sooooo this weekend has been a blast so far and it only got better! yesterday, saturday, i went on a boat with 5 of my girls friends to the island that is right outside the beach. it was an adventure for sure. it was a small fishing boat, and the waves were crasheing into us and flooding the boat. we had to pale out lots and lots of water. haha! our driver's name was Pablo. he is a local here and one of my friends knew him so he was happy to take us out on his boat. so we finally made it to the island and when we were close he told us to jump out. the island was beautiful. it has rocks up from the water and then white, soft sand. it was amazing! we hung out there, went swimming, had some drinks and snacks. it was paradise!
today, sunday, i was hanging out at school, waiting for my mom and staci to get here. i went into the kitchen because my friends were making dinner. i came outside to see if they had arrived and i saw my mom walking through the gate with staci behind her. i came running to my mom, and began to tear up because i was so excited to see them! THEN, a little farther away i saw Rachel(my friend who is like my little sister) and Chris! i screamed and went running to them and pretty much jumped on rachel and chris, and started to cry!! i COULD NOT believe they were in costa rica. then chris said, someone else is here. and i looked farther down and saw my DAD!!! i went running to him and jumped into his arms and was crying even more by this time! it was UNREAL!! and jerry (rachel's dad) was there taping the whole thing, of course. my friends came running out because they heard me screaming. they said they thought i was dying or something. haha! I AM SOOO HAPPY!!!! and i STILL cant believe this happened! i am having such a great time. we are staying in a huge NICE house, with a pool, and i took a warm shower for the first time in 3 weeks! it felt so good!
i am so excited for the next 2 weeks!! we have lots of fun stuff planned and my bday is on wednesday!!!!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What a Life
i have been running everyday this week on the beach. it hasnt been raining in the morning and i have to go at like 6 30 or 7 because its so hot out. it is beautiful running on the beach! its nothing like running on sunset cliffs at school : )
I have made some really good friends here. i feel like you get closer to people faster when you are all in an uncomfortable situation and you hang out together everyday! there are people here from all over, some from switerland, germany, france, canada, south carolina, texas, colorado, arizona, michigan, and im the only one from california.
As far as spanish goes, i feel like i am improving. i am for sure doing better with writing, and i am getting better at speaking. i am starting to speak more with my host family, and im doing better during the conversations in class. i am definately more comforatble here and i am all settled in!
The food is so good here! and i have been eating way too much! haha! yesterday i went to cooking class and made arroz con pollo, rice with chicken. it was sooo good. we ate that with a corn tortilla! YUM! there is a lady that comes to out school everyday and sells empanadas at break. i love the pollo ones! i get one almost everyday! they are delicious!
i have been drinking a lot of peach iced tea (and some of you know i never used to like tea) and its pretty good. my tica mom makes it all the time and i usually have that with my dinner.
my mom and her friend staci are coming to visit me and they will be here on sunday! im so excited to some familiar faces! they are renting a house here in Samara, and it has a pool! yay! i miss swimming in a pool, however this past weekend 2 of my friends and i got a hotel room and they had a pool. it was so nice to lay out on a comfy cushion and not the sand, and to be clean, swim in the pool! it felt so good! it was her last weekend here and she wanted to do something fun! and on friday night we went to "Reggae Night" at a restaurant called Tabonuco (which is every friday, im going again tomorrow) its right on the beach! it was fun hanging out with friends, and dancing to reggae music : )
i am trying to take in all of God's beautiful creation! it is absolutely unbelieveable and so gorgeous! He is amazing and so creative!
I have made some really good friends here. i feel like you get closer to people faster when you are all in an uncomfortable situation and you hang out together everyday! there are people here from all over, some from switerland, germany, france, canada, south carolina, texas, colorado, arizona, michigan, and im the only one from california.
As far as spanish goes, i feel like i am improving. i am for sure doing better with writing, and i am getting better at speaking. i am starting to speak more with my host family, and im doing better during the conversations in class. i am definately more comforatble here and i am all settled in!
The food is so good here! and i have been eating way too much! haha! yesterday i went to cooking class and made arroz con pollo, rice with chicken. it was sooo good. we ate that with a corn tortilla! YUM! there is a lady that comes to out school everyday and sells empanadas at break. i love the pollo ones! i get one almost everyday! they are delicious!
i have been drinking a lot of peach iced tea (and some of you know i never used to like tea) and its pretty good. my tica mom makes it all the time and i usually have that with my dinner.
my mom and her friend staci are coming to visit me and they will be here on sunday! im so excited to some familiar faces! they are renting a house here in Samara, and it has a pool! yay! i miss swimming in a pool, however this past weekend 2 of my friends and i got a hotel room and they had a pool. it was so nice to lay out on a comfy cushion and not the sand, and to be clean, swim in the pool! it felt so good! it was her last weekend here and she wanted to do something fun! and on friday night we went to "Reggae Night" at a restaurant called Tabonuco (which is every friday, im going again tomorrow) its right on the beach! it was fun hanging out with friends, and dancing to reggae music : )
i am trying to take in all of God's beautiful creation! it is absolutely unbelieveable and so gorgeous! He is amazing and so creative!
A Tropical Storm
This week has been quit a storm. it all started with HUGE waves on monday! all the local ticos were out surfing on them and it was so entertaining. some of my friends and i sat and watched for a couple hours. then on tuesday it was beautiful and sunny in the morning and so HOT, my friends and i layed out on the beach, and at about 12 45pm it began to POUR AND POUR!!! there was thunder and lightning that was literally right on top of us! it was CRAZY! it didnt stop raining until about 7 30pm, oh and the power was out all day. my friends and i had to ride our bikes home in the rain, and not all of the road is paved so we rode in the mud. it was memorable. ha! and i had a candle light dinner with my tica mom and my sister. it never usually rains that long here. it usually rains for maybe an hour and then its done. yesterday, wednesday, it rained in the morning and was overcast in the afternoon. oh and the tide has been really high almost up to the school! and now this morning it is raining again! my first couple weeks i was here it didnt rain that much. this is sure one tropical storm! and its warm rain.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
What i have learned so far...
1. i eat fruit with every breakfast especially pineapple. its delicious!
2. the eggs kinda taste sweet
3. instead of saying de nada for your welcome, costa ricans say mucho gusto or con gusto which means with pleasure or gladly
4. you have to get used to the chickens and the roasters waking you up, and just making noise all the time
5. many people ride their bikes, walk or have a mopede. my ride is a red beach cruiser!
6. it is VERY relaxed and chill here. no one is in a hurry. im lovin it!
7. Tico is the name of the locals. tico for male and tica for female
8. you pretty much sweat all the time, unless its raining. but im getting used to it and actually not sweating as much as i was when i first got here or maybe im just getting immune to it.
9. it rains randomly, but its warm
10. i basically live in a bathing suit. i wear it all day long!
11. monkeys live in the trees and make unpleasant hawling sounds
12. there are a lot of bulls and horses, however they dont usually go into town, unless someone is riding a horse. they stay in or around the field.
13. the water is ok to drink, however there is still a filtered system at school for us to fill our water bottles with
14. i dont like horchata.
15. i have rice with every dinner, and beans with every other
16.mamon chino is a fruit that has a shell that looks like a spikey ball, and you peel it open. inside there is a squishy clearish ball that you eat. it has a seed inside, and i felt like i was eating an eyeball.
17. i really like empanadas
18. never throw the toilet paper in the toilet, always in the trash!
19. Geckos sound like birds. they climb on the walls and one went behind the picture frame that is in my room, and started making noises like a bird. i thought there was a bird in my room somewhere....ha!
20. i took a shower with a crab. they tend to roam the streets
im having fun and learning alot!
2. the eggs kinda taste sweet
3. instead of saying de nada for your welcome, costa ricans say mucho gusto or con gusto which means with pleasure or gladly
4. you have to get used to the chickens and the roasters waking you up, and just making noise all the time
5. many people ride their bikes, walk or have a mopede. my ride is a red beach cruiser!
6. it is VERY relaxed and chill here. no one is in a hurry. im lovin it!
7. Tico is the name of the locals. tico for male and tica for female
8. you pretty much sweat all the time, unless its raining. but im getting used to it and actually not sweating as much as i was when i first got here or maybe im just getting immune to it.
9. it rains randomly, but its warm
10. i basically live in a bathing suit. i wear it all day long!
11. monkeys live in the trees and make unpleasant hawling sounds
12. there are a lot of bulls and horses, however they dont usually go into town, unless someone is riding a horse. they stay in or around the field.
13. the water is ok to drink, however there is still a filtered system at school for us to fill our water bottles with
14. i dont like horchata.
15. i have rice with every dinner, and beans with every other
16.mamon chino is a fruit that has a shell that looks like a spikey ball, and you peel it open. inside there is a squishy clearish ball that you eat. it has a seed inside, and i felt like i was eating an eyeball.
17. i really like empanadas
18. never throw the toilet paper in the toilet, always in the trash!
19. Geckos sound like birds. they climb on the walls and one went behind the picture frame that is in my room, and started making noises like a bird. i thought there was a bird in my room somewhere....ha!
20. i took a shower with a crab. they tend to roam the streets
im having fun and learning alot!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
My typical Costa Rican day
*wake up around 7 (cant sleep in here bc of the roasters and monkeys)
*class alternates times, sometimes it goes from 8am to 12pm or from 1:15pm to 5:15 with a 20 minute break. In class this week there are a total of 4 studentsa with a teacher. there is never more than 6 students in a class. the teacher changes every week depending on which class you move up to. this week i am in beginner 3 : ) in class we usually start with conversation, and we ask each other questions, and we answer, or the teacher asks us questions, and so on. then we move into grammar and structure, however we still do some conversation. we are only allowed to speak spanish in class and they strongly encourage us to speak spanish outside of class (we usually speak english with some random spanish words) in class we also do different activities, for example, last week we played pictionary, guess who, a matching game, and this week we played tabu. haha! these classes are totally different than anything i took in high school. there is so much interaction with spanish.
*then we will have lunch, usually at guanafruta which has smoothies, empanadas, tocaos, and sandwiches which are really good. this place is known as the fast food place.
*and then go surfing if the tide isnt too far out and the waves are descent.
*after surfing, lay out on the beach for a couple hours, nap and read.
*then depending on the day do activities. monday salsa, merengue dance class. tuesday dance or art class. wednesday dance or cooking class. thursday dance class. they also have yoga and aerobics, but i havent been to those yet.
*when those classes are done then ride bikes home, shower, eat dinner, and do homework. and depending on the night/mood go out with the amigas. the usual place is bar olas which is like a night club, but i dont really like it that much.
*and then go home and go to sleep.
: )
*class alternates times, sometimes it goes from 8am to 12pm or from 1:15pm to 5:15 with a 20 minute break. In class this week there are a total of 4 studentsa with a teacher. there is never more than 6 students in a class. the teacher changes every week depending on which class you move up to. this week i am in beginner 3 : ) in class we usually start with conversation, and we ask each other questions, and we answer, or the teacher asks us questions, and so on. then we move into grammar and structure, however we still do some conversation. we are only allowed to speak spanish in class and they strongly encourage us to speak spanish outside of class (we usually speak english with some random spanish words) in class we also do different activities, for example, last week we played pictionary, guess who, a matching game, and this week we played tabu. haha! these classes are totally different than anything i took in high school. there is so much interaction with spanish.
*then we will have lunch, usually at guanafruta which has smoothies, empanadas, tocaos, and sandwiches which are really good. this place is known as the fast food place.
*and then go surfing if the tide isnt too far out and the waves are descent.
*after surfing, lay out on the beach for a couple hours, nap and read.
*then depending on the day do activities. monday salsa, merengue dance class. tuesday dance or art class. wednesday dance or cooking class. thursday dance class. they also have yoga and aerobics, but i havent been to those yet.
*when those classes are done then ride bikes home, shower, eat dinner, and do homework. and depending on the night/mood go out with the amigas. the usual place is bar olas which is like a night club, but i dont really like it that much.
*and then go home and go to sleep.
: )
Monday, June 15, 2009
My weekend at Volcan Arenal and Monteverde
This weekend i went on an excursion with a group from school. First we went to Volcan Arenal which is an active volcano. It had smoke coming out of it! so cool! on friday we drove 4 hours in a van to the volcano and went to the hot springs. the hot springs were not like i expected. it was like a resort with pools everywhere and there were 3 water slides like at raging waters! it was so amazing and so fun! we stayed there for about 2 hours and then went to the hotel. the next day we went to a water hole with 2 waterfalls and there was a rope swing. we swam, went under the waterfall (so cool) and jumped in the water from the rope swing. there were leaf cutting ants there, you know the ones you see on the discovery channel. it was so cool! then we went on a walk through the rainforest and ending up at the base of the volcano. it was beautful! there was a huge valley with green trees and lava rock. then we went on a boat ride across the lake there to Monteverde. Monteverde is a small town, cold (about 67 degrees) with lots of tourists. ha! Then next day, sunday, we did the canopy tours with the zip line. it was absolutely AMAZING!! and so incredible! we would be high up in the air over this valley and you could see for miles. it was so green and so beautiful! i am trying to take in all of Gods beautiful creation. its unbelievabe! we did 40 zip lines, we repelled and did a tarzan swing which we were on a plateform and we basically stepped off a 50 foot drop and then swang on a rope! it was amazing!!!!!! : ) after that we headed back to samara for a 4 hour ride in the van again.
it was an awesome weekend but i missed the beach and i was ready to come back to samara. i missed it here and i missed my room. its starting to feel like home here : )
it was an awesome weekend but i missed the beach and i was ready to come back to samara. i missed it here and i missed my room. its starting to feel like home here : )
Monday, June 8, 2009
I AM HERE!
i have made it to beautiful Costa Rica! i am safe. i got in yesterday to Samara about 2 pm, and seriously those who have been here know what a taxi ride it like, and if you havent they are very aggresive drivers haha! it is an hour ahead here. i have met my host family and they are very nice and only speak spanish, however the youngest daughter speaks english and helped me a lot yesterday. i have my own room which is nice, and the food is pretty good so far : ) today i had my first day of class. everything is spoken in spanish which is good for learning but a huge culture shock, however the students here speak english. i have meet some nice people so far. and i already went surfing! it was SOO fun! the school is literally right on the beach. you walk out the gate and you are on the sand. anyway.... its great here and i cant wait to do more things!!!! oh and there are bulls and horses everywhere. i was walking to school this morning and horses where just chillin on the side of the rode.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
My Address
Here is my address if you want to send me something : )
P.O. Box 113-5235
Playa Samara, Nicoya
Guanacaste
Costa Rica
America Central
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Getting ready to leave...
Just to fill all of you in on what i am doing....i am going to Samara Beach, Costa Rica to study abroad and ill be taking Spanish classes. i will be getting credit and the units will be transferred to PLNU. i leave this saturday (June 6th) for 8 weeks (ill be back on Aug. 1st). I will be staying with a host family, a single mom who has 2 daughters- one is my age and the other is 14. I am very excited for this adventure and i will be blogging as much as i can while i am there so that i can share my experiences with you : )
I appreciate your thoughts and prayers while i am getting ready to leave and while i am gone!
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