It is small, and I have never felt so materialistic in my life as I did when I tried to stuff all my clothing in the small closet. But it was a successful venture, and everything has its place. I plan on adding a picture or two of my room to this blog eventually, but I don't have time now.
My plans for the evening include a 31st birthday party for my parent's daughter, so my sister, I suppose. I guess I should get ready for said party. I believe we are leaving soon. I'm excited and nervous to meet the rest of the family. Hope they are as patient with my broken Spanish as my parents are.
Oh, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have Wi-Fi in my house. Amazing, right? So that means you'll be hearing from me a lot. Decide for yourself if that is good or bad. I'm very glad I have it because I have already skyped with my family. So good to know I can see their faces so often.
I think that's all for now. ¡Pura Vida!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Costa Rica
I leave for Costa Rica in 3 days. Its incredible. I can't believe that it's actually happening. I've been planning to study abroad since high school, and have been planning this specific semester for over a year. And now it's here. I have had the full range of emotions throughout the past few months. Some days I would be totally stoked and others I would catch myself thinking, "I can't do this. I don't want to go." Right now I feel... ready. I'm scared and nervous and sad, but I know that I'm supposed to do this, and that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't go. Therefore, after all the months and years of planning, I'm ready.
...Except that I'm in no way prepared physically to go. I went on a Wal-Mart/TJ Maxx/Walgreens trip with Nanny today, so I have most everything I need. However, on of it is packed. So tomorrow and Friday look to be busy days. I'm hoping to just take things slowly and methodically pack everything. I'm sure I'll end up just throwing stuff into my bags, though.
Anyway, I am planning to blog frequently throughout the 5 MONTHS I will be in Costa Rica. So if interested, please check back frequently. When I blog, I'll be sure to post on Facebook. Thanks for all the concern and prayers and well wishes everyone has given me. Please continue to pray for me and my family. I think the hardest part will be the fact that we will be separated, so please pray for them, also.
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