Jaco Beach! =)

Today we had the opportunity to go to our first beach in Costa Rica. It was definitely a long day. I woke up around 6:15 so that I could take a shower and eat before catching my bus to my taxi to my 2.5 hour bus to the beach...for those of you who know how much I hate driving... yes, it was terrible for me. Anyways, when I woke up in the morning (actually having "slept" in for the first day since I've been in Costa Rica), my whole family was already awake and ready for the day. This was really strange for me because my real mom and I like to sleep at every possible moment... especially on the weekends. It is said that Costa Ricans are the happiest people in the world, but I don't think anyone can experience true bliss until they take a nap in my parents' bed back in the U.S. Now that is happiness....

Back to the beach - We drove 2.5 hours to the beach, but it was actually a cool drive. We were going through mountains and there were a lot of beautiful sites to see that gave us ideas for some other weekend trips. We were all pretty hungry when we got there, so we stopped into a little bar and grill to eat. I ordered a burrito, but struggled to eat it because it was so spicy. This is the first time I had anything spicy in Costa Rica, but I wasn't surprised to find out it was a touristy restaurant run by Americans. One thing the Ticans can do is cook!! I need to get some pointers and recipes to bring back home for everyone to try.

After we ate, we all headed out to the beach...played in the water, took a million pictures, walked around, and laid out. It was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect... it was about 85 degrees, but cloudy so the sun wasn't beating down on you (luckily for my gringa skin!) and there was a nice breeze. The water was lukewarm and felt great. It was nice to be in an environment with such fresh air, too. The pollution in San Jose is taking some time for me to get used to!

All in all, a beautiful day... except I didn't see any monkeys. =( These photographs can not express the beauty of Costa Rica, but you can have a small taste I suppose.

A Walk Through San Jose, Costa Rica...

(no I don't know why the pictures are all in weird positions)

Today we went on a trip to San Jose. It was beautiful! The best way to show you is through photos. So, here are some photos of the adventure courtesy of Erin Shum (one of my ACM classmates). =)

I am getting ready to go out for my first time in Costa Rica! We are all meeting at the church (basically the most prominent thing in every city) and then heading over to the Jazz Cafe. There are bands playing tonight...and better yet, we were told it is a very safe and secure place. I am pretty excited to get to know all of my new friends in a non-classroom setting!

Tomorrow we are heading to a beach called Jaco. I am really excited, but fear the sunburn I will probably suffer from. Regardless, we are getting up early and heading out for a fun day at the beach. I had to laugh when my host mom warned me about the monkeys on the beach. She told me if you leave anything small/light enough for the monkeys to grab, they will take them and run up into a tree with them. Thank goodness she warned me! Regardless, I am pretty excited to see these punk monkeys!

More Pictures...

I am finally not overwhelmed with homework, so I figured I should take some time to put up some pictures. Here is my beautiful little bedroom. Also, my mom puts a fresh flower from the garden in my room everyday! Que bonita!!

It has already been a week?!

Here are some beautiful pictures of my school! Two are the view right of my classroom...and one is of the cute little work area outside the classroom. It is really refreshing to have such a beautiful place to study. I give Monmouth credit because I have always thought of it as such a beautiful campus, but ACM has really outdone good ol' MC.

Anyways, yesterday we went to the Museo Nacional as a field trip. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Costa Rica...even if that makes me sound like a nerd! After our morning classes, we all went to lunch in groups, and then headed over to the museum. The whole atmosphere of Costa Rica is different than anything I have ever experienced. When people want to pass you in the street, they are polite enough to ask ?Con permiso? ...which basically translates to them asking permission to pass. Everyone I meet compliments my blue eyes, blonde hair, or my height. I didn't really know what to think when I was told Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world, but now I understand why. By no means does this translate to there not being any "problems" for me. I use the quotes because I have not really had anything bad happen, but I definitely get a lot of attention because I look so different. "Macha" or "Machita" are words that the Ticans use for blondes. Well, since I have only seen about 6 blondes this entire trip, a lot of men take quick interest in me because of my hair. I am now officially known in this country as "Machita alta" or "tall blonde." I am about a foot taller than most of the people here, have much lighter skin, much lighter hair, and my eyes really stick out. Yesterday on our way to the museum, a man yelled, "Machita alta, quieres ir al hotel!?" which you can probably translate yourself. If you just ignore these lame old guys, everything is fine... but sometimes I can't help but to laugh.

The final thing I need to mention that I love about Costa Rica is the food. The food is great...basically my two favorite things are here ---- fruits and vegetables! I mean, I do miss my sweets a bit, but I can already see that I've lost some weight from not eating a bag of sour patch kids a day! haha. Anyways, there is ALWAYS a ton of food on your plate where ever you go...and it is so cheap. I eat at all-you-can-eat buffets for the equivalent of 3 dollars! Those who know me, know I'm in heaven! =)

Solamente Espanol

Today was the first day of classes... it was awesome! I mean, besides the fact that all lectures tend to get a little boring. The ACM building is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen... it is extremely different than the places I am used to learning at in the United States. The building is actually an old house that has been converted into our school. The classroom has sliding doors that open the whole back wall to the outside where we have a beautiful garden... not to mention that the scenery is amazing. When you look outside the class, you see a beautiful mountain range and views that I cannot do justice by just describing. In the next couple of days I am going to take a whole bunch of pictures to post on this blog so everyone can understand how beautiful Costa Rica is. Keep in mind that I have only seen a VERY small portion of the places that Costa Rica has to offer.

Back to the classes... Today we had to sign a contract saying that we would only speak Spanish throughout this trip. At first I thought this was a terrible idea and that it would be impossible for me to do, but now I understand why it is so important. Throughout the day I struggled to communicate with my classmates about all different things...but I really had no trouble understanding all that the instructors were presenting. When my mom picked me up at 5 from school, she even noticed a difference in how well I was communicating. She told me that my Spanish language skills changed like day and night!

After school, my mom prepared dinner right away. She told me I have to eat well so that I could do all my homework with "a strong brain." She is really cute about some things... like this morning after a breakfast of all sorts of fresh-cut fruit, she insisted that I take an apple for a snack before lunch. She told me that the key to a good day at school is to be well-fed (and I definitely don't mind). Speaking of food- the director of ACM offered to bring all sorts of fresh fruit from his organic farm for us to eat as snacks during the day... I am so pumped! Today he brought a whole bunch of fresh bananas. Let me tell you, we don't do bananas justice in the States.

At school I learned that I live in one of the most well-off families in the program. My family has 2 cars, a house with 2 stories, WI-FI, etc. A lot of the students aren't as lucky... it really makes me appreciate what I have. Also, a lot of the students only have one parent or have families that are very solitary. Both of my parents asked me at dinner if I needed any help with my homework... and they tried their hardest to explain anything that I didn't understand. It was funny because it took us all like 10 minutes to describe little concepts because we had to work around words that the others weren't familiar with, but I learned a lot. It is nice that they are so willing to help me.

Until next time when I can post some pictures!! =)

Que es esto!?!

Well... here I am in Costa Rica. It has been a very interesting 24 hours to say the least. I never imagined how fast my family would talk and how little I would pick up in each sentence...I had a headache by the end of the day from thinking so hard yesterday. All in all, though, I am having a great time so far. It was a hectic day yesterday with waking up at 3AM to get to the airport...then flying from 7-2PM. My family was there to greet me at the airport and were all so excited to see me, but the car ride home was one of the scariest experiences of my life! Not only is the traffic in San Jose ridiculous with cars weaving and men standing inbetween lanes juggling, but I also couldn't pick up on anything my family was saying. They were talking to eachother at what seemed like the speed of light.

When I got to my house, I was happy to see what a beautiful, clean house I was being welcomed into...but still quite different than anything I've experienced in the United States. I have my own room with a big closet, a desk, a bed, and two dressers. Also, I have WIFI internet! Even though I was running on 3 hours of sleep, my family invited me to the birthday party of their good friend. We left our house around 8PM and walked down the street a ways to visit their friends. It was a bit overwhelming to have about 30 people all excited to meet me and learn about me...especially because they all speak so fast in an accent I am not really familiar with. Everyone was very kind and accepting, though, and made me feel very welcome. Plus...the food was great!! I had to laugh at the party, though, because the family was really excited about these new ipod speakers that they had purchased. When the son put in his ipod, all that was playing was music in English...specifically- RAP! All these little 8-10 year olds were dancing and trying to sing the chorus parts. I didn't know if my family understood that their children were singing "She's a sexy bitch," so I asked. They all laughed and said they had no idea what the songs were saying!! Around 11 we came home and I hopped right into bed. This morning I was awaken with the small of eggs and came downstairs to a breakfast of eggs, watermelon, and gallo pinto (a Costa Rican dish of black beans and rice). Everything tasted delicious and my family sat around the table trying to learn more about me for about an hour.

Although it has been a bit overwhelming, I can definitely see a different in my Spanish from just yesterday to today... even if it isn't that big of a change yet. I know this experience will really help me develop my language skills quickly! Today we are heading to the bank so that I can get some Costa Rican Colones for the bus and buying lunches...and tomorrow I start classes!

Last Day in the United States

How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? -Dr. Seuss

I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow. This Seuss quote again describes how I am feeling. I can't believe this summer is over. I can't believe my semester abroad is starting. I can't believe I am going into my senior year. I can't believe I've been engaged for months. Time is going by so quickly!! I am experiencing the strangest feelings, though, because I am not actually nervous for the trip. I feel like I should be really nervous, excited, and everything else on top of that, but I am not. I guess my mind can't grasp the fact that I am actually leaving the country because I never have before. I know that I am going somewhere, but I can't grasp the concept of being away from home for about 4 months. As of right now, I do not feel like today is any different than any other day! I think I am worrying myself more about the fact that I am not worried...than I am about leaving for Costa Rica! I know this is a backward explanation, but the only way to describe my feelings is disbelief. I just finished confirming my flights and printing my tickets, yet I do not feel as if I am leaving for more than a week!

All of my bags are packed and ready to go... besides a few things that can't be packed until tomorrow morning. My flight boards at 6:35AM! I hope my Costa Rican family will appreciate how tired I am going to be! To end my last day at home, I am going out to eat at the Olive Garden (my fave) with my Mema and my little sister and brother...then, of course, one last workout with my Dad! (Hopefully we get to eat a good dinner, too!) I've been told there are very few sweets in Costa Rica, unless you consider fruit a sweet. =( This is going to be really tough for me... but, don't fear, I packed 1 bag of Sour Patch Watermelon candies to take with me. I am not sure if I can stretch them all the way our until December, but I hope so for fear that I may suffer sugar withdrawals. It's a shame that my main concern about the trip right now is candy, but maybe that shows how unreal the trip feels to me!

Until next time... =)

Planning & Packing

Just as my nerves about packing and preparing for the trip were getting to me, I received an email from Heather (who works for the ACM program) asking for one last pre-trip phone call. This was very useful and comforting to talk to a real person instead of just looking through the guidebook. Since she had experienced the trip too, it felt good to direct some of my questions and concerns to her. I am feeling a lot more assured about the trip now that I know little details about the food, the location of my host family, and some packing advice. Another perk was that Heather provided me with the name of a girl who had previously lived with my host family...I shot her a quick email and she got back to me right away with some very useful information. Knowing that somebody else was in the same position as I am going into (and had only positive things to say about it) really eased some of my worries.

With only 9 days until departure, I am pretty much completely packed and ready to go... in terms of material things. I still have concerns that my Spanish language skills are not up to par, but I am relying on the advice of my friend, Ashley, who is studying abroad in Chile right now... she says that everything we learned in Spanish class is coming back to her (on top of learning more!). To try and ease my fear of missing family, friends, and the fiance, I have put together a collage of pictures and started up a Skype account. Hopefully I can just keep myself real busy so that I can't be missing anyone too much! =)