El Caribe!

What an amazing weekend. I am getting so spoiled with these amazing weekends. It is so nice to get out of a long week of classes with a trip to look forward to on the weekend! Friday was my last day of my first Spanish class and I am happy to report I received a 95 in the class, so an A overall! Yay! Only one more Intensive Spanish class that will go through November 20th and then my two electives the whole time I'm here. So after class got out on Friday I met up with four of my friends at school where we caught a taxi to the bus station. Two of our friends left on an early morning bus so we were meeting them at our hostel. We had to take two taxis to the bus station, mine was perfectly smooth and we got there and got our bus tickets to Puerto Viejo, but our friends in the other taxi weren't showing up, and they weren't showing up... So we started to get panicked thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong. What a way to start the weekend! Luckily we had planned in a lot of extra time so eventually they came walking up saying that their taxi driver dropped them at the wrong bus station and they couldn't find the one we were supposed to be at. In the end it was a little hiccup, nothing too bad! Though they did get their tickets so late that their tickets were standing room only... So they ended up sitting in the aisle of the bus for the four hour ride. But we got to Puerto Viejo, a small beach town on the south Caribbean coast of the country. Our hostel was called Rocking J's and it was really big! It had every type of option, private rooms, dorm style, tents, and even hammocks!! I opted for the tent, which was only $8 for the night and had a small mattress on the floor of the tent. It was super hot in the tent, but besides that it was fine! So it was already dark when we got to our hostel, but the 6 of us went to a restaurant called Hot Rocks. The food was pretty good, but they also had karaoke, pool, and swings inside the restaurant! So that was really fun and we ended up spending the rest of the night there! And yes, I did participate in karaoke, only once and with another friend. But it was fun! 

Saturday we were up at 5 am! We opted to get a private shuttle to Panama instead of having to navigate the public buses across the border ourselves. It  ended up being just barely more expensive for the private van, and it was so worth it! The border was so confusing. We had to go to four different buildings with no signs in order to get into Panama. Also we had to leave our first van, walk across the border, and then into a different van for the rest of the way. Also we had to pay the CR exit fee, then fill out the Customs form, then get our passport stamped, and then pay the Panama entrance fee! All of these buildings were in different spots with no indications of where to go or in what order. So we all made it just fine, and were on our way to Bocas del Toro, Panama. The bus dropped us at our "water taxi" and we had to take this boat out to the island we were staying on! Bocas del Toro is very hot and humid, but it is really cute! Our hostel was very nice and we had a private room and bathroom. So we dropped our things off, and found a place for lunch. Then we rented bikes and rode out to Bluff beach! It was a pretty good distance and about half of it was unpaved and rocky. Needless to say my butt was a little bit sore the next day! But we made it to the beach and we were the only ones there! The waves were huge so we just stayed at the edge of the water. But it was really nice after such a hot bike ride. Once we dropped the bikes back off we showered and changed and I looked through TripAdvisor for a place for dinner. We chose a Caribbean place called "Capitan Caribe" with really good views. The reviews were spot on... I had the best burrito of my life!! It was amazing! It was called the "Tropical Burrito" and it had Coconut Rice, Pineapple and Tomato Chutney, Sour Cream, and Curry Chicken. 5/6 of us got it and were all in love. I probably sound ridiculous, but it was justified. The other girl got a Fish Burger which was apparently just as amazing.

The bridge into Panama

The amazing burrito!

Sunday we spent exploring the town more and buying some souvenirs (I bought a Panama patch), also had a delicious breakfast before leaving. At noon we caught the water taxi back to the mainland and crossed back over into Costa Rica! So it was a quick stop in Panama but I loved it! Being on an island surrounded by a bunch of smaller islands was beautiful! Plus I love to ride bikes, so that made the short stop that much more fun! Back at our same hostel in Costa Rica we went to another beach called Cocles Beach. I've never spent so much time in the ocean in my life! But that's the nature of Costa Rica I suppose! I'm not a big fan of sand, but the swimming and sitting on the beach is great. It was yet another beautiful beach and a very relaxing afternoon! Sunday night we found a restaurant close to the hostel and again, it was delicious! Most notably, we all split three desserts. A caramel crepe with ice cream, and two of this Argentinian dessert called Alfajor with ice cream. The waiter recommended the Alfajor and it was a good recommendation! We loved them! 
Then this morning I was again up early to catch the public bus back to San Jose! I got back about 30 minutes before my afternoon class. I didn't have Spanish this morning because my new class starts tomorrow so that's how I was able to stay through Monday in Puerto Viejo. 

The Alfajor

I was a little bit nervous going into this weekend just because it was our first weekend on our own and we were going across the border. But everything went so smoothly and it was a great experience! Luckily I was traveling with a great group of girls that made it that much easier.
Thanks for keeping up with my adventures to those of you reading! Jeremiah is recovering very well and getting more used to the inconveniences of school and everyday life. I am missing him a ton lately! But only 8 more weeks until I see him and the rest of my family again! Meanwhile I am treasuring all of these opportunities and adventures God is giving me here is Costa Rica!

Some pictures from last week:

Pura Vida!

Manuel Antonio y mas!

One month down, two to go! Wow! 

Last weekend I had a trip to Manuel Antonio National Park. It was only about three hours away and our hotel was very nice and right outside the national park! All day last Friday I wasn't feeling very well, so my Friday night was not very exciting! Saturday we went into the national park. It is beautiful! We went on a couple of trails, one that led to a waterfall, and one that went by a bunch of crabs and monkeys! The monkeys were so cool! There were so many of them and they were really close. So I took a ton of pictures of them. After quite a bit of walking we headed to one of the many beaches inside the national park. The one we chose only had two other people on it! So we walked down the whole beach and climbed around on these huge rocks and explored. While exploring we saw a bunch of crabs and an eel!! And then we swam, and spent most of the rest of the day sitting on the beach! Oh, there were also some fearless raccoons on the beach so you had to watch your things. 

Sunday my friend and I walked around town and got free Pura Vida bracelets! That was nice! The rest of the morning we wandered around the hotel area until it was time to return to San Jose! 

This week was my last week of my first Spanish class! So I wrapped up a five credit class in only four weeks! The name "Intensive Spanish" is definitely justified. So as far as class went this week I was busy with two presentations, an exam, and a patient simulation. The patient simulation was nerve-wracking but actually very cool. My Spanish class is Spanish for health professionals, so we were in pairs and one person was the nurse (me) and the other was the doctor. We had to get their basic information, take their vital signals, listen to their symptoms, diagnose them, and give recommendations. So it was very applicable to a real life situation, so I enjoyed it and think mine went well! 

Also this week we had different visitors at our house pretty much every night because of the new baby. Everyone wants to see him! So I got to meet a lot of Costa Ricans! One of them even told me that I have a great Spanish accent!! 

I made Oreo Truffles this week! I wanted to make something common in the U.S., and for my family, this is very common! I had to make do with different melting chocolate and no food processor, but I managed and they tasted great! Valentina and Dilanna loved watching me make them, and they loved the end result even more! So I was happy they enjoyed a little something from home! 

Weekly observations/notes:

"Mae" is a word here that they use for "dude." I hadn't really heard it much until my host dad's friends started visiting more and they'll use that term pretty freely in conversation!

Dilanna and Valentina give me hugs when I come home, which I love! 

They have a "juice" here that is literally oats, water, and sugar... Really weird. I'm not a fan, but my host mom loves it! 

I took my first taxi today! I know my dad will be happy to hear that. It was super easy, I just hadn't needed to take one until today!

I'm having a hard time getting pictures with my wifi right now. So next time I'll have more pictures!

I am currently on my way to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast of the country! Manuel Antonio was my last planned excursion with my program so this one is on my own with friends! So it will definitely be a new and interesting experience! We are also going down to Panama for a day, so I will be going to yet another country this year! I'm excited to see what's in store! 

Also, quick shout out to my adorable niece and nephew who turned two this week!! Well, Madeline turned two yesterday and Parker turns two tomorrow! I can't believe it! I love them so much and miss them like crazy! I'm so lucky to be an aunt!

Pura Vida

Adventure Awaits...

The "..." In the title was meant to be foreboding because this week while I did have some awesome adventure awaiting me. There was also some not so fun adventures in store! 

Last weekend I got to explore another new absolutely beautiful part of Costa Rica! On Friday (10/9) afternoon at 1:00 we got on the buses and drove about four hours to Arenal! It's an active volcano in North Central Costa Rica. It was a beautiful, green drive up there, but pretty windy and very foggy! The clouds kept up most of the weekend and unfortunately I never was able to see the top of the volcano because it was covered by clouds! Our resort was again amazing. I was randomly roomed with three of my friends which was a very nice surprise! The front of porch had a view of the volcano, we were right by the base of the volcano! Because of that, our hotel had hot springs! How cool! So after dinner of course we spent the night enjoying the hot springs. It was a bunch of small pools and some bigger ones and we just hopped in between them. Saturday morning I was up at 6:00 for a canyoning excursion that I decided to do! We took a bus pretty deep into the forest, had a safety lesson, got our gear (harness, helmet, and gloves) and were on our way. We had four rappels, a suspension bridge, a zipline, and a couple of small jumps off small waterfalls. It was so much fun!! I can't believe I was in this forest of Central America rappelling down waterfalls!! I was really nervous the first time rappelling. I had my arm wrapped around the guide's waist as he kept telling me to get closer to the edge. But they were great guides and it was really fun. So one of the rappels we had the option to do it upside down!! So I literally was strapped in and out over the edge of the canyon, told to flip upside down, and let go. Then I dropped a long way down!

 There were always guides at the top and bottom for extra safety and precautions. It was amazing and I have the video on my gopro so I can't wait to see how it turned out! All in all, that was a really fun day. I'm so glad I did it, even if parts were very nerve-wracking. After that we were all soaked so we changed and were taken right to a sustainable farm. The rest of our ISA group was already there and we were provided a lunch from the farm, everything grown and made right there! After the yummy lunch we were given a presentation about the farm and got to try a cacao bean which is actually like a fruit on the outside! And we tried sugar cane and sugar cane juice. Pretty good! The rest of the day my friends and I enjoyed the hot springs, the views, and dinner. 

Cacao fruit

Sunday we got ready and packed up, stuck our feet in the hot springs after breakfast and at 11:30 started the journey back to San Jose. It was another great weekend enjoying this beautiful country! 

And to make it even better, I got back to San Jose Sunday night, dropped my stuff at my house and went right back out to meet up with my family!! My parents, Emily, and Jeremiah came and it was so great to see them all! It's strange, I feel like my time has flown by here but I also felt like I hadn't seen them in awhile. So Sunday night we just had dinner and caught up! Monday was the random holiday from school which was perfect so we headed out bright and early right back to Arenal! That's where I had just been all weekend, but it was worth going again because it really gives a good sense of Costa Rica. 

Once we got up to Arenal after a bumpy drive we found a tour info place and booked a zipline/rappel/horseback/hot springs tour! It was perfect, it had everything included! So we grabbed lunch first and made our way to the tour place. Ziplining was first, and it was really cool! Really long lines and a great view of the forest and greenery. Emily and I went down first and then we were waiting for Jeremiah to come in next. The next thing I see Jeremiah is coming in backwards, really fast, and we are all screaming "Brake!!" But he can't hear us... And so he comes flying in to the platform and collides with ropes and who knows what, it was all kind of a blur. I keep replaying this scene in my head it was so scary. So we're all kind of frazzled, but he hops off the zipline and seems to just be more in shock than pain and we're all asking if he's okay. His right arm started swelling up very quickly and he was quickly becoming more and more in pain. He couldn't move his elbow and was going a little white, so we got him out of there as quickly as possible. He and my mom went with one of the company's workers to a nearby clinic while my dad, Emily, and I finished the Ziplining. I felt like an awful girlfriend and was a little in shock the rest of the time, but he and my mom insisted I stay. So we wrapped up and found out immediately after that his right Humerus (upper arm) was broken... Yeah, not a great way to spend the first full day of vacation in a foreign country. So we spent the rest of the day in the clinic, then driving back to San Jose, and in the hospital there. We thought he was going to have to get surgery here and then found out it could wait until the U.S., and then at his appointment this Thursday back in the U.S. he found out he won't need surgery! Yay!! But... He has a three month recovery which is a really long time and since it's his right arm it's very debilitating, so prayers for a speedy and full recovery are appreciated! So obviously this was not ideal, but despite that, Jeremiah has been so positive and didn't let it stop him from having a good time here! So Tuesday I was back in class but still able to see my family after class and go out for dinner and just spend time together. They were able to go the beach Tuesday, Jeremiah left Wednesday, and my parents and Emily toured some of San Jose on Wednesday and did a coffee production tour on Thursday. I think they enjoyed their time here! It definitely wasn't long enough, but I'm glad they were able to see my new home and share some experiences with me here! I'm trying not to think too much about the nine weeks now that I won't see them... 

Weekly observations:

It is so green here!

I'm getting used to feeling a little damp from humidity all the time.

Props to my dad for renting a car and navigating this insane city all week without getting in a wreck! The traffic is crazy here! 

My host mom had her baby on Wednesday! His name is Marcello and he is quite big but so cute!!

I'm not actually getting a roommate anymore, she decided to stay with her original family.

This weekend we are going to be at Manuel Antonio National Park! Another beach area so I can't wait! Feeling a little sick but praying it's a 24 hour thing. I want to enjoy the beach! 

Pura Vida

A Rich Coast Indeed

It’s safe to say I’m in love with Costa Rica! After seeing the coast and driving through some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen, I have fallen in love! Honestly, I knew it was going to be a beautiful country, but you can’t quite grasp it until you see it yourself. Now, I spend most of my time in San Jose, which is a big city, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call it beautiful, I definitely love experiencing life here.

So why did I leave the city you ask? Well the program that I came to Costa Rica with, ISA, includes planned excursions in their program cost. So I had just barely wrapped up my first week of classes and fifteen minutes later I was on the road to Playa Tamarindo, on the Northwest coast of Costa Rica! The drive was 5-6 hours of beautiful scenery. Completely green, deep gorges, rivers, small towns… Did I say green? We arrived to our hotel just as the sun was setting. We stayed in a very nice resort right on the beach so it was great views, and I shared my huge room with only one other person. That night ISA provided us dinner at the hotel and brought in traditional CR dancers to perform for us. On Saturday I spent the morning with a few friends walking on the beach, walking through town, and swimming. The water was warm! I guess since it’s closer to the Equator? But I was expecting cold since it’s the Pacific, so it was a very welcome surprise. In the afternoon I opted to do a Catamaran Cruise/Snorkeling excursion. A few of my friends were doing it as well and it was worth the cost for sure. While I am being conscience of my spending and not just going crazy I am also thinking, “When I am 40 years old, am I going to think, man that was a lot of money or am I going to think, what an amazing experience!” So we took a nice long catamaran ride out to a quiet cove and went snorkeling, swimming, and paddle boarding. While snorkeling I saw tons of different types of fish and a huge school of fish. It was so cool! I could’ve spent a whole day in that cove exploring and swimming around. When we headed back on the Catamaran we caught most of the sunset, which was amazing. The beauty of this place really made me admire God even more than usual. Truly, in a place so beautiful I couldn’t help but think about how He created it all and how truly fantastic His creation is. Saturday night my friends and I grabbed dinner (I had a delicious Passionfruit smoothie) and then went dancing! That was quite fun. Sunday morning we spent our last few hours on the beach before heading back home.

More observations:

• ·      They don’t put toilet paper in the toilet… Everything goes in a trashcan right beside it! Weird and hard to get used to!
• ·      I found two (thankfully dead!) cockroaches in my room in one day…
• ·      Not sure if I mentioned this last time, but Costa Ricans are called “Ticos” or “Ticas.”
• ·      I might get a roommate! There is another girl from my program who is looking for a new host family so we may be getting her here! Not certain yet, so I’ll keep you updated! I realized once I found out that she might be joining us that I actually like being the only student at my home. I think that’s a little selfish of me! But I’ll be happy with whatever happens.
• ·      Still no new baby! But I found out the names they’re thinking of are Marcello, Nick, and Mike! I thought the last two were interesting because they are very American! I think she is leaning toward Marcello anyway, but her mom doesn’t like Marcello so I think that’s bothering a little bit. We’ll see what happens!
•       I have been using my GoPro and compiling clips into a video of my trip so that at the end I'll have one video of all of my experiences! So far it's looking really good! 
• ·      Classes are going well so far! In “Intro to PT” we are learning Basic Anatomy, which has been a really good refresher and it seems like it’s going to be a great hands on class! In Spanish class I am getting quite a bit of homework, and I have my first presentation tomorrow and test on Friday. But I’m learning a lot!
• ·      I bought a gym membership! I was really missing exercise and there is a gym a short walk from my house. It was a little bit expensive for a month, but I figured my health was worth it since I don’t have very much control over my food intake here! It’s been great so far!
• ·      I’ve said amazing, awesome, or great probably way too many times in this post. So I apologize for that!
•      Recently been thinking more about why it was in God’s plan for me to be here in Costa Rica. Can I make a positive impact on other people’s lives? What can I learn about Him in my own life while I’m here?

I continue to get closer to my host family. They are so wonderful and helpful! I know that I am improving very quickly with my listening skills in Spanish, but I definitely still have a lot of room for improvement in the speaking part! My host mom already asked me if I would come back to visit at some point after I go home! I think I’ll plan on it.

My family (Mom, Dad, Emily, and Jeremiah) comes in four days!! I barely left them but I’m still so excited to have them here! Also, I just found out yesterday that we get Monday off of school for “El Dia de Las Culturas” formerly Columbus Day. That means I can spend the whole day with them instead of being stuck in school! Yay!! Can’t wait to explore some more of Costa Rica with them and to show them my new home!

Pura Vida

Abigail, Melissa, Hannah, and me enjoying the beach!

 My view from breakfast! 

Ready to snorkel!

The Cove

How can you not think of God's beautiful creation in this picture??