Arts & Crafts

Yesterday was arts and crafts day here in my neck of Costa Rica.

I went to work with my friend, the hostess with the mostest. She is a teacher's assistant at a private school, the European School, and they are getting ready for a new school year starting Monday (after a month-long break).

Since it's pretty much always summer here, they have no need for a long summer vacation. Instead, schools break for just over a month in July and around Christmas, and has a two week break at the end of each quarter.

Unlike back home, where students are responsible for bringing their own school supplies, here everything is provided. This prep week for school has been spent decorating notebooks (to hide logos and other unfortunate blemishes) as well as decorating rooms and bulletin boards.

Yesterday I got to join in the fun. We finished the dictation and language arts notebooks.

We decorated the bulletin board and created small people for each of the kids to decorate and add to the board.

I had fun and got to put my craftiness (?) to use.

The plan for the afternoon was a visit to INBioparque, but it rained pretty much all morning so instead we opted for laundry, dinner and a movie (not in that order). We'll head to the park today.

Tomorrow morning, we'll wake up nice and early (or just early) for a drive out to the Monte Verde region. This area has a rain forest and we'll hopefully get to see a number of cool animals here. (and make it out alive)

Unfortunately that about marks the end of my trip here to Costa Rica.

Then it's back home to....summer.

Half Way

I'm staying in a place of two seasons: rainy and dry.

That's a little different than back home, where we have all four seasons. A bit of a nuisance, if you ask me, that requires changing of tires, wardrobes and recreational activities.

Mostly I do like having four seasons, but for vacation summer all the time is alright with me.

I've had the chance to dust off my mostly forgotten Spanish skills. Years ago (and I can actually say that now, how old!) I was decently proficient at the language, which was understandable considering I took five years of it, 8th-12th grade.

Now I remember the basics but have trouble keeping up with the rapid fire speech of locals. Phrases learned long ago like "donde esta el bano" and "donde esta la biblioteca" (as if anyone uses that) only get you so far.

I do find myself wanting to intersperse my everyday English speech with snippits of Spanish. Claro.

Luckily my friends here are both fairly fluent (could be the total immersion) and are able to help me when I get the "no entiendo" face.

The return from the beach has found my days filled with relaxation broken by moments of activity. Some recent activities:

• Harry Potter VI - venture to the the cine (theater) for the English version with Spanish subtitles for less than $3.
• Cafe Britt coffee tour - now I know everything there is to know about the coffee making process. Just ask. Also, they weren't impressed with anyone from the Northwest (a.k.a. Coffee land) but luckily I figured that out thanks to another woman in the tour group. I identified myself as from el estado de Washington. Much safer. Also, I spent my life savings (joking, kinda) on souvenirs.
  
• Sushi - that's right. In Costa Rica. It was delicious even if the service was a little on the slow side.
• Wandering through the streets of Heredia. This included a couple parks and a good number of Catholic churches.
• I've also enjoyed sleeping in (which ends tomorrow), laying in the hammock, and more movie watching (Twilight - I gave in - and Angels and Demons).

Today I am headed with my hostess with the mostest for downtown San Jose via autobus.

Life as a tourist is rough. It really makes me want to go back to work.

Or not.

Soaking up the Sun

So I'm three days (or is it four) into my trip to Costa Rica. I spent the weekend (my birthday weekend) at Tamarindo Beach on the Pacific coast.

Our hotel was good (minus some lumpy pillows) and included a nice pool. The beach was beautiful and had some good sized wave, so large, in fact, that kayak tours were cancelled. :(

I have to say that I love what I've seen of the country so far. It's currently the rainy season, which makes for a lot of greenery.

I drove part of the way out to the beach on Friday and let me just say that I find it harder to complain about driving conditions back home. I mean, part of the drive was on a dirt "highway". Glorious.

Now it's Sunday evening and the rain is pouring. It makes me happy to be inside and relaxing after the long drive back home.

Besides, I have to rest up for more adventures to come.

(Sorry for the lack of pictures, the internet here isn't up to more than that.)

So close I can taste it.

Tomorrow (a.k.a. Thursday at 1am) I leave for Costa Rica. I'm a little bit (ok, a lot) excited for the trip. All I know so far is that it will involve a beach and a volcano.

Needless to say I'm a little distracted.

Even though my flight isn't for another 30 hours plus, I'm leaving tomorrow after work to hit up the Nordstrom Yearly Sale. C'mon it's only once a year.

This pretty much means I should be packed. Instead, I have my laundry (mostly) done and some clothes piled on bed.

I also took advantage of the sun and ventured to a park/beach with my friend for the afternoon (1 hour). It was so worth it.



This isn't to say I'm unprepared. I have all the necessities: sunscreen, bugspray, flip flops, swimsuit, etc. They just aren't located together...yet.

I just wanted to say that I am hoping to have some internet access between now and Aug. 2 when I return, but I don't know what the situation will be. So don't get your hopes too high.

On that note, I'm going to go pack. For realz.

My Little Room

When I finally started working again last February, after months of not, I was faced with a dilemma of housing proportions.

To leave or not to leave the parent's abode.

I stayed.

Some of you are probably in utter shock about this choice, maybe, but it was made with good (mostly) reason. I swear.

Reason #1 was a minor-ish credit card balance. Probably not surprising after a few months of not working, but something that couldn't (and wasn't) be ignored.

Reason #2 was a number of other bills (car loan, student loan, storage unit, etc.) that needed to be paid each month. Those things add up, more quickly than I'd like.

Plus, by not having rent over the course of the next year-ish, I can hopefully eliminate some of those payments by paying things off.

Reason #3 is that I want to put myself in a good position when I do start my career, make a big move, etc. I've already managed to put a nice little sum away in savings (although part of it will be used over the next month and a half until work starts back up).

Reason #4 is that I will have the freedom to travel some and enjoy life. While the spring was crazy between work and work, I've taken and will continue to take advantage of the free time summer brings. I went to the land of the Rockies, east of the mountains (twice already with another trip planned), and in two days I will board a plane for Costa Rica!!!

So I am living with my padres. And loving (almost) every minute of it.

There are definitely disadvantages (i.e. trying to fit all my stuff into one room), but the advantages far outweigh those.

Itchiness

On Tuesday I was attacked by mosquitoes while weeding in our backyard.

I had bites (and still have them) on my back, side, and arm. One of them reached the size of quarter, so I decided it was time to take action.

Unfortunately I chose taking Benadryl as my cure, and let me just say, "Bad idea!"

Seriously.

It would have been fine if I hadn't had to get up for work the next morning. But I had work and was really confused by my alarm the next morning.

I guess I'll just have to itch. Grrr...

Dancing Queen

Three years ago, during my junior year of college, I took a PE class called American Social Dance.

Over the course of the semester I learned a little bit about how to do East Coast Swing, Salsa, Tango, Waltz, Lindy Hop, and a few other various dances.

It was a mostly enjoyable experience--except for the afternoon when a creepy guy poked me in the stomach after dancing with me.

Since that class the only dancing I have done is country swing and a little off balance two step.

Last Thursday night, after I packed up my life, drove across the state, and stopped for a quick visit with the cousin, I went out dancing with my friend who is a master dancer.

I got to put some of those mostly forgotten skills to use.

I did a little swing dancing, absolutely butchered some blues dancing, and stumbled through some salsa.

At the end of the night when a guy said to me, "let's get out of here," (after having danced with me only once, might I add) I went home with my friend and went to bed.