1. My bed is comfy
2. My host mom speaks slow enough to me that I can catch most of what she says
3. We are going to the beach after dinner
Fast forward a couple days to orientation and the start of classes. I met some new people, went on a city tour, and I'm feeling more like I can do this. All of my professors seem super nice, and cuisine class is already my favorite. Daily beach walks are quickly becoming part of my routine. My host family is fantastic, and I'm already dreading leaving them. During my first few days, I really felt my Spanish improving, but now it feels like I've hit a rut. I'm zoning out on conversations that I could be using to practice my listening skills, and I'm not talking as much as I should be if I want to improve. Having confessed that, I am now going to try to work harder to push past this.
September 8th marked three weeks of living here, and honestly I don't want to leave. I have nightmares about waking up back home and missing the rest of this experience. I wake up so relieved to see the curtains of my tiny room here. Every part of life here is so uniquely different than at home. The heat here is quite intense, but more than that is the humidity. The trickle of sweat down my back has become as much a part of my life here as Gallo Pinto. Which brings me to food; the food is absolutely wonderful, and I fully anticipate leaving here 15 pounds heavier 😜. My host mom is an incredible cook, and she makes sure that I get a full sampling of any and every dish that Costa Rica has to offer. My USAC professors are more like friends than professors, and a majority of my classes are super interesting! There are so many places to travel to and so many things to see, that I feel like I could spend an entire lifetime here and not have enough experiences.
I don't know how I am ever going to leave this place that has so quickly become my home. Every day here is such a blessing, and I'm truly doing my best to soak it all in. Pura Vida.
