La Pura Vida

Que linda!

I don´t have much time now to update but want to write a little - we just finished our orientation at ICADS. (This is a little hard to type, the keyboards are different!) Wow. So much already. My flights yesterday were wonderful - the one to Charlotte very short and then while I waited in the airport there I struck up a conversation with a couple who is actually in the process right now of moving to Costa Rica as a result of their daughter interning into the country HER post-sophomore year summer. She and they love it that much! The mom was so warm and shared many tidbits and exciting options with me. On my flight to San Jose, for the last hour I talked to the man next to me who is Costa Rican but now lives in New Jersey and does construction. When he found out I know some Spanish he asked why we were speaking in English, and at that point I quickly had to get over my nervousness of speaking to native Spanish speakers in Spanish. We talked a lot and I felt much better. He was so friendly, as all Ticos have been - at the airport helped me navigate customs etc and then watched to make sure that I met up with the ICADS crowd.

Met with the other ICADS students at the airport and then one by one we stopped at a house and a name was called - time to meet the new families! The houses are different than I would have thought to imagine - all connected, colorful, and covered with bars. I excitedly waited for my name to be called - before long it was and I left the van - greeted by Mary! She is absolutely wonderful. We put my things down in the new (small, very cute) room and then had cafe... talked about her life and mine, values... self-esteem... I was filled with joy - I can´t wait to talk with her more about all of these thoughts - she used to yell a lot and feel ugly, low self-esteem - but in the past few years she has done a lot of work on her self-esteem, thinking, reading - and now she exudes such a strong sense of peace. She´s reading A Purpose Driven Life in Spanish now.

I´ve spent a lot of time with her granddaughter Daniela - watching TV (like Gentle Ben dubbed in Spanish and lots of lucha libre - wrestling) is such a fun way to work on Spanish. I´ve really enjoyed spending time with her and am glad the ice is broken there...

Food is delicious, went to an open market feria today and bought new and exciting fruits and vegetables. love the papaya-pineapple juice Mary has.

Ahh so much I want to write but others are waiting - this country is gorgeous and the pace noticeably different thus far. I eat until I say estoy satisfecha... and am encouraged to sit and enjoy.

Looking forward to dinner and family time tonight. Classes and history lectures start tomorrow. Strange to be cut off from all forms of communication I know. Thinking of you all! More soon.

P.S. Mary and Daniela say Que Linda a lot. (How cute!) I feel a lot more confident about speaking Spanish already...have talked about things like Duke´s hook-up culture, ha.

posted by Colleen @ 4:17 PM