Today's the day!

Have you ever eaten sauerkraut on a hot dog for breakfast? I did today. Not too shabby, actually, though i'm not the biggest sauerkraut fan. But pair that with some fresh pineapple, a glass of grape juice, and some coffee, and you've got yourself the breakfast of champions. ;)

The students arrive TONIGHT! Crazy!! I am so anxious to meet them all. Life has been so calm around here thus far that I can't really imagine how much it's going to speed up in the coming days! It's so strange, I feel like I'm waiting for all the students from MY semester to get here, then I realize I don't know any of these crazies that are coming. ;) Haha but it's exciting, I am looking forward to it! They arrive at 8:45 pm, then we all spend the night together in this center thing, then tomorrow begins the craziness of orientation week..ahh, how I remember that week, just a year ago........

So in other news, I went to Naranjo this weekend to visit the host family that I lived with last November. It was AWESOME, to say the least, to see them all again! It was so weird, it felt so normal, but it was weird because so much time had passed and so many things had changed, me included! I arrived Saturday afternoon, had a good lunch, then spent the afternoon catching up. My host sisters, Kris, Yorleny and I, then picked up some tacos for supper and watched two movies together (17 again, and "My super ex-gf") The first movie: thumbs up. 2nd movie: not so much. But it was GREAT to hang out with them and get to talk with them!! :) Sunday we all went to church together, and it was sooo awesome to see everyone from the church! My host mom told me that no one really thought I was going to come back, at least not so soon, so they were all super surprised to see me! It felt really good to actually complete my promise, to actually come back again. I don't know if I've ever really felt so good to actually hold true to my word. Hm. But it was great! And I saw the infamous Andres, hahaha. :) It was really good to see him, just so weird that when I did, everything just sort of flooded back over me. Whew. Strong stuff. But it was awesome, we walked to the pulperia (little store) together before church, got some candy, talked: it was great. Ahh. Then I spend the afternoon with the family and the neighborhood children, who are crazy and adorable :), got to play with like, three six-month olds! (yay, love babies!) :) And then boarded the bus at 4:30 to head back to San Jose.....Ahhh. It was great to reconnect, and I am excited to see over the next 10 months how friendships will grow and change with my friends in Naranjo. :) The plan is to head out this weekend on Friday and stay until Sunday, since the church service this week is saturday afternoon. Que chiva!

I am super pumped for all that is to come, as we ready ourselves to get to know the students, prepare the office for their arrival, and as I grow more comfortable in my role at work, with my host family, and in the country in general. Here's to the excitement of change!!

Dia Tres!

Just some pictures from my house of my room, the view from my room, and my office!! :)

Well, today is officially day THREE of work! whoa, how the time has flown thus far! :) And so far, so good!
I still love being with my host family, I am trying to soak in this super-tranquilo (calm) time with them before the students arrive, although it's kind of hard sometimes too, just to be reading or watching TV while my sister studies (she has a LOT to study!). But I don't mind it too terribly, I do love reading! Plus Laura, (yes, I work with someone named Laura. ay. We need to find some good nickname for me, and fast. Hahaha :) but anyways, she has tons of awesome books, and she just loaned me this one called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." I read 2 chapters the other day (one about asparagus, haha not as boring as it sounds!) and it's super interesting! I definitely recommend it to anyone. It will greatly challenge your food choices. It's good. :) Anywho, yea. My host mom and I (since I've been getting home so early) have been watching this telenovela together that starts at like, 4:00 and ends at 5. I usually catch the 2nd half, so she catches me up on what's going on, we watch, we talk, then she goes to cook "supper" / cafecito. So it's really just chill.

Work is awesome as well, so far so good! Thus far I have organized some library books (and am going to be helping set up the new organization system for that), sent some emails, did some research on how to improve our website, typed in some reviews of the "Mini-LASP" that some professors just did here, and other randomness. I like working in this kind of environment, where I'm given things to do, but then have some independence to do them. It's exciting. :) And it's exciting to think that the students will be here in less than a week, but I'm also just enjoying this time of calm before the storm. ;) Hahaha. I don't mean that in a negative way! It will just be way crazier around here. :)

The first day the head honcho, Don Antonio, told me that I should think through what some of my goals/priorities/expectations are for this experience, so I know now what I want to be working at. Hmm. So I've been thinking about that for a while. 1) Work on my Spanish. I'm planning to be tutored like, 1 hour a week specifically to work on some Spanish, which should be great. 2) Get to know the staff on a new level. They are the ones I'll be around the most, and I want to learn from their experiences what it's like living and working in a foreign country, and what it's been like working with college students in this type of environment, since it's something I may want to do. 3) Get to know students. I do want to get to know the students, and spend time with them and let them feel like they can tell me about anything. But I guess I don't want to just get totally and completely wrapped up in hanging out with them. Which brings me to #4) Getting closer with my host family/ with the friends I have now in Naranjo and Grecia. I would like to spend some weekends out in Naranjo and Grecia, though not all of them; maybe not even a majority of them. But i guess 1-2 times a month I would like to go out there and reconnect with everyone, just because they were so special to me, and I would like to continue getting to know them and spend time with them over the next 10 months. Yea. Well so after thinking about it, I guess that mostly sums up the main part of my goals here. Plus, get some job experience, travel experience, and maybe sort of search around to see what kinds of jobs are lurking around in Central America, just in case I want to work here someday. :) Which is possible! Anything's possible!

Well, I sincerely thank you for reading my ramblings. :) Know that I miss you and want to hear from you any time!! Oh, and I'm going to post a few pictures at the bottom of this post, just views from my house, views of my office, and of my room. All the pictures I have for now. :) May God bless you today and onward, and I thank you for your friendship and for reading my blog. :) Amor y paz.

Ya llegue a costa rica!!!

Here I find myself once again the land of PURA VIDA! I am so excited to be back in CR, though of course it was insanely hard to leave home and my family and friends. I am going to miss you all SO MUCH, but like my mom told me on the day I left, its easier because I know Im following Gods call.
So far, everything is GREAT here! When I arrived on Friday, my co worker Laura picked me up at the airport, and we talked the whole way to the office. It was great to see all the professors again, and to know that I will get to know them on such a different level this time around! Im very excited. Then I settled a bit into my OFFICE (with a window, ooo) =) Haha which Ill post some pics of later.
Then they took me to my host familys home, which is just about 10 minute drive up the hill, and it is so pretty! They used to run a restaurant out of their home, and it is so beautiful here! The view is insane (which ill post pictures of later) and they are the sweetest people! My host dads name is Oto, and he teaches at a sort of vocational school. My host mom, Beatrice, is an awesome cook. I will not be going hungry! Then my host sister Maria Fernanda is 18 years old, and is studying in her first year of medical school! They are all super nice. Yesterday, because it was Mothers Day in Costa Rica, we went ALL over and visited family! Awesome, but needless to say, a bit tiring for me! =) We went to Santa Ana to visit la familia de Beatriz, and stayed there for a few hours (we even ate KFC for lunch, totally made me think of home!) and then in the afternoon-evening we went just down the road from my house to Otos parents house, where his huge family all gathered for some cafecito and lots of laughter! All in all, it was a great time!!
Now today is sunday, and my family doesnt really go to church. So, i think I might have to do a little searching, and see where I can go on Sundays, because I think i will miss it way too much not to do anything for 10 months! This morning I just decided I would read from Psalms, to focus on praising and just on God this morning. It was really good, and I think ill probably read the same ones again tonight, just to get them in my head. I like having this time set apart to really get more into the word. This next weekend im thinking about visiting my host family and friends in Naranjo, and ill definitely go to church there! So well see what happens. =)
Tomorrow is my first day of work, so im glad i have today to just sort of chill and relax, update you all on facebook (we do have internet in my house, so im on my sisters laptop right now), and just spend some time. My sister is actually gone right now, because shes taking lessons to get her drivers license! Crazy crazy! And my host dad is actually at work all day, pobrecito! So its just me and my host mom, whos doing some laundry and cooking something that smells AH mazing. shoot. im going to have to find some way to work out around here. =)
well, i suppose this is all for today. as soon as i finish decorating the office, and i upload some pics from the house, ill be sure to send it all your way. =) i miss you all soooo much, and thanks for taking the time to read my wandering thoughts. =) muuucho amor y muuuuchos abrazos y besitos!!!!!!!

Wow I'm bad at this.

Yikes people. The last post on this blog? February. Yikes again. Lo siento (I'm sorry!)
Well, here it is, the 23rd of may (24th technically) and I cannot believe where I am in life. Graduated from college. Moving to costa rica in 2 months. Friends getting married. People spreading across the globe. My sister going into jr high. *sigh* sigh*sigh*. Ch-ch-changes are always coming along, aren't they? I feel pretty prepared for most of them at this point in time. I mean, graduating college was weird, but it was most definitely time for it to happen, so I'm good with that. I mean, of course I will (and do) miss being surrounded by all of my friends, but you can't stay in one place forever. I find that as bigger changes come and go in my life, I learn how to take them a little more easily, or at least I can find new ways to handle the stress and fear that comes with change. One day at a time. I realized the complete truth and importance of this little phrase during my study abroad experience in Central America, and I try to remind myself of it every single day, in every minute that I feel scared about the future or begin overthinking life just a tad too much. One day at a time. Here I am, in this moment. How can I love God? How can I love people? WHAT is most important in this very moment that I find myself in? These are the questions that I have to learn to ask myself. What is this moment meaning for my life? What will I give in the time that I have in this one day? I don't need to freak out about the future, because I can't control it. Heck, I can't even control the present, really. And oddly enough, I am becoming more and more comfortable with that fact. Hm. It feels nice when God displaces worry at the center of our lives. :) I am here on purpose; with a purpose; to love God and love people. Finito: the end. Fin. Love is life, and life is about loving. Yeah, I can sleep well with that on the brain. :)

Woops.

Well, let me just say sorry for my own laziness over the past few weeks or so. :) I'm glad to catch back up on the good old blog, I must say.
How is life..how is life? Hmm. Quite the question. I am having a great time actually! Still working on remembering that each day comes as it comes, and that me fretting about the future is not doing anyone any good. Though, of course, it still becomes an issue now and again. :) However, I'm slowly learning more and more how to keep that fear of the "next step" from inhibiting me in the present, which can only continue to inhibit me in the future.
I am home for the weekend, and it feels good to be here with my family. I miss them so much sometimes when I am gone, and it's been almost two months since I last saw my parents, so I am definitely enjoying time at home with them (and my precious Fiona). :)
Each day continues as a process of processing, as I like to say. Processing not only my semester abroad, but life in general, and all the new info I receive as I go along. I have started to become more and more interested in dedicating myself to really living simply, and not only to do that on my own, but also to share that type of living in a community of believers. My capstone class (It's my favorite class, ever, can't lie) is challening to me; challenging to my ideas about the world, about what peace means in this world, and about just everything in general basically! :) I enjoy a good time of deep conversation and thinking in the midst of a lot of shallowness, it reminds me a lot of my Costa Rica time in LASP when all of life was basically intense. :)
Well, it's 12:58, and even though for me, that's early, I figure I'll use the fact that everyone here around me is sleeping to justify turning in. Don't worry, I'm sure I"ll be back soon. Cuidate!
Peace & Love

Sleeping In...

So there's this song I love by Nevertheless called "Sleeping In"... Here's the part that strikes me:

"I've been sleeping in for days, Cause when I am awake, I will have to face my life. And I get carried away like I'm the only one, Who's ever felt the way that I do. But I can hear you say you're not the only one, everybody hopes to get through."

Sometimes, I love sleeping in. Okay, a lot of times I love it. But sometimes I really do feel like I'm sleeping in because I'm trying to avoid it. Life. Change. Hurt. Love. Loss. all the good and all the bad things of life. Why? I don't know, honestly. It's a scary thing, living! There are days (most days) when I feel good and loved and trustful of all things God has coming my way. Yet, there are those days when I want to eternally hit the alarm clock, in my dream world where nothing really changes, where I don't have to move on, where people I love aren't left somewhere behind me. The beauty in life is the fact that it changes, and I know I can't see how beautiful things are without sometimes having to walk through the rain to get there. But there are those days, those times, when I lose some trust in life, in myself, and yes, even in God. I've gotta admit it, I've got to be true. It hurts me to feel that way on those days. I mean, how can I doubt the One who loves me more than I can ever even fathom? How can I doubt the love of the cross?

I know I shouldn't overly beat myself up for feeling this way. Like the song says, "you're not the only one, everybody hopes to get through." I do hope to get through, and I do believe deep down that I will get through. Today is just one of those days where, for some reason, I start to doubt what I can do through Christ's power and love. I can do ANY THING through Christ who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13) Why do I forget how much I've already done, how far Christ has already brought me? Just one of those days when I need to remind myself of how loved, how blessed, and how powerful Christ can be within me if I ask Him to come in and take my life....

Whew, I can't think about it all anymore..so until la proxima vez. Amor y Paz....

El primer post!

So this blogging thing I think is going to make my mind say "whew" at the end of every night! Why, you ask? Well, it's this little thing called LIFE that sometimes seems to make my head spin out of control :)

Since I returned from my semester abroad in Costa Rica, life has been great, I mean I really have no complaints. (Minus that it's cold here..and I lost my tan) Haha no, but honestly, life is good! But there's just this part of me, some part that feels lost, that doesn't believe I really did all the things I now see myself doing in pictures. What a weird place the mind is, yeah? That I can spend four months somewhere, come home, and all the sudden it's like it never happened. I'm still trying to deal with that reality change...

And as I deal with one change...here comes the next!....Graduation...basically a four letter word! Haha just with 10 letters. ;) I think that's why this semester feels so overwhelming to me, even though I have the least amount of credits ever (12..awesome) I feel more stressed than I think I ever have in college. Boo. That's not how it should be! Perhaps it's this thing called the "Real World" everyone keeps bringing up. Though, I don't really think the real world is so tough and scary...I mean, if I can pee in the ocean for a week with the Kuna, and plan a sweet spring break trip in a country I've never been to, what CAN'T I do? :)

Well folks...I've gotten out my words for tonight..until next time....stay classy.

With the peace & love of Christ.