A travel blog that got way off topic...

Albany, Georgia. It's not really a gem of a place when you google it. It's definitely not a place I ever imagined calling home when I received an email 6 years ago. In fact, it took a couple of emails and a free lunch to get me to even consider the opportunity laid out for me... Well that and the looming anxiety of student loan debt and the fact that it was June and I was still a waitress with a Master's degree. 

Reluctantly, I accepted my first full time job at Deerfield Windsor School and was not exactly thrilled about teaching middle grades. I can now admit that I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. 

What an adjustment. I graduated high school with 850 people and I was now working at a school that had less than that K4-12. Students actually liked being there. The very first thing alumni did when home from college was visit their teachers, coaches, and even administrators. I don't think my high school administrator even knew my name? Maybe that was a good thing...

Flash forward to where this blog started and now I'm back on track...

Not sure how I got so lucky to work at a place that has helped me to travel and broaden my cultural knowledge, but each year that goes by, I feel more and more grateful to call myself a Deerfield Windsor Knight. Although the city is not a bustling metropolis built for a young single gal from the suburbs of Atlanta, the community that has embraced me is second to none. 

Last year, after year 5 of teaching, I was awarded a scholarship through AATSP and the National Spanish Exam to study abroad at the University of Costa Rica. With the help of our outstanding professional development grant at DWS, I was able to live out this experience free from much financial stress. Although my experience was wonderful, classes were super, and I made some great friends, I have to admit it was exhausting being a student again on what is meant to be a teacher's time to relax and recharge for the new school year. 

This past April, just a few weeks before Spring Break, our baseball coach came to me (literally during one of my classes) to ask if I had plans for our upcoming time off. "Come to the Dominican with us", he said. My initial thoughts were, "you're joking, right?", but no more than 5 minutes later, I had agreed, no questions asked. 

It wasn't until that evening that I realized I'd been praying for an opportunity to serve the Lord using my language skills. (Side note: this little town of Albany, GA known for its crime and violence is ironically the first place in my life I've experienced and truly believed in the love of God and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. SHOUT OUT TO PROVIDENCE CHURCH AND JASON SPEARS AMONGST OTHERS). I'd never been on a mission trip, but felt moved by my church's trips to Haiti, only wishing it were a Spanish speaking country where I could feel most useful. Needless to say, it was another unforgettable experience and a blessing I wouldn't have had without my DWS family. 

Now, I'm one week away from a three week trip to Spain that again wasn't supposed to happen. Unforeseen circumstances opened up a spot for me to travel with four of our kids and SPI to Madrid and San Sebastián, Spain. 

Are there times that I wonder what the heck I am still doing here? Of course! But I can say that it is no accident that I am right where I am. 

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!

El Poas, La Paz, y el primer día de clases

Yesterday morning we left around 7 am to head up into the mountains to see Poas Volcano. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we couldn't see it, but the hiking was great and it was still really cool to be in the cloud forest. 

After we left Poas, we road down the mountain to La Paz waterfall gardens. It was beautiful seeing all of the wildlife native to Costa Rica.

The most beautiful part of course was the waterfalls. Our legs were literally shaking by the time we got to the bottom from all of the hiking we did, but it was totally worth it! 

Today was our first day of class. My teachers, Gina and Mariana, are great! Composition class is more relaxed. Gina is super fun and excited to have a more advanced class. Mariana, my linguistics teacher, is clearly passionate about her subject and I realized how little I actually remember on this topic! 

Time for homework! I have reading to do for linguistics and I am going to do some reviewing on my own of things we saw today on our diagnostic test that I know I should know!!! 

¡Qué lluvia!

It's been raining off and on for about 24 hours now. From misty to downpour to nothing. Still, the weather is wonderful because the rain cools everything down even more. We are about 4,000 feet above sea level, so there is always a breeze and it's not hot at all. A big change from South Georgia!! Currently at 6 pm it is 71 degrees and breezy :)

Last night we went to see "Intensa Mente" (Inside Out- the title does not translate equally) with our madre and her two daughters (Shirley, 35; Laura, 23) and it was great! 

Today we took the bus all by ourselves to and from campus :) for orientation! 

Tomorrow we have our fingers crossed for good weather because we leave early to visit Poas Volcano in the cloud forest as well as a waterfall.

Hasta luego... Es la hora de comer otra vez :) 

En el bus yendo a la U 

Encontramos este lugar bonito en el centro de campus.

El girasol -- al frente del campus