Sunday, July 7, 2013
What vacation is all about...
So, today was a wonderful day in Cartegena! It started around 930 for breakfast. I had a delicious plate of Colombian scrambled eggs and a large plate of pineapple and watermelon. Then breakfast was followed by 3 more hours of SLEEP! Ahhh...so relaxing! Our hotel room is nice and dark so it's nice and cozy. Two of the other girls slept til about 4 so I think I did alright. My roomie and I decided we wanted some exercise so we went for a walk. We had some nice photo ops and visited a little market. When we got back, I was able to FaceTime with my rents AND my beautiful niece! Best part of my day, for sure! Then I watched a lil Batman in Spanish before heading to dinner. We had dinner on 'Bourbon Street'. Big open seating outside w multiple restaurants to choose from. We ended up at a little pizzeria and enjoyed a wonderful dinner outside w a faint breeze and serenades from some locals. Overall today was just about perfect! Tomorrow we head for the beach! 😃🌊
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Adios Honduras, Hello New Adventures
So, as most of you know, I have wrapped up my time in Honduras! It was a bittersweet goodbye as I have some very good friends I had to say bye to, but also exciting to start something new. What is that something new you ask? I'll get to that in a minute. First I want to sum up my time in Honduras-what I hope to take away from it all and such...
One thing that is undeniable about (most) the Hondurans I met is that they are selfless people who will do whatever is needed to help someone else. This is how we should all strive to live as we share Gods love. I noticed many times that I was unwilling to do that-I didn't want to share my food to the person who may have forgotten theirs, I didn't want to lend my money to someone, etc. Now, I may or may not have done it anyway but my heart wasn't right either way. The Lord has reminded me that it's not MY stuff anyway-it all belongs to Him and I should see how He wants me to use it. Also, in the midst of moving back I had to sell/give many of my belongings. Satan reared his ugly head in this as I felt I deserved all this money for my things and I became bitter when I didn't get as much as I thought I deserved...and once again I was reminded I am already blessed beyond what I deserve. I said goodbye to many things I thought I HAD to have and I realize now, I can/will survive without them! There are many other things The Lord has worked on me with over these past two years and if you'd like to chat about, lets get coffee sometime!
Now, I moved home (with my parents ) last Monday. I got most everything unpacked and put somewhere just in time for me to repack and head back out for another 9 weeks! Which leads me to the now...I left yesterday(Friday) at 6 pm from kc, spent 3 hrs in Atlanta before heading to Bogota Colombia where I spent 4 hours (from 3am-7am) before making it to Cartegena Colombia. Here I have met up with 2 girls I had the pleasure of meeting last summer in Costa Rica! Our plan is to stay in Cart for 4 days and then head back to Bogota for 4 days. After that, the girls return home while I venture on to Quito, Ecuador for an 8 week intensive Spanish Immersion program! Go me! My goal is to be nearly fluent as I return (IF I return...hahaha) to KC. Upon my re entry to the states, my plans are the following...
That's right - I don't have any! 😱In reality, I plan on substitute teaching until something else comes my way...I will keep all options open until then! Of course I welcome your prayers as I embark on this crazy next chapter of life! I'm excited to see where/what God has up His sleeve for me!
I will TRY and post updates along my way. Unfortunately pictures will not come until I have returned in September, so be patient in that! Feel free to comment and give feedback along the way!
Abrazos y besos,
Sierra
One thing that is undeniable about (most) the Hondurans I met is that they are selfless people who will do whatever is needed to help someone else. This is how we should all strive to live as we share Gods love. I noticed many times that I was unwilling to do that-I didn't want to share my food to the person who may have forgotten theirs, I didn't want to lend my money to someone, etc. Now, I may or may not have done it anyway but my heart wasn't right either way. The Lord has reminded me that it's not MY stuff anyway-it all belongs to Him and I should see how He wants me to use it. Also, in the midst of moving back I had to sell/give many of my belongings. Satan reared his ugly head in this as I felt I deserved all this money for my things and I became bitter when I didn't get as much as I thought I deserved...and once again I was reminded I am already blessed beyond what I deserve. I said goodbye to many things I thought I HAD to have and I realize now, I can/will survive without them! There are many other things The Lord has worked on me with over these past two years and if you'd like to chat about, lets get coffee sometime!
Now, I moved home (with my parents ) last Monday. I got most everything unpacked and put somewhere just in time for me to repack and head back out for another 9 weeks! Which leads me to the now...I left yesterday(Friday) at 6 pm from kc, spent 3 hrs in Atlanta before heading to Bogota Colombia where I spent 4 hours (from 3am-7am) before making it to Cartegena Colombia. Here I have met up with 2 girls I had the pleasure of meeting last summer in Costa Rica! Our plan is to stay in Cart for 4 days and then head back to Bogota for 4 days. After that, the girls return home while I venture on to Quito, Ecuador for an 8 week intensive Spanish Immersion program! Go me! My goal is to be nearly fluent as I return (IF I return...hahaha) to KC. Upon my re entry to the states, my plans are the following...
That's right - I don't have any! 😱In reality, I plan on substitute teaching until something else comes my way...I will keep all options open until then! Of course I welcome your prayers as I embark on this crazy next chapter of life! I'm excited to see where/what God has up His sleeve for me!
I will TRY and post updates along my way. Unfortunately pictures will not come until I have returned in September, so be patient in that! Feel free to comment and give feedback along the way!
Abrazos y besos,
Sierra
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Year 2 - What Was I Thinking?
Hello readers! I know, I know...we haven't communicated in SOOO long. Well, here I am so let's not focus on the past! :)
I want to start by saying I had one of the best summers home even though it was only 3 short weeks! I know I wasn't able to see all of you but unfortunately that's just the way the cookie crumbled. But those of you I saw - you made my heart happy! THANK YOU! I spent time with the folks (even though they would argue that I was out of the house more than i was in), I got to see where my brother and his wife (and baby) live, my best friend from elementary school made a trip to KC to see me (Haley Paxson - I love you!), I went salsa dancing (believe it or not I danced more in KC than I do in Honduras...weird, right?), I had a wonderful trip to Wichita to spend time with Tiffani - my bff - and had the pleasure of grilling her boyfriend before I approved :), and I got to spend a few days visiting some wonderful friends with their ADORABLE little ninos/ninas! I ate great american food and spent lots of time on the couch relaxing! Those three weeks made it extremely difficult to return to my temporary home in Honduras. But alas, I made it back and lifes routine kicked in quite quickly.
I arrived on Saturday, Aug 4 and teachers started meeting on the following Monday. We had a fairly busy week not only with work but the gringa clan decided to start the Body for Life program which meant working out....IN THE MORNING! Our teacher week was a good trial run to see if we could all actually wake up bw 5 and 6 to go workout - twas a success (we just finished our first month and haven't missed a day. I'm down 5 pounds!). Aside from school work and working out, we also had a big MOVE when we welcomed Lindsey into our home. Lindsey worked with us last year but lived in the other school house. Her roommate finished her contract last year and therefore left Lindsey by herself in a 4 bedroom home...and that can get a little creepy here in Honduras so she moved in with us. I must say, we are all getting along VERY well compared to how we all thought it was going to be! So for those who have been praying for a smooth living transition for us - it worked and I thank you - and God of course!
So on to the crazy stuff - school. When I told people that I decided to come back and finish my contract, I told them it was because I believed it would be easier the second time around. I knew what I was getting myself into, we have a new superintendent so things would be ran better, I knew the kids, etc. WELL - silly me for thinking any of that! I felt like I have had to start over from scratch...and I suppose the beginning of the year last year is too far in the past for me to remember some of the things I had to deal with...but I was reminded with a slap in the face again this year.
As most of you know, as I was flying back here to start my second year I had no idea which classes I would be teaching and no idea what classroom I would be teaching in. I found out on the 2nd or 3rd day of teacher week that I would be keeping my old classroom (what a relief, right?). Well, unfortunately the end of last year since we were told we would be moving rooms, we moved out ALL the desks and traded them for less quality desks. So staying in my room meant that we had to move ALL the desks AGAIN before we could begin setting up the rooms. Fortunately the school maintenance staff helped with this battle so it wasn't near as bad as the first time around! I got my schedule the next day or so...it wasn't horrible...but I was a wee bit bummed because I would not have a lot of my students from last year (which I grew to LOVE). But I dealt...until I was told that my schedule had changed and they took away the one class I was most looking forward to teaching. So a few tears later, I adapted and began to prepare. This second revision of my class (just days before students would be here) was actually quite nice because I had taught the classes last year so I wouldn't have to do any new planning! I began seeing all the upsides to this new schedule (only 10th and 11th graders). Well, the Sunday before classes started, I went up to the school to finish some things in my classroom. As I was finishing up, the principle came to me and started a sentence with "Miss Sierra please don't be mad but we had to do it in order to make the schedules work!" My stomach dropped and water began to fill my eyes instantly - I knew where this was going...
My ENTIRE schedule had changed (along with the other math teachers') and I am now teaching 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade! Bye bye easy year and welcome back to having FIVE different classes to prepare for! Now, I've taught the 10th and 11th grade classes so I shouldn't have to totally re-invent the wheel for them but the other 3...new challenges! BUT the upside is that I've always wondered if I would like teaching middle school so now I get to test it out. And I love the senior class this year so being able to teach them will be a delight for me! SO - it wasn't ideal news for the day before school but we all had to deal and we're getting used to the craziness.
I'm exhausted at the end of each day because I teach from 8 to 12:15 with only a 30 min lunch break before my last class. THe plus is that I have the last 2 hours of the day free - but by the time I get there all I can do is sit at my desk and stare at the walls! :)
I did resume the position of STUCO Sponsor this year and I can't be more excited about the council this year! We have some very motivated and creative kids! They have already written a proposal to change a school policy. We've got lots of creative ideas for events and such and I just adore all of them. The President is the BEST - He is SOOOO enthusiastic and happy ALL the time and he really does take a lot of pride in his school. I really hope we can make some differences in the school this year with this team!
So - overall I have had my ups and downs for sure but I'm glad I'm back. And I'm glad this is the last year! Haha! On a sadder note - because I am here I am missing some pretty major events back home.
My cousin Alyssa is getting married TODAY (the first female cousin to tie the knot) and my new baby niece is to be born this month - it kills me not to be home for these occasions! Welcome to the real world I suppose. Anyway, I miss you all! But I am making some wonderful memories and wonderful friends! I am still so very thankful for the opportunity to live here and I'm looking forward to the next phase (wherever that may be ;)
Take care all. Another month or two and I'll catch you back up to date! Peace!
I want to start by saying I had one of the best summers home even though it was only 3 short weeks! I know I wasn't able to see all of you but unfortunately that's just the way the cookie crumbled. But those of you I saw - you made my heart happy! THANK YOU! I spent time with the folks (even though they would argue that I was out of the house more than i was in), I got to see where my brother and his wife (and baby) live, my best friend from elementary school made a trip to KC to see me (Haley Paxson - I love you!), I went salsa dancing (believe it or not I danced more in KC than I do in Honduras...weird, right?), I had a wonderful trip to Wichita to spend time with Tiffani - my bff - and had the pleasure of grilling her boyfriend before I approved :), and I got to spend a few days visiting some wonderful friends with their ADORABLE little ninos/ninas! I ate great american food and spent lots of time on the couch relaxing! Those three weeks made it extremely difficult to return to my temporary home in Honduras. But alas, I made it back and lifes routine kicked in quite quickly.
I arrived on Saturday, Aug 4 and teachers started meeting on the following Monday. We had a fairly busy week not only with work but the gringa clan decided to start the Body for Life program which meant working out....IN THE MORNING! Our teacher week was a good trial run to see if we could all actually wake up bw 5 and 6 to go workout - twas a success (we just finished our first month and haven't missed a day. I'm down 5 pounds!). Aside from school work and working out, we also had a big MOVE when we welcomed Lindsey into our home. Lindsey worked with us last year but lived in the other school house. Her roommate finished her contract last year and therefore left Lindsey by herself in a 4 bedroom home...and that can get a little creepy here in Honduras so she moved in with us. I must say, we are all getting along VERY well compared to how we all thought it was going to be! So for those who have been praying for a smooth living transition for us - it worked and I thank you - and God of course!
So on to the crazy stuff - school. When I told people that I decided to come back and finish my contract, I told them it was because I believed it would be easier the second time around. I knew what I was getting myself into, we have a new superintendent so things would be ran better, I knew the kids, etc. WELL - silly me for thinking any of that! I felt like I have had to start over from scratch...and I suppose the beginning of the year last year is too far in the past for me to remember some of the things I had to deal with...but I was reminded with a slap in the face again this year.
As most of you know, as I was flying back here to start my second year I had no idea which classes I would be teaching and no idea what classroom I would be teaching in. I found out on the 2nd or 3rd day of teacher week that I would be keeping my old classroom (what a relief, right?). Well, unfortunately the end of last year since we were told we would be moving rooms, we moved out ALL the desks and traded them for less quality desks. So staying in my room meant that we had to move ALL the desks AGAIN before we could begin setting up the rooms. Fortunately the school maintenance staff helped with this battle so it wasn't near as bad as the first time around! I got my schedule the next day or so...it wasn't horrible...but I was a wee bit bummed because I would not have a lot of my students from last year (which I grew to LOVE). But I dealt...until I was told that my schedule had changed and they took away the one class I was most looking forward to teaching. So a few tears later, I adapted and began to prepare. This second revision of my class (just days before students would be here) was actually quite nice because I had taught the classes last year so I wouldn't have to do any new planning! I began seeing all the upsides to this new schedule (only 10th and 11th graders). Well, the Sunday before classes started, I went up to the school to finish some things in my classroom. As I was finishing up, the principle came to me and started a sentence with "Miss Sierra please don't be mad but we had to do it in order to make the schedules work!" My stomach dropped and water began to fill my eyes instantly - I knew where this was going...
My ENTIRE schedule had changed (along with the other math teachers') and I am now teaching 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade! Bye bye easy year and welcome back to having FIVE different classes to prepare for! Now, I've taught the 10th and 11th grade classes so I shouldn't have to totally re-invent the wheel for them but the other 3...new challenges! BUT the upside is that I've always wondered if I would like teaching middle school so now I get to test it out. And I love the senior class this year so being able to teach them will be a delight for me! SO - it wasn't ideal news for the day before school but we all had to deal and we're getting used to the craziness.
I'm exhausted at the end of each day because I teach from 8 to 12:15 with only a 30 min lunch break before my last class. THe plus is that I have the last 2 hours of the day free - but by the time I get there all I can do is sit at my desk and stare at the walls! :)
I did resume the position of STUCO Sponsor this year and I can't be more excited about the council this year! We have some very motivated and creative kids! They have already written a proposal to change a school policy. We've got lots of creative ideas for events and such and I just adore all of them. The President is the BEST - He is SOOOO enthusiastic and happy ALL the time and he really does take a lot of pride in his school. I really hope we can make some differences in the school this year with this team!
So - overall I have had my ups and downs for sure but I'm glad I'm back. And I'm glad this is the last year! Haha! On a sadder note - because I am here I am missing some pretty major events back home.
My cousin Alyssa is getting married TODAY (the first female cousin to tie the knot) and my new baby niece is to be born this month - it kills me not to be home for these occasions! Welcome to the real world I suppose. Anyway, I miss you all! But I am making some wonderful memories and wonderful friends! I am still so very thankful for the opportunity to live here and I'm looking forward to the next phase (wherever that may be ;)
Take care all. Another month or two and I'll catch you back up to date! Peace!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Siempre estoy reiendo! (I´´m always laughing)
So much has happened since my last post. Where to begin? For the weekend, there was a group of 6 that headed for a ´nearby´ town; La Fortuna. There they have an active volcano that we got to see (from afar of course). Unfortunately it wasn´t as breathtaking as I had hoped but I still had a fabulous time. While on our tour it rained virtually the entire time so that added some flair!
Let me back up...I need to explain what our group of 6 consisted of...once I do that will explain in part why I had such a delightful time on my mini vaca.
#1 - me (US-25yrs), #2 - Chelsea (Canada-20), #3 - Dana (Germany-23), #4 - Melissa (Belgium-20), #5 - Felix (Switzerland-37), and last BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST is #6 - Detriech (Germany but has lived in Spain for the last 10 years - late 40s).
Please notice that we are all from different countries around the world which automatically makes for an intersesting adventure. Also notice the girls are all close in age and then our ´father´ figures are along for the ride (they had no idea what they were getting involved with!)
Detrich is one of the most rare types of human beings God ever created (MOSTLY in a good way) ;) He was the main cause of most of the laughter all weekend long. All the others just fed off of him and we literally did not stop laughing the entire trip (unless of course we were sleeping).
Okay - so we traveled by bus on Friday morning (approx 5 hrs). This was an experience of its own bc here in Costa Rica, just because the seats are all full, doesn´t mean they stop selling tickets. It just means you´re gonna be standing in the aisle the ENTIRE ride! So, on our way there, the bus was packed...and at one point Dana and I felt a little guilty we were sitting whie this old couple had to stand so we gave up our seats. We got to ride Costa Rican style for about an hour and a half until other seats became available. While standing, we got to witness an older Costa Rican gentleman use a cell phone for the first time. How did we know it was his first time? I´´m glad you asked...bc he was talking on it while holding it upside down! NO wonder he couldn´t hear anything and he had to scream to let the person on the other line hear him. It was HILARIOUS! I was dying with laughter (which as most of you can guess, drew quite a bit of attention to the matter)! You maybe had to be there but it was great!
We eventually made it to our hostel and got settled in. Talked to some tour peeps and then ate lunch while discussing our plans. We decided to go through our hostel for a volcano tour and they were gonna charge us $40 but thanks to Detriech we only had to pay $30! One of the many reasons it was good to have him around! Unfortunately the first half of the tour was nothing to get excited about. It rained for most of the time so walking through the ´forest´ around the volcano was not so enjoyable. BUT the 2nd half of our tour was something indescribable! We went to a natural hot springs off the side of some road! We thought it a bit shady bc as we exited the tour van the guides were very adamant about us not taking ANYTHING with us...not even shoes or towel or clothes...NOTHING. They were quite forceful with it so we started thinking the worst - like they were gonna take us to these hot springs and leave us there to die! But despite the uneasiness of the situation, we all left our things and walked down this ´path´ which lead us to some HOT water! Once we got in the first pool one of the guides took us into a ´cave´ underneath one of the hot spring waterfalls while the other guide got out...so naturally we thought they were seriously leaving us there to die. The positive note we made was that if they did leave us - we wouldn´t freeze to death!!! Haha. The whole deal worked out quite well and it was seriously an UNFORGETTABLE experience!
The next day - after much searching - we found a rafting tour. This too was such a FUN activity with our group. The two guys were in the front of our raft as our ´leaders´ but the funny part about that was they NEVER did what our guide told them. They were either looking at nature or rowing the opposite direction that we were told or rowing when we weren´t supposed to! I was dying with laughter...i had to yell at them every time we received instruction! haha. After the rafting, we were taken for a delicous meal where we also received a taste of some homemade licour and fresh squeezed sugar cane juice! SUCH A COOL TOUR!
The next day we just took it easy and hopped on a bus back to San Jose.
MONDAY I talked to the school about changing my housing placement which they did with pleasure! My new home is WAY more comfortable and the hosts are equally as nice!
This week is my last week here...and then I will fortunately return to the states!!! I´m leaving in about 10 minutes to head to a beach on the carribean side of CR...i´ll be sure to fill all the missing details when I get back! Thanks for hangin in there....hasta pronto (I hope)
Sierra
So much has happened since my last post. Where to begin? For the weekend, there was a group of 6 that headed for a ´nearby´ town; La Fortuna. There they have an active volcano that we got to see (from afar of course). Unfortunately it wasn´t as breathtaking as I had hoped but I still had a fabulous time. While on our tour it rained virtually the entire time so that added some flair!
Let me back up...I need to explain what our group of 6 consisted of...once I do that will explain in part why I had such a delightful time on my mini vaca.
#1 - me (US-25yrs), #2 - Chelsea (Canada-20), #3 - Dana (Germany-23), #4 - Melissa (Belgium-20), #5 - Felix (Switzerland-37), and last BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST is #6 - Detriech (Germany but has lived in Spain for the last 10 years - late 40s).
Please notice that we are all from different countries around the world which automatically makes for an intersesting adventure. Also notice the girls are all close in age and then our ´father´ figures are along for the ride (they had no idea what they were getting involved with!)
Detrich is one of the most rare types of human beings God ever created (MOSTLY in a good way) ;) He was the main cause of most of the laughter all weekend long. All the others just fed off of him and we literally did not stop laughing the entire trip (unless of course we were sleeping).
Okay - so we traveled by bus on Friday morning (approx 5 hrs). This was an experience of its own bc here in Costa Rica, just because the seats are all full, doesn´t mean they stop selling tickets. It just means you´re gonna be standing in the aisle the ENTIRE ride! So, on our way there, the bus was packed...and at one point Dana and I felt a little guilty we were sitting whie this old couple had to stand so we gave up our seats. We got to ride Costa Rican style for about an hour and a half until other seats became available. While standing, we got to witness an older Costa Rican gentleman use a cell phone for the first time. How did we know it was his first time? I´´m glad you asked...bc he was talking on it while holding it upside down! NO wonder he couldn´t hear anything and he had to scream to let the person on the other line hear him. It was HILARIOUS! I was dying with laughter (which as most of you can guess, drew quite a bit of attention to the matter)! You maybe had to be there but it was great!
We eventually made it to our hostel and got settled in. Talked to some tour peeps and then ate lunch while discussing our plans. We decided to go through our hostel for a volcano tour and they were gonna charge us $40 but thanks to Detriech we only had to pay $30! One of the many reasons it was good to have him around! Unfortunately the first half of the tour was nothing to get excited about. It rained for most of the time so walking through the ´forest´ around the volcano was not so enjoyable. BUT the 2nd half of our tour was something indescribable! We went to a natural hot springs off the side of some road! We thought it a bit shady bc as we exited the tour van the guides were very adamant about us not taking ANYTHING with us...not even shoes or towel or clothes...NOTHING. They were quite forceful with it so we started thinking the worst - like they were gonna take us to these hot springs and leave us there to die! But despite the uneasiness of the situation, we all left our things and walked down this ´path´ which lead us to some HOT water! Once we got in the first pool one of the guides took us into a ´cave´ underneath one of the hot spring waterfalls while the other guide got out...so naturally we thought they were seriously leaving us there to die. The positive note we made was that if they did leave us - we wouldn´t freeze to death!!! Haha. The whole deal worked out quite well and it was seriously an UNFORGETTABLE experience!
The next day - after much searching - we found a rafting tour. This too was such a FUN activity with our group. The two guys were in the front of our raft as our ´leaders´ but the funny part about that was they NEVER did what our guide told them. They were either looking at nature or rowing the opposite direction that we were told or rowing when we weren´t supposed to! I was dying with laughter...i had to yell at them every time we received instruction! haha. After the rafting, we were taken for a delicous meal where we also received a taste of some homemade licour and fresh squeezed sugar cane juice! SUCH A COOL TOUR!
The next day we just took it easy and hopped on a bus back to San Jose.
MONDAY I talked to the school about changing my housing placement which they did with pleasure! My new home is WAY more comfortable and the hosts are equally as nice!
This week is my last week here...and then I will fortunately return to the states!!! I´m leaving in about 10 minutes to head to a beach on the carribean side of CR...i´ll be sure to fill all the missing details when I get back! Thanks for hangin in there....hasta pronto (I hope)
Sierra
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Day 2-June 25
Well, I survived my first day of school! Yeah! My day started with a gruesome oral exam...it was great at the beginning. My examener kept marking 2´s (which mean I had mastered the topic) so I felt good. But as the exam went on I was receiving 1´s and then towards the end he even marked a few 0´s! Aiy! I suppose that is why I´m here, right? Well, my examener turned out to be my teacher also! Which I suppose is an okay thing...I like him! My class only has 3 people in it; Dana (Germany), Grant (Colorado) and me! It´s quaint but allows for ´one on one´ type of lesson. Unfortunately we are only reviewing things I SHOULD already know. We all already know it but we don´t speak it with fluidity. I am realizing that is my main issue - I lack practice in speaking! Puchika! Anyway, the students here are very motivated...rarely you will hear them speaking English to one another. Por eso, I have the chance to practice more! After classes I waited around for about an hour until dance class started! YEAH! It was a beginner class so I was a bit bored, but I´m not sure I´m ready for the advanced level so I made due. After dance, we had an orientation meeting to go over the rules of Costa Rica and what not. The whole thing was in Spanish and I understood 99% of what was said...that was exciting! However, then mi padra tico (Costa Rican dad) picked me up and I didn´t catch half of what he was trying to say. He is such a grandpa...I feel like he speaks in circles when he talks, which makes it hard for me to understand what he is trying to convey. In the middle of his stories, he´ll stop and tell me how nice and adorable I am. ;) So fun! He took me for an ´adventure` yesterday to the Latin University.
<pause>
Internet is a bit shady here so these updates are gonna be short and sweet....
So, let me keep it to the highlights...
School-all is well. As I said previously, we are reviewing things I should already know so it´s frustrating that I´m not learning new things. But on the other hand, hopefully I´ll be better with speaking the things I know. I´ve met some people - we are making travel plans for the weekend! And I´ve attended the schools dance classes the last few days and am enjoying that. I think I enjoy it bc I´m the best one in their...I don´t say that boastfully but truthfully - no one else has ever danced salsa, merengue, etc before so they are starting from scratch and I have some experience! I´m learning the ´´male´ role of the turns, steps, etc so that is fun!
Home-I´m not sure what I am going to do for the next week and half when it comes to sleeping...last night i had to fold a blanket and put it beneath my hip bc I think a bruise was forming! AND did I mention that there are NO OUTLETS in my room or bathroom? So much for straigtening my hair! Or charging my Ipad, Ipod, or phone...what´s a girl to do??? My family is super nice though. I´m loving my mothers cooking...everyday for breakfast i get a plateful of fruit (mango, banana, and pineapple) plus two more plates of something...everything is so delicious but they serve SOOOO much! I can´t finish and entire meal bc it´s so much! But I can´t complain bc it´s food!
OH-a positive that I noticed this morning on the way to school...NOOOO CHICKENS!!! In Tegus, there are chickens running around everywhere and I hate them! Here, NONE! WOOOHOOO!
Another story - I got lost yesterday on the way to school. I took a wrong turn and got lost. Luckily after about 3-4 minutes I remembered what I was supposed to do and back tracked until I found my way...what a way to start a day! haha! Anyway, there is a line of students waiting for the computer so I must bounce! Until next time...
Well, I survived my first day of school! Yeah! My day started with a gruesome oral exam...it was great at the beginning. My examener kept marking 2´s (which mean I had mastered the topic) so I felt good. But as the exam went on I was receiving 1´s and then towards the end he even marked a few 0´s! Aiy! I suppose that is why I´m here, right? Well, my examener turned out to be my teacher also! Which I suppose is an okay thing...I like him! My class only has 3 people in it; Dana (Germany), Grant (Colorado) and me! It´s quaint but allows for ´one on one´ type of lesson. Unfortunately we are only reviewing things I SHOULD already know. We all already know it but we don´t speak it with fluidity. I am realizing that is my main issue - I lack practice in speaking! Puchika! Anyway, the students here are very motivated...rarely you will hear them speaking English to one another. Por eso, I have the chance to practice more! After classes I waited around for about an hour until dance class started! YEAH! It was a beginner class so I was a bit bored, but I´m not sure I´m ready for the advanced level so I made due. After dance, we had an orientation meeting to go over the rules of Costa Rica and what not. The whole thing was in Spanish and I understood 99% of what was said...that was exciting! However, then mi padra tico (Costa Rican dad) picked me up and I didn´t catch half of what he was trying to say. He is such a grandpa...I feel like he speaks in circles when he talks, which makes it hard for me to understand what he is trying to convey. In the middle of his stories, he´ll stop and tell me how nice and adorable I am. ;) So fun! He took me for an ´adventure` yesterday to the Latin University.
<pause>
Internet is a bit shady here so these updates are gonna be short and sweet....
So, let me keep it to the highlights...
School-all is well. As I said previously, we are reviewing things I should already know so it´s frustrating that I´m not learning new things. But on the other hand, hopefully I´ll be better with speaking the things I know. I´ve met some people - we are making travel plans for the weekend! And I´ve attended the schools dance classes the last few days and am enjoying that. I think I enjoy it bc I´m the best one in their...I don´t say that boastfully but truthfully - no one else has ever danced salsa, merengue, etc before so they are starting from scratch and I have some experience! I´m learning the ´´male´ role of the turns, steps, etc so that is fun!
Home-I´m not sure what I am going to do for the next week and half when it comes to sleeping...last night i had to fold a blanket and put it beneath my hip bc I think a bruise was forming! AND did I mention that there are NO OUTLETS in my room or bathroom? So much for straigtening my hair! Or charging my Ipad, Ipod, or phone...what´s a girl to do??? My family is super nice though. I´m loving my mothers cooking...everyday for breakfast i get a plateful of fruit (mango, banana, and pineapple) plus two more plates of something...everything is so delicious but they serve SOOOO much! I can´t finish and entire meal bc it´s so much! But I can´t complain bc it´s food!
OH-a positive that I noticed this morning on the way to school...NOOOO CHICKENS!!! In Tegus, there are chickens running around everywhere and I hate them! Here, NONE! WOOOHOOO!
Another story - I got lost yesterday on the way to school. I took a wrong turn and got lost. Luckily after about 3-4 minutes I remembered what I was supposed to do and back tracked until I found my way...what a way to start a day! haha! Anyway, there is a line of students waiting for the computer so I must bounce! Until next time...
Monday, June 25, 2012
Another country to add to the list ;)
My first day in costa rica
June 24
I must admit I was nervous coming, knowing I don't have an abundant vocabulary in Spanish, but I was excited none the less. I couldn't have asked for a better start. I was picked up by a super nice lady, Isabella. We had a great conversation (in Spanish) for the 30 minute drive. Based on the roads/driving alone-I'd say costa rica is ten notches above Honduras! Everything looked cleaner too! Obviously I couldn't see it all from the highway but what I did see I liked! Arriving to the house was good. Definitely not the house I expected after being told they house college students and a granddaughter...but it'll do! My room is in the back of the house...def secluded. I mean, the house is not big anyway so nothing is considered 'far away' but I feel separated. I want a tour by they have an upstairs and I'm curious to know what is up there, or more importantly WHO is up there! Maybe time will tell? Anyway, after settling in, I figured I should make a good impression and go talk w my hosts...I believe I sat and talked w Jose Manuel for about two hours...I had moments where I followed what he was saying and then I had chunks of time where I didn't catch a dad gum thing! Haha! He spoke of past students they've had in their home, how their are thiefs here so I need to be careful, how costa rica is the best place to learn Spanish bc they speak slower and clearefr here than anywhere else. He talked and talked and talked. My brain was shutting down! Luckily I was saved by the phone...and I snuck away while he answered. I went to my room but didnt have anything to do in there...I tried reading but I was uninterested. I wanted to sleep but considering it was only 6 o'clock I figured it best I didn't give in. So I just laid in bed for about half an hour and then went back out - for dinner! The food here is typical of Honduras...rice, beans, and meat. Tonight I had the aforementioned w chicken! While eating, I learned that the oldest son of my host family is a gay lawyer - learned it from reading the many newspaper articles that he was featured in...his mother is very proud of his picture in so many documents! Cute really. Their daughter is married and they have another son studying business. Also, while eating, Dona luz' niece stopped by so I met her; very nice girl. She gave na,es of places I should visit while I'm here...if only I can remember them! After dinner, I decided to call it a night. But first I presented my host family w a small gift - a Mayan vase. They may have hated it, but they sure acted delighted! Jose Manuel asked for a hug and Dona luz also. It made me happy to see them so pleased! And that pretty much wraps up my day! Did I mention that I'm sleeping on wooden boards...with what I would describe as a crepe mattress on top! Two weeks of sleeping on this, I'll be due for a chiropractor, masseuse, and back surgery! Oh and I don't want to forget that there is no air flow and there are TONS of these annoying bugs flying around...ahhh! Puedo hacer esto! Dedos cruzados! Hasta manana!
June 24
I must admit I was nervous coming, knowing I don't have an abundant vocabulary in Spanish, but I was excited none the less. I couldn't have asked for a better start. I was picked up by a super nice lady, Isabella. We had a great conversation (in Spanish) for the 30 minute drive. Based on the roads/driving alone-I'd say costa rica is ten notches above Honduras! Everything looked cleaner too! Obviously I couldn't see it all from the highway but what I did see I liked! Arriving to the house was good. Definitely not the house I expected after being told they house college students and a granddaughter...but it'll do! My room is in the back of the house...def secluded. I mean, the house is not big anyway so nothing is considered 'far away' but I feel separated. I want a tour by they have an upstairs and I'm curious to know what is up there, or more importantly WHO is up there! Maybe time will tell? Anyway, after settling in, I figured I should make a good impression and go talk w my hosts...I believe I sat and talked w Jose Manuel for about two hours...I had moments where I followed what he was saying and then I had chunks of time where I didn't catch a dad gum thing! Haha! He spoke of past students they've had in their home, how their are thiefs here so I need to be careful, how costa rica is the best place to learn Spanish bc they speak slower and clearefr here than anywhere else. He talked and talked and talked. My brain was shutting down! Luckily I was saved by the phone...and I snuck away while he answered. I went to my room but didnt have anything to do in there...I tried reading but I was uninterested. I wanted to sleep but considering it was only 6 o'clock I figured it best I didn't give in. So I just laid in bed for about half an hour and then went back out - for dinner! The food here is typical of Honduras...rice, beans, and meat. Tonight I had the aforementioned w chicken! While eating, I learned that the oldest son of my host family is a gay lawyer - learned it from reading the many newspaper articles that he was featured in...his mother is very proud of his picture in so many documents! Cute really. Their daughter is married and they have another son studying business. Also, while eating, Dona luz' niece stopped by so I met her; very nice girl. She gave na,es of places I should visit while I'm here...if only I can remember them! After dinner, I decided to call it a night. But first I presented my host family w a small gift - a Mayan vase. They may have hated it, but they sure acted delighted! Jose Manuel asked for a hug and Dona luz also. It made me happy to see them so pleased! And that pretty much wraps up my day! Did I mention that I'm sleeping on wooden boards...with what I would describe as a crepe mattress on top! Two weeks of sleeping on this, I'll be due for a chiropractor, masseuse, and back surgery! Oh and I don't want to forget that there is no air flow and there are TONS of these annoying bugs flying around...ahhh! Puedo hacer esto! Dedos cruzados! Hasta manana!
Monday, June 18, 2012
11 months and 10 days ago...
11 months and 10 days ago I moved my life to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I can hardly believe it's almost been an entire year. I have experienced days of pure gratitude to God because I have no idea how I made it this long without breaking down and moving back. And then there are days where I am full of gratitude to God for allowing me to live such an exciting adventure! I must say though - over the past year I have learned more than I could have hoped. Let me share with you...
#1 Lesson "Importance of Communication"
Communication has been a huge obstacle for me in this last year and I am not totally referring to the language barrier (although that has caused some headaches!) I owe so much of my growth in this area to my roommate, Jenn. Neither of us really knew how our relationship would play out once we started living together. I can't thank God enough for putting us in the same house - he definitely proved his omniscience in our lives with that arrangement. But that being said, it hasn't been a walk in the park for us either. Most of you know how it is to live with someone else. If you are not in an open communication zone at all times, then things can spiral downward fast! Unfortunately Jenn and I learned this the hard way - but we both came to our senses and were able to come to each other and really break down a barrier. We have learned how to read each other, how to respond to each other, and how to confront each other (in a loving way). Are we perfect? We'd like to think so! Haha...JUST KIDDING! No, we still have our quarrels and our 'silent' moments...but man have we come a long way! I am so thankful for her patience and understanding this last year - she played a huge role in my survival!
*(there are many other instances that have taught me about communication - but I'll save that for face to face talks if any of you care to listen!)
#2 Lesson "Culture - It is what it is"
I've had conversations with some of you, so you've heard my frustrations and complaints and stories about my life here in Honduras. I can confidently say that I have become waaaaaaaaay more tolerant of the culture here than in the beginning. Some of the 'traditions' of the people I've come to love and others still cause me to grit my teeth but I've learned to hold my tongue! Haha! One way I relate well with the Honduran people is that they are some of the most affectionate people I've met. I'm not sure that a day went by where I did not receive a hug from a student! This took me a while to adjust to since it is such a crime in the states due to child laws and what have you. But here, everyone is family and everyone loves everyone and it is wonderful. I'm going to miss those kids over the next few weeks of vacation! And be prepared that if you see me over the summer - I WILL definitely go in for the Honduran cheek kiss - it's become part of me! :) *I apologize for the awkwardness now! Ha! On the flip side, I can't stand the fact that when in the grocery store or in a restaurant or any place of business really, everyone takes their sweet precious time. No one is ever in a hurry to get things done...UNLESS you're driving. It's like getting behind the wheel of a car causes a bipolar personality to release and its like their hand is glued to the horn and foot is magnetically connected to the gas pedal. I literally fear for my life at least 5 times a week due to the driving technique in this country! (ask my mother how she felt when she was here!) And the crazy thing is, everyone is in a hurry while driving - but you still never get anywhere fast! It's such a mind blowing concept and it irritates my very core! AAaaaahhhhh - just thinking about it makes me crazy! WoW! Anyway...
#3 Lesson "I still have a lot to learn..."
Compromise - it is necessary in ones life if you want to love others. It's not always about me or what I want. Unfortunately this lesson is taking me a little longer to grasp but I'm moving forward with it.
Choices - life is full of choices and I've made some bad ones living here, but I'm learning little lessons from each one of those encounters...
Church - I need it! I need the people and it has been hard here. I have found a church that I like, but I was not fully commited to attending bc it was a drive (which was a taxi expense), it was in Spanish (which I felt was a lot of work to keep up with), and lets be honest - none of these are good excuses. So, my desire for next year is to try a bit harder to connect in church and really allow God to use me other ways here.
Commitment - as much as I miss my family and friends and it would be easy to come home and stay, I do feel like I owe it to my students and to myself to honor my commitment of two years and return in the fall. There were days where I started packing my bags but then I realized that was the easy way out. I didn't accept this job because I thought it would be easy - HA! I accepted it because I wanted a challenge, I wanted to grow as a person and discover new things. And i will continue doing that next year! Your prayers and support will still be needed and very much appreciated! I HATE that I won't be there for the birth of my niece, or to see some of my friends get married or have their own kids, and it crushes my heart to think I will go sooo long without one of my fathers' hugs - but I will do all I can to stay connected with everyone!
All said and done - it's been a great year! I wouldn't trade it or change it! Thanks for stickin with me through it all!
Now - on to the fun side of this blog! This last week has been CRAZY!!! Friday was graduation for Seniors. I was excited to see those kids graduate and hear of all the cool places they are going to study. Friday night, Jenn and I threw a "We Survived" party to celebrate the end of our first year! Best part of the party was definitely the pinata!!!! We had it custom colored with our favorite colors and filled that sucker as much as we could without it breaking from being too heavy! We were able to celebrate with the people that have seen us through all year! We are grateful to our honduran family! Saturday was the senior prom - which is where I will spend the rest of this blog.
DCIS Prom is unlike any other prom I've ever been too or heard of. First of all, it is not a school sponsored event. The entire evening is planned, prepared, and paid by senior parents. Now, each senior (or parent) must purchase tickets for their guests. Guests primarily consist of family members - ALL OF THEM! Haha. You can only come if you received an invite and I belive tkts were around $50. Well, one of my seniors used his "family" tickets to invite Lindsey and I to attend. He said it was 'definitely something I need to experience' while I'm here. :) I was flattered. Now, I wasn't about to go buy a prom dress so I began asking around to see if I could borrow one. I wasn't having much luck, but I wasn't too worried about it...until I found out that going to DCIS prom was like walking down the red carpet in Hollywood...magazines and TV broadcasters would be there...and you had to look the part. I lucked out when a student brought me some of her motehrs' old dresses! PERFECT! Long story short, got my hair done and when the time came to leave...I felt like I might fit in! hehe. Well, after arriving I realized I fit in as a guest...there was a signifcant difference in the dress of the guests vs the 'honored guests - SENIORS.' The dresses were outstanding...absolutely beautiful! Each senior got their time in the limelight as they one by one descended down a set of stairs where a group of about 7 camera men were snapping away. At the bottom of the stairs, they met their parent and 'paraded' into the ball room. Here they danced with their parent for a while and then exited the floor to be with family until all 99 seniors had been announced. Then the dancing began...with a toast...for everyone! Remember that this is not a school sponsored event - and the legal drinking age here is 18 (no that anyone cards anyone anyway) - so it could go without saying that these seniors had the real deal in their champagne glasses. And that was only the beginning! Each family had their own table(s) with their own server and basically their own bar. So, it didn't take long for people to get crazy! It was such a foreign thought for me...hard to take in...hard to not yell at the kids to stop. Weird. Anyway, the whole night consisted of dancing and drinking. Oh, and LOTS of picture taking! I kept a fairly low profile...just taking it all in really...I danced off and on. I genuinely had a good time - but it was definitely a new experience. The most shocking part of it all is that we were there til the end...4:00 am!!! We went home after that...but the tradition for kids is that they all get hotel rooms and continue partying until breakfast really! Quite unreal! I've posted a few pics on facebook. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable memory!
That pretty much sums up the excitement so far. My last official day of work is tomorrow! My next stop (before heading home to see all of you) is Costa Rica. I'm heading there to a language school for two weeks. I know what you're thinking...why do I need language school if I've been living in Central America for the last 11 months...well unfortunately my Spanish has not excelled as much as I would have liked...so i'm going to try and squeeze a bit more in so I can impress you when I'm home! haha! And I really wanna visit Costa Rica! :) So, I'll be back in KC on July 9th and will have 3 short weeks to cram as many of you into my schedule as possible! Can't wait!
Thank you for readin til the end...and thank you for all your support and prayers over this last 12 months. I hope you enjoyed the stories as much as I enjoyed the experience!
I may try and blog while I'm in Costa Rica...but don't hold your breath! Haha! :)
#1 Lesson "Importance of Communication"
Communication has been a huge obstacle for me in this last year and I am not totally referring to the language barrier (although that has caused some headaches!) I owe so much of my growth in this area to my roommate, Jenn. Neither of us really knew how our relationship would play out once we started living together. I can't thank God enough for putting us in the same house - he definitely proved his omniscience in our lives with that arrangement. But that being said, it hasn't been a walk in the park for us either. Most of you know how it is to live with someone else. If you are not in an open communication zone at all times, then things can spiral downward fast! Unfortunately Jenn and I learned this the hard way - but we both came to our senses and were able to come to each other and really break down a barrier. We have learned how to read each other, how to respond to each other, and how to confront each other (in a loving way). Are we perfect? We'd like to think so! Haha...JUST KIDDING! No, we still have our quarrels and our 'silent' moments...but man have we come a long way! I am so thankful for her patience and understanding this last year - she played a huge role in my survival!
*(there are many other instances that have taught me about communication - but I'll save that for face to face talks if any of you care to listen!)
#2 Lesson "Culture - It is what it is"
I've had conversations with some of you, so you've heard my frustrations and complaints and stories about my life here in Honduras. I can confidently say that I have become waaaaaaaaay more tolerant of the culture here than in the beginning. Some of the 'traditions' of the people I've come to love and others still cause me to grit my teeth but I've learned to hold my tongue! Haha! One way I relate well with the Honduran people is that they are some of the most affectionate people I've met. I'm not sure that a day went by where I did not receive a hug from a student! This took me a while to adjust to since it is such a crime in the states due to child laws and what have you. But here, everyone is family and everyone loves everyone and it is wonderful. I'm going to miss those kids over the next few weeks of vacation! And be prepared that if you see me over the summer - I WILL definitely go in for the Honduran cheek kiss - it's become part of me! :) *I apologize for the awkwardness now! Ha! On the flip side, I can't stand the fact that when in the grocery store or in a restaurant or any place of business really, everyone takes their sweet precious time. No one is ever in a hurry to get things done...UNLESS you're driving. It's like getting behind the wheel of a car causes a bipolar personality to release and its like their hand is glued to the horn and foot is magnetically connected to the gas pedal. I literally fear for my life at least 5 times a week due to the driving technique in this country! (ask my mother how she felt when she was here!) And the crazy thing is, everyone is in a hurry while driving - but you still never get anywhere fast! It's such a mind blowing concept and it irritates my very core! AAaaaahhhhh - just thinking about it makes me crazy! WoW! Anyway...
#3 Lesson "I still have a lot to learn..."
Compromise - it is necessary in ones life if you want to love others. It's not always about me or what I want. Unfortunately this lesson is taking me a little longer to grasp but I'm moving forward with it.
Choices - life is full of choices and I've made some bad ones living here, but I'm learning little lessons from each one of those encounters...
Church - I need it! I need the people and it has been hard here. I have found a church that I like, but I was not fully commited to attending bc it was a drive (which was a taxi expense), it was in Spanish (which I felt was a lot of work to keep up with), and lets be honest - none of these are good excuses. So, my desire for next year is to try a bit harder to connect in church and really allow God to use me other ways here.
Commitment - as much as I miss my family and friends and it would be easy to come home and stay, I do feel like I owe it to my students and to myself to honor my commitment of two years and return in the fall. There were days where I started packing my bags but then I realized that was the easy way out. I didn't accept this job because I thought it would be easy - HA! I accepted it because I wanted a challenge, I wanted to grow as a person and discover new things. And i will continue doing that next year! Your prayers and support will still be needed and very much appreciated! I HATE that I won't be there for the birth of my niece, or to see some of my friends get married or have their own kids, and it crushes my heart to think I will go sooo long without one of my fathers' hugs - but I will do all I can to stay connected with everyone!
All said and done - it's been a great year! I wouldn't trade it or change it! Thanks for stickin with me through it all!
Now - on to the fun side of this blog! This last week has been CRAZY!!! Friday was graduation for Seniors. I was excited to see those kids graduate and hear of all the cool places they are going to study. Friday night, Jenn and I threw a "We Survived" party to celebrate the end of our first year! Best part of the party was definitely the pinata!!!! We had it custom colored with our favorite colors and filled that sucker as much as we could without it breaking from being too heavy! We were able to celebrate with the people that have seen us through all year! We are grateful to our honduran family! Saturday was the senior prom - which is where I will spend the rest of this blog.
DCIS Prom is unlike any other prom I've ever been too or heard of. First of all, it is not a school sponsored event. The entire evening is planned, prepared, and paid by senior parents. Now, each senior (or parent) must purchase tickets for their guests. Guests primarily consist of family members - ALL OF THEM! Haha. You can only come if you received an invite and I belive tkts were around $50. Well, one of my seniors used his "family" tickets to invite Lindsey and I to attend. He said it was 'definitely something I need to experience' while I'm here. :) I was flattered. Now, I wasn't about to go buy a prom dress so I began asking around to see if I could borrow one. I wasn't having much luck, but I wasn't too worried about it...until I found out that going to DCIS prom was like walking down the red carpet in Hollywood...magazines and TV broadcasters would be there...and you had to look the part. I lucked out when a student brought me some of her motehrs' old dresses! PERFECT! Long story short, got my hair done and when the time came to leave...I felt like I might fit in! hehe. Well, after arriving I realized I fit in as a guest...there was a signifcant difference in the dress of the guests vs the 'honored guests - SENIORS.' The dresses were outstanding...absolutely beautiful! Each senior got their time in the limelight as they one by one descended down a set of stairs where a group of about 7 camera men were snapping away. At the bottom of the stairs, they met their parent and 'paraded' into the ball room. Here they danced with their parent for a while and then exited the floor to be with family until all 99 seniors had been announced. Then the dancing began...with a toast...for everyone! Remember that this is not a school sponsored event - and the legal drinking age here is 18 (no that anyone cards anyone anyway) - so it could go without saying that these seniors had the real deal in their champagne glasses. And that was only the beginning! Each family had their own table(s) with their own server and basically their own bar. So, it didn't take long for people to get crazy! It was such a foreign thought for me...hard to take in...hard to not yell at the kids to stop. Weird. Anyway, the whole night consisted of dancing and drinking. Oh, and LOTS of picture taking! I kept a fairly low profile...just taking it all in really...I danced off and on. I genuinely had a good time - but it was definitely a new experience. The most shocking part of it all is that we were there til the end...4:00 am!!! We went home after that...but the tradition for kids is that they all get hotel rooms and continue partying until breakfast really! Quite unreal! I've posted a few pics on facebook. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable memory!
That pretty much sums up the excitement so far. My last official day of work is tomorrow! My next stop (before heading home to see all of you) is Costa Rica. I'm heading there to a language school for two weeks. I know what you're thinking...why do I need language school if I've been living in Central America for the last 11 months...well unfortunately my Spanish has not excelled as much as I would have liked...so i'm going to try and squeeze a bit more in so I can impress you when I'm home! haha! And I really wanna visit Costa Rica! :) So, I'll be back in KC on July 9th and will have 3 short weeks to cram as many of you into my schedule as possible! Can't wait!
Thank you for readin til the end...and thank you for all your support and prayers over this last 12 months. I hope you enjoyed the stories as much as I enjoyed the experience!
I may try and blog while I'm in Costa Rica...but don't hold your breath! Haha! :)
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