Life in Peru

Hello World!!!
Wow it has been a while since I have had time to write a blog! Lo siento! I now have been in the jungle for over a month and have less than 3 months left here. There are so many things that have happened and so many things that I am waiting to experience. Okay I left my last blog at waiting to go to Huanuco so I shall start there.
Huanuco is a town in the sierra about 6 hours away from here. There are three regions in Peru, the coast, the mountains, and the jungle. I now know all three! The food, clothes, homes, lifestyles, jobs, and motorcars change depending on which region your in. To get to Huanuco we had to take a rental car, but here that means find a taxi that is willing to drive you to Huanuco for a good deal. We had to leave at 2 in the morning to get to the taxi so we would have more day time in Huanuco. The drive was 4 hours to Tinga Maria, then 2 more for Huanuco. Eveyln and I did not sleep at all but yooms passed out. The driver was crazy and the whole time it was like a roller coaster. There was a little vomiting action going on and a lot of really tired people. But when we got to Tinga Maria we all took pills that calm nausea and make you sleep. So the next two hours were great. We made it in good time and found the cheapest hotel possible in the plaza for the night. In Peru when you rent a hotel room you have to leave your key at the front desk when you leave, a little sketch but hey you gotta do what you gotta do. In Huanuco we met up with a lady from our church in San Jose. She happened to be an English teacher here so it was fun to practice Spanish and English with her. We went on a tour of the city to all the famous places, a church, a distillery, to the house of a famous actress of the past, and to the grounds of a temple for the Incas. The temple was so cool, it was a church only for getting married and had a place for the offerings, the fire, and the people. It was called “crossed hands” because of the powers you receive when you get married. In the middle of this we had lunch at the best restaurant in Huanuco for eating Guinea Pig, “Cuy”. I had seen pictures but was not prepared for what showed up on the table. It literally had the little hands, face, eyeballs, teeth, everything. I had ordered the second most famous dish of the selva, “pachamanca” or meat cooked in the ground for hours. Evelyn and I were freaking out about the cuy but ayumi and cesar were just teasing us the whole time. I ate some of cesars after he removed it from the body for me. It actually tasted pretty good but it was impossible for me to eat more than one bite because the little faces were staring at me from the plate. After the day of adventure we went to dinner with the lady and just heard her life story. Every day here I learn something new through the stories and requests for prayer. We had bomb chinese food for dinner as we shared advice. That night was an interesting night for ayumi and I in the hotel. The cold water stopped working when we were brushing our teeth so we just used the hot water, but forgot to turn off the cold. So at three am I hear water in the bathroom, which is normal for my house here because when the water is on it trickles in the toilet, so I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. Ten minutes after there is a loud knock on the door, ayumi rolls over, I stay quiet because we had a room to ourselves. The knocks get louder and louder and there is a man screaming through the door. I go to ask who it was but I was asleep so my Spanish was not at its best. Anyways it’s the man from the front desk yelling at me about the water in the bathroom and telling me im going to pay for it in the morning. I just said thanks good night after he turned it off. When I returned to bed I lay there thinking oh gosh how am I going to explain this to evey and cesar tomorrow. It turned out to just be a joke for us after because the guy at the hotel didn’t do anything and now we just laugh about how deep a sleeper ayumi is. The next day we went to the house of the lady living in Huanuco to bring her breakfast, have a mini service, and pray over her. I love that part of my life here. Everyday God sends people to our house to listen to, offer advice, and pray over. She was much happier and was filled with peace thanks to God and we were able to leave knowing things were better with her. The ride back was much better because the driver was much slower, we had the pills ahead of time, and we weren’t tired. It was a successful weekend!
God is so awesome. He literally changes me every day here. I am learning so much living in San Jose, living with the family, and through praying with the people here. I have been on vacation from my internship for 2 weeks because its vacations here in Peru. This means we had a lot to celebrate in my house in the last two weeks. There are festivals in all the schools to celebrate the history of Peru. I went to one of the missionaries daughters school and my host brothers to watch the typical dances and hear the history. Its amazing the different outfits they have here and how the people still wear them and live the same as their ancestors. Also every week we have band practice twice for the church praise band. Thursday nights and Friday nights but this last week we had double practice to prepare for the holidays. I love my time in band practice. I just sit, pray, learn how to praise God in Spanish, and grab water for all the band members. They literally have become my family here. But the holidays we had independence day which in our house we through a karaoke night. Karaoke is much different here, everyone participates, we dance to all the songs, and whoever is the main leader of the song picks 4 people to help them. We bought all the popular Peruvian snacks and spent 3 hours singing and dancing into the night with rented strobe lights and everything. I learned how to dance the cumbia which is the most popular dance here. Then Saturday was the first time peru has ever had thanksgiving. So everyone from the church came to our house for a huge dinner and service. It was a grand thanksgiving.
The Band:
Wow what can I even say about the band that will help you understand how awesome they are!! The people all have huge hearts for the Lord and for serving Him. When there is someone in the band going through a time of struggles or hardships they choose to leave the stage until they are able to sing with full hearts of praise. This is so that everyone in the church can praise God with clarity and there is no confusion. The people in the band have become my closest friends. There is Melody, she is 22 and is in the choir. She helps out at my house 3 days a week as well so I have gotten to know her through that as well. She always braids my hair, goes out with me in town, and we talk all day long when she is working. She has a lot of patience with me and is just an awesome person. Lilian is in the choir as well and she is like my sister here. I share a room with her, we face similar problems that were working through together, and she is always with me when we pray for people in the house as well. Asusanna is the mom of one of my friends here and she always greets me with warm hugs and news of her two daughters sending me love. Then there is Julio, he is the only boy in the choir. He is always dressed super modern and is super, I don’t have the word but he always is smiling, always kisses hello and good bye, always says thank you.. some times he acts embarrassed but I think its part of his games. He is studying to be a police man right now and is not around as much as the others. I have only got to talk with him a couple times but I hope to more in the future. That is the choir with Cesar my host dad as the lead singer. The lead guitarist is Kenji. I spend the most time with Kenji than any other boy here because he works in the garden at my house two days a week, he is brothers with melody, and I am pretty sure his family wants me to marry him. I get invited to a lot of things with their family so it is good for me but I want to make it clear that I only want a relationship with someone because its what God wants not because I am white, their sisters want it, or their parents want it. So I do a lot of things with Kenji and share a l lot of stuff with him but right now its better as just friends. He is a hard worker, is teaching me guitar, and I am teaching him English, we share our dreams, and a lot of the time we just play guitar and sing praise music together. I had a huge conflict in the last week with deciding to do or not do a camp here. He helped me really weigh the options and understand the cultures response to my decision through conversation and prayer. Then there is alex, he is the back up guitar but I don’t talk with him much because he is really shy around me. I get that a lot here, its either really shy or really eager to talk to me. The last person in the band is Rotman, the drummer. At first I had no idea what he was saying to me ever because he speaks in the tone of voice of the jungle. The only way to explain it is that when he speaks it sounds more like a song. But now I can talk to him and listen to his story. His family lives in lima and he lives alone here. He works alone as well but plays soccer with my families team here. I asked him one day who his best friend was here and he said he didn’t have anyone in the pueblo that he had confidence with. Of course this is a mission for me and now rotman and I are really good friends. One night we sat outside for 4 hours talking about our dreams, our pasts, our fears, our favorite food, and everything under the stars here. The stars here are indescribable. The milky way is so bright and the moon is so close! I love looking at the stars every night but always return to my room with bug bites. My new favorite thing is to motorcar it up to the river to watch the sun set.. it is so beautiful that my breath literally gets taken away. The other day rotman took ayumi and I to the land of the future church and I swear it is the most beautiful place I have ever been. As we drove through the plants butterflys flew around the motorcar and ayumi described it as real live fairytale.
I know I wrote a lot and thank you for reading it all! Its important for me to know I have support in the US!! Please be praying for my host family: Cesar, Evelyn, Lilian, my grandma and grandpa here, and the kids Tiago and Gracia. God is doing amazing things in our house here and healing the hearts of many people. Which means the devil is trying very hard to stop it… God is so much greater than him so we are confident in God! Prayers are always helpful though! Also I ask that you lift up my friend Gerzons father, he has cancer and cannot pay for the treatments. Also for the boys in the church, Kenji, Rotman, Alex, Julio that they learn the importance of hard work and studying.
I am so happy here. I love my life. I love the challenges. I love the people. I do get homesick. God is perfect. My Spanish is not but its getting there! Love you all!

week one is done

Hello World!
It has been over a week I have been living in the jungle now and I am getting used to it! My body is finally settled down with the food and I am no longer sick!! My family here has done a great job in making sure I only eat really clean food and only drink things that wont harm me. I eat a lot of chicken, rice, papas fritas (potato fries), with salad. I had no clue you could cook chicken in as many ways as I have eaten it here. My host family laughs at me every time I eat because it still is hard for me to eat meat off a bone and I must make some faces not knowing. I’m working on it though, especially when we eat fish. The fruit though is so good! One night the family took my out for Peruvian chinese food and then shopping. We went to a store of just fruit and they said to pick out all the ones I had never eaten before. There are some amazing fruits here that look weird but taste amazing! The day after for breakfast we had plates and plates of different fruits! I think I have lost a little weight but it might just be from sweating so much! Its hot here and I live by the fan in the house. They are putting in a little air conditioner in the house this week because Cesar said its going to get really hot (its already 90 degrees everyday) and they need one here. My family is a little more wealthier than the rest of the pueblo and have lived in lima for 5 or 6 years before so they are more modern. It is a good mix for me because they understand changing to life in the jungle and the different foods here. I am glad because at Ayumis house they eat full fish in soup with the skin and face and all sometimes (she loves it because its close to what she ate in Japan).
Something that is different here but I love is that people have so much time on their hands. When we went for Chinese food it happened to be a boy from our church, Rodmon, driving the motorcar that picked us up. We walked around and shopped first and he waited with the motorcar and Cesars moto (motor bike/ motorcycle) then drove us to the restaurant and came in and ate with us there. He is 22 and plays the drums in the church band. Its cool to know people when I got out in town now or get a motorcar. Also when I get in a motorcar to go to TEC or the city people always get in with me and enjoy just having a simple conversation. Usually to figure out why there is a gringa in San Jose but it is always fun. People stop by the house all the time to just sit and talk, to eat, to watch a soccer game, or whatever. Cesar says that his life is about moments with people not things to have. He is the pastor but also a friend to everyone. Right now the house we live in is under construction. There is only the bottom apartment done completely which in the future will be a place for visitors. My room that I share with Lillian is half done but totally livable and in the future will be Cesar and Evelyns room. The rest of the house is just the foundation and roof with wood frames. The money is saved slower though so that Cesar can spend money on food for the teens when they stop by or for having soda for the whole church after the service. It’s a really cool way of living and there are always people over.
As I mentioned above that the only way to get around is on the back of a moto or in a motorcar. The missionaries at TEC have cars but most people have motos. This week Cesar taught me how to drive one so I can get around San Jose because I live on the edge close to the next town. So I now drive a moto. I have only practiced on the property here back and forth between the trees but next week or weekend I am going to take it to the streets and learn the rules of the road. It will be good so I can get to mission TEC or Ayumis house or the bodegas (small stores). I love it because of the wind on your face and the freedom of no walls around you. The motorcars are similar but they cost money to take places.
There is a distinct smell about the jungle at night too. Its hard when your breathing in the fresh air and some dust when all of sudden you pass a house burning its trash. Everyone does it out here because its cheapest and quickest but it leaves this burnt smell for at least an hour in the air at like 5 o clock. Which is the time for everyone to shower here too, I am still getting used to the bathroom schedule.
I am getting used to the Spanish too. At lot of times I find myself thinking in Spanish or responding in Spanish to English questions. While im writing right now a lot of things come out in Spanish first in my head. This is awesome or chevere! because I am finally getting it. I love that I can understand most of the conversation, the lecture in church, or what the television is saying. I have only had one Spanish class so far but I have learned so much from my family and friends here. Some people I can not understand one word. Mom I understand now when you cant understand my mumble, here Spanish mumble is killing me. But it is only my first week so I am sure I will be Spanish mumbling by the time I leave. At the house the tv is always on so I am trying to listen to the words they say there as well.
One night this week I sat down with Cesar while the kids colored and we talked for 2 hours straight. It was a great conversation about good and bad works in the church, missionary life, and how he runs the church here. I enjoy living with someone with such interesting view points. Evelyn and I talk all day too because she only volunteers twice a week in the city and is here the rest of the time. She is excited for me to drive the moto too because she does not know how and we can do more things in the day.
I had my first day at my internship as this Monday. It was not at all what I expected it to be. I know it will get better but my first day was extremely hard. I thought I was going to be put in the class to do sign language but that is not the case. I am in a class of 5 to 7 children with extreme learning disabilities of different types. There is one boy that is extremely autistic and for the most part of the day sits in the corner. There is one boy who is extremely violent and throws, hits, and kicks anything that gets near him. He threw a block of wood at my head when I turned around to help another kid and punched me really hard numerous times. There is also bath time at the school which I was not used to for just my class and ayumis class. It was the hardest part of the day because the kids would run out of the bathroom naked across the school and I didn’t know what to do. They are all around 10 years old. I was embarrassed for them and sad at the same time. I know it will get better but it was a tough couple hours. Please pray for my patients and the kids in the class as well. I will keep you updated but the thing that I thought was going to be easiest and fun for me is going to be the hardest work of my life.
One fun job I have now is English class. I teach about 5 to 7 girls and women English after church on Sundays. Its fun and interesting to hear how they pronounce words in English, and I know they all really appreciate it. My host mom and sister are part of the class so we can practice with each other a lot back and forth.
I am getting excited though because my host family is taking me on a trip this weekend. We are going Huaneco another state of Peru to visit a member of their church. It is the state most famous for eating guinea pig (cuy) so I will be consuming my first rodent this weekend!
All is well though and I love it here. There are tough things but totally worth it and I cant wait for my Spanish to improve so I can talk more. Learning to listen is good for me though!

First week in the Selva!

I am finally settling in here! I am getting to know different people of different churches, the people at Mission Tec, and the people in my house better! I was getting a really good tour of Tec after it rained and around every building there are trenches dug and have wood over them to keep the water away from the buildings. I was walking over one and the wood broke from too much bugs and water in the last couple days and I fell really hard in the trench. I didn’t bleed at all which is good because with the bugs I would not have enjoyed that. I got two huge bumps on my left leg one with a bruise the size of an apple near my knee. I told my family here that I have to fall or hurt my knees at least one time during a trip so not to worry I was just getting it over with. (I still have the cut on my right knee from mexico a couple weeks ago) But my family here has been putting this medicine on it to help the swelling go down and its working great.
I moved into my house one night this week, arriving there on the back of a motorcycle! My oom is like a barn home for a princess if that makes sense. The room looks like a giant barn on the inside with big windows over looking the back yard which has 10 huge Mango trees about to go into season and a bunch of other fruit trees. The princess part comes from the Misquito net around my bed. My family is awesome. We always have different people here from the church or working. They have more money than most people living in San Jose so they have people helping here. One girl cleans the house while Evelyn volunteers in the city. Her name is Melody and she is 22 also, we talk a lot when she is here and she braids my hair differently every day for me. She asked me to help her with English as well. Its interesting because today I got my computer out to type and I realized that it was her first time really looking at one. She asked questions about it and wanted to look at everything including Microsoft word. It makes me really appreciate the fact that I know and own a computer.
I have been waiting to write this blog for a couple of days because I was really sick. I have not eaten much for the last 2 days. One day only half an apple and some powerade with a couple saltine crackers. Its okay though because I hung out with my family when I could get out of bed. I gave the kids the gifts and they loved it. We colored all day and played with bubbles. They tried one of all the candies I had and their favorite was starbusts but my favorite was when they tried the sour sprees and both kids faces were priceless. We sat at the table for 5 hours going back and forth from coloring to playing with bubbles and then at night I got out the glow sticks and we played starwars for 30 minutes. Im sure i just had travel sickness or the flu but I am glad I am better now because I can eat, play for reals with the kids, and go out.
We bought cellphones and it is really nice to be able to get ahold of ayumi at the other house to tell her I was sick or for my family to use. Also for our Spanish teacher to get ahold of us or for friends to take us out. We have a friend names Gerzon who called and text me all day to see if I was feeling any better and to tell me he was praying, if felt good to have a friend call here. My number is 985183933 on a pay as you go movistar phone, so really different. It makes me really appreciate cell phones in the U.S. as well. I think it works for out of country, for sure for skype, but I cant call you guys from it because it would take almost a whole 3 weeks worth of minutes and messages to pay for one minute.
One night this week Ayumi and I got picked up by Gerzon in his motertaxi and went to town for dinner. We got hambugers peru style which is wayyy different. For one the ketchup is kinda pink, the French fries come on the hambuger, the meat is different, and you drink chi cha with it. Chi cha is a drink made from sugar and boiled purple corn it tastes kinda like cough medicine but it grows on you. It was really nice getting to sit down and hear the life story of someone from here. Usually on mission trips you only get to know someones history after you leave if you stay in contact.
My family gave me the talk this week about how all the boys are going to want ayumi and I because we are new to the city. They told me to be careful and for the signs of a suck up. I agree with them that I am only here for friends and school! Its fun to meet everyone new though and through a new culture. Its funny though because at the house here we mix cultures a little, like watching 2 and a half men with Spanish subtitles, using phrases like “oh my god” (one the whole family knows) as well as Batman. Its been an adventure from being sick to moving to eating new foods, but my host family is really perfect for me. Today my host mom bought all my favorite foods like peanut butter and ranch for salad. I didn’t even know she listened to me the other day or understood. I love it here, I really miss you all, but I do love the jungle… Bugs and all.

last day in lima!

Today was awesome! or Chevere! in Spanish. We woke up earlier to a packed day of adventure with the Lucas family and then later my host family the Bardales’. It started out walking through different famous plazas in Lima. They have big circles dedicated to different important days of their history. July 28th is the day of their independence so that date is written everywhere. I was told that it is required to hang a Peruvian flag from your house on that day or you will be fined for not supporting your country. Also I thought it was interesting that most places were working on repainting their outside walls, I learned that a few years ago the law changed but before that it was required to have your house, restaurant, job site, hotel, whatever repainted and fixed up for the independence day holiday or you would be fined greatly. They want their country looking great to remember how great they are. We made our way to another plaza where the oldest church of Lima is. I did the tour and found out it is actually a monastery for the Franciscan Monks that are in the St. Francis de Assisi order. There used to be 300 active monks their but now there are only 50. It was beautiful there, the huge libraries, dining halls, church, choir lofts, paintings, and the CATECOMBS. We went down the catacombs and were right next to the huge pits of bones. People just wanted to be part of the church forever so they paid money to be buried underneath it. We only went down one tunnel and were literally able to touch the bones if you didn’t get caught. I didn’t of course because I didn’t want to break the rules and bones just aren’t my thing. But there was one pit that was 45 feet deep of straight up bones, they have arranged the top in a kinda funny way for tourists to see only full bones and skulls but underneath is all broken ones. John Lucas and I found a hallway that was not part of the tour and went for our own adventure, we found more bones and decided that without electricity that would be one really creepy place. We booked it out of there to make it right in time for the beginning of the Presidents guard change. We were at the gate where the president of Peru lives!! Every day at 12 o clock there is a ceremony for the new guards coming on duty and they parade around in front of the palace and have a band playing. It takes almost 30 minutes because of the routines they do. It was really interesting that it happens every day and to see how many people come to see it. After that we had lunch at a popular Peruvian restaurant called Norky’s. They serve all different kinds of meat there. I ate some of Ayumi’s Anticucho which is COW HEART. I could not bring myself to try the gizzards but I looked at them. I ordered chicken fingers, it’s a safe bet every time. Kengi, Johns son got a popular dish which turned out to be sliced hotdog on french-fries. We drank some more Inca Kola! My host family called the Lucas’ during lunch and we planned on meeting them at Barranco, a part of Lima that I saw on a post card and the sales lady told me was really beautiful. It is older and on the coast. All the buildings are different colors and are antique looking, like old salons. We spent a couple hours walking around there and walked down to the coast past all the Rasta men. They hang out, smoke, and sell things the find in the sea and use to make jewelry. We went out to coffee after, Cesar my host dad suggested Starbucks but we wanted something more Peruvian. I got hot chocolate con crema which is this amazing whipped cream they have here! We returned back to the SAM (South American Mission) house we were staying at to pack up for our trip to Pucallpa!

2nd day!

Hi everyone!!
It is pretty late here and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow but I wanted to give brief update on the life here!!

- Slept in until 10
- Ate cheap bowl of Peruvian Cereal
- Met a missionary named John Lucas and his family
- Taxied to the beach in Lima
- Went to the mall
- Got mango juice that Ayumi loves
- Ate not so good peruvian fast food
- walked miles to the Inca market
- Watched transformers with John and his family
- Ate duncan doughnuts and tangerines with the Lucas's and MY HOST FAM!
- Met my host family!
- Found out my computer wont upload my photos, but Ayumis does so there is hope to see some eventually
- Skyped my best friend SARAH! <3


-Sorry there is not much detail but the bullet points will have to do until tomorrow! we have a crazy day planned with the Lucas' and my host family!

First Blog From LIMA PERU!

Thank you all so much for caring enough to read this and keep updated on my life! Where do I start to explain the last week…
I was just in Mexico for a week spending quality time with my family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. I laid by the pool and talked to Sarah about how weird it was that my mind was on Mexico and had not yet set into “getting ready for Peru” stage. I am here now and it still has not completely hit me yet that I am in Peru for the next 4 months. We returned from Mexico just in time to have my going away party/danny’s graduation party that really was amazing. I know I felt so loved and so supported by everyone there. I was out to dinner with the family the night after and all we could say was how great it went and how everything just flowed so perfectly. People came that I was so excited to get one more goodbye with! My family, family friends, friends, and best friends seriously made me feel so loved. Hanna my best friend from school surprised me with the best gift ever! Herself She flew in from Minnesota to say good bye for reals. It’s amazing how much one more hug really means. Sarah came early to dye my hair for the party, buy last minute things for my trip, and listen to me cry on the phone when I kept breaking down about leaving. Jyll and Pam my second family set up all the tables with perfectly matching table clothes, flowers, and cupcakes! My mom and dad ordered a bomb taco guy and hosted the best going away ever. The moment everyone sang a song to send me on my way then prayed over me was the moment it finally hit me. I was leaving. I started to cry as I looked around the room knowing I was not going alone on this trip. I had 40 people standing there, praying for me, encouraging me, and giving me confidence in myself to take the final step (last minute packing of my suitcase).
After my going away dinner at BLUE AGAVE for the last time (sorry wheel and jonny I had to go once more) with the family, Ayumi, Hanna, Sarah, and Jyll I finished packing my backpack but with the help of Jyllian, the one going over the lists, Sarah the one doing all the things none of us could figure out, and Hanna the one telling me what I actually needed and packing things into little organized bags. Somehow with everything I fit it all in a backpack, roller duffel and 2 carryons.. I managed to only weigh in my back pack at 44 pounds which is a miracle because I have 5 months of stuff in there! Saying good bye at the airport was brutal and I cant wrote much about it because I do not want to get sad.. just know that good byes are so hard for me. I was able to get right on our plane and make a friend within seconds  His name was marco and he was from Puerto Rico! We had a blast swapping stories about the island and the places that I was able to visit. We ended up talking 2 hours and watched the movie which allowed me to sleep for 1 hour. I felt like I had only been on the plane 20 minutes when I got off because of the great conversation. The movie was weird and I am usually obsessed with the free movie choice but it was just weird. Marco had an interesting connection to my trip because his girlfriends great great grandfather was the explorer that discovered Machu Picchu! What!! Crazy right.. Ayumi and I arrive in Miami and rush to gate D40 trying to catch Rebecca our friend doing her GLT in Ecuador but our flight had landed to late.. so we ate dinner and tried to get free internet across the airport. We didn’t get internet for long but we made another friend! Diego is from Lima and comes back and forth for work supplies. He ended up hanging out with us for 5 hours while waiting for the plane.. I learned a lot of Peruvian Spanish slang verse Mexican Spanish slang differences while he told us everything to look forward too! I love meeting new people that are just interested in getting to know someone with no time limits. He pointed out a famous Peruvian stage actor and comedian sitting near us who then had to be included in our little group of friends. Picture to come as proof that we met Luis C. Finally after hours we got onto the plane and I got my third good friend of the day! His name was John and he was an art teacher from England living in Philly. We got to swap travel advice and the list of shots we had gotten. He was going to travel in Iquitos (shout out to colin) and I was able to tell him about my awesome friend who somehow got malaria and a broken arm there. He decided to get vitamin B1 pills after that and a yellow fever shot in the airport. It was fun to get some of his excitement about climbing Machu Pichu as well! Well what comes next is arriving in LIMA, PERU!
We made it here! Got to SAM house, a home for Missionaries and short termers to stay. Ayumi and I took a long nap and then headed to the city! We took the long way to the Metro (market/mall), got some pretty good food in a little Peruvian street vender center. It was called Lomo, a steak with rice meal with onions and tomatoes. I ate it! Also drank some bomb tea! It was the only meal we had today because of our awkward sleep schedule but it filled us up for 5 soles, which is 1.80$ so I got a full steak dinner and drink for less than 2 dollars! We realized how bad our Spanish really is and came home to practice. It has been nice to spend the rest of the day relaxing. We were able to skype with Liz our LA Term buddy and Rebs and Ali in Ecuador! It really set in how far we are away from everyone when rebs and ali are the closest to us. Now were waiting on the arrival of my host family here at the house hoping the will take us around Lima tomorrow! I think these next 3 days before we fly to Pucallpa, I will have internet and would love to skype or email! My email is molivier09@apu.edu and my skype is themichellerenee so please talk to me! Send me your address in an email if you want to be pen pals as well! I love you all and I cant wait to give you my next adventure updates! Thanks for caring enough to read this really long update!

First Day in LA!

Hello World! Today I officially moved into my LA Term semester! I love everything about it! We met at the school and of course we were late… oh the 5 freeway. But it was great walking into a room filled with people that I am going to share the next 3 and a half months with who all have similar passions as me! oh I love it! It was good catching up and catching on to the excitement in the room. I really enjoyed talking to Hanna again (the one who went to Costa Rica at the same time as me) and getting to know my roommate. My mom, dad, Ver, Jyll, and Pam moved me in to my new house. Everyone thought I packed to much stuff but I knew it could fit, and guess what there is totally room for more.. When mine and Candice’s families left we finished our room and started to hang with the family. They are awesome! We had fun getting to know them, getting a lay of the land, meeting some friends, and just learning about each others lives and dreams. We had steak, rice, green beans, tortillas, and salad with cranberries and apples, pretty bomb for a first meal! oh and the only beverages in the house are water and DIET COKE, amazing right. I think I will fit in nicely. We listened to stories and asked questions and really had a fun 2 hour dinner. After Yomara (my mom for the semester) invited us to her friends house to look at the new curtains and we hung out there for a couple hours and out little brother ale finally got comfortable with us. He was jumping on me for hours.. we played soccer and catch, literally he would jump and I better catch, and facial expression games. I feel so lucky that they are already comfortable with bringing us to their friend’s houses and letting us into every aspect of their lives. Ale wouldn’t go to be tonight before he came to give us good night hugs, so excited to meet the other two and just become part of this home. We met a new friend that goes by ‘blue’ who is 20 and lives really close. She is showed me all the really popular music around here and taught me how to baranca (not sure on spelling) so were going to go dancing with her next week in a little Spanish club! I love the culture here, everything is done in half Spanish and half English so I am going to get to practice a lot! I only talk to ale in Spanish and the grandpa as well. I can’t wait to see where it takes me! I love it and I love having a roommate again. It’s so great to get to know new people and just drop everything and take on a new culture and life. It is one am and our internet isn’t working but I will post asap with a picture <3

June 10… Day before the weekend!

Today was another simple but great day. We went to school early because Marlous started her volunteer project close to the school and I got to call my dad! It was great to hear his voice and it made my day! I love you dad! School was interesting today because I wasn’t feeling very good but had so much planned. At break I reserved the hotel rooms, lunch I organized a group of 16 to go out to eat at “spoon” a wonderful Costa Rican restaurant, then after school got a group to go shopping down in the art district! So the day zoomed by and I am here writing my blog after packing for the weekend. Some important facts about my day, I love spoon, I met someone wonderful in the art district. Yes, it was a boy. Haha but it was just a wonderful conversation. We talked for an hour while the others shopped, it saved me some money! It was so nice just to talk to a tican and not feel pressured into buying, going, doing, nothing just a wonderful conversation. I was able to speak in Spanish for the whole hour and actually understand what he was saying back. We started out with normal conversation and made fun of each other’s languages of course, then started talking about real life. One thing he said to me that I will never forget is, tu tiene muy pura ojos, it has so much more meaning in Spanish, but its you have very pure eyes, he explained to me that he could see my innocence and enjoyment of life in how clear my eyes displayed what was on my heart. It definitely changed the way I think about a lot of things and I feel so lucky that I got to have such a great conversation while walking through the shopping district. Pura Vida Juan José. I am now off to bed because I leave to the Pacific Coast at 5 in the morning! I will be beaching it in Santa Teresa and jumping off waterfalls in Montezuma! I love life! Pura Vida mis amigos! <3

June 9 Movie Day!!

Today was a pretty normal day in Costa Rica… except MARLOUS CAME BACK! It was wonderful getting my friend back!! We had a great day catching each other up on the latest CRLA gossip haha! It rained pretty hard today and it was the one-day I wore heels here so I now have crazy blisters but it was worth it! My classmates and I all decided to kinda dress up today, we straightened our hair and put effort into our outfits, it was kinda awesome and I kinda love my class! I think we have the most fun in the whole school. We laugh the whole time and our examples are always interesting facts about the others in the class, we try to keep Susana, our professor laughing the whole time. I am really going to miss it. We have really become a little family. After school Marlous and I went home and brought her mamatica flowers because she was in the hospital with horrible asthma and then to my house to bring my tiarica flowers and chocolate for her birthday. Then off to the cinema! We saw Prince of Persia with a bunch of people from school and I pretty much loved it. After that we returned to Marlous’s house to arrange our pictures and we hung out with her Mamatica and abuelatica what a riot those two are! We could not get them to stop talking for an hour. So now im exhausted but happy and off to bed!

June 8 The day of the National Theatre!

Perfect day. Literally it couldn’t get any better in the city. I started the day talking to my mom on the phone! Then my class went on a field trip during our lunch break and the second part of class. We went to the national theatre in the center of town. Anna a girl in my class heard that during lunch one day a week there are shows for 1 dollar for 45 minutes so people can have something different to do during their breaks from work. So we went! This week the show was 4 students from Julliard in New York doing a contemporary dance and singing piece. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, they just felt the music and danced it out. One guy sang religious song and recited poetry in the background and I pretty much want to marry him. I felt so lucky to be able to watch this show, like I can’t explain it but it just makes me feel so peaceful thinking about it. After that we had lunch in the city and practiced Spanish in the city as it would really be done, only speaking Spanish the whole time. Then I came back to school and talked to Sarah!! Ah I freaking miss you Balchie. It will be good to be home with everyone but I know I will miss it here. Ah other good news! Marlous is coming back to the city, her volunteer project was not as good as she thought so now I have my friend back! And we planned our next weekend. Were going to the pacific coast to Santa Teresa, a huge surfing town and I am already getting excited!! Ah I love traveling and the beach! I am not sure who is coming yet but were starting with 5 and I am hoping to get to 12 or 13 people this weekend! I am so tired tonight so I am going to bed early, when it rains in the city the buses take forever and a 20 minute ride turns into an hour ordeal… but I am home, fed, showered, finished my homework, and going to bed. Hasta Manana!

Monday after!

Today was a great day. My group of friends and I are all tired but so happy because the weekend was so amazing. I love Costa Rica and I cannot believe I have less than two weeks left. Time flies here. Today we learned a lot in class and I was able to catch up a little with facebook. I got to talk to Sarah for 10 minutes today and everything became better! Its weird how much I miss home and miss talking to you guys. I love talking to home so anyone can add me on skype and call me! Themichellerenee is my name. It was also a sad day because my closest friend here went to her volunteer project. I wont see her until we visit on the weekend. There was a storm in Manuel Antonio which is the place I thought we would visit but its probably going to change. Anyways, I really miss Marlous already. It was a simple day but the night was wonderful. Monday’s is the day that a lot of people from the school go out dancing in the city but I love to catch up with my family. Tonight I took pictures with my hermanatica and we talked for 4 hours in my room. She straightened my hair for the first time here and we attempted to make conversation. She laughed at me for half the things I said but I think I am improving. It was great to hear her open up and actually try and talk to me. We had a late night laughing and I am really glad that I got this host family. My mamatica keeps telling me she is really happy I am living with her and she makes fun of my eating habits so its similar to home. I will have more updates in the morning! Good night all J

Weekend number 2 complete!

Wow. This past weekend was surreal. I cannot believe I am lucky enough to see the places I get to see. I had no idea what I was in for when I got on the boat to Bocas. I want to move there, it was just amazing. We got on the bus Thursday morning, we skipped class because the travel is about 10 hours to Panama and we wanted at least 2 full days there. On Thursday I traveled with Marlous, Paige, Imogen, Bryona, and Rachel. Friday afternoon two more of our friends joined us, David and Rafael. The bus was long but it wasn’t that bad, we got to drive through the mountains and along the coast of the Caribbean again. When we got to Sixotola we looked around and immediately said this is not somewhere any of us would want to be stuck. It’s a run down town that is a border town with no real structure and a lot of interesting meats hanging in the restaurant windows. We made our way to the border, which was an intense process. There were people trying to confuse the tourists and they told us all these lies and basically we lost 5 dollars each to pay them for their help. I was at the point that I would have paid them to leave and let us figure it out on our own but I guess they did get us a taxi. We then crammed into a van originally made for 7 that was now a 15-person taxi it was also pretty intense. During that ride of 45 minutes I met 2 people from Jerusalem that spoke Hebrew which is so awesome and they wrote my name out and explained to me all these crazy things about the language. The next step was a 45 minute boat ride to the main island of Bocas across the sea in our first boat taxi, I still cant believe we had to travel on a boat to get to our hostel! When we pulled up to the main part of the island they told us we still had one more boat to go at this point we could see our place on the other island and were dying to get there. Once I stepped on the deck of Aqua Lounge I forgot how upset I was at being ripped off and completely relaxed. The whole weekend was amazing it was just totally for relaxing. We rented half rooms and half hammocks to save money, hammocks are 5 dollars and beds are 10. As soon as we got our bathing suits on it was into the pool and from then on we didn’t really do much. Pool to bar to deck to pool to bar to deck. Diet cokes were only 1 dollar and the food was super cheap as well but so delicious! We got to know everyone at the hostel really well and became friends with world travelers. There was one group of people staying at the hostel that were really crazy, my first night I had someone come up to me, drop clothes in my lap and say don’t tell the boy looking for these where you got them, that is how we first met our new friends at the hostel. They were kicked out the next day because of fighting, one boy tripped and split his hand open and Aqua lounge is way to relaxing of a place to have fighting going on. So we had a blast getting to know the other people at the hostel that weekend. On Friday when our friends joined us we told them the plan was to do nothing all day again, so we didn’t do anything except get dressed up for dinner in the town and late night swimming. Saturday we decided it would be a good idea to see more of panama than the deck of our hostel so we booked a tour. We went on a little water taxi to dolphin bay where wild dolphins swim the most and they actually came and were playing around our boat, then off to two different locations for snorkeling, one was for fish and one was for live coral, then off to Red Frog beach. The beach was beautiful and on a different island that took us 30 minutes to get too. I cannot even explain how beautiful the boat rides are, the water is shallow, there are mangroves all around and you have to drive between islands and mangroves to get to the beach. When we got there we say a baby sloth climbing a tree and the red frogs the beach was famous for. The village children would run by with leaves show you the frog, tell you to take a picture, then charge you a dollar for it. We ended up paying for our photos with food because the children were starving. The beach was wonderful and the water was so warm, I love love love the beach. That night we got dressed up because everyone on the islands come to Aqua lounge for dancing on Saturdays. We had a blast and met even more people! I love traveling. Then Sunday our return day it rained so we were happy that our weather had been perfect and didn’t rain until we left. Returning to Costa Rica was something we worried about because of the problems we had on the way in with the locals. It was not bad at all, we literally walked across the very sketch bridge to the other side, crossed to Costa Rica, were told by a policeman that we didn’t get the leaving Panama stamp and had to return. So we trekked back across and waiting in line to get the stamp which put us with 20 minutes to get across and on the last bus to San Jose. We made it of course but only because the people we talked to at the border helped us cut in front of the line at the border where we encountered many angry people but made it! The bus ride home was becoming normal and I actually enjoyed it for the 4^th time now. I have decided that I might do my trip abroad in Panama in Bocas. I was talking to the people at the hostel and they said that I could stay in a bed there if I worked on the weekend and I could have one meal a day for helping clean up. That sounds amazing to me and it gets better, I was talking to someone doing something similar there and he works for a non profit on the main island with children and fixing the community up, its definitely on my list. I think I love poor and beautiful places. The weekend was perfect. I am living a dream.

June 2 The day before the big trip!

(Sitting on our Island in Bocas del Toro)

I just finished packing for my trip! We are going to the country Panama in the morning to the Islands of Bocas del Toro. Our hostel is on an island off the coast and the pictures we have seen from others at the school made me even more excited! I love the life here, school in the week and travel on the weekends, kinda like Europeans do! Today was a slow day because of the anticipation for the weekend. We got everything planned and done and the group set. I decided not to do the volunteer work because I cannot get money back for the classes I wouldn’t be taking so Spanish it is for me. It’s amazing how much the school has become home and a family for me. You would have to hide one the breaks if you didn’t want to talk to someone J I have made friends with the front desk ladies and the security guard its great I get greeted by name every time I walk in and they are even more helpful with me and play jokes on me all the time. They always tease me when I check for mail and there is none, but I know it is coming. I was craving chipotle so bad today so I got a burrito at school, it was not close in taste, but it filled the craving. Today in class we finally got to the point where we will put sentences together so I will soon be speaking in complete thoughts not only vocab. Part of our practice was to write a letter to our best friend in Spanish, the teacher had to read over it and correct it, she actually understood what I said so I must be getting close to right. Don’t worry Sarah it’s coming in the mail soon, revised of course. I really miss people at night, my family goes to bed around nine and there is no way to communicate with others after that. Tonight I practiced my Spanish with the family through music, we each played our favorite songs and tried to explain them to each other, it was good because my hermanatica finally opened up to me. After whatever we do I usually sit at the table and talk to my mamatica until I see she is ready to sleep then off to my room to write my blog and read! It has given me lots of time to think, and I am trying to decide where to go on my study abroad, Global learning term, so if you have any ideas let me know. While I write this I hear the kissing noses that the geckos make here, they are the same ones from Honduras. I think I am ready for a semester in LA, I take the bus, get off at the right stop, use a taxi when necessary, and inhale bus smoke on every corner! I am ready to get out of the city and onto our privatish island for the weekend! Pictures to come! Buenas noches mis amigos!

June 1

(Photos: Me and Marlous doing homework)

Beautiful and wonderful day in Costa Rica today! I cannot believe I have already been here over a week. Time flies so fast! Today my new friend Perry said it exactly right, “You know those people who it seems you have know forever…” Yep that is exactly how it is here, everyone gets so close and bonds together. Today I am feeling much better! The different medicines from around the world helped! It is funny, while writing this I have to translate what I want to say back into English so if it doesn’t make sense I’m working on my English J Today the internet was down at school and everyone was freaking out, I got lucky because my mamatica (Costa Rican mother) let me use the one at home tonight. Tonight I realized how much Spanish I have actually learned in one week, its crazy! I love hanging out with my family here. There is the mother, Annabel, the aunt, three daughters 24,21,17 and sometimes a baby and two boyfriends. It’s great practice trying to talk to the family and teach them things. I taught them how to make rosaries, to sign their names and some small words in sing language, and how to laugh at the English girl trying Spanish. Tonight I got great news from home, and it just shows how blessed I am and how God is just so good! Thank you for keeping me in your prayers! I was so excited about checking my emails that when I got to talk to Sarah I didn’t know what to do! Everything was too perfect and I was so happy that I started crying, I then had to explain to my family that they were happy tears. Tonight my friend Marlous came over and we took amazing pictures, showed each other pictures from home, and did our Spanish homework. She is a wonderful person and I have been lucky to get to know her better. Its good to have someone to ride the bus with, tell stories to, and do homework with. She lives 10 houses away so we get to spend a lot of extra time together. I think I might start planning a trip to Holland!! Haha oh life is good and I am so happy! I am thinking about leaving class next week and doing a volunteer project to practice Spanish in a different way and volunteer because I miss it. This weekend we are going to Boca del Toro in Panama. We stay at Aqua lounge on a little island, we looked up the pictures and Marlous screamed, it is that beautiful. I’m so excited! We have a different group this week so it will change it up but I am excited to get to know new people. I am so excited!!! The pool is cut in the dock on the island and is just the ocean passing through, its going to be paradise. It’s hard to go to sleep because real life here is better than dreaming! Good night world!

The Monday after

Today was a slower day, everyone was so tired from the weekend, the school had a bunch of new students I of course had to meet, and I was sick. I think I got a head cold from somewhere this weekend so I have been a little out of it today. We learned so much vocabulary today and my class got a new girl named Rachel from Tennessee. My teacher gave me some medicine to help my cold and it was so strong with drowsiness that I was a zombie the rest of the day. I came home and took medicine from Holland, and ate with my family. I shared the joys of icy hot with my hermanatica (Costa Rican sister) and I am now studying Spanish and trying to beat this cold before we leave to Panama! Monday night is the night everyone from the school goes dancing and I am sad I had to miss tonight but I will be feeling better in time for next week! Adios World, Buenos Noche!

After the Caribbean time!

Wow. This weekend was amazing. I love the Caribbean and I love my new friends! We had a blast getting to know each other, relaxing, and getting the experience of being a Costa Rican. We left really early on Friday morning to avoid the heat and get as much time on the sand and in the sun as we could. When we arrived I could not believe my eyes, the trees, the sun, the people, our hotel, the sand, the water, the everything was so wonderful. We stayed the first night in Cahuita a city and hour before Puerto Viejo, it is a smaller town with not many tourists. We had the entire hotel/hostel to ourselves besides one couple. Our rooms were beautiful and there were hammocks on the porch, the pool was beautiful and we spent 3 hours there after the dance club, its so hot throughout the night that we need a cool clean body of water to relax in. There were 12 of us so it was great fun playing pranks and hearing different life stories. In Cahuita Marlous, Immogen and I stayed on the beach all day while the others visited the national park. We made friends with the local Rasta man, Rolonaldo, he lives off the land and hangs out with the tourists. He spent a few hours with us swimming, telling stories, and climbing a tree and getting us fresh coconuts to drink from. It was crazy to see how he cut them open with a machete and cut spoons out of the sides of them. There will be a video on my facebook. He then took us swimming to teach us how to body surf, or throw yourself into a wave and hope it takes you somewhere! The people in that town are so friendly and the restaurant workers took pictures with us, made us special dishes, hung out by the table, and invited us dancing with them on Friday night. We went to the town, which was maybe 30 buildings total, and went to the two clubs. One was a live band that played salsa and meringue music the other was a Rasta club. Yes, I danced, thanks to my new friends I some how had the confidence to get on the dance floor. It was actually really fun! I don’t know if I will ever voluntarily dance with a 54 year old Rasta man again but hey it was part of the experience and he wasn’t that bad at meringue! Stories to come about that one! That was all on Friday, Saturday we went to the next city, Puerto Viejo, wow it was so beautiful. The beaches were so white and the water so clear! We stayed at the most amazing Hostel ever called Rocking J’s. It is for surfers and world travelers. Our room was called the pimp suite and was the most amazing room ever. Immogen and I layed in Hammocks on our balcony for 4 hours talking and just enjoying Costa Rica. We met so many people in the Hostel, I have new friends from Spain, Australia, Peru, Holland, and Argentina it was so cool to hear stories and just get to know different lifestyles. We got really burnt and our fingers wrinkled from staying in the water so long but I would have had it no other way! The bus ride home was a different story! I think the count of almost deaths was 6 or 7, the bus drivers think they are indestructible and the rain does not stop them from anything. It was kind of exciting and kept us on our toes. We made it back safe, red skinned, and close friends. The conversations had will never be forgotten, the people will always be remembered and my life will forever be changed. Pura Vida!!

May 26

Today was a day with a lot of planning and a lot of family time! School was great and I actually know what I am doing with the bus system now. I have learned a lot and can actually carry on conversations now! Sometimes at school I will be thinking in Spanish, speaking in English, and listening to Dutch, its great fun! Today was my new friend from Japans birthday so we all went to lunch with our teacher to this amazing place! Two people could split a plate with two drinks for 3,800 colones = 7.50. After class we planned our trip for the weekend, there is 11 of us going to the Caribbean for 3 days. Its going to be wonderful laying on the beach and going to the national parks, our room only costs 10 dollars a night and the dance club is next door. I will be posting pictures on Monday. After the planning we went to the mall and watched Robin Hood with Spanish subtitles I learned so much there and the movie made so much more sense with subtitles. After when I went home I had a little scare, the buses are not safe after nine, and the boys were telling us scary stories, nothing happened but we got all scared anyways. When I got home I stayed up with my family and taught them how to make rosaries! I seriously love this place!

May 25

(picture of my classmates and my professor)

Buenos Dias! I learned so much today! We went over vocabulary for hours! I am actually starting to think in Spanish when I do things, no lie. I love love love my class! There are only four of us but they are so awesome! My teacher is named Susana she is from here and is wonderful, she is taking us to desserts on Thursday! One girl is named Magume from Japan, she knows no English and no Spanish its nothing like Japanese so its helping us more to attempt to explain things to her, or use charades in the end if needed. I’m really good at charades J Another girl Anna is from New Zealand, she is really cool and has been traveling for a year and a half, she has plenty of stories for us! Lastly my new friend Elisa, from England! I love having an English accent around again! It makes me miss Vanessa terribly but it is still wonderful. Today we had to describe a traditional dish from our home country, together we have sushi, roast lamb, roast beef, empanadas, and hamburgers… which one is from America? At lunch today I made a new group of friends! We stick together in the real world because Spanish is the only way to communicate. I ended up translating for directions for food and the bathroom and I ordered for two of us at Subway all in Spanish! Me groupo de amigas es Marlous from Holland, Enrique from Holland (they did not know each other before), and Imogene from Whales. Today we left dance class after an hour and a half of Salsa and Meringue to plan our trip for the weekend. Were going to the Caribbean! It only cost 40 dollars for two nights, and transportation there and back! I’ll be gone Friday-Sunday! At the school I found out that most students take class only Monday- Thursday for 5 hours because everyone travels on the weekends, so I changed my schedule today. All the new comers change within 2 days. My friend Marlous and I take the bus together because we live 10 houses apart, it’s much safer this way and our housemothers are friends. Tonight I taught

my vocab words to the family in sign language, “Lesco” so I practiced and they all laughed. It’s weird because I want to respond to everyone with the Portuguese words I know, or with the Spanish from the states, so different. Here pollo is said pojo and they say they are the correct Spanish here so im going with it. I basically love this place, everything is great, one of my favorite things is the different languages I just love the accents and the Dutch, German, Japanese, and Spanish words being spoken all around me! It’s very different and I am trying to get used to it here still but I am sure I won’t want to leave. I am still white, it has been raining off and on but it’s so nice, I think on the beach this weekend I will get some color, I hope! No bug bites yet! I love you all! Keep praying for me!

May 24

(photo is where we have lunch at the school my class room is the windows in the back)

Here I am typing in my bedroom in Costa Rica! It reminds me a lot of my room that I had in Brazil, actually this whole place reminds me of Brazil. I missed having people my age to hang out with all day and night like we did then. Although starting tomorrow I will have a group! My classes start tomorrow and I will be placed with around five others and everyone says that’s who your closest with. Today I arrived and my host mom Annabel fed me eggs, fresh bread (like brazil), fresh orange juice then took me to see the city. I thought my brother and the rest of the people in Orange County were intense drivers, I was wrong. Here the buses will get within one inch of each other not exaggerating and the motorcycles will drive between the bus and the curb to pass through traffic. It’s insane! When I was on the bus my mother told me you will know when to jump off to come home when you see that restaurant and to get to school get off after the mall. If you miss get off and call a taxi. Don’t worry everyone, Michelle the one who is great at directions is mastering the know when to jump off system, I already took the bus once myself! Ah, another thing about directions here, there is not addresses, you get directions with landmarks, “walk about 300 meters, at the tree go right, the house is three past the blue one, then when you see the door with the writing it’s the next beige house.” Yep its pretty crazy, sometimes they use land marks that aren’t there anymore and are just known by the locals, an example, turn right at the big tree, the big tree was cut down years ago.” I don’t think there is a better way to prepare me for LA Term! Back to the school, it is beautiful! I love it and the people are so nice! They really encourage you to use Spanish but if you cant they find someone to translate. I thought most people would be from USA but I was wrong, there is are few but majority are from Europe. Today my dance partners were from England and the other Switzerland. I found my friend Hanna on campus (about 20 classrooms total) today and she introduced me to everyone. All the students are really close and plan something fun every night. I know that 5 people arrived from Germany today so I think I will be getting to know them soon! It’s just so easy to meet people here because we are all in the same boat. Thank God English is a common language because no one has Spanish down yet. In between classes and during free time everyone speaks English, its nice to have that break. My family doesn’t speak any English, which is good because it is really forcing me to try and come up with words and new vocabulary to carry on conversations. My mom has already picked up on my picky eating habits but I am trying everything once! I have my own little house in the back yard with my own bathroom and its awesome! The city is pretty loud and there are a lot of animals. These little bugs that look like baby cockroaches keep coming under the door but there is nothing I can do so I am working on getting used to that, it is only my first night. The family goes to bed around 8 here so I have some time to myself, but if dance class gets harder I am sure to be wiped out as well. Today we learned the basic steps to the meringue!!! I had orientation and am deciding on traveling to Panama or Nicaragua possibly! The choices are really endless here. At the school I feel like I am already in a rainforest or close to the beach, everything is open patios with birds flying around and a giant yard with tables surrounded by trees. The music from dance class floats through windows and everyone is talking in different languages. It is just going to get better from here! I can’t believe I still have a month left! Miss you all! I will keep updating you with my life here! Please keep me in your prayers!

May 23

Well … Blog .. hm .. this is something that I have been meaning to do for a while now and sitting and waiting in the airport is the perfect opportunity to start one! Hello world! It is funny to think that people are reading this, hopefully, somewhere in the world. Its awesome to think that I am blessed enough to have friends all over the world! Shout out to Brazil! So blogging time.. I am here at Gate 67 A waiting for my flight to Costa Rica! I am early.. way early its 6:45 and I don’t board until 7:50 so I am hoping to make some friends. So far I have made friends with the lady at the check in who decided to wave the fees of both my over stuffed 49.5 and 51.0 suitcases so I just saved 50 $!! Thank you God for that one! Then I made friends with the two ladies at the security checkpoint. They thought my butterfly was cute in my hair and asked if they could buy hairpieces I made.. I told them how to make them instead. It was a nice little chat that I could only have when I was not rushing through the barefooted check point. I love being barefooted so it’s no problem for me! My shoes are off as I type! Then I made friends with a police officer on my walk over to the gate. I love new friends, so I decided to claim a spot on the floor next to these two women, they had just arrived from New Zealand, we got to talk about the long flights and the interesting things in that area of the world. Australia officially takes longer to get too. They have boarded now and I am all alone… weird. Costa Rica here I come, dance class here I come, fried bananas here I come, conquering the Spanish language here I come!!

I am now sitting in seat 5a next to the window on the way from Denver to San Jose! My last flight was uneventful, except I happen to be the only one to go through security again, randomly picked.. I think it was because I was the only one nice to the check in people. I made it with a10 minutes time frame to transfer to this flight! I have an empty seat next to me, what a blessing! 5 hours to go until im on the beaches.. kinda.. oh and my new friend who is sharing the empty seat is named Zoltan! How awesome is that! Good night world!