"Oh! The Places You'll Go"

Saying Goodbye

2010-12-02T14:46:00.002-06:00

Last night my host mom prepared a nice goodbye dinner for me to share with my family. She wanted to make sure I was comfortable knowing I could go out and enjoy my last few days in Costa Rica without feeling the responsibility of staying at home, so she made the meal on Wednesday. It was a tasty meal... and it was just nice to sit down with the whole family and goof around a little bit. It is amazing how close I have grown to this family in just 4 months. They are some of the kindest and most welcoming people I have ever met. We even had a cake! (I know you all understand how rare sweets are here... since I have only emphasized it daily). It was a sweet gesture, but it made me realize how much I will miss things here. I have been homesick the past 2 weeks, so I hadn't put a lot of thought into how much I was going to miss this experience.

I cannot believe how close I am to coming home. As I look back and think of the fact that I have spent 104 days in this country, 2 more days here seems surreal. I have learned and gained so much through this experience, with all the good times and the bad, that I cannot imagine never being in this situation again. I am sitting in the same building that I have sat in almost every day that I have been in Costa Rica. I am surrounded by the faculty and friends that have made this experience so enjoyable and memorable. Tonight, I will go home to the host family that welcomed me into the country with love and respect. How can it be that I may never see these people again? People have been heading home gradually throughout the past hour...and I feel so torn with emotion. I am SO excited to get back home to the people I love most; yet, I am sad to leave those who have shared such a unique experience with me. All goodbyes are difficult, but I have never experienced one like this. I thought it was hard to say goodbye as I was leaving for Costa Rica... well-knowing that I was going to return in 4 months! Recognizing that I may never see some of these people who have changed my life again is impossible.

All in all, I just want the faculty and students of ACM to know how lucky I am to have gotten to know them, learn from them, and grow with them. It has truly been a life-changing experience. I cannot wait to go home and share the many things I have learned with the people that mean the most to me.

Thanksgiving... revisited...

2010-11-30T08:07:00.004-06:00

So I wanted to let you all know about the Thanksgiving experience I had here in Costa Rica. As much as it was super nice of the ACM faculty to set up a lovely Thanksgiving lunch setting for us... they just couldn't top my family in the U.S. As you can see in the pictures, the setup was beautiful and the people were great. It is easy to think of only the AMAZING food and desserts on Thanksgiving, but only in being away did I realize that those were not the most important things. On Thursday, family and friends were running through my mind the entire day.

I think this picture explains my sentiments during the Thanksgiving meal. Look at the bitter sadness in my eyes...
The turkey was delicious though!

We also decorated the room with some paper snowflakes while listening to Christmas music.

We're talented 20-21 year olds... I know.

The place settings were better than the green potatos, non-sweet corn, and tablespoon full of stuffing.

The beautiful setup.

All in all, I really appreciated the effort and it was very nice to have something to occupy my Thanksgiving day. For the most part, though, Thanksgiving just wasn't the same. I now realize the the family I spend the day with is the most important aspect of the holiday. (I can't wait to fall asleep on your patio couch next Thanksgiving after 2 GIANT plates of food, Grandma & Grandpa!).

How did it get so late so soon?

2010-11-29T19:47:00.002-06:00

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

I have had my trials and tribulations here in Costa Rica, but I would not take anything back. While enjoying my last weekend in Costa Rica on the beautiful beaches of Guanacaste, I had a lot of time to reflect on how much I have grown.

The time really has flown these past 100 days. I remember getting off of that airplane, immediately hopping into the minivan with a family I could hardly understand (let alone speak to), and stepping into the place that I would call home for the next 3 months. I remember thinking how fast everyone in my family spoke, wondering if I would ever be able to respond to them. I remember how the rooster woke me up every morning and the big stray dogs walking down the street made me nervous. I remember the fear and anxiety I felt when a creepy, old man would scream "Machita" at me down the street. I remember my first bus ride and being convinced that I would never be able to find my way home.

Now I hold conversations with my family and friends in Costa Rica, not only understanding and speaking the language, but also being able to use the slang that I've picked up on. I walk into my house here with the same level of comfortability I walk into my house in the U.S, no longer worrying about keeping my room in perfect order. I haven't even noticed the rooster or the creepy old men screaming every morning. I catch the bus every morning and afternoon as if I have been doing it my entire life.

I have developed a level of comfortability, independence, and confidence here in Costa Rica. My life previous to this experience had been so pampered, so perfect. I have always been surrounded by wonderful people who would do anything to make sure I didn't feel the slightest bit of pain (thanks Dad and Peyton). As much as I have and always will appreciate this, it was a huge step to travel here and take care of myself for once. I have to admit, it was a little more trying than I had hoped... but it has all been for the better. The strength and independence I have developed here will truly help me move into the next step of my life. With graduation coming up and my recent engagement, I know that a lot will be thrown at me in the next couple of years... but I now have all the confidence in the world that I will be able to overcome anything thrown my way.

There is no way you can live somewhere for 4 months and not develop a sense of connectedness to the place. There are a lot of people, places, and things that I will miss about Costa Rica. I know, though, that the most important aspects of Costa Rica will always be with me. The people who have taught me, the lessons I have learned, the knowledge I have acquired, the independence I have gained... all these things are what will catch Saturday's flight with me back to the U.S. (I mean... along with a couple of souvenirs!).

Thanks Costa Rica... it's been real. =)

Ready for Home

2010-11-24T11:51:00.004-06:00

There has been a lot of drama within the ACM building this week, so it has sort of been lame. I think everyone is just ready to go home... at least I am. I am really looking forward to this weekend though. I will be spending 4 beautiful days on the beaches of Guanacaste...hopefully this will distract me from my strong desire to get home!

Nothing too thrilling has happened since my last post, so I figured I could update you guys with some pictures. We went on a trip to Heredia last Friday to check out some water and discuss the topic of water problems. We went on a nice long hike. Here are the most important images from the hike...

I don't really know what to say about this man. He was really funny, though...
Here is the stream "purification" process the people are currently drinking from. Don't worry, they just throw some chlorine in there and pretend the cow farm up the way won't have any effect on the water quality.

Beautiful view of the trail.

This is how real hikers hold their water bottles.

Some of the beautiful mountaintop view we saw throughout the hike.

On Saturday, as I mentioned previously, we had our family picnic. Here are some pictures from the soccer game.

Both teams. Gringos vs. Ticos.

Right before the cross into my second goal.

First half as goalkeeper. Getting the team pumped (obviously).

Pregame "GRINGO" chant.

That basically sums up the weekend. On this day before Thanksgiving, I am really missing home. As most of my readers know, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I wish I could be home to share it with the family, fiance, and friends that mean so much to me. I wish I could eat some of grandpa's turkey and then fall asleep on the couch for a couple of hours. I miss everyone so much and can't wait to get home!

This trip has really helped me grow and mature in my appreciation for the little things. I had always had these big dreams of that giant, cookie-cutter house, the family vacations all over the world, and the biggest wedding with every little detail just perfect. Being on this trip, away from those that I love, but at the same time learning a different lifestyle, has changed my mindset so much. I now see and understand that the things I had previously dreamed of have very little importance in the success of my life. I see that family and friends are what leads to love and happiness; these are the most important riches in the world. Sure, I used to say that money did not matter, but I had never changed my "dreams" to demonstrate this. These things were so easily accessable to me that I took them for granted. I feel that now I will have a much happier, more stress-free life with this more developed understanding of what's important.

Until next time... =)

Note to Self:

2010-11-20T19:23:00.002-06:00

To begin, today was a really awesome day. We had our ACM Family Picnic... where all the students and their host families got together. We had the big soccer game. Sadly, the gringos lost. =( ...but I played really well and scored 3 goals! =) We danced, ate, and just hung out. It was a nice change in routine and interesting to meet all the host families I have heard so many stories about. I will tell you more about this once the pictures are available; I know those will help explain a little better.

In other news, I am using this post as a note to self. Every day I find myself daydreaming about something I miss from back home. The important people in my life-- family, fiance, and friends are obviously always on my mind... you know who you are! But there are some other more subtle things that I need to remember to appreciate when I return. Here we go---

sleeping on my bed with some form of cushion and more than one stiff, flat pillow.
taking naps (specifically on my parent's amazing bed
Portillo's cakeshake
REAL pizza
going into the kitchen and eating at my own will
CHOOSING what I want to eat and making it myself
calling someone without needing to dial a million numbers for the calling card
relaxing in my own room
freedom to do what I want
watching more than just soccer on television
renting a movie
listening to new music
being with the people I love
and so much more....

Beautiful Views to Lighten the Mood

2010-11-17T15:29:00.004-06:00

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" -Dr. Seuss

To stick with the Dr. Seuss theme, just a quote to express how I have been feeling lately. Because I had been so caught up in seeing new places, struggling with the language, and doing a ton of homework, I had not been able to notice how much I miss my fiance, family, and friends. These last couple of days have been almost unbearable, though. I have finished basically all of my work. My Spanish is at a level that I do not struggle at all anymore... and I am more or less accustomed to living in Costa Rica. I think I am just ready to get home to the ones I love. It was refreshing, though, to go on a trip to Orosi. With these pictures, you'll probably be able to see how my stress was relieved.

This small church is also considered a museum. It is a beautilly subtle church... more or less maintained for years and years. It is the oldest church still in use in Costa Rica... and the second oldest church in general. It was built sometime in the 1700s.

View from the front of the church. Historically, only the Spaniards and the wealthy could enter through the main arch. The smaller arches (a little hard to see) were used for the poor and indigenous people... they literally had to crawl to get into the churchyard to hear the service.

Although the church was beautiful, it could not top the lunch we had. We traveled up to a lookout point in Orosi... it was amazing. Our hostmoms packed us all little lunches and we had a picnic overlooking this...

I just wanted to note again that these photographs are from members of my group (especially Mallory, Emily, and Erin). I want to thank them again for sharing their photos with me and all those who read my blog.

Cartago

2010-11-17T15:00:00.005-06:00

Although it has been a pretty rough week for me-- finally hit that brickwall of homesickness... I did get to go on a spectacular trip yesterday. We have visited a lot of places, but I felt that we were lacking some of the more historical/cultural trips that I had hoped to go on. Cartago was the original capital of Costa Rica, so it is filled with a rich history.

Here is an image from the outside of the Museo Municipal. We couldn't enter because of problems with flooding, but rumor has it that it is a pretty sweet place.
At the Basilica, there are little hooks all over the basement where people can hang little trinkets to be blessed. The people bring in whatever part of their body that is hurting them, and then they ask to be prayed for. It was unbelievable how many of these little trinkets were hanging.

We couldn't get too close to the altar because a mass was going on, but it was amazing how intricate the details were.

The hand-carved and hand-painted wood cielings were amazing.

Millions of people travel across the country on a pilgrimage to this beautiful Basilica de la Virgen de Los Angeles.

Here are the ruins to the original church in the middle of Cartago. It had fallen down and been rebuilt 3 times from earthquakes before it was decided to just be left alone.

Now it is the site of a beautiful garden and a hangout place for the stray dogs. =)

Cartago offered a rich history and some pretty cool sites, but I enjoyed much more the beautiful views found in Orosi on this same fieldtrip. ...coming up next...

A Week Full of Traveling (Part 4)

2010-11-14T21:03:00.005-06:00

This is a little out of order... I am still waiting to steal my Grecia and Sarchi photos from Emily. =) Today, to finish off our weekend, we went to Los Chorros, a park known for its 2 waterfalls that you can swim in. We hiked through the meadow to the waterfalls. In order to go into the water, though, you had to walk through some of the most jagged rocks ever in bare-feet! It was slightly terrible, but so cool that you couldn't even care that much. The waterfalls were amazing, as were all the other views, but the water was freezing! It was absolutely beautiful and something that I had never seen before. It was the perfect way to finish up an awesome weekend with my group.

A Week Full of Traveling (Part 3)

2010-11-14T20:16:00.003-06:00

I guess since the trip was focused on the coffee, you would be interested in seeing what that was all about. I was actually really impressed with the factory we went to. It was very interesting to see the entire process of coffee- I had never put any thought into all the steps, machines, people, and money put into what people drink almost every morning.

It all starts like this...

View from the top of the factory.

And then you have coffee. =)

A Week Full of Traveling (Part 2)

2010-11-14T19:59:00.004-06:00

All the way in the clouds! =)

Llano Bonito. So when I was told we were going to visit a Coffee Farm on Friday, I can't say that I was too excited. I mean, I don't even like coffee. Boy, was I in for a surprise! In order to get to the farm, we traveled through some of the most beautiful mountains you can imagine along a windy path. The trip to the farm was my favorite part of the day- I saw some of the most beautiful, breathtaking views! These pictures do not do it justice, but you can get a general idea.

A Week Full of Traveling (Part 1)

2010-11-14T19:45:00.004-06:00

Eating our cake!

Adrienne didn't want to get her hair wet...

I apologize for not blogging during the week, but I have been so busy traveling! Because we did so much traveling, I am going to break up the blogs into the different places I visited. On Wednesday, as a very kind break from our classes after finishing our final projects for a course, we had the opportunity to travel to the beautiful Punta Leona. Even though it was sort of a rainy, crummy day... we had a great time. My whole group played a soccer game on the beach, then jumped into the ocean to cool off. We visited some beautiful pools in the resort here as well. A day full of swimming and soccer was just what I needed on my day off of classes. After this, we went to a cute little restaurant that is set up in the forest. Little did I expect, there would be monkeys jumping around the roof and sneaking in to steal the food. It was a delicious buffet with a lot of the American foods I had been missing so much. It just so happened to be one of my group member's birthday, so we were surprised with a giant cake. One of the monkey jumped down and stole a piece of the cake right off the table! It was an awesome day with a lot of surprises!

Yes, I did cause a car accident today.

2010-11-08T08:09:00.003-06:00

Well, the title says it all. Today I was walking down the main street where I was being hackled by taxi and truck drivers, but nothing too unusual. Next thing I know, a man driving his car slows down and is driving at the same pace that I am walking. He is yelling in a deep voice, "Machita, Machita" and inappropriate things that I will leave up to your imagine. Instead of the usual 2 yells and drive away, this man was persistent. I appreciate his dedication. He seemed to have completely forgot about the road in front of him. I tried to hand gesture at the car that was stopped in front of him, but he was not interested in my help. He then crashed into the car in front of him. Instead of the normal reaction of shock, anger, and fear after a car accident, he decided to maintain his screaming at me. Perhaps he was yelling curses about me causing his accident, but, regardless, it was funny. Another feather in the hat, I guess.

All Work, No Play, and a LOT of Rain

2010-11-06T18:38:00.003-06:00

So, I know I have not blogged all week, but that is because I really have nothing too thrilling to talk about. Halloween, in my opinion, was basically a bust. I had a sweet costume and all, but the whole of Costa Rica did not seem to have the same approach to the holiday. People were dressed up, but it seemed to be more of an excuse for the men to cover their faces and act more inappropriately. Other than that, I have just been working all week. One of my first final presentations was yesterday, so I had been working to get all of that stuff together. I did a lot of my final paper research and writing this week so that I could be sure to get some good travel time in over my last few weeks here.

There was also a terrible flood in Escazu, a town in the mountains not too far from San Jose. Because of the extreme amounts of water, a ton of rain caused landslides Wednesday at midnight. A lot of people are still missing and many were found dead; it has been marked as a national disaster in Costa Rica. Because of all the rain and problems caused by them, we were not able to travel anywhere this weekend. We tried to make the best of it by taking advantage of the extra work time to ensure free travel time over the next few weekends, though.

Today I watched the final football game of my fiance. It was nice to see him end on a great game with a big win, but it also left me with a very strange feeling. I am starting to realize all the "lasts" that will be coming up in the next few months for us. I cannot believe it is my senior year of college! What an overwhelming idea. I will not be able to feel that same pride in the bleachers again until I have my own kids out there playing some day. All in all, growing up is weird.

Sorry I don't have more exciting news of wordly travels this week. Tomorrow there is a recycled art fair in the city that I am really excited to visit. Next week, if the weather calls for it, we have a class trip to the beach on Wednesday and a class trip to a coffee farm on Friday. If everything comes together, I will also be visiting Monte Verde over the weekend. I am sure I will have a lot more exciting news and pictures for you coming up!

Museo de Ninos =)

2010-10-30T10:17:00.006-06:00

Children's Museum!
The floor shook like an earthquake.

Dancing Lights

Spaceship!? Creo que siiii!

It has been another busy week in Costa Rica. Some of my beginning classes are wrapping up, so I've been working hard on my final papers. This doesn't mean we couldn't have a little bit of fun, though... For my Conversation class, our topic of discussion for the day was "childhood"... and where better to focus on childhood than at the Children's Museum!? That's right, a group of 18 Gringos showed up at the Children's Museum... and enjoyed the exhibits more than the kids! All in all, it was a lot of fun... and I actually found some quality ideas for my future classroom. =)

On Thursday we also visited the Hunger Strike against the building of the mines. Only 2 men remain because the other ones became so ill from not eating that they had to be rushed to the hospital. On Thursday, the poor guys had not eaten anything for 21 days (Can you imagine!?). We had gone to see them about 2 weeks ago... and they looked quite a bit more pale and tired. They feel very strongly for their cause, and my whole ACM group is supporting them. On Tuesday, my music class is all going to put on a concert for them and to raise more support. Look it up and "Like" them on Facebook!

Tonight is going to be an interesting night, for sure. We are all going to a Halloween party at one of the local clubs. There are prizes for the best costumes... hope someone in my group wins! I will be dressing up as Barbie (which is easy because I'm one of the only blondes in Costa Rica, haha). The only light-haired guy in my ACM group has red hair, but he is going to be Ken anyway. We also have Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, a pineapple, and a pirate in the group. We will see what the others come up with today. I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures.

I can't believe how quickly my time in Costa Rica has flown by. There are so many things I still want to do and see here, but I only have 34 days left! I have a feeling I am going to be really busy and have a lot to fill this blog up with in the next 34 days. Until next time... =)

Life Back in San Jose

2010-10-27T07:44:00.004-06:00

Well, my return trip back to San Jose went really well. It was nice to come back and have internet access, running water, not sleep with a mosquito net, hear English, and eat healthier food. At the same time, I ended up getting pretty sick. I've been in and out of the hospital over the past 2 weeks because I have an infection caused from the pollution and contamination in the city air. =( It has been the hardest two weeks since I have been to Costa Rica because I just want to go home, lay in my bed, and have my loved ones care for me! The medical system is really good here... and I also haven't had to pay for anything because we got really great insurance for the trip. Anyways, I apologize for slacking on the whole writing thing, but I haven't been feeling really up to it.

In other news, we visited Cahuita this weekend for a study of the influence of African culture and calypso music. Cahuita is only about 45 minutes from where I did my rural stay in Cocles... but is completely different. The people speak Creole music, the black population is much more prevalent, the food is slightly different, and the beaches are of white sand. It was a beautiful and amazing opportunity. We had a calypso band come and do a little concert for us, we stayed in the goddess sweet, we enjoyed caribbean food, we spent a lot of time swimming and relaxing at Cahuita National Park, and we had a bonfire under the moonlight on the beach. It was an amazing experience and I really grew closer to some of my classmates.

Finishing up in Cocles

2010-10-14T12:50:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures of my classes in Cocles. The pictures speak a thousand words about what I had to deal with on a daily basis during my classes! =)

4th grade

One of the classrooms

1st-2nd grade
3rd grade

View of the schoolyard

7-8th graders

I can't believe I am finishing up my time in Cocles. It has definitely been an interesting experience. I have learned some delicious recipes, taught more than 100 crazy kids some basic English, spent a ton of time at the beach, and improved my Spanish a lot! I can't believe it is my 8th week in Costa Rica- the halfway point! Some days it feels like I have been away from home forever and I miss so many important people from home, but at the same time I cannot believe how fast time seems to be going. I have mixed emotions because I cannot wait to get home in December and spend time with all my favorite people, but I don't want this amazing experience to end. I have grown a lot as a person in my time in Costa Rica... and especially during my time in Cocles. Because I am basically excluded from other "gringos," I have basically been forced to improve my Spanish and get by on my own. Although I feared this greatly, I can see now why it was so important for me to do so.

For example, teaching English in Escuela Rio Negro was an absolutely overwhelming task. The students are, to put it nicely, out of control. How can anyone teach more than 100 students English when you only have about 9 days with each class... and only about 1 hour with each class. All the English you need to know in 9 hours... I think not. In spite of this, I had a lot of fun working with the students. Plus, if I can handle these kids in another language, I think teaching will be a lot easier in the U.S.! Working in the school also helped me improve my Spanish a lot because I had to deal with screaming, flirting, fighting, and every other aspect of elementary school you can imagine in Spanish. What an experience.

In other news, today is one of the coolest days that I have experienced in Cocles. I would consider it about 75 with a slight breeze. When I woke up this morning, my mom was in the kitchen making apple tea because it is "so cold" and she didn't want me waking up to the cold. I then explained to her that this is basically a warm and/or hot day in Chicago. She proceeded to explain that I need to move to Central America to maintain my health... apparently "cold" weather is not good for you. All of my students were wearing jackets during class and could not believe that I was not cold in a tshirt and a skirt. I would like to see them during a Chicago winter!

On Saturday morning at 7am, I catch my 5 hour busride back to San Jose. It will be nice to return to a bed with a real mattress, get away from the mosquitos, stop eating ants with every meal, not sweat through my clothes everyday, and spend some time with my friends. The actual internet access and ability to Skype with everyone will be awesome too!

Pictures of Cocles

2010-10-03T16:29:00.004-06:00

Que linda.

My two main bros- Aritz and Marquez.

My home from the outside...

Basically the entire inside.

My bedroom in all of its glory.

This beach is my backyard... no big deal.

Pura Vida, Cocles Style

2010-09-29T18:42:00.005-06:00

Yes, I am illegally stealing internet from the 5 star hotel across the street from my house. Cocles is absolutely amazing though. Besides for the extreme heat and humidity every day... and the 3405843837 mosquito bites, the strange lizards that I have found in my bed on more than one occasion, the fact that I eat ants with every meal, and that we only have running water 6 hours of the day... but really, I LOVE IT HERE! (this is not sarcasm). If someone told me I was going to be living in these conditions, I probably would have refused to come. It is amazing, though, how quickly I could adjust to these little things. On the up side, from my backyard, I literally take 10 steps to reach the sand of the beautiful beach. Since it is the off-season for tourists, there is rarely anyone there. I have been going for long walks along the beach every morning and have not been disturbed by a single person. Also, I have been swimming every afternoon with maybe 5-10 other people on the entire beach strip. How amazing.

A sort of funny story, my host mother here forgot that I was coming on Saturday because they just don't bother to keep track of the days here... I guess there is no need. My host mom runs a laundry business for the hotel across the street, my host dad works there, and my host sister is a 15 year old who is so obsessed with the fact that I have my own computer. The house is really small. We do not have any furniture in the living room besides some lawn chairs. There is no dining room table in the house, I thought this was weird... but then I found out that you just don't go into the house during the day because it is so hot. We eat all our meals and do pretty much everything outside. Another interesting fact is that we have had someone new sleep over at our house each night. Apparently they have all been "uncled, aunts, or cousins" but everyone has been super nice. I am still not really sure who all actually lives in the house... but there is one bedroom with like 12 mattresses.

Apparently since she forgot that I was coming, my mom forgot to talk to the school and tell them that I was coming to help out. So, she decided we should just walk down there and introduce me on Monday morning. Sure enough, we walked down there on Monday morning, I told them I wanted to help out. They asked me if I knew English, then told me I would be teaching English. In fact, they had me start that very morning. I just did some introduction get-to-know eachother games because I had nothing prepared. I could not believe I could just walk in there and they would let me teach for 3 hours! They way the school is set up is that there is levels 1-6, but it is basically equivalent to our kindergarten to 8th grade. The upper 3 levels have classes from 7-11:30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then afternoon classes on Tuesday and Thursday. The lower 3 levels have the opposite schedule. Because of this, I only have to teach in the mornings from 7-11:30... with the older kids on Mon-Wed-Fri and the younger kids on Tues-Thurs. So far I have done the alphabet and basic English introductions. I am really enjoying it. I asked the kids what other themes they are interested in and will be teaching about jobs, locations, physical descriptions, and animals in the upcoming classes.

Because I only teach in the mornings, I have all afternoon to do whatever I want. I have been going to the beach for a couple of hours everyday! Not only because it is relaxing... but also because it is so unbearably hot that I need to just be in the water most of the day. Beyond that, I have basically just been preparing lesson plans, reading a lot, and getting to know my family. I think this weekend I have found some worthy opponents to play basketball with! All in all, I am really enjoying this trip, but it is a big change from the life I am accustomed to. This is the first time I have really had internet or used my computer. I have only used a phone once. I am able to live without running water and have already had 2 days without power. All of these things seemed impossible to me before, but now I am kind of proud that I can handle this lifestyle. Hopefully I'll be tan when I'm done with this!

Until next time! =)

Preparing to Leave

2010-09-25T08:37:00.002-06:00

It is finally time for the rural stay portion of my trip. I had been really nervous about this whole living 3 weeks without knowing anyone for miles thing, but I am really excited now. Basically, the ACM program includes a 3 week break from classes where you go and do volunteer work in a rural area of Costa Rica. I have been blessed and am placed in Cocles, Costa Rica. It is along the Caribbean Ocean and I am basically going to be across the street from the beach. I can't wait. I will be teaching in a small, rural primary school... but I am still not sure what I will be teaching yet! I am placed with a different family for this 3 weeks where I will have a Tica mother, an African father, and one 15 year old sister. I leave this afternoon at around 11.

It is definitely going to be a change of pace for my life. From the people who I have talked to... professors, my Tica family, college students at University of Costa Rica, etc.... Cocles will be the most beautiful place I will ever visit. This has made me really excited. I am told everything is really slow-paced and relaxed, which will be a good change of pace for my hectic mind. I have also heard the food is better than here in San Jose, which is impossible for me to imagine... for those of you who know my passion for food, this is a huge deal! It isn't the rainy season in Cocles, so it'll be a cool change of pace to not have rain EVERY, single day. and most importantly... no classes for 3 weekssss!

Although it is a touristy destination, I am not really sure what my internet connection situation will be... so I might not be able to post for a few weeks. If I can't blog while I'm away, I'll get you all the updates when I return.

Wish me luck!! =)

Volcan Poas

2010-09-19T16:27:00.004-06:00

That's right, went to a volcano yesterday... no big deal. It is actually really funny how surreal it was to just go to a volcano. We just hopped on a bus on Saturday morning, paid for the tickets right there, drove a couple hours, and we were at a volcano. The pictures do not do the experience justice, but I figured you'd like to see anyway...

We went with just a small group of people, so the trip was really relaxed and fun. Everyone brought a little something so that when we were on our hike, we had a little picnic. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with pringles and cookies was a pretty awesome meal on top of a volcano... just saying. All in all, it was an awesome experience and a lot of fun.

Dia de Independencia x 2

2010-09-17T08:53:00.003-06:00

Well, I had mentioned that I was about to enjoy some of the Dia de Independencia activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, but now I have actually enjoyed them. What a beautiful day in Costa Rica... I was really impressed with how patriotic everyone is around here. There were some of the most beautiful parades I have ever seen with some really beautiful clothings. There were the cutest little boys dressed in "authentic" Costa Rican garb with painted on mustaches... Que Linda! (How cute!). After a long and late night on Tuesday, I went to the parades all day on Wednesday. Surprisingly, I did not get sunburnt. =)

Yesterday was just a boring day of classes, but I finished a lot of homework last night so that I could enjoy this weekend. I only have classes to 11 today. We are hoping to go to the beach or visit a volcano this weekend... I'll update you on which we choose later! Enjoy the pictures.

Until next time... =)

Dia de Independencia

2010-09-14T12:09:00.004-06:00

Finally, a fun week of school! Tomorrow is Costa Rican Independence Day, so today was filled with fun activities during class. We walked down to the local elementary school and watched the cutest little kids in a parade with their traditional Costa Rican garb... how cute! We ate some typical Costa Rican cuisine for lunch, were taught some traditional Costa Rican dance, and celebrated Stuart's birthday. Que buen dia!

I am really starting to enjoy my time here. I finally feel like I have a comfortable place/role in my classes, with my family, and in the country in general! I am really enjoying getting to know the country and meeting new people. I have become brave enough and confident enough in my Spanish-speaking abilities to try and communicate with more of the locals, which has been an interesting experience. Although some ended up being creepers, I have met a lot of cool and nice people. This weekend I am hoping to go see a volcano. I can't wait.

Tonight we are going to head out to watch some of the parades, the torch lighting, and some other celebrations for the holiday. After that... it's time to celebrate Stuart's birthday. No classes tomorrow.. hoorrayyyy!

Slacker...

2010-09-11T19:22:00.002-06:00

So I know I have been slacking on the whole blog thing this week, but it has been pretty busy and unexciting. This week has been jammed with classes, tests, and lameness, so I do not really have any exciting news. They even opened up the ACM building so that people could do their homework today... on Saturday. Yes, I went like a nerd... but I spent 3 hours of my time watching my fiance's football game on webcast! =)

Anyways, a little good news is that I found out I will be doing my rural stay in Cocles, Costa Rica. It is along the Caribbean Coast and I will be working at a school there. I get to spend 3 weeks right next to the beach!! I will be living with an Afro-Costa Rican family which will help me with my research papers on the West Indian influence in Costa Rica.

After spending all day at school, I came home to a big tasty dinner. My Tico mom offered to paint my nails, so I went along with it. Little did I know that she is basically an expert and painted the cutest little flowers too! I'm pretty pumped.

Well, a group of us are going to head out now to find out a little bit about the Costa Rican nightlife... wish the "Machita" luck!

Until next time... =)

Weekend Trip - Part 4 (Rainforest)

2010-09-05T19:51:00.005-06:00

The Tirimbina Resort (recommend it- completely eco-friendly)
This picture doesn't capture his size, but this jerk was huge...and he was trying to steal our chocolate.

Howler Monkey... can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?

View from the Canopy Bridge

Baby Frog... (actually not a baby, just really small)

Giant Fig Tree

Cool Tarzan Vines

The Sarapiqui River

Rainforest (in general)

View from the Bridge

The obviously very sturdy and well-constructed bridge

That's right... I actually went into the rainforest. What an amazing experience! There are really no words to express the feeling you have walking through the rainforest; it was amazing. Here you see pictures of the giant, probably very unsafe, bridge across the Sarapiqui River that we crossed to get into the rainforest. Actually, the night before at around 10PM, we all decided to cross that same bridge using flashlights... which was probably not one of our smartest decisions ever, but we all survived. I saw leaf-cutter ants, one of the biggest forms of ants in the world, the cutest little baby tree frogs, beautiful birds, an angry howler monkey, lots of ugly bugs, and tons of plants, flowers, and trees that I've never even imagined. I even got to swing from a Tarzan branch! It was an awesome experience and I would recommend it to anyone. We even crossed a second bridge into the upper-canopy of the rainforest. The views were beautiful and the photographs cannot even begin to capture the essence of the rainforest.

Weekend Trip - Part 3 (Sloths)

2010-09-04T17:47:00.003-06:00

Now... for the most important part of the weekend... I GOT TO HOLD A BABY SLOTH!!!!! I know the whole educational part of the trip is supposed to be the most important, but how can I not be excited? At the Cacao Farm, we met up with a man named Giovanni, who is better known as "Hombre de Perezosos" or "Sloth Man." He is apparently obsessed with sloths and tracks the 160 that live in the Cacao Farm that we visited. First we tracked down an adult sloth named Byron sitting up in a tree. After we got back, Giovanni surprised us with a baby sloth sleeping in a box. I was the happiest person in the world to get to hold the little guy.

Beyond just sloths, we also took a bat tour and got to see real, live bats up close. This was also a pretty cool experience... but not many people can say they held a baby sloth!!

Weekend Trip - Part 2 (Cacao Farm)

2010-09-04T17:24:00.003-06:00

As if the bananas weren't enough... we also got to go to a Cacao Farm. For those of you who aren't sure what that is... it's a chocolate farm! This was pretty much the dream of a lot of girls in the group, but because I don't like chocolate that much it wasn't so amazing. It was really interesting, though, because I've never through of where chocolate comes from before its a solid brown bar. I was really surprised to see the trees it grows on and the fruit it grows inside. This was a really cool experience. In the picture, you can see the inside of something that looks like a mix between a pumpkin and a cantaloupe... that's a cacao. When you crack it open, those slimy white things actually contain the chocolate seed. I actually ate some of that gooey stuff (aren't you proud of me!?) and it was really sweet and pretty tasty. There is a whole long fermentation process where those beans basically sit in giant boxes for a couple of days until they dry out. After that they are cooked... then a couple more steps are taken until the chocolate we know turns up.

A group of Costa Rican women have started their own chocolate company that uses no preservatives and is completely eco-friendly. Apparently we have a lot of connections through ACM, because we got to go to the house of these cute, old ladies and have an AMAZING lunch cooked for us. They talked us through how they started their company, why they started it, and the empowerment it shows for women in Costa Rica. The chocolate they gave us was actually 75% chocolate and 25% sugar... something we cannot even grasp the concept of in the U.S. Now, I'm not a big chocolate person, but this was definitely the best chocolate I've ever tasted. Without any preservatives or whatever other fake stuff they put in our chocolate, it was actually less than 100 calories per bar.

Weekend Trip - Part 1 (Banana Farm)

2010-09-04T16:37:00.004-06:00

This weekend has been quite the adventure... and it is only Saturday afternoon! Because I have so much to share, I am going to create this weekend's blog in sections. To start off, yesterday morning we drove up to Guapiles where we visited a couple farms. These farms were definitely not like anything I've seen in Illinois, though. First we stopped at a Dole Banana Plantation. Wow! It was amazing!! The whole system is a lot more complicated than just picking some bananas and throwing them in a box like I expected. As the bananas are tracked by their age, they are placed in blue bags (while still hanging) to protect them from bugs, birds, and to keep them the perfect temperature. There are series of... well, I guess it is easiest to call them ziplines... and when the bananas are ready, they hang them from this zipline. A man then ties a rope to his back and pulls about 15 HUGE bunches of bananas along this line into the company. After that, there is a huge inspection process to make sure the bananas are ripe enough, but not too ripe because they need to ripen just right when they reach the U.S.. The Bananas are then cleaned, the bad ones are again weeded out, boxed, weighed, and shipped off to you guys back home!

One of the funniest things I learned about the bananas is that if they bananas are too ripe and would be browning by the time they get sent to us, they are sold to Chiquita Banana company to turn into baby food. Hey, at least they don't go to waste! One of the best parts about the trip was that the guide gave us ALL a free bunch of bananas! Also, in Costa Rica they call them "bananOs."

Week 2

2010-09-01T18:37:00.003-06:00

Well, the whole "WOW, I'm in Costa Rica!" feeling of shock has sort of worn off starting at the beginning of this week, so it has been a tough couple of days. Not that I am not happy to be in this amazingly beautiful country, but it is hard to actually accept that I am going to be away from all the people I love for months! On top of missing others, this week has been filled with a ton of information and the beginnings of a lot of projects, which was overwhelming and a little mentally draining.

Today was a huge relief, though. We went to the San Jose book fair, which to me is one of the most exciting things in the world. Of course... I creeped on basically only children's books the whole time. Books are more expensive here than the U.S.! =( I ended up buying a really cute children's book that is written in both Spanish and English. It is about a coyote who eats the moon! It came with a CD and is super cute and well illustrated. Also, I couldn't pass up on a Costa Rican recipe book! I have really enjoyed all the food here, so I wanted to be able to share some of the culture when I get home.

Besides books being my favorite thing in the world, we also had dance class. At first I was sort of not looking forward to spending 2 hours that I should be doing homeworking...dancing, but I am so glad I did. The instructor was so fun and funny and we learned all different types of music. He also told me I had nice, wide dancing hips... I wasn't sure if I should be honored or offended. Regardless, it was super fun AND a good workout. Looks like we're going to be doing the merengue at my wedding!!

This weekend we are traveling to Sarapiqui and Guapiles for Friday and most of Saturday. We are going to visit a Cacao farm... the place where chocolate comes from... and a rainforest. I am so excited! My professor studies sloths, apparently, and told me I can even hold a baby sloth. As you can imagine, I am so excited. Funny fact: the word for sloth in Spanish is "perezoso" ...which is also the same word for "lazy."

Until next time... =)

Jaco Beach! =)

2010-08-28T21:16:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-08-27T17:53:00.007-06:00

(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...

2010-08-26T21:06:00.004-06:00

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?!

2010-08-26T18:52:00.004-06:00

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

2010-08-23T19:56:00.002-06:00

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!?!

2010-08-22T10:06:00.002-06:00

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

2010-08-20T09:17:00.002-06:00

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

2010-08-11T21:04:00.002-06:00

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! =)

Tribute to Dr. Seuss

2010-07-20T23:20:00.004-06:00

I figured that since I have referenced the book, I might as well let you all read what it says. If you are unfamiliar with the work, maybe this will make a little more sense.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

...

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Don't worry, I know I am a nerd! This book really does speak to me as an inspiration for my trip, though. As a typical American girl from a large family who has hardly left the midwest, it seems overwhelming to consider living in another country for months. I am nervous, excited, anxious, and concerned. So far, I have finished all my paperwork, found out about my host family, and started the packing process (which I think will be more difficult than I had planned).

Until next time... =)