Today started off differently than the previous days... so I will give a little more details than I have in the past few days. I woke up this morning before my alarm went off and decided that I would go ahead and get up to shower. However, that it didn't last long as the entire shower this morning was equivalent to an ice bath. Yikes! Needless to say, my legs did not get a nice smooth shave today. I got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, only to find that my normal platter of food was different this morning. My mamatica broke out the good ole cookbook this morning and made me waffles. Costa Rican waffles look the same but taste much different. Their waffles are thicker and much more like a cake without frosting. She put about 5 different types of syrup and jellies in front of me… but I played it safe with a nice spread of jif peanut butter on top of them. They were extremely delicious, but supper rich and sweet for breakfast. I’m kinda hoping for my traditional ham and cheese sandwich in the morning, so we’ll see!
Class today went really well. I am improving daily on speaking and gaining more confidence. I’m not sure if it’s due to a more relaxed environment with my new teacher or if I really am starting to gain a better understanding of the language. I like to think of it as a nice combination of the two. I hope this success continues and the days keep flying by! Tomorrow is the half way point of my second week and I’m still trying to grasp the concept of actually living in another country. It’s definitely something I never saw myself doing, but I am so thankful for this experience.
After class, a couple classmates and I decided to grab some lunch before heading back to our houses. We were all craving something other than our normal lunch spots so we ventured into the city hopeful for more menu options. After searching for an hour, we concluded that 9 out of 10 times, restaurants are going to serve the same thing. A meat, rice, beans, salad, and maybe another vegetable. Today was really the first time I have gotten extremely frustrated and it wasn’t even because of class or communicating. I guess it’s just frustrating to want things that aren’t available… at least for another 19 days. We have heard that the mall in San Jose has a food court, so we have planned to take a taxi there tomorrow. Pray that there are more options… I love chicken, but there has to be something else out there!
When I got back to the house today, my mamatica was downstairs painting her nails. Since I have been in Costa Rica, she has had probably 5 polish changes. It is something she loves to do. And I know that I have mentioned before that she reminds me of my nana, but today made me realize that again. My mamatica is very trendy and sweet. She loves shopping and generally looks her best every day. And this is also something my nana is very good at! I hope I still have the love for life that they both have when I reach their age. So I sat at the table and we talked about my family and my mamatica’s family for a little while. She fixed me a big glass of lemonade and for a split second I imagined myself sitting in an old fashioned rocking chair on a front porch, somewhere in Georgia, sipping some ice cold lemonade. Reality quickly settled in as my ears were filled with words and phrases from a language I don’t fully understand. I then went upstairs and read a few chapters in my book… I’m trying to save some of it for the bus ride on Friday but it’s so good! I can’t stand to put it down! I only have about 8 chapters left so that makes it even more tempting to pick and read. After my reading break today, I worked on homework for a little while. Today’s topic: conduct 3 interviews of people from different age groups about their daily routines. Write each interview in the past tense as they did their actions yesterday…. Of course I did what most college students would do, I made up all the information. It was easier and more practical to get it done faster. I wrote everything out and have been translating it to past tense on and off since then.
I skyped my mom right before dinner. It was great to see her and talk for a few moments. I know that being able to Skype has made this journey so much easier for her. My dad was umpiring a baseball game during that time, but I did get to talk to him for a few minutes after dinner. And dad, I know you are reading this... so you better start doing better... no more ice cream or IHOP for you. I have been away from home for over a month before, but somehow it feels different when I’m in a different country. I guess it boils down to the fact that I know if I ever needed anything at school or even to get away for only a day, I had a short hour [if i'm driving]drive home. Here, not so much. I don’t really have an escape. So I’m extremely grateful for Skype! I wasn’t sure if there was anything that could make being away from my family and friends easier, but Skype is slowly but surely helping to fill that gap!
I also got to Skype Bree and Lauren today!
1. Bree always puts a smile on my face and she is usually one of the first people I look to when I need a good laugh. I enjoyed talking with her today, getting caught up on some gossip. Engaging in all of our jokes and sharing some good laughs. She always brightens my days!
2. Lauren is someone that I could probably talk to for hours on the phone. Our conversations never get boring. We always have something to talk about. I’m so glad that she has a running list of things that happen so we can discuss them via Skype! We talked for about an hour tonight, and although I should have been working on homework, I just couldn’t make myself sign off. It was great to hear how things have been going for her since graduation. Speaking of graduation, it doesn’t feel like some of my best friends are actually gone. We all left after the ceremony so I guess it hasn’t really had time to process that I won’t spend every day with them next year. I will address this topic many more times this summer I'm sure, and it’s only making me sad being away. So enough of that.
Thanks for the great conversations today! I love you both to the moon and back!
I also received a sweet sweet message in my inbox from my pledge sister, Jenna. Her message made my cry… a little. But it wasn’t a “I hate my life here” kinda cry. Sometimes it just really helps to know that I have love, support, and encouragement back home. So thank you J I’m so glad that Jenna and I have become closer this past year. I know that my last year in Alpha Xi Delta will be well spent!
Until tomorrow, keep the thoughts and prayers coming! I’m almost to the half way point of week number two. Only 19 more days to go! And as always, Georgia’s on my mind!
Good night from Heredia, Costa Rica.
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