Estoy en Costa Rica!!!!

I'm here!! And it has been an adventure!!! I have only been her for 3 days and so much has gone on.

GETTING HERE
        So getting to Costa Rica was a bit of an adventure in and of itself. My flight out of LaGuardia was supposed to leave at 6 and arrive in Georgia at 840 with my flight to San Jose less than an hour after that. Everything was going smoothly until right before we hit the runway. The pilots were called and we were unable to take off. We were delayed for 45 minutes. I was a little worried about making my connecting flight and being stuck in Georgia. Somehow... even after leaving 45 minutes late we made it to Georgia at the same time we were supposed to. Georgia is a huge airport and I was so worried that I wasn't going to find my terminal. Thank goodness the gate was right next to the one that I came in at. I got on my plane and it was smooth sailing... Except for the fact that the plane ride was the roughest I have ever experienced. It was storming and we were being tossed... I just about tossed my cookies haha. I got off the plane and I still hadn't found anyone from my group. There were a bunch of "gringas" (what we are called down here) that were in a circle and I found people I was going to be studying with :). Thank goodness I did because the next part was really stressful. Everyone had received their luggage and there were two conveyor belts that could have been carrying my luggage. Neither of them had my luggage. We waited for a while and I still couldn't find it. I went to the luggage counter and talked to the lady. They tried tracking my luggage but couldn't find it.... THey thought I was in the wrong place. What had happened was at LaGuardia the wonderful people at the counter put my name on some other lady's luggage and her name on mine. So her luggage was sent to to and mine was in Mexico. Remember.. I am in Costa Rica and we are now living on Tico Time. When things get done they get done, if not.... they will eventually get done.... Usually not in the time that you want it to haha. We got the luggage situation figured out and we were off... We had to stand and wait outside for the bus to come. Thank goodness it was a coach bus with a/c. The ride from San Jose to Puntarenas was about 2.5 hours. And it was pouring out. I felt like I was going to die. Driving here is crazy. There is absolutely horrible merging and people pretty much drive where they want... OH and cars have the right of way so if you get hit, it is your fault and by the way they drive... It won't matter cause if you are hit you are probably as good as dead. Most of us hadn't slept in over a day so we all passed out. We got in and the minute we stepped off the bus our families took us to our houses.

MY FAMILY

 I love my family. They are so nice and laid back. They call me "Mami!" haha. The mom, Albany, is a retired teacher and the father, Belli (Bellisario) is a security guard. Maria is 18 years old and goes to school most of the week. I don't really get much of a chance to hang out with her. She is really cool and sweet. We talk about TV and usually watch MTV at night together haha. There is a girl, Brittany, who is two that isn't a part of my family but comes from a bad home situation so she is usually at my house. She is the cutest thing and loves to dance. We have dance parties in the afternoon. She teaches me and I teach her. She is always smiling and has latched onto me haha. The house is nice. It is one story with three bedrooms a kitchen, washroom and a living room. Oh and a bathroom haha. We spend most of our time outside though on the gorgeous patio. Belli loves his plants so he has a garden on the left side and there is open space on the right side. The garden consists of mango trees, palm trees and papaya trees. Yesterday a mango fell and we washed it cut it up and ate it straight from the tree. Muy delicioso!! I have pictures on my facebook of the house but I can put some below...

This is my room.... Kind of tiny but not too bad

My table with all my school books on it

The view outside my window.... People can look in.... NO PRIVACY but it's all good haha

 I have to get going.. The beach is calling. There is a lot more tonight but I will have time to update later. PURA VIDA!!!!

Nerves, Excitement, Anticipation.... SO MANY EMOTIONS!!

So, I haven't written anything in a while because it has been absolutely CRAZY!!! I just got back from a week in Maryland visiting friends before I leave. It was amazing and I was so glad to see everyone :) We caught up and planned for the year to come. I am very excited because Samira and Brenda are coming down Spring Semester to study :)

Now for the trip. I leave in 3 days; Friday at 2AM. I have no idea what I am feeling. I am excited to get down there, nervous because I don't know what type of communication I am going to be using to talk to people at home. Anxious; I am just ready to be down there and am over packing. I feel like I am packing my life away. My room consists of piles. Clothes to give away, clothes to put up in the attic clothes to pack and just CLOTHES. I found this amazing suitcase at a local store for 12 dollars... I think that was one of the cheapest things I bought. A lot has happened since my last post. To start... the visa saga.

New York makes getting a visa extremely hard and frustrating. I had to go to the city three different times on the train, by myself. The first trip I was confident that I had all my papers done and that this was SO EASY!! Well that confidence was shot down at the State Department. No one had told me that I had to go to the county to get my Birth Certificate and Criminal Record verified. I was frustrated!! Don't you think that if I have a birth certificate and a criminal record both ordered from the state and my name on them and a passport with my name on it that I am who I claim I am?? So that was the first day. I quickly went back home and had to head to the county office. This was day one... Day two I headed in and got passed the State Department and thought I was in the clear. I went to the Embassy and they took my papers also. I got on the train and called my advisor and found out that I wasn't going to be getting my birth certificate back..... This meant I would need to go through the whole process AGAIN with another birth certificate that I could hand in. Finally, the third trip in I finished everything. So now, I have all my papers for my visa done. The funny part is I don't even get my visa until a few weeks after I arrive.

Everything is starting to fall into place. I have received all my shots and everything is bought. It is just a matter of packing.

I have received the information about the family that I am living with. They are catholic and have a 14 year old daughter. They don't have any pets and speak minimal english. At first I didn't want any kids because I didn't want to be a babysitter. I think having a 14 year old "sister" will be fun. She will be able to show me around and tell me what to and what not to do. I love the fact that they barely speak any english. I didn't want a family to speak english because I want to be as immersed in the culture and language as possible. I have my address also but I have found out that street names are more of a formality but aren't really used. I did however find out that all of our houses are on the peninsula where I will be. The peninsula is only 3 miles long so I know I will not be that far from the school.

There is a lot more that I could write but I have to go spend a little quality time with my family before I leave.....

4 DAYS!!!

Countdown Continues....54 days!!!

So as the countdown continues my nerves are beginning to surface. All I can think about is... how am I going to talk to people back home? Will I have access to the internet? Does AIM work in Costa Rica? What is my host family going to be like? What do I need to pack? AH SO MANY unanswered questions. I am a person who likes my things laid out for me and everything planned and have control over everything. But the fact that I don't know a lot is KILLING me. On a happier note. I found these videos on youtube that are from students who have gone through my same program and have given a tour of the area. It is making me excited for it. The beach is literally out my front door. The school is really tiny though, only 5 classrooms. I hope I like my classmates because I am going to be with them for almost every class. I just want it to get here. I think that the minute I step off the plane in Costa Rica a lot of my worries will disappear and I will be ready to take on this  new adventure. I am looking forward to learning how to surf and eating all the wonderful food... (I am going to learn how to surf, for those of you doubting me uh umm). The link is to the video that I found most informational http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeI932pWNaI&feature=related. The only complaint I have heard people have is that for a month during the rainy season the ocean gets cloudy, but then clears up. I think I can live with that complaint...seeing as I swim in the oh so clean ocean on Long Island! I'll keep you all updated on things as the time gets closer and more exciting things start to happen... for now it is the waiting game.

PURA VIDA

Inspiring Quote

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Costa Rica is definitely going to be opening my eyes to new things. It is going to be the longest I have gone without seeing my friends and family. I always want to be on time and get things done in a timely manner. Well, from reading books and looking things up, Costa Ricans have no idea what time is or deadlines. When things get done, they get done and no one worries about it. I already know this is going to be something that I struggle with. I guess when I come back to the states I will be more laid back, hopefully. Either that or I will be about to lose my mind. A lot of the people that are going to be living around me aren't that well off. I will be living in a beach town, so the income isn't that high, which will make for interesting living arrangements. their culture is so different than ours also. They eat different things, take naps everyday, and stay up late every night. I am excited about the changes and learning the new culture, but I am not looking forward to the culture shock.

GETTING READY

o, I figured I would set up a blog before I went to Costa Rica, no knowing what theInternet connection is going to be down there. For those of you that don’t know I am heading to Costa Rica for a year starting August 20th. I will be studying Spanish as well as international studies at a school there and touring the country. I can’t wait to be immersed in the culture and learn new things as well as meet new people. I will be in Puntarenas, Costa Rica which is on the Pacific Ocean side.

I will also be country hopping as the flights are really cheap. I am going to the Panama Canal for a week as well as a few other places. I have been waiting to study abroad since 11th grade; now it is becoming a reality. With the days counting down my emotions start to show through a little more. I am really excited but at the same time nervous and apprehensive as to what lies ahead of me. I will not know who I am living with until a week or 2 before I leave; even that could change by the time I get there. I am worried that I am going to be missing out on things that go on at home, but have to remember all the wonderful things I am going to be experiencing over there. There is a long list of things that need to get done before I can even leave. I just reapplied for my passport. I need to get my visa and make multiple doctor’s appointments. It is all becoming a HUGE reality. Please be praying that all my paperwork comes through without any problems and that everything that needs to get done does.

PURA VIDA