Lo que voy a extrañar de Costa Rica

After 25 days in Costa Rica and just 6 more to go, I have to admit, it's hard not to look forward to my own bed, my own house, my own tv, my own... you get the idea. BUT at the same time, there are some things I will most definitely miss.

1. Cheap public transportation. I go two ways by bus to class every day for about $1. When you think about car payments, insurance, gas, etc, it's quite a deal if this is your main source of transportation! I can get to the city and back for the same price, and a bus ticket 3.5 hours to Manuel Antonio beach was $16 round trip.

2. The weather. Wow. I don't think the highs have been above 80 degrees Fareniheit. And that's with 10 mph winds. The beach was definitely hot, but here in the Valle Central, your average temperature is 70 degrees this time of year. Note to travelers: bring pants and cardigans! I did not bring enough! It does rain just about every day, but not too long (usually), and instead of turning into a sauna like in southwest Georgia, it cools down even more after the rain.

3. The music. The radio in our house is on constantly. I have learned all of the popular songs and I am going to miss "la hora de tortugas"-- a pretty funny radio show that we listen to most evenings with mama tica. 

4. The language. Yes, I teach Spanish, but there is a big difference in teaching and day to day speaking. I have learned so many "costaricanisms". I definitely need to find a group of native speakers back home to keep it up! 

5. La UCR. What a wonderful university. My teachers are graduate students in language and linguistics and their knowledge is through the roof. It is clear that education is not lacking here in Costa Rica. I would recommend UCR AND MLSA to anyone! 

This has most definitely been a very challenging, but rewarding experience. Friday is the last day of class. Pretty bittersweet. I am going to try my best to enjoy every moment until then. 

Manuel Antonio

Midterms are over! And went better than I thought! I am happy with my grades. Linguistics continues to be tough and a lot of info at once!! But very interesting too!

To celebrate this weekend, some friends and I went to Manuel Antonio Beach, a very touristy place in the tropics in the province of Puntarenas. It was beautiful! But a little expensive given it's a tourist town.

We saw monkeys, sloths, iguanas, tons of different species of birds, and lush vegetation. The best part was zip lining through it all!!! So much fun! 

Nevertheless, we were happy to get back "home" to San José! We have clearly grown accustomed to "our city". I love la Universidad de Costa Rica! From the teachers, the campus, the people and their friendliness to the overall integrity of an amazing Central American university, I am privileged to have this experience. 

It is quite humbling to be in the role of student once again. I now completely understand the distractions my students have in today's world given the constant use of social media. I've also learned a lot from my teachers and their methodologies. I can't wait to utilize some of the things I've learned indirectly in my classroom!

12 days to go! I am missing home, but going to enjoy as best I can everything we have left! 

Side note: this was quite difficult to write in English. Words are coming to me quicker in Spanish than English at this point. Total immersion. I love it! Can't wait for the "reverse culture shock" when I return :)

Estudios

Will catch up on all the fun stuff later once midterms are over and I can breathe for a minute...

For now this...

Cartago

Today we went to Cartago, a province and the original capital of Costa Rica, after class. It's only about 18 miles from San Pedro, but because of the traffic in the area of campus, it takes a while to get out of the city. 

First, we saw Las ruinas de Cartago (the ruins of Cartago), dedicated to St. James, the apostle. The area has been rebuilt many times after several earthquakes over hundreds of years.

Then we went to la Basilica de Los Angeles, a church and the national sanctuary, built in the early 1900s. It was extremely moving because mass was in session, and we were able to sit for a moment and see the devotion of the people. 

It was a great afternoon. Four classes in, and I am struggling a bit with Linguistics. It is a lot of information in a short time, and I've forgotten A LOT since grad school! But the teachers are amazing and so passionate and helpful. I don't have a lot of homework tonight, but I am going to make some flash cards to study for a midterm I'll have next week. 

¡Hasta pronto!