Cero Estrés!

YAY...I finally taught my first 5 classes this past week in Santa Teresa (Mal Pais) and they went really well! I was so excited to finally be teaching and I really enjoyed meeting all my new students. I think they liked the classes too; we played a lot of games and they responded well to competition. Most all of my students are beginners or at a pretty basic level, and I have one intermediate group. Teaching beginners is easier, and I don't have to worry about running out of material! It was really fun to finally be doing what I came here to do and I feel very natural and comfortable in my role as a teacher. I was a little bit nervous before, but as soon as I got going I was relaxed and totally enjoying it. My favorite part was at the end of all my classes when I did a "slang word of the day." This week it was "what's up" and "dude." They all seemed to like it and we laughed a lot...I think it's a good way to end the class on a lighter note. For homework I told them they had to use the slang phrases in the street...jaja!

This weekend I celebrated my new found success with friends in Montezuma. Reggae night on the beach on Friday and a little salsa dancing on Saturday (I'm getting better!). Also, two of the guys that I met traveling in Nicaragua were coming through town so I took them to the Montezuma waterfall. There is a second waterfall up above the big one that's about a 10 meter drop (around 30 feet) and the locals always jump off of it. I never thought I'd have the guts to do it, but when I got up there this time and my friends did it I thought what the hell...WOOOOOO! Adrenaline rush!!! I ended up doing it 3 times. Here's a video:



As you can tell, normally life in Costa Rica is pretty stress free, but as I was trying to organize things to get my classes going, I did get a little bit frustrated with the way things work here. It's hard to remember that everything moves a lot slower, and that you can't have the same expectations as you do at home. People do their jobs, but they do things at a different pace, and the typical gringo inside of me wants to have things done faster and more efficiently. The best I can do is to just try to remove myself from that struggle. I notice myself getting stressed out about something I need to get done or I need to figure out (like getting the white board to my classroom, for example), and I have to slow down and say to myself, "Tranquilo!" Everything in it's time. It's a constant reminder to take it easy. I am learning to be patient and adaptable (these are good life lessons). Things will work out like they always do...pura vida!

It's funny how a little stress can shake things up in your head too. I got frustrated and immediately noticed that I started thinking about the things I missed from home. I think overall I've been doing pretty well living the "simple life" here in Costa Rica. I shower with cold water, I eat rice and beans almost 3 meals a day, I never have air conditioning, my floors are concrete, and I don't have a closet or hangers for my clothes. No car, no cellphone, no greek yogurt, arugula or blue cheese covered ribeyes. Not that I'm complaining, but there are just a lot of things I normally take for granted that I'm living without now. Usually I don't miss them, but the other day when the stress hit I couldn't stop thinking about those things that would make life easier (or cleaner, healthier, more technologically advanced) if I was home. But these are the things that I willingly gave up on my quest to live here, and I do believe it's worth the sacrifice to be in such an amazing place...I guess it was just one of those days. Within a few hours the feeling had passed, and I was back to a heart full of gratitude for the experience I am having. My new mantra is cero estrés (zero stress) which is actually a phrase here kinda like pura vida. And I find that like pura vida, the more you say it, the more you feel it to be true...

I'm meeting with the Junta Educativa tomorrow in Montezuma to plan for my classes here, which should begin next week. Then I'm going to see about another cuadraciclo (ATV) that is for sale and I'm really hoping it works out! Wish me luck, and hopefully I'll have pics to show you soon. Ciao chicos!

Visa Run: Nicaragua, Sidetrek: Turrialba

A Continuación...

Dusty bus ride to Santa Teresa

Despite the slow pace and disorganization that seems to rule the land here, I was able to meet with some of my students in Santa Teresa last week to do placement testing (conversing in English) and scheduling for classes. The meetings didn't really go as planned, but it was really nice to finally meet some students. They are the real reason I'm here, and I'm looking forward to spending time working with them and getting to know them better. I also finally got in touch with the Junta Educativo in Montezuma (didn't know that's who I was looking for) and they informed me that I would need an official letter stating my request to use the elementary school for my night classes and that we would have to schedule a meeting before anything would be decided. They didn't seem too keen on giving me a set of keys and full access to the school because apparently there were some problems last time...so now my mission is to convince them that I'm trustworthy, the project is important, and that they should be honored to help us out. In the midst of trying to work these things out, I realized my 3 month tourist visa in Costa Rica was almost up! I honestly didn't feel like taking another trip because I was just getting settled in Cabuya, but I also didn't want to start my classes and then immediately have to take a week off, so I decided to go ahead and make a run for the border...

San Juan del Sur

One of the closest tourist spots in Nicaragua is San Juan del Sur, a colorful little beach town on the Southern Pacific side, just about an hour drive from the border of Costa Rica at Peñas Blancas. I decided that's where I'd go to spend my 3 days a fuera del pais. The trek began last Saturday morning at 6 AM when I got a taxi to Montezuma and caught a bus to the ferry at Paquera. I was planning to do all local buses, but I ended up catching a Trans Nica bus in Puntarenas and it was fabulous - air conditioning and movies too! It made crossing the border a lot easier and faster with the help of the bus crew. Somehow I still managed to get screwed out of about $20 when I exchanged my money with one of the "official" cambio dudes. I changed sixty dollars and got the right amount in Nicaraguan Cordovas, but then I pulled out some Colones and the guy punched in some numbers in his calculator that seemed right...so I took the money and got back on the bus only to realize I had lost money on the transaction. Luckily, it wasn't much, but I learned that with these types of things it's best to SLOW DOWN...think about everything thoroughly and do not feel rushed. That's my advice.

Fire Dancer on the Beach

I arrived in SJDS about an hour before sunset and headed to the Casa de Oro Hostel. There I met some great people and we headed out to the bars to celebrate Bob Marley's birthday in true beach reggae style. Beer is only $1 in the bar in most places in Nicaragua, and the Flor de Caña Rum is cheap and delicious.

On day two I got a ride up to Playa Maderas which is a sweet little spot with great surf breaks and beautiful sunsets. You can stay at a super rustic hostel there or set up camping tents just down the beach if you like. It's ultra tranquilo and beautiful, and we enjoyed a day full of sun, surf, and cerveza.

Playa Maderas

We met some Nicas (Nicaraguans) and started chatting it up in broken Spanish about tourism and the weather, and then a random gringo carnie showed up which turned the conversation to sword swallowing, leading to demonstrations with knifes and platanos and plenty of laughter over the sexual metaphors that we all understood no matter what language was being spoken...JAJAJA! (that's hahaha in Spanish)




Haircut in Nicaragua

Later on we met some peeps from Florida who run a surf company here:

Check it out: NicaraguaSurfReport.com

...and we also met their awesome friend Amy the hair stylist who ended up giving me a (desperately needed) free haircut! Thanks girl! My haircut rocks! We watched a little bit of the super bowl and then headed out for some grub at a local bar (fish sandwich, fries, and a beer, $5).



Danielle & I enjoying some Victorias

My two new gringa friends Danielle and Mega were planning to go to Isla Ometepe together so I jumped on board. I had heard great things about the island and wanted to go, but didn't realize that it was possible with the little time that I had. Turns out it was only 2 hours from SJDS! We left on Monday morning and linked up with 5 other guy travelers on the ferry boat over...one of which is an Aussie guy named Dan who is driving a Jeep from the Arctic Ocean in Northern Alaska all the way down to Tierra Del Fuego, the southern-most point of South America.

You can check out his blog here: TheRoadChoseMe.com


Volcan Concepcion, Ometepe

The 8 of us spent the next two days exploring Ometepe together, which is a gorgeous island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua made up of two huge active volcanoes. The island was actually formed by volcanic eruptions and there are smaller islands around it that were made when the lava spewed into the surrounding lake water. We camped out the first night and had a great view of the majestic "Concepcíon," the bigger of the island's two volcanoes. We made a fire on the beach while sipping Flor de Caña, and then woke up early to do some hiking, wildlife spotting, and swimming in the island's fresh water mineral springs.


Ometepe Crew

We stayed the second night at Finca Magdelena which I would highly recommend. Cheap ($5 a bed), friendly, and it has beautiful views. We drank $1.80 litres of Toña (yummy Nica brew) and ate full plate dinners for about $4. Perfect.

This is where it gets tiring. On Wednesday I had to travel all day to get back to San Jose. I left the finca at 7 AM on a "chicken bus" : (Spanish: "camioneta") a colloquial English name for a colorful modified and decorated US school bus and transit bus that transports goods and people between communities in Honduras and Guatemala.


On the Chicken Bus

The word "chicken" refers to the fact that rural Guatemalans regularly transport live animals on such buses, a practice that visitors from other countries often find remarkable. The buses are also commonly used in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica.

3 buses, 3 taxis, 1 ferry and 13 hours later, I arrived in Costa Rica's capital city. Needless to say I was exhausted, filthy dirty from all the dusty roads, and super thankful for a hot shower. Aside from the heat and dirt and waiting in immigration lines, crossing the border was fairly easy and I felt pretty safe. It would definitely be a bit sketchier if I didn't speak Spanish...but I felt good about getting across on my own and not getting a bad exchange rate this time!

Since I was already in San Jose and it was almost the weekend...I figured I would go spend a few days with my friend Liz in the mountain town of Turrialba, only about an hour and a half bus ride to the east of San Jose. Turrialba is mainly known for it's cheese and it's rivers. The Pacuare River is a big rafting and kayaking destination, with class IV rapids and beautiful canyon views. It was named one of the top 10 river trips by National Geographic.

Waterfall near Turrialba

Liz is another volunteer English teacher working with the same organization which placed her in Turrialba. Her classes are mostly raft guides and other Ticos who work in tourism there. It was great to spend some time with a girlfiend, and she showed me some really cool spots over there like the Santa Rosa Waterfall, which was unreal! It must be almost 100 feet tall, and it just pours over the edge of the cliff with so much fuerza! The area surrounding it is lush and green, super alive and clean, and aside from a few young locals we were the only people there. At the top there's a natural sliding rock into another swimming hole...muy divertido!!!

On Saturday we hit the river for a rafting adventure. The water level is a bit low right now so it wasn't as fast as normal, but it was definitely exhilarating! The river winds through the vast Pacuare Canyon and passes through the Chirripo Indian Reserve where some indiginous people still live today. The water was clear and made up of wonderful shades of light and dark green.


Rafting Rio Pacuare

Our guide was great and our group was a fun mix of English and Spanish speakers, so we got the full tour in both languages (Liz and I were loving it). Liz saw several of her students on the river guiding tours (what a great job), and we even saw some toucans! But no trip to Turrialba would be complete without a taste of the local queso...so Saturday night after several cocktails at the local bars (where BTW we were almost the only foreigners in sight), we headed over to the 24 hour diner for some fried cheese and tortillas...late night munchies hit the spot YUMMMMM!

Good times across the board...but I am so happy to be home and honestly (I can't believe I'm saying this) I don't feel like traveling again for a while! We'll see how long that lasts, but I'm just craving a little stability and I'm sooooo ready to get into my teaching groove. Wish me luck. Love to ALL!

Current song stuck in my head: Agarra la mano (Sean Paul)

Current mission: buy a CUADRACYCLO (ATV) - decided to go with 4 wheels instead of 2...para mi seguridad

Current local news: Laura Chinchilla was elected as the first woman president in Costa Rica! You go girl!

Current weather back in Cabuya: hot and sunny with a high chance of dust storms

Current state of mind: delirious...

BU-YA! Back to Cabuya...

The Road to Nowhere
So I spent my first few nights in a hotel in Mal Pais waiting to be placed in a homestay (meanwhile enjoying the beautiful wide beaches and hanging out with some uber chill surfer dudes who live there part of the year). Then I came to Montezuma and stayed a few nights with the local partner William who runs the waterfall canopy tour here. Unfortunately my homestay options were not totally worked out yet and as it is here in Costa Rica, things were moving kinda slow (Side note: I think this was a rare case as most of the other volunteers were placed immediately and really happy with their homestays). I had been in contact with the family that I stayed with back in November when I was here and finally decided to go and live with them again in Cabuya, which is a little tranquilo town sort of in between Montezuma and Mal Pais. I can't tell you how good it feels now to finally be all set up in my own space with a sweet family who has been very welcoming...mi casa es su casa kind of vibe.

Mi habitacion
My room is a private cabina just in front of the family's house surrounded by gardens. It's really comfy and has tons of space, a set of bunk beds for visitors (hint hint), and a clean private bano. They've even made some improvements on the place since I was last here like lining the ceiling with wood to keep it cooler during the day and adding a bigger bed. Last night I did some decorating with the few things that I had to make it feel more like home. I'm eating all my meals with the family, which means rice and beans with every meal, but the company is great and there's always Salsa Lizano! My new family is: mom Yessenia who works part time in a hotel in Montezuma, dad Lukas who works at the local super (grocery store), brother Jaudi (16) and sister Kataryn (14) who both seem really mature for their age, and little sister Tiffany (5) who is the cutest and most friendly of all.

Tiffany (right) with friend Sofia & the neighbor's dog Lula
It's really different here in these small towns because it's basically just a few big families who have been here forever, own the land, and live and work in the community. Quite a change from city life. Next door lives Lukas's mom and brother with his family, and Yessenia's sister lives down the street. The local partner in Mal Pais is a primo (cousin) and so was my taxi driver the other night! Everybody knows everybody and there's a strong sense of community here. I'm stoked to call this place home for a while.

I ordered my new moto the other day and it should be arriving at the dealership in Cobano by Monday or Tuesday! It's a brand new silver-grey (I hope) Honda Wave 100cc!!! It's semi-automatico which means there are gears to change but there's no clutch. Just need to practice driving it around the hood until I get good...I'm trusting that it will come quite naturally and I'll be riding like a pro in no time;)

Last night I had a meeting with the Camara de Turismo in Mal Pais to determine my class schedule over there. We will be doing placement tests this week to group the students and classes will begin the following week. I'm still working on getting things organized for my classes here in Montezuma, but like I said before, everything moves a little slower here so I'm not surprised. The kids schools are closed right now (this is like their summer break) so trying to find the right person to coordinate with has been tough, but I'm sure we'll get it figured out soon. And at least this way I have a little more time to plan my classes!

Sign in Cabuya
Although Mal Pais is only 7 km from Cabuya, the road between the two is so unbelievably bad that it's almost unpassable. I'm planning to take the longer way around when I go during the day, but there's no way I can come back at night. So it turns out I'll be spending two nights a week in the Mal Pais-Santa Teresa area when I have my classes over there (Wednesdays and Thursdays) . At first I was a little bummed when I realized I'd be away from "home" so much, but now I'm excited because I'll have the chance to get to know that area a little better now (and have some beers with my students after class). The Camara offered me a place to stay there (with a local family) on the nights that I teach and they are even going to give me a little gas money, so it should be an easy once a week trip.

Other than that everything is good, I've been making friends and running into people that I met here before, spending time on the beach and at the fabulous Montezuma waterfalls, and gathering materials for my classes. Soon everything will be set in motion!

"Una Puma"
I'll end with a little bit of Tico slang I just learned:
1,000 colones = un rojo (because the bill is red)
2,000 colones = un delphin (because there's a dolphin on the bill)
5,000 colones = un toucan
10,000 colones = una puma
There's a joke too...do you know about the ecological tour of San Jose? A guy at a bar with pumas and toucans in the pockets and a fox on each knee. Jajaja.

CREST Volunteer Orientation and Training - January 2010

Orientation

Teacher orientation began on Friday, January 15th here in Costa Rica. Most of the new volunteers were flying in from the states on the day before. I met up with a few of them in San Jose and we were driven out to El Centro Espiral Maná in El Imbu de Peñas Blancas de San Ramon, just south of La Fortuna. On the first day we met with Marta Blanco from the Presidential Office, Aitor Llodio from ALIARSE, and our new leader/teacher trainer, Emma Torres. We discussed the project, it's goals and mission, and how we would play an integral part in achieving those objectives. I felt inspired to know that I was going to be involved with such an important program for Costa Rica, and that I might play a role in improving the lives of my students by helping them get better jobs. Through this work the program also aims to improve the economy of Costa Rica by making it a more appealing place to develop international businesses - with more English speakers more jobs will be brought here. And how exciting to know that each one of these teachers here will become a part of some small community or another, reaching out to the locals and making an impact on their education.

Lodging at Centro Espiral Maná

For the next 5 days we worked on preparing ourselves to teach. We covered topics such as lesson planning and objectives, learning styles, ECRIF, and cultural issues. Emma was great about answering all of our questions and addressing any concerns we had about the program. We also enjoyed delicious home cooked meals made by two lovely tica cooks 3 times a day. They even made us snacks for our breaks and desserts too (the class favorites included coconut cookies and rice pudding...YUM!) On Sunday we had the morning free so we took a trip to La Fortuna. We hoped to visit Volcán Arenal but as is often the case it was really cloudy and we couldn't see much. Instead we opted for a relaxing visit to the hot springs which was really nice. We spent some time walking around La Fortuna and meeting some of the locals there as well. It's a beautiful little town with stunning views of the Volcano as a backdrop, definitely a must see here in Costa Rica.

La Fortuna

We did some practice teaching on the last day with the local students in El Imbu and the class went really well! We all felt good about getting up there in front of the class and realizing that we weren't as nervous as we thought! The Costa Rican people are usually super nice and easy to work with, and I think we all got a little more excited about all the wonderful people we will be getting to know in our respective communities. Connecting with the locals and making new friends will be one of the most rewarding parts of this program. And we've already begun to experience that with each other. The last night at training we had a little party, danced and played poker, and drank (maybe a little too much) Flor de Caña, a delicious Nicaraguan rum. It was a great ending to our orientation session!

Fiesta de Despedida

Yesterday we headed out to our sites...Montezuma/Mal Pais, Turrialba, Uvita, and Puerto Jimenez. I was super excited to finally arrive in my community and get settled in, but it was a little sad to be parting ways with the other volunteers - we've all become good friends and naturally bonded after spending 5 days together. We do plan to keep in touch and possibly take trips to visit eachother on the weekends so hopefully we can make that happen. And with the internet we can keep each other posted on our progress and share lesson plan ideas. Are we ready to teach? I think we're all feeling a lot more confident and prepared now, definitely a little scared about those first few days, but ready to jump in and start swimming. Becoming a great teacher is an ongoing process and we will always be making improvements to our methods and critiquing ourselves. I think the best we can do is just to trust our instincts, embrace our mistakes, and strive to constantly be better. How exciting to have this opportunity to teach and to learn so much about Costa Rica and about ourselves! VAMOS!

Gratitude

Happy New Year!
New Years Resolution: BLOG! In the past few months I sort of dropped the ball on my blog. I guess I got carried away enjoying this tropical paradise and didn't want to spend more time in front of the computer (I already spend enough time on facebook, right?). But I really do enjoy writing these posts and I want to continue. I'm thinking of it as blog therapy, to help me process what I'm feeling by sharing my adventures with my friends and family, and also creating a record of my experience.

I wanted my first post of the new year to reflect an emotion that I am inviting into my life more and more these days: Gratitude. In honor of an amazing 2009, the beginning of a new adventure in 2010, and the "gratitude journal" I've been keeping (which BTW is an app for the iPhone/iPod touch that I highly recommend...such a simple, easy way to keep a journal on the go AND it helps you stay focused on the positive), this first post will include a little compilation of journal entries and status updates to outline the past few months of my life here in Costa Rica. But first, the big news:

I got a job here in Costa Rica for the next 6 months (possibly longer) working as an English teacher in Montezuma and Mal Pais, two beautiful little beach towns located near each other on the tip of the Nicoya Penninsula! The job is through an organization called ALIARSE's CREST program (Costa Rica English for Sustainable Tourism), in association with the Costa Rican government's Programa Costa Rica Multilingue, and the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT). I will be teaching English to adults who work in the tourism sector in rural communities. The idea is that by speaking better English, these students can than find better jobs in tourism. The need for English speakers is at an all time high in Costa Rica, so much so that in 2007 President Oscar Arias began an initiative to make Costa Rica bilingual by 2017. The CREST program is a part of that initiative.

I will be living with a sweet Costa Rican family who will keep me fed (lots of rice and beans I'm sure), and I'm planning to buy a scooter to get myself around. The job is exactly what I was looking for and I am so grateful that I was able to find a position in a small beach town and not have to go live in San Jose where the majority of the ESL jobs are...this is truly the manifestation of a dream for me!!! I am in love with Costa Rica...the latin culture, the natural beauty, and the friendly people. I want to stay for a while and I hope some of you will come visit me! PURA VIDA!

In the spirit of gratitude, let me just add that despite this blessed life I've been living *gracias a dios*, I am above all most thankful for my good friends and my family - who are there for me through not only the good times but also the bad - because you make life worth it! So to all of you, new friends and old, here, there, and everywhere, whether you're reading this or not, THANK YOU SO MUCH & I LOVE YOU!

Catching up on the past few months...

*Mid-September to mid-October: Traveled around Costa Rica~Dominical, Manuel Antonio, Cauhita, Puerto Viejo, Heredia, and Bocas del Toro in Panama.

Sunset in Dominical

October 3 at 2:55pm starting to dream in SPANGLISH..

October 11 at 12:51pm went to an all TICO party last night...played Nintendo Wii and watched Costa Rica beat Trinidad & Tobago 4-0!!! learned more slang...spoke spanish for 6 hours straight!

October 14 at 12:16pm at first i wasn't sure who to route for....but alas...sorry USA, you've already qualified for the world cup...entonces...GO Costa Rrrrrrrrrrrrica!!! (that's a rolled "R")

October 15 at 6:35pm swam with some really big fish today like 2 feet long and a whole school of them! Now it´s time for coconut rice, pescado y platanos Caribbean style...loving Puerto Viejo!

October 20 at 3:39pm I am super in love with the fact that you can get fresh fruit drinks at almost any restaurant! so healthy & natural & refreshing, my faves are papaya in agua, banana in leche, and guanabana in agua...YUM!!!

*Back in SAMARA

October 26 at 12:00pm finally got stung by a jellyfish yesterday...and saw the biggest cricket of my life! but the best part of my day was watching these iguanas courting and then having sex!

November 2 at 3:54pm the monkeys are here for a visit!

November 9 at 12:29pm had both a racoon and a bat in the house last night...bienvendios a Costa Rica!

*Back to USA for a week

November 14 at 12:48pm feeling *blessed* to be in JOJA on this gorgeous fall day...yes yes y'all...love to my athens peeps!

Nov 18, 2009 9:28 PM my awesome amiga tica Sofia y su mama...i was invited to stay with them at their home in San Jose on the day I returned from ATL...they were super sweet and made me dinner and breakfast!

*Moved to Montezuma/Cabuya to volunteer in the school and with the turtles for a few weeks
Toucan in Cabuya

Nov 22 2009 at 8:43pm stoked on my new homestay in Cabuya... super nice family, my own room and bathroom, meeting lots of nice people around town and other volunteers

Nov 23, 2009 8:36 AM dreamed I was moving to Miami last night...hmmm...prediciton for 2011?

Nov 24, 2009 9:44 PM I need a scooter...depending on other people for rides is lame...it's like high school, and without cell phones too!

Nov 25, 2009 10:24 AM give thanks for chiles and homemade hot sauce!!! i'm actually getting used to eating rice and beans at every meal!

November 26 at 5:15pm HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Interesting thanksgiving so far...played with baby howler monkeys, watched an ocelot kill a chicken, and got pecked by a beautiful tucan whose beak felt like plastic!

GIVING THANKS...so thankful for all the gifts and comforts I've been given in my life...seeing the humble lives of these people in small pueblos in CR who are so happy and grateful for the little that they have, it really makes you realize just how blessed we are, and that we could easily live with so much less...there are poor people here who are so happy, always answering "muy bien, pura vida, todo bien, gracias a dios." They constantly give thanks for their health and happiness, and find joy in the simplest of things. It is truly eye opening to be surrounded by this attitude...such a reminder that every moment of life is a gift that should be celebrated with gusto!!!

Nov 27, 2009 10:05 AM super fun thanksgiving dinner last night with my new friends from Colorado!

Montezuma Waterfall

November 28 at 1:56pm Spent the morning hiking and swimming under waterfalls...what a beautiful world!

Nov 29, 2009 3:29 PM best hangover cure ever = beach + advil + watermelon + sunshine...I'm so not ready to leave CR I am loving it here!

November 30 at 2:24 pm feeling inspired and longing to make art...perhaps found object sculptures with driftwood and shells...yes yes i need a space to do art in my new home where ever that may be

Dec 01, 2009 5:58 PM amazing experience with the tortugas last night!!! que suerte tengo yo! full moon lit beach, 2 turtles laying eggs in the sand, and 3 nests hatching in one night! I helped release over 200 baby sea turtles into the sand and watch them run to the ocean to begin their lives...so adorable! worked really hard but it felt really good to sweat like that...staying up till 4 AM with the babies, carrying bag after bag of pure sand back and forth to the hatchery this morning...wow! thank god there are people who dedicate months at a time to do this work...the hours are insane, you don't sleep much, and the living quarters are muy rustico!

Dec 03, 2009 2:58 PM every night is reggae night somewhere!

Dec 05, 2009 2:05 PM sweet new Aussie friend, good conversation, girl talk on the beach, red wine & a yummy dinner

Dec 06, 2009 10:10 AM today i'm thankful for honesty...

Dec 07, 2009 4:01 PM enjoying the ride (litteraly) on the daily bus back & forth from cabuya to montezuma, always meeting new people...also stoked I'm getting paid $500 for my first graphic design project ever: new menus for a restaurant here in CR!

Dec 08, 2009 3:25 PM trust the flow and keep dreaming~

Boa in Cabo Blanco

Dec 09, 2009 8:02 PM crazy wildlife encounter with a BOA constrictor snake today at Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve!!! great hike, 4 hours of wildlife spotting and exercise...

Dec 16, 2009 3:44 PM YAY!!! 2 awesome job opportunities have fallen into my lap! loving that last minute magic~

Dec 18, 2009 5:32 PM I feel so good knowing that I can move to another country all by myself and carve out a life for myself, make new friends, find work, and experience other cultures first hand by making friends with the locals! this in itself feels like such an achievement!

*Tamarindo for NAVIDAD...

The Family

Dec 19, 2009 11:34 AM on my way to meet my family and two of my best friends who are visiting for the holidays! so stoked to be sharing this experience with them!

Dec 22, 2009 9:12 AM ahhh...air conditioning and hot water showers!

Dec 25, 2009 7:32 AM feliz navidad! an adrenaline rushing adventure tour is a great way to celebrate the holiday...horseback riding, tubing down class III rapids, ziplining through the canopy, and finishing with a volcanic mud bath and a soak in the natural hot springs...perfecto!
Melissa and Torey

*Samara

Dec 27, 2009 4:56 PM stoked to be sharing my sweet little town of Samara with my loved ones and introducing them to my tico friends!

Dec 28, 2009 11:34 AM got the job in Montezuma & Mal Pais! so stoked!!!

Dec 31, 2009 10:38 AM almost the new year...what an amazing 2009...so glad I got to spend the last 2 weeks of the year with my family and close friends! welcoming 2010 with open arms...here's to a new year full of adventure and new experiences...it is all unfolding just as it should and I couldn't be happier. feliz año nuevo!
Ladies Night in Samara

Coconuts & Capriticas...

15 interesting things I've learned in CR (so far)...

1. Having a bike here is essential and cheap. Learning how to effectively dodge potholes (often full of muddy water) and bats (at night)....priceless.

2. Coconuts can and will fall at any given moment (heads up!)

3. Ants are everywhere; it's normal to squish them or flick them off your body at any given moment and it's not surprising if you eat or drink one occasionally. Dry foods need to be triple bagged!

4. DEET is my friend, especially after it rains...bring on the chemicals!

5. Black beans & rice (or gallo pinto) with every meal is totally normal (including breakfast).

6. There are no addresses here in Costa Rica, and directions are based on landmarks like restaurants, churches, city buildings, etc, that may or may not still be standing. 100M usually equals one block.

7. A “soda” is a small restaurant usually in front of someone's home that serves typical Costa Rican food like gallo pinto, meat, plantains, etc., and is usually around $3 for a huge plate of food.

8. Eggs & milk apparently do not need to be refrigerated and are always sitting out in the supermarkets room temperature.

9. Monkeys, roosters, and even frogs can be extremely loud!

10. Geckos rock! They eat the other insects and they're super fun to watch.

11. Gringo/gringa refers to people from the United States only (Canadians are not gringos)...and apparently this term originated in Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The US soldiers were dressed in army green and the Mexicans shouted "Green go home!" Eventually this was shortened to "gringo."

12. Limon=some kind of bitter lime. Normal lemons & limes are scarce. Vodka sodas just aren't the same here....but the Capriticas are delicious (these are like Caparinias but made with Guaro instead of Cachaca).

13. In most homes here, the TV is always on, even if no one is watching it. It's like back ground noise. Maybe ticos don't like to be alone.

14. Here in Costa Rica, everything is rica/rico (rich)...the food, the drink, the weather...if it's good, you say que rico (how rich).

15. Pura Vida isn't just a saying, it's a way of life. I think this is why ticos have such a high life expectancy rate....it's one of the highest in the world!

*****
I've been a bad blogger...no time or desire to sit in front of the computer for too long...but making a list like that turned out to be pretty fun. A quick run down on what's been happening here: I finished the TEFL course with flying colors, got my certification and a fabulous looking portfolio so I'm all set to teach, but I probably won't start a long term position until January. Most schools aren't hiring at the moment, but in January I should be able to start teaching for the new semester. In the meantime, I'm starting private Spanish lessons tomorrow and will be studying all this week. I feel like my Spanish has gotten worse after all that English study in the TEFL course! All in all it's improved a lot since I arrived, but now I'm starting to make stupid mistakes so I really want to study more and clear up my confusions. Then around 20th I'm heading out to travel around the country...so excited about this part...going to the Caribbean side and then down into Panama to Bocas del Toro! I have to leave the country by the 18th of October for my 3 month "visa run" (this is how a lot of expats stay here...just leave for 3 days and then come back with another 3 month tourist visa). Then we'll head back up the Pacific side to the Osa Peninsula and up through Dominical...and back to Samara by the end of October. It should be a super fun adventure and I'm traveling with a tico so I kind of have a built in tour guide and free Spanish lessons...pura vida! In November I'm planning to do some volunteer work, possibly teaching English to kids in local public schools, or in after school programs. I'm not sure exactly where yet, but I'm looking at some different options, including Montezuma and a small town north of Tamarindo called Potrero. If that doesn't work out I might go work on a farm or a ranch in the mountains or central valley. Time will tell!

Today was a great day...Sundays are always nice...a long walk on the beach this morning where I got a little too much sun (no worries...it should fade into a nice tan), and I encountered a dead baby alligator! It was so cute even though it was dead...only about a foot and a half long plus the tail...just a little baby...and I was able to get really close to it and examine it's scaly skin...so crazy! These creatures seem so archaic to me! Then I swam and showered and had lunch with several friends at a beach bar. Took a bike ride to do some shopping, then came home and relaxed until dinner. Marisol (my mamatica) made us fresh Lodo (parrot fish?) that she had purchased from the fisherman today...it was so fresh! She seasoned it lightly with garlic and rosemary and it was delicioso...muy rico pescado!

Thanks for reading and keep in touch...I miss you all mucho! Here's a few pics (there's a bunch more on facebook). xoxo

Local tico English students including mi Mamatica Marisol (center)...the TEFL graduates...the pig roast party...another beautiful day at the beach...gringas!

Buenos Dias! Finally I’ve found some time to blog! Between all the traveling, studying, lesson planning, teaching, and socializing, I’ve been a very busy girl…I haven’t even had much time to sunbathe and my tan actually started to fade this week! But luckily I got some beach time in yesterday at the World Surf Tournament in Playa Hermosa. We took a busetta down from Samara and spent the day on the black sand beach which was packed full of people…it was a little insane and chaotic, but we enjoyed the day drinking on the beach…although we didn’t catch much of the competition (it was so packed we couldn’t get that close up). I’ll post a few pics below.

The TEFL course began on Monday and we hit the ground running! I taught my first 2 classes on Wednesday and Thursday with a partner and had my first solo class on Friday. I can’t believe I made it through all that lesson planning! It was a long week…and I remembered what it felt like to be stressed out after two weeks of pura vida…but I am really enjoying the teaching, the locals here are so nice and easy to work with, they really make it fun…and it’s totally rewarding to hear them speaking English with the most adorable accents!

Last weekend I went on an excursion with some friends from the Spanish school up to Volcan Arenal, Tabacon Hot Springs, La Fortuna, and Monteverde. The first night we visited a hot springs resort called Baldi…it was super nice and had a huge variety of pools at different temperatures with waterfalls and swim up bars. One pool was close to 150^ F…needless to say no one could really hang out in there…but it was really cool to feel. Then on Saturday we went to a river with a rope swing and hung out there for a while…super fun! Here's a video of me screaming...



Then we went up to La Fortuna, which is a bigger town…we ate lunch and did a little shopping…I bought a watch! (they don’t sell them in Samara) It’s been so weird without a cell phone, I never know what time it is…and it’s even weirder not to be able to text…if you make plans with someone you pretty much have to stick to it…and if it rains you both assume it is cancelled. It makes dating really different for sure! But it’s kind of a nice change of pace…takes you back to a slower time. Now I can say I really understand the meaning of being on “tico time."

Anyways the last part of the excursion was the zip line canopy tour in Monteverde…super adrenaline rush! They apparently have the longest cables in the country at the place we went, and to top that off a Tarzan swing! You jump from a platform and free fall for a few seconds before the rope catches you (that was the scariest part…but they push you off the platform so you have no choice) and then you swing back and forth through the tree tops…pura vida!

Everything is pura vida here… How are you? “Pura vida.” Thank you. “Pura vida.” Adios! "Pura vida." I'm sorry... "Pura vida.” Is he a nice guy? "Yeah, he's pura vida." So funny!

Que mas? My Spanish is good, but I really want to get better...I can talk for hours but my verb tenses aren't that good. I've been learning a little slang which is fun...and I can totally talk with an attitude;) Pero quando tango demasiado sueno...mi mente no funciona en espanol. And then there are the occasional slip ups...one night during my second week here I accidentally asked the bartender for the most expensive beer they had...oops...I meant to say cheapest! I'm thinking about more Spanish classes after the TEFL...it would really help.

Here's some pics and here's the link to the facebook album I posted today with tons more pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=30396&id=1061919043&l=4368621d95

Sunset in Tamarindo

Mi Mamatica & Sistas

Volcan Arenal

Zipline crew in Monteverde

Surf Competition in Hermosa

Scarlet Macaws!