Road Trip with the Girls!

This last weekend was my last full weekend in Costa Rica. It is hard to believe, but I will be back in the States on Saturday. I am really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family. But in the mean time I wanted to make my last weekend in Costa Rica really special. So I called up Andrea, my Costa Rican friend, and we planned a fantastic weekend with some of my closest girl friends from the trip.

We chose to go to Arenal Volcano, visit some totally natural hot springs, and take a canopy tour. One of my highlights from the whole trip was going on the canopy tour. At first I was really nervous; I could feel my heart pounding. But once I took the leap of faith and jumped off the platform I didn’t want to stop. I felt like I could do anything. The sights were absolutely breathtaking. I have had dreams that I could fly, but this experience made my dreams feel like a reality. I felt so big and so small at the same time! I felt like a bird flying at lightening speed over the tops of trees. I could see for miles and miles while waterfalls passed me by at over 60 miles per hour!

Let it Rain!

Today was the first day I got caught in the rain after school. April is the time in Costa Rica when the weather changes from the dry season to the wet season. My classmates and I were on our way to the bus stop after Geography class and it started to pour. I got soaked and so did everybody else.

I presented my charla or informal speech in my Geography class today. So that means that I don’t have anything else to do for my Geography class and there isn’t a final exam! Wednesday is Juan Santamaria Day, so I don’t have school. Juan Santamaria (August 29, 1831-April 11, 1856) is officially recognized as the national hero of the Republic of Costa Rica. A national holiday in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaria Day, is held every April 11 to commemorate his death. He is honored by a statue in the central square of Alajuela, and by a small museum in the same city. But to be honest, all I really wanted to say through that little spiel about Juan Santa Maria is that I have 8 days of school left until I graduate from high school! I am enjoying everyday I have left here, but I am also looking forward to returning home.

My Turn to Cook!

I have been eating Costa Rican food for almost two months now. I have enjoyed it, but I do miss some of my own cooking. So I decided I wanted to make one of my favorite soups for my host family. The soup isn’t actually all that different from what I usually eat here in Costa Rica, but I enjoyed making it none the less.

This was a big occasion; they invited quite a few relatives over to join in the fun. They were all very excited to try the soup. Costa Ricans have many different nicknames for food that they like. One of them is “rico.” When the relatives tried the soup they called it, “Ricisimo!” So that means they absolutely loved it.

Costa Ricans almost always sit around or take a siesta after they eat. But because I made the meal they said they would go walking with me (because I love to walk after a meal). We walked for over two and a half hours through a ton of different towns. I had a wonderful day! I got to share a little bit of my culture while they ate some fabulous soup and walked it off afterwards. It was a win-win!